The loss and recovery of a Short Stirling crew
The Stirling BK716, a British WW2 bomber, which crashed in Lake Markermeer, the Netherlands in 1943, is one of those stories that should not be forgotten. In 2020 the wreckage was recovered, commissioned by the municipality of Almere. I was the project manager.
BK716 had seven crew members on board, five of whom were British and two Canadian. In 2022 the crew members were buried, in presence of their family members.
BK716’s recovery is part of the Dutch National Programme Aircraft Recoveries, which was set up by the Dutch government in 2019. In a decade about 30 WW2 aircraft recovery operations will be carried out in the Netherlands, where there is a strong possibility of human remains being found. The National programme was introduced to fulfil the fervent wish of relatives to be able to properly bury their missing family members and to obtain certainty about what happened to them. BK716’s recovery had been the third recovery within the National programme.
Based on a learning environment, we’ve worked together with twelve students from the Netherlands, the UK, Canada and Germany, who worked jointly to bring BK716’s story alive through a digital magazine. The project is supported by the municipality of Almere. Experts in the field of WW2 and aircraft recoveries provided masterclasses for the students. A four member international sounding board supported their learning process.
The magazine pays a heartfelt tribute to the lost airmen, who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom today. It was published on 30th March 2023, the 80th anniversary of the crash.
I feel honoured having been part of both the recovery and the making of the e-magazine.
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