Hi, I’m Lilian van Mourik. I live and work in Almere, the Netherlands. For the past several years, I’ve been the project manager for the recovery of the WWII bomber Short Stirling BK716, which was found in Lake Markermeer and recovered in 2020.

During WWII, over 5,500 aircraft crashed in the Netherlands. More than 1,000 airmen are still missing, hidden in around 400 wrecks scattered across land, lakes, and sea. After the war, the Netherlands was rebuilt and life moved on. Yet for the families of these airmen, the loss remained unresolved. That is why, in 2019, the Dutch government established the National Programme for Aircraft Recovery: to fulfil the heartfelt wish of surviving relatives to bury their loved ones and finally gain certainty about what happened to them. Research shows it’s still technically possible to recover 30 to 50 of these aircraft, with a good chance of finding missing airmen. Over the next decade, the government aims to recover them.

BK716 was the third aircraft recovered under this programme. It crashed in 1943 during a mission, carrying seven crew members—five British and two Canadian. During the recovery, we found human remains. In 2021, we held a ceremony in Almere with the families, where we unveiled a monument called Rise in honour of the crew. A year later, the men were buried with full military honours at Jonkerbos War Cemetery in Nijmegen.

Since then, I’ve continued to be involved—not just as a project manager, but also as an advisor for the National Programme itself. It’s incredibly meaningful work, and I’m proud to help guide future recoveries and remembrance efforts across the country.

Meeting the relatives was one of the most meaningful parts of the journey. The pain of not knowing what happened to a loved one—even after 80 years—is hard to imagine. Being able to give families answers and a place to remember their grandfather, father, uncle, or brother has been a true honour.

The story of BK716 is much bigger than just an aircraft. It reminds us that freedom has a price. By remembering these stories, we keep their legacy alive and can learn from the past to build a better future.

That’s why I teamed up with 12 students from different countries to create BK716’s E-Magazine. And one thing led to another: I worked as an advisor/liaison with the British production company North One on Guy Martin’s Lost WW2 Bomber, which tells the story of the recovery of the Lancaster E603.

I also joined the Unconventional Soldier podcast to talk about BK716, Dutch remembrance culture, and the food drops that saved millions during the war.

Through all of this, I’ve learned how powerful stories can be. Even though different countries share the same history, the way we tell and understand those stories can vary. That inspired me to create this website—to share Dutch history and the stories of our Dutch and Allied heroes, who helped shape the free country we live in today.

I also launched the Holland’s Hidden Heroes podcast for children and families worldwide, co-hosted by 11-year-old Colin—seeing history through the eyes of children.

I hope these stories remind us all—young and old—that freedom must never be taken for granted.