Almere is a young city, but even here the Second World War left its traces.
Back then, this area was still Lake IJsselmeer, a key flight path for the allied forces to the Ruhr. Pilots often chose to fly over Lake IJsselmeer on their return from bombing missions in Germany. This route increased their chance of survival if their plane should crash.
Various remainders of military aircraft were found during the reclamation of the province of Flevoland. Several of these wrecks are located on Almere’s territory in Lake Gooimeer and Lake IJmeer. These were all military aircraft that crashed during the Second World War (1940-1945) and the Cold War (1945-1991).
Several years ago, the wreck of an airplane was found in Lake Markermeer, northwest of the De Blocq van Kuffeler pumping station. It was identified as Short Stirling BK716, an RAF bomber that carried out raids on German cities during the Second World War.
In 2008, the Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution (KNRM) by chance brought up part of the driving motor of a Short Stirling’s landing gear from Lake Markermeer. The Aircraft Recovery Group 1940-1945 Foundation initially believed the plane to be the BK710, but new research carried out in 2019 revealed that it was in fact the BK716. The Dutch Ministry of Defence confirmed the identification during the subsequent recovery operation. This Short Stirling was flown with a crew of seven. In the first week of the recovery operation, one of the engine blocks was found. The registration number on this part confirmed the identity of the aircraft as BK716.
BK716 crashed in the early hours of 30 March 1943 when returning from a raid on Berlin. On its way home to RAF Downham Market in Norfolk, the Short Stirling was shot down by a German night fighter.
The crew of BK716 consisted of British and Canadian members:
The recovery of Short Stirling BK716 started on 31 August 2020 and was officially completed on 9 October 2020. The municipality of Almere carried out the operation in collaboration with several partners. The Dutch Ministry of Defence conducted the recovery and identified the human remains. With the assistance of Leemans Speciaalwerken, pieces of wreckage were lifted and cleaned. The recovery staff then removed the human remains, personal belongings, aircraft parts, parts of ammunition and items of military equipment. The Recovery Service of the Royal Netherlands Air Force took the pieces of wreckage to the airbase in Woensdrecht. The human remains of the aircraft were reburied on 29 September 2022 at the Jonkerbos War Cemetery in Nijmegen.
The Almere municipal executive and municipal council wanted to salvage the aircraft. Surviving relatives had requested the recovery of the remains of their family members to be able to give them a proper burial. The executive and council supported that request. The crew paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Our efforts will enable the relatives to say goodbye to their late loved ones properly.
The recovery, which is part of the National Aircraft Wreckage Recovery Programme, was commissioned by the municipality of Almere. The Ministry of Defence and specialized contractor Leemans Speciaalwerken carried out the recovery. The Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations provided funds and advice.
The National Aircraft Wreckage Recovery Programme was set up in 2018 and today covers more than 30 recovery operations involving aircraft of various nationalities with a strong likelihood of human remains of missing airmen being encountered. The programme was started to fulfil the fervent wish of surviving relatives to be able to properly bury their missing family members and to obtain certainty about what happened to them. The involvement and efforts of members of the general public often prove indispensable.
In 2025 the Netherlands will celebrate 80 years of freedom. Our rights and freedoms are not unconditional, they require our ongoing work and commitment. The story of the crew of Short Stirling BK716 is part of that. They fought for our freedom, eventually paying the ultimate price. Freedom for which we are thankful every day.
The municipality of Almere felt it was important to commemorate the BK716 crew with a work of art. Having decided to commission an artwork, it therefore appealed for artists to submit ideas in late 2019. A jury chose from a shortlist of submitted plans. Their choice fell on Laura O’Neill and her design for Rise. The artwork was installed on the memorial field in the Resistance Memorial Park (Bos der Onverzettelijken) in Almere in October 2021. Miniatures of the artwork were presented to the surviving relatives of the deceased crew.
Read more about the work of art.
The children’s book ‘The Night of the Stirling’ was published in October 2020. It was written for primary-school pupils in the senior section (years 7 and 8). The book was made available to all primary schools in the province of Flevoland and also translated into English.
The story is about four characters who, in one night, are each in their own way affected by the war in the air. It is a fictional work and therefore does not describe the actual last flight of Short Stirling BK716. Author and archaeologist Evert van Ginkel: ‘We soon decided to view the story from various different perspectives rather than to tell the story of the bomber alone. Doing that would have been difficult because, sadly, the crew did not live to tell the tale.’
On the ground in Berlin, we encounter two young girls who witness the impact of this bombing operation. During the flight home, we read about a German soldier who shoots down a plane of the allies. And finally, we read about a Dutch girl who lives in the Netherlands while it is occupied, and who witnesses the crash of a plane in the Markermeer.
The Dutch and English versions of this book are for sale at Erfgoedhuis Almere.
The Short Stirling was an English, four-engine bomber that was brought into action during the Second World War. Seven crew members were on board. The Short Stirling was 26,6 meter long, 8,8 meter high and had a wingspan of 30,2 meter. This type of airplane of the Royal Air Force (RAF) was specially developed for the bombardments against German cities. In 1942, it was the largest bomber of the allied forces. The aircraft was produced since 1939 in England. In total, 2.375 of this type of aircraft were built. Airplanes with a wingspan of 30 meters weigh over 20.000 kilos without cargo. With bombs and fuel, this craft will weigh about 27.000 kilos.
Due to this heavy weight, the aircraft was less able to manoeuvre, and therefore an easy target for the fast German night fighters. For protection, the aircraft had gun turrets at the front and back, each with an air gunner inside. In the middle, a bomb aimer was situated who could also fight the German night fighters.
The Province of Flevoland has commissioned a documentary about the crew members and their relatives: Vliegenoverpolderlijnen.nl. The documentary is in Dutch and English available.
