The book 'Bomber Command Losses 1943' has little information on BK716, only 'lost without trace'. BK716 came in view in 2019 as prospect for cross 75 (a war time crash position southeast of Marken) when the book 'Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1943 part 1' by Dr. Theo Boiten came out. This book mentions on page 52 that the German nightfighter Leutnant Werner Rapp of 7./NJG 1, guided by radar station 'Hase' (Harderwijk, nearby), shot down on 4300m and 2-4 km ESE of Marken Island a never identified Stirling coming from the Berlin raid, the last downed bomber that night at 04:49 hours (30 March 1943). A necessary renewed X-ray examination on the aluminium plate showed the last digit to be more a six than a zero...

Type: Short Stirling bomber III BK716, Code: HA-J A/C
Length: 26,51 m
Hight: 6,91 m
Width: 30,11 m
Engines: 4 Bristol Hercules XVI, 1650 pk
Speed: 430 km/u
Armament: 8 x 7,7 mm Browning machinegun

Complement:
1 Pilot F/O John F. Harris
2 Navigator F/O Harry G. Farrington (RCAF)
3 F/Eng. / AG Sgt. Ronald Kennedy
4 Bombardier Sgt. Charles A. Bell
5 W/Opp / AG F/O John M. Campbell
6 F/Eng. / AG Sgt. Leonard R.J. Shrubsall
7 Rear gunner F/Sgt. Francis. J. McCaw (RCAF)

October 9 2020. Friday was the closing day of the six week recovery of Stirling BK716. On this last Friday at 15:00h, the Dutch Ministery of Defence published a video (01:34 minute) filmed on board the recovery ships. It gives detailed insight in the work method used. 

Excavation on the site of the BK1716 (31-8 - 9-10-2020 source: Ministery of Defence).

• Defensie.nl.
• ZZ Airwar.
• Flevoland Erfgoed.
  Short Stirling III BK716.