Mailed by Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, 9280 Airport Road, Mount Hope, Ontario, AUGUST 2015 A PUBLICATION OF CANADIAN WARPLANE HERITAGE MUSEUM L0R 1W0 At left: There are numerous Lancaster bombers worthy of VVRR--XX--TTeerrmmiinnaattoorr special attention for their service during the Second World War including the Lanc that is honoured by the Andrew Mynarski Memorial Lancaster at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. Photo courtesy Eric Dumigan At right: Lineup of RCAF Lancasters at Fort Macleod, Alberta after the Second World War. Greatest of all of the Canadian Lancasters of the 33rd of 430 Lancasters that KB732 became the new VR-X on By Dave Birrell rolled off the Victory Aircraft as - May 15, 1944. sembly line at Malton, Ontario As the new VR-X began reg - here are numerous Lan - during the Second World War. ular operations against the caster bombers worthy of Flown to Britain during April, enemy, some of its flights were special attention for their 1944, the aircraft was assigned to particularly noteworthy. Tservice during the Second World No. 419 Squadron of No. 6 During the night of June 7/8, WTar. A few examples are: R5868, Group, the Canadian arm of 1944, VR-X-Terminator, as it be - the British-built Lanc that flew Bomber Command. came known because of the nose 144 operations; ED932, Guy No. 419 Squadron, together art painted below the cockpit, be - Gibson’s aircraft on the Dam - with another Canadian squadron, came the first Canadian-built Lan - busters’ Raid; KB726, the Lanc No. 428, was based at Middleton- caster to shoot down an enemy that is honoured by the Andrew St. George, about midway be - fighter. The pilot on that flight was Mynarski Memorial Lancaster at tween the cities of Lincoln and F/O Wm. John (Andy) Anderson. the Canadian Warplane Heritage York. Upon its arrival it had the This wasn’t the first VR-X the Museum; and ND811, the aircraft letters VR-X painted on its fuse - crew had taken out as they had in which another Canadian, S/L lage, “VR” being the marking for two training flights in their log - Ian Bazalgette VC, was killed to - No. 419 Squadron aircraft and books aboard the former VR-X, gether with two of his crew fol - “X” designating this particular nine days before it was lost. lowing a courageous attempt to aircraft within the squadron. Ten minutes after bombing the save his wounded friends. But KB732 wasn’t the first railway junction at Acheres, rear- His memory is honoured by Lancaster to be designated VR- gunner Sgt. W.F. (Bill) Mann and X-Terminator just prior to take off to Wangerooge. From left: G/C J.F. Mac - the Ian Bazalgette Memorial Lan - X. Lanc KB713 carried the mark - mid-upper gunner Sgt. P.F. (Paul) Donald, station manager at Middleton St. George; A/C C.R. Dunlap, com - caster at the Bomber Command ings from April, 1944 until it was Burton shot down an enemy mander of 64 base; F/S Don McTaggart, KB732’s rear gunner; AVM C.M. Museum of Canada in Nanton, shot down during a raid on the Junkers-88. “Black Mike” McEwan, A.O.C. No. 6 Group and F/L Barney Wickham Alberta. rail yards at Louvain during the • continued on next page KB732’s pilot. Photo courtesy Don McTaggart Of the Canadian-built Lan - night of May 12/13, 1944. casters, KB732, VR-X of No. P/O B.F. Edwards and crew 419 Squadron was arguably the were all killed when the aircraft, greatest of them all, completing known as “X-Ray,” was attacked more operational flights against by a JU-88 enemy night fighter the enemy than any other. on the way to the target and KB732 was the serial number crashed at Coxyde, Belgium. The Canadian built Lancaster, KB732, VR-X of No. 419 Squadron was ar - KB732 was the 33rd of 430 Lancasters that rolled off the Victory Aircraft Limited assembly line at Malton, Ontario guably the greatest of them all, completing more operational flights against during the Second World War. KB732 is the airframe in front of the nose of the Lancaster at the bottom of the the enemy than any other Lancaster. Photo courtesy CWHM picture. Photo courtesy Mark Peapell 2 CWH FLIGHTLINES AUGUST 2015 NNiigghhtt rruunn--uupp Military Aviation Museum’s de Havilland Mosquito. The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum Lysander. VR-X-Terminator • continued from previous page According to bomb-aimer Jim X-Terminator was to be flown delay was due to a “valiant ef - Steels, KB732 was, “only at 5,000 by F/L Barney Wickham with fort” that had impressed his fel - feet and the E.A. was seen to burn F/O Bob Bodie (navigator), F/O low airmen during the return on the deck by all of the crew ex - Bill Wright (bomb aimer), W/O1 flight as he flew over the four cept the navigator, Bill Behan.” Jack Lequesne (wireless opera - fallen Canadian aircraft, marking Both air-gunners received the tor), Sgt Jerry Joerissen (flight their position and reporting to DFM the following October in engineer), F/Sgt Tommy Martin Air/Sea Rescue. Sadly however, recognition of this action. Their (mid upper gunner), and F/Sgt none of the 28 aircrew survived. citations referred specifically to Don McTaggart (rear gunner). Following the raid the 84th the night of June 7/8 but went on F/O Bodie had been the navi - bomb marker was painted below to state that they had, “displayed gator with Andy Mynarski’s crew X-Terminator’s cockpit and its notable determination and devo - when Lancaster KB726 was shot wartime duties were complete. tion to duty throughout. On sev - down on June 13, 1944. My - This illustrious aircraft left for eral occasions they have driven narski was awarded the Victoria Canada in early June, piloted by off enemy aircraft and in so Cross for his actions on that day. F/L Dave Lambroughton and doing, have displayed great cool - Take off for KB732 was at crew. Landing in Yarmouth, Nova ness and co-operation.” 14:37 for the daylight operation Scotia on June 10th, it spent the Andy Anderson’s crew com - and the weather was clear. But X- summer in Nova Scotia as prepa - Geared towards the photo enthusiast, this event on the Friday before our pleted its last of five operations in Terminator had been flying ops rations were made for the Cana - June 20-21 Skyfest featured night run-ups of several aircraft. We did have KB732 on July 20, 1944, a day - regularly for almost a full year dian Lancasters to enter combat in to make a few last minute aircraft substitutions due to aircraft availability. light raid against a V-1 Flying and was getting tired. As rear the Pacific. But with the dropping Pictured above, Vintage Wings of Canada P-51. Bomb site near St. Omer. gunner Don McTaggart recalls, of the atomic bombs, the war The air-gunners aboard VR-X “KB732 was the second oldest there ended as well. claimed the destruction of a sec - kite on the squadron. We had to During September, 1945, ond enemy aircraft, this time an set course and climb to our given KB732 was one of 83 Lancasters FW-190, while on a raid to Ham - height en route (rather than gain to land at the former No. 2 Flying burg on the night of July 28/29, height over the aerodrome and Instructors School at Pearce, Al - 1944. The fighter was observed then set course) otherwise we’d berta, just east of Fort Macleod. in the light of flares that the Luft - have been late on target.” It must have been a spectacu - waffe had dropped in order to il - As the bombers began to ap - lar sight and stories have been luminate the bombers. proach the target and concentrate told of the pilots flying at low Rear gunner Sgt. F.W.J. Flip - into their “gaggle” Don watched level over nearby farms, terrify - pant (RAF) shouted, “Corkscrew as, “two Halifax aircraft to our ing farm animals prior to landing. port,” and let go a five second starboard collided and went down Seventeen of this armada of burst from 700 yards as his pilot into the North Sea. Moments wartime bombers were squeezed began the violent manoeuvre de - later two Lancs from No. 431 be - into the hangars and placed into signed to shake off the fighter. hind us and to our port side col - long-term storage. Re-adjusting his sights, he fired lided and as they fell, collided The remainder were neatly another burst and observed with two more aircraft. All four arranged on the old tarmac. They strikes on the fighter’s engine and disintegrated as they went down, had their engines run-up each black smoke. It was claimed as with bodies coming out of fuse - morning until they were flown to “probably destroyed.” lages, some with chutes and some other storage areas in Alberta. What was likely KB732’s clos - without, and into the sea.” This took six months, the opera - Vintage Wings of Canada Lysander. est call came during a raid to Bre - The two Lancasters were Cana - tion being carried out by Ray Wise men on the night of August 18/19, dian and both from No. 431 and three other RCAF mechanics. 1944. Five No. 419 Squadron Squadron. KB822 was flown by X-Terminator was eventually Lancasters returned with damage, F/O B.G. Baker and KB831’s pilot flown to Calgary, placed in long- VR-X’s being severe (Category was F/L B.D.