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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1985-05-08, Page 17Wednesday, May 8, 1985 eisure, features and entertainment Serving over 20,000 homes in Ontario's heartland .> a Launchin the Lane by Marion I. Duke In November 1944, five years into the Second World War,' the Dominion Government appealed to thecitizens of Canada to "oversubscribe" the coun- try's seventh Victory Loan. Across the nation citizens of cities, towns, villages and rural areas rallied to the cry. Objectives were replaced with "fighting objectives" and Victory Loan committees went into high gear. -- In the little Town of Listowel — popu- lation approximately 3,000 — someone got an inspired notion. Just who that someone was isn't known, but David D. Hay of Listowel YMn This photograph of the Lancaster bomber, purchased by the Town of Listowel in the fall of 1944 in the Seventh Victory Loan drive and bearing the town's crest and name, was sent to the Listowel Board of Education by the company which built the aircraft, Victory Aircraft Co. Ltd. of Melton. The cost of the fully - equipped bomber was $850,000 --It went overseas In the spring of 1945. (Victory Aircraft photo, supplied courtesy of Listowel Central Public School) These members of the Listowel Victory Loan Committee are shown ready to board a (ancestor bomber, similar to the one purchased by the Town of Listowel In the late fall of 1944. The bomber, bearing the town crest and name went overseas In 1945. Members of the Victory Loan Committee who made the trip to air- plane factory at Melton in November, 1944 were, from left: C. J. (Joe) Benson, Glen Blackmore, Reynolds Goodwin, David D. Hay, committee chairman; Ed Koch and an unidentified representative of. the Victory Bond sales. (Photo courtesy of David D. Hay) who headed all nine of the town's Vic- tory =Loan committees, says the idea "came up from headquarters". The "idea" was for the town to raise enough money to buy a Lancaster bom- ber. This meant the people.would have to exceed not only the loan's first objec- tive of $283,000, but the fighting objec- tive of $328,000. A Lanc in fighting trim would cost $350,000. The figure didn't daunt the people of Walter Denstedt of LIstowel saw the Listowel Lancaster in England in the spring of 1945 when he was LAC Denstedt serving with 419 and 428 Squadrons. Above Mr. Denstedt stands near the rear turret of the Lan- caster now being restored at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum at Hamilton Civic Airport. Listowel. According to news reports at the time, the suggestion of buying a Lanc was accepted with enthusiasm. "From that moment," quotes The Listowel Banner of,the time, "our citi- zens did not think in terms of dollars — they were aiming at a Lancaster bom- ber. Nothing less would satisfy them." On Monday afternoon, Nov. 13, 1944 a 'Lancaster bomber flew over the town. By Friday night the Victory Loan went "over the top". Listowel's final total was ;374,050. The next day, on Saturday, Mr. Hay, along with C. J. Benson, chairman of sales; and salesmen W. G. Blackmore, T. E. Koch and R. Goodwin motored to Victory Aircraft at Malton to arrange to have three bombers fly over Listowel. The men were given the privilege ;if taking.the flight. At 12 noon three new Lancasters arrived over Listowel, and according to a news report in The Ban- ner, "for nearly 30 minutes gave an in- teresting demonstration." However, neither David Hay nor C. J. (Joe) Benson made the flight. "Joe couldn't go because of his handi- cap,' Mr. Hay recalled, "and I got claustrophobic. I was the first in the plane. Between the door and the cockpit was a crawl space. I would say it wasn't any more than 15 inches or so wide. I got out twice as fast as I got in." When the planes flew over Listowel, Mr. Hay said, "My wife was out in the yard, waving and flapping a tablecloth and here I wasn't even in the thing.".. OVERSEAS ; The people of Listowel were notified that when the new Lancaster came off the assembly line it would be chris-. tened, "The Spirit of Listowel". In the spring of 1945 the people were overjoyed when The Banner printed a letter sent from England by LAC Wal- ter Denstedt to his wife. LAC Denstedt serviced bomber safe- ty equipment in 419 and 428 Squadrons. On his first day with Squadron 428 he was walking over the field when his eye caught the name of his home town — Listowel. It was painted in large letters on one of the big bombers. There before him was the Lancaster the Town of Listowel had purchased. How he would love to be a member of its crew, LAC Denstedt wrote his wife. His letter was reported in the April 12, 1945 issue of The Banner. A few weeks later, on May 3, the paper car- ried a report of a presentation of photo- graphs of the big bomber, proudly bearing the town crest and a banner reading. "Listowel - Ont.". The presen- tation was made by H. Boyd, manager of Victory Aircraft, to the Listowel Board of Education. It was noted the pictures would be framed and hung in the public and high schools. The photographs of Listowel's Lancaster can still be seen today in Lis- towel Central Public School and Listo- wel District Seconday School. • But what was the action record of Listowel's Lanc? In past months a number of people in the Listowel area have' been trying to track it down. They've come a long way. .: ::.. The most detailed information to date was sent to David Turbitt of Listowel, by a fellow member of 419 Squadron, Vince. Elmer of Prince Albert, Sask. Mr. Elmer is anauthority on 419 and eventually his work regarding the his- tory of the squadron wilf be turned over to. the Archives in Ottawa. In a letter to Mr. Turbitt, dated March 21, Mr. Elmer stated: "The aircraft in question was KB -899 and went to 428 Squadron as NA -V (City of Listowel): We finished acceptance on it April 8th, 1945 and it went out to flights. "Since I only have researched our own Squadron 419, I can not say for sure if the Lanc went on any operations. The war was just about over and the only ops flown from the time it went out until the war was over were: Leipzig, April 10; Kiel, April 13-14; Schwandorf, April 16-17; Bremen, April 22; and Wange- rooge, April 25. "Continuing on with the record, the aircraft was sent down to 425 Squadron in May 1945 and became KW -X. It was then flown back to Canada by this squadron in June 1945. Squadron 428 was the first squadron to fly home and began on May 31st with 419 following on June 1st. The aircraft was held in stor- age and finally ended up in Medicine Hat in 1947. It was disposed of'in Janu- ONLY ONE A lot of Lancs ended up in Medicine Hat to be "disposed of". It fact there were so many of them scrapped it is re- ported a bomber could have been pur- chased after the war — a little the worse for wear, perhaps — for as little as $500. But after the war people weren't thinking about buying used aircraft to keep as souvenirs. They were too busy pounding spears into plowshares. As a result a lot of airplane parts were used in farm machinery and equipment. According to records more than 7,300 Lancasters were built during the war years. Today there is only one flying in the world. It is in England. But if all goes according to plan, this time next year a second Lanc will take to the air — thanks to the efforts of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, to Air Canada, to thousands of hours of volunteer labor, and to donations from interested people across the country. The Lancaster, being lovingly re- stored in a hangar at Hamilton airport, is a Mk 10, one of 400 built in Canada by the firm that turned out the Listowel bomber, Victory Aircraft (later Avro Canada Ltd.) of Malton. I1 It will be painted in the markings of No. 419 (Moose) Squadron, RCAF, and dedicated to the memory of Pilot Of- ficer Andy 1Vlynarskiwho in 1946 was "posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for "a most conspicuous act of heroism which called for valour of the highest order." Pilot Officer Mynarski was one of very few in history to receive the Victo- ria Cross on the testimony of a single witness and there isn't a Second World War Airforce vet in the country who doesn't know his story. On the night of June 12, 1944, PO My - a. vlalt to "Canada's Flying rolaofthe Sece ond located at Haffilit011 Civic Airport, brought back lot of memories for these Listowel veteransDavidson ho served with 438 left are: Walter Denstedt od th o 419 both dfigh er and bomber428 Squadrons, ssquadr ns, Mesp cially with the Squadron and worked arm as an armourer Typhoon; and Bruce Williams f 408 Sq adHuron who h workedk iwith the Halifax and the Lancaster bombers. ers. The men are standing besidea Bill McBride, a charter member of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum stands beside an Ilrplan6 turret. Many parts received and used by the museum arrive In far worse condition This photo showing bombs land- ing anding somewhere in Europe during the Second World War was the property of the late James S. De- war, a Flying Officer in the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. FO Dewar was an air bomber and flew Ansons, Wellingtons, Stirlings and Lancasters. (Photo courtesy of Gladys Wenger) narski was the mid-upper gunner of a Lancaster on a bombing attack on Cambrai, France. The aircraft was -hit by an enemy fighter 'and ultimately came down in flames. ` According to the wording of the Vic- toria Cross citation as published in the London Gazette of Oct. 11, 1946, "As an immediate result of the attack, both port engines failed. Fire broke out be- tween the mid-upper turret and the rear turret, as well as in the port wing. The. flames soon became fierce and the cap- tain ordered the crew to abandon the aircraft." On his way to the escape hatch, PO Mynarski saw the rear gunner was still in his turret which had jammed. "Without hesitation," stated the cita- tion, "Pilot Officer Mynarski made his way through the flames in an endea- vottr to reach the rear turret and re- lease the gunner. Whilst so doing, his parachute and his clothing, up to the waist, were set on fire. All his efforts to - move the turret andfree the gunner Were in vain. Eventually the rear gun- ner clearly indicated to him that there was nothing more he could do and that he should try to savehis own life. Pilot Officer Mynarski reluctantly went back through the flames to the escape hatch. There, as a last gesture to the trapped gunner, he turned toward him, stood in attention in his flaming clothing and sa- luted, before he jumped out of the air- craft." He was found by the French, but died of his injuries. Miraculously, the gun- ner, Flying Officer George (Pat) Bro- phy, escaped. The crash snapped open his turret and he was thrown clear. (Continued on Page 4) For the past couple of weeks the Crossroads TV listings have been published in a separate insert. This was done in an attempt to tighten up our. Crossroads section and was aimed more at Cable TV viewers. However, due to requests from regular television viewers, TV listings will re- vert to the previous format and will be carried in the re- gular section of Crossroads.