The conclusion of the Lancaster story from NetLetter nr 1316 -
The association has refinished a number of aircraft, in most cases those representing planes flown by Canadian recipients of a VC or DFC. While the Lanc being refinished was never on a bombing operation, it will be repainted in the markings of the aircraft in which Andrew Mynarski of Winnipeg won the Victoria Cross while serving in 419 squadron in 1944. Once restored, the aircraft will become a flying memorial to Canada's aerial efforts in the Second World War.
Two employees have a particular interest in seeing the Lancaster restored and painted to represent the aircraft in which Andrew Mynarski won his posthumous Victoria Cross. They are Jack Friday, a Passenger Agent in Thunder Bay, and Jim Kelly, Manager, Industry Systems Development, Montreal. Both were in the same crew as Mynarski and were on the same operation when they were shot down. They were to bomb enemy supply lines behind the Normandy beachhead, but before reaching the target, they were attacked by an enemy night fighter. With the port wing and rear fuselage ablaze, the pilot ordered his crew to bail out. While most of the crew escaped through the front escape hatch. Mynarski made his way to the door at the rear. He was about to jump when he saw his best friend Pat Brophy was trapped in the rear turret. Ignoring his own safety. he fought his way through the flames toward Brophy and began tearing at the turret doors which had jammed. After many vain attempts and with his clothing on fire, he finally had to give up and with a last anguished look at his trapped buddy, bailed out. He was found by French farmers but died of his burns. Ironically Brophy had a miraculous escape when the bomber crashed, and lived to tel! a tale which won Mynarski the V.C.
Jack Friday was the Bomb Aimer and Jim Kelly the Wireless Operator on that fateful flight. Friday and the Flight Engineer were both taken prisoner and spent 11 months in various POW camps. They became well acquainted with the German highway system having taken part in forced marches between prison camps, part of the way barefoot.
Shortly after Jim Kelly landed, he managed to team up with Bob Bodie, the Navigator, and with the help of the French underground they managed to evade capture for three months, until the village where they were hiding was liberated by the British. ''It was a pretty grim three months'' said Kelly. "When the British arrived riding on top of their flower-bedecked tanks, wine and champagne that had been hidden away for years suddenly began lo flow and the gay abandon of the celebration as that village was freed was something I'll never forget."
Crew members of the ill-fated Lancaster bomber are shown, from the left: Pat Brophy, rear gunner; Jim Kelly, wireless operator; Roy Vigars, front gunner; Art deBreyne, pilot; Andy Mynarski, mid-upper gunner; Jack Friday, bomb aimer; and Bob Bodie, navigator.
Extracted from "Between Ourselves" magazine - Issued September, 1951
Moncton TCA'ers pictured here represent 75 years of service.
Left to right: Al Lewis, Traffic; C.H.Gibson, Asst. Supervisor Passenger and Station Services; R.Sellors, District Traffic and Sales Manager; Howie Calborne, Flight Dispatcher; Rene Therrien, Radio Operator.
Back row: J.G.Maxwell, Regional Traffic Manager; Dan Steves, Ramp Agent; Jim Dunsire, Radio Operator; Sam Grassman, Flight Dispatcher; John Stewart, Flight Dispatch Asst; J.C.Finley, District Traffic and Sales Manager, Sydney; W.F.English, V.P. Operations; W.H.Seagrim, General Manager, Operations
In London, U.K., the Operations and Traffic officers met for a two day conference to discuss problems in the U.K. At the end of the conference, Regional Operations Manager, North Atlantic F.M.McGregor presented a 10 year service pin to Dave Mathias, Station Manager, Prestwick.
In the photo sitting from the left: R.L.Smith, Jack A. Ross, Station Manager, London Airport; W.Davies (Mather & Crowther); F.M.McHGregor, J.D.Roberts, G.H.Lesage, Manager, Paris.
Standing from the left: T.Carr Hodgson, Storekeeper Purchasing Agent U.K.; A.P.Stewart, G.L.Barber, W.A.Reid, A.J.Wotton, R.Weller, Rod Grant, J.Boudouin, Dave Mathais.
Pennfield staff, together with visitors from headquarters gather for this group photograph.
From the left, back row: Hugh McElligatt, Charly Hodgson, Ed Gott, Dot Gott, Paul Mitchell, Walt Fowler, Kay Bolduc, Hugh Balduc, Eldon Richardson, Mr English, Mr. Edmison, Norm McKinley.
Second row: Mary McElligott, Margaret Hodgson, Ruth Jones, Chris Walker, Beverly Davidson, Bernadine MacLean, Mrs. Dolan, Margaret Scott, Mr. Seagrim, Dot Hegan.
Front row: Art Jones, Myron Zegarchuk, Reg Walker, Jack MacLean, Thomas B. Lively, Wendell Cook, Bill Hegan, Edgar Wade, Bill Scott.
Extracted from "Horizons" magazine - Issued September, 1979
New ACRA formed in Sydney
Sydney, Nova Scotia. became the 18th station to f'orm an Air Canada Recreation Association (ACRA) in 1979. Some 49 members signed up for an annual fee of $12.00.
The organization's first event was a picnic enjoyed by those of all ages Upcoming
get-togethers included a softball tournament and barbecue followed by an
Oktoberfest, a children's Christmas party and a Christmas banquet and dance.
The board of directors of the newly formed ACRA is shown, seated from the left:
Fred Boudreau, Vice-President; Cy Wagner, President and Steve MacGillivary, First Vice-President.
Standing from the left, are: Winston MacDonald, Secretary; Rich Rizok, Program Director; Frank Jones, Treasurer and Naish Batten, Membership Director. Missing from the photo is Membership Director Neil MacMullin.
A total of 127 employees were happier for having entered the Cargo Branch's contest promoting the company's small· package services.
Claude Dufour, Cargo Agent in Quebec City was the prize winner of the ''We Need You'' employee contest. ''The response was excellent," said Dave Roy, Manager, Cargo Advertising and Promotion. ''We received about 4,500 entries.''
Montreal winners are pictured here from the left: Herb Gulfoyle, performing presentation honours; J.E.Tetreault, H. McDevitt, P. Langlois, E. Brasseur, G. Pharand and Butch Bouchard who heiped with the presentation.
We are number one.
That was the message system cargo sales and service managers carried to a meeting in New York in 1979 where they discussed areas of mutual concern with emphasis on inter-regional cooperation.
In this photo, shown from the left are: Ken Shaw, New York; Doug Russell, Vancouver; Paul Machina, Halifax; Bob Newsum, London, England; Butch Bouchard, Montreal; Garv Vogan, Toronto and Jack Smith, New York who hosted the meeting.
1997
- March 3rd - New service between Calgary - Los Angeles commenced.
- April 9th
- Started new service between Vancouver - Dallas/Ft. Worth.
- Toronto - Dallas/Ft. Worth service inaugurated. - May 5th
- Started service between Calgary - Chicago.
- Service between Vancouver and Washington cancelled.
- Vancouver - Boston new service started.
Found in the "CPAir News" magazine issued October 1983.
A Computer Services team which developed some new software for Pegasus has sold the program to Thai Airways.
The software allows up to 10 classes of service for any given flight to be shown in a computerized reservations system.
Involved in building the program and making the sale, (in the photo) are Mary Simpson, computer project manager; Jim Miller and Rudi Epp, computer programmers. Also involved were Steve Cheng, manager operations CP Air Holidays West, Marje Thorpe, schedule change manager and Gail Hayman, computer project leader.
AT YOUR SERVICE in Korea are K. J. Hong, left, CTO supervisor; and K. T. Suh, sales rep for Korea, who both work out of the capital of Seoul. CP Air has had its own staffers in Korea for the past 20 years, working from the offices of a general sales agent contracted by the airline.
Traffic from Seoul joined CP Air flights in Tokyo and consists principally of business travelers, migrants and ship's crews. Mrs. Hong celebrated her 15th anniversary in 1983 as a CP Air employee. The alter in the background was built in 1898 by King Gojong, 26th king of the YI dynasty. The Chosun Hotel is to the right.
Selected from "Info Canadian" magazine issued August 1991
The Florida airshow
A group of St. Petersburg and Tampa employees recently participated in a Canadian Airlines B767 display and Canadian Holidays booth at an air show in St. Petersburg, which was a major year round charter destination.
The group included, from top, Harold Hergot, Captain B767; Bill Saunders, station manager, Tampa and St. Petersburg; Shohre Utterback, Airports supervisor; Marlene Flament, customer service agent; Hong Nguyen, customer service agent; Antoan Van Eyck, customer service agent; Carol Lopez, Canadian Holidays destination rep; Gladys Ramirez, customer service agent; Bruce Anderson, Airports supervisor; and Jack Raimann, customer service agent.
Betty Draper sent us this article dated January 6th, 1936 -
To get blind flying.
Edmonton, Jan 6, All Canadian Airways Limited pilots in the western section will receive instruction in blind flying to enable them to qualify for the new commercial transport license of the federal government, highest ratings for aviation in Canada. C.H."Punch" Dickins, superintendent of northern aviation for the company, announced Saturday.
Robert Arnold shares this information -
I thought I would respond to the brief article in Netletter 1310 about the ground equipment with a few photos.
Here is a piece of equipment that sat around the Winnipeg airport unused for many years. I took the photo in April 1988 and it has long since disappeared from the airport property. The equipment does appear to have bits missing but basically it was complete. I would imagine it was used as a mobile unit since TCA had a proper engine test-cell facility for the North Star's Merlin engines. I also included a photo of a more modern unit that is used by Perimeter Airlines for their Metroliner engines which I took quite recently.
Another photo is of a portable baggage conveyor that I believe was used by TCA here in Winnipeg on the North Stars and then later the Viscounts. As you can see it now has former TransAir titles. I would imagine it was probably used on their one and only Viscount, CF-TGI along with the DC-4's they had in service at the time. If anyone knows for sure please let me know through the NetLetter.
Well that's about it for now.
Cheers,
Robert
(Can anyone add to this information - eds)
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