Mynarksi Memorial Lancaster Western Canadian Tour

Andrew Mynarski Memorial Lancaster

Air shows in western Canada are in for a huge treat this month. In fact, nothing like this has been seen in a very long time. The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum’s Mynarski Memorial Lancaster is conducting its most comprehensive western tour in more than 20 years and it will be at an air show near you!

The Avro Lancaster is considered the icon of all British and Canadian bombers from World War II. It could fly the furthest, carry the heaviest bomb loads, held a crew of seven, and it found fame in such missions as the Dam Buster raids on the Rhur in 1943. Over 7400 Lancasters were built between 1941 and 1945 in England and Canada, with the Mk X being built exclusively in Malton, Ontario at Victory Aircraft later to become A.V. Roe, or Avro Canada, the same builders of the Avro Arrow.

Canada, more than any other country that flew the Lancaster during the war, continued to ultilise the plane well into the Cold War era. The Lancaster was used primarily by the RCAF in coastal patrols, search and rescue, and photo reconnaissance and was finally retired from active service in 1964. A handful of museums and service groups across Canada bought decommissioned Lancasters as static displays. The majority, however, were scrapped.

The Mynarski Memorial Lancaster rolled off the Victory Aircraft assembly line in mid 1945 and never saw active war service. It did go on to a full career with the 107 RCAF Rescue Unit in Torbay, NFLD in a search and rescue role. The Royal Canadian Legion in Goderich, Ontario saved this Lancaster in 1964 after its decommission and used it as a static display outside their building until 1977, when the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton, Ontario bought it with the intention to restore it to full flight condition. Being on static display meant the plane had begun to deteriorate tremendously and many believed the Lancaster would never fly again. However, with the financial support of many organisations and individuals, plus the hard work of dozens of engine and airframe mechanics, the fully restored Lancaster was unveiled to the public in September 1988 as The Mynarski Memorial Lancaster, VR-A # KB726. It is one of only two flight-worthy Lancasters left in the world. The other Lancaster is part of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight stationed at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, England. So how did this Canadian Lancaster get its name?

Picture Credit: Department of National Defence, Canada

Andrew Mynarski was an RCAF Flight Lieutenant with the 419 (Moose) Squadron based in Middleton-St. George, North Yorkshire. He was born in Winnipeg to Polish immigrant parents in 1916. Like many young men his age, when the call to war came in 1939, he enlisted. After a brief tenure with the Canadian Army, he switched over to the RCAF and trained as an air gunner. His surviving friends from the war years describe him as a very likeable and quiet man who loved to dance and build small toys for the children of the Middleton-St. George area out of scrap pieces of wood and metal. On June 12 1944, his Lancaster crew were flying a sortie over Cambrai, France. Out of nowhere, a German Junkers88 aircraft descended upon the Lancaster, tearing three large, damaging holes into the fuselage. The Lancaster caught fire and began a harrowing spiral to the ground. Mynarski managed to leave his upper gun turret and began to make his way to the escape hatch located at the rear of the aircraft. In the tail gun turret, he noticed his best war-time buddy, Pat Brophy, trapped in his seat. He could not get his belt off and had become tangled in the cables and gun casings. Mynarski fought through a wall of flames and against powerful G-forces and dizzying spins to try to free his friend so they could both jump to safety. Seeing Mynarski’s uniform in flames, Brophy finally waved him off, telling him it was too late and that he should save himself. Being junior to Brophy in rank, Mynarski stepped back through the flames and saluted his friend before jumping from the aircraft. French farmers recalled seeing Mynarski falling from the sky, engulfed in flames, and when he touched the ground, the farmers took him to a farmhouse to evade German capture. Mynarski died of his severe burns a few hours later. Mircaculously, Brophy survived the crash, joined the French Resistance and in late 1944, made his way back to London where he finally learned of Mynarski’s death. That’s when Brophy told RAF Bomber Command authorities the story of how Mynarski tried to save him.

Andrew Mynarski is just one story that makes up the history of Canada. This month Canadians in the west have the chance to see this Lancaster dedicated not just to him, but to all men and women, aircrew and groundcrew, who have ever worn the blue uniform in this country. For every hour of flight, this Lancaster requires up to 12 hours of maintenance. That means a lot of dedicated and very talented engine and airframe mechanics spend a lot of time and effort to keep this era of Canadian military history alive for the rest of us to enjoy. Please support these historic efforts by visiting the Mynarski Memorial Lancaster this August at your local air show or museum. You will be able to tour the cockpit and bomb bays as well as see this magnificent plane fly. Here is a list of the air shows and museums where you will be able to see this iconic piece of Canadian history:

July 28 THUNDER BAY, ON – Aviation Centre of Excellence (Confederation College) at the Thunder Bay International Airport. -

July 30-August 2 WINNIPEG, MB – Western Canada Aviation Museum

August 4-8 CALGARY, AB – Aero Space Museum of Calgary

August 13- 15 ABBOTSFORD, BC – Abbotsford International Air Show

August 17-18 EDMONTON, AB – Alberta Aviation Museum

August 21-22 WINDSOR, ON – Windsor International Air Show

Military History 419 Squadron, airforce, airshow, Andrew Mynarski, Lancaster, RCAF, WWII