November 2009 - Brussels Air Museum Foundation

It
All Started
With
a Picture
Tracy ‘Mo’ McIntosh
(Canadian Warplane Heritage) www.warplane.com
George Van Iderstine was a Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum (CWH) member; he died in
1999, his
89 th year. I first met George in
May, 1993
and he became the inspiration of my
research of 98 Squadron, which led to my involvement in the dedication of ‘Hot Gen’ in
September of ’94. He was not
widely-known to other
CWH members, but his legacy lives on
through our B-25 Mitchell ‘Hot Gen’.
He was much better known among his wartime 98 Squadron RAF mates who crewed the original
‘Hot Gen’: Al ‘Dunky’ Duncan (Pilot), Paddy Thompson (Observer) and Norman Prowse
(Air
Gunner);
George, as
Wireless Op/Air Gunner, completed the crew
in 1944 following a staff
posting at #4 Air Observers’ School in London, Ontario.
George brought the story of ‘Hot Gen’ to the attentionn of the CWH’s B-25 crew in 1992
and
showed a 1944 photo of himself with the original aircraft; at that time the Museum Mitchell,
purchased in 1975, was dedicated to Brigadier General David Pudney, DFC and
carried ‘VO-D’
identification.
In 1993 it was felt that it was time to broaden the scope of our
Mitchell;
the dedication was now to include all Canadians who
served in
98 Squadron and to
all CWH members who were
recipients of the DFC. The new
scope pleased Mr. Pudney, who
felt that there were so
many others who deserved the honour.
On Saturday September 17 th , 1994 the re-dedication [to ‘Hot Gen’]
took place and approximately 40
honourees came to celebrate and
to remember and honour all Canadians who
were in 98
Squadron
Royal Air Force and CWH also honoured some of
our own
members
who are Distinguished
flying Cross recipients. It was a
very joyous day.
The dedication ceremony became a reunion of sorts. I watched as
old friends reunited
with one another. In one instance, Ken George with original ‘Hot
Walkerdine and Dr. Lionel Hastings of 98 Squadron reunited after Gen’ ‐ 1944. CWH photo
50 years.
The last time they had
seen each other was after a crash
that almost claimed Dr. Hastings’ life. David Pudney, DFC flew
in for the
ceremony from
Spain; it was delightful to see him
hug fellow
squadron member Lloyd Groombridge who uttered
“This is the first time
I’ve ever been hugged by a Brigadier General! ”
I had received a letter from Richard Martin, a 98 Squadron pilot in
England who could not be
with us for the dedication. In his letter he told a story of how they had found an engraved disc,
placed by a person unknown, in the navigation compartment of
their Mitchell. On it
was
inscribed
Psalm 139,
verses 8-11:
“If I ascend to
the heavens you are there.
If
I make my bed in hell, you are there.
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