Huron-Perth Boomers Fall 2020

y John Melady
HISTORY
During the Second World War, on the night of
June 12, 1944, over Cambrai, France, a Lancaster
bomber was shot down by a German fighter.
As it happened, the mid upper-gunner aboard the Lanc
was Winnipeg-born Andrew Mynarski. When he heard
the bail-out order, he went to the aid of the rear gunner
who was trapped in his position. However, when Mynarski
could not free the man, he was forced to bail because by
this time, much of the aircraft and his own flight suit were
both on fire. Before leaving the plane however, he stood
at attention and saluted the apparently doomed man he
could not save. Subsequently, Mynarski was found by
French citizens but soon died of his burns.
Miraculously, the man he tried to save survived, and
Mynarski was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross
for his bravery that night. Many years later, he and his
heroism would be remembered again, but in a different
way. This time, the remembrance had a close connection
to Huron County.
For several years, there was a Canadian-built Lancaster
bomber on a cement pylon in front of the Legion Hall in
Goderich. The plane was truly a reminder of this nation’s
contribution to the winning of a terrible war. There
were 7,377 Lancasters built in Britain and Canada,
and, while the one in Goderich was not one of them, it
reminded those who saw it of the thousands of young
Canadians who perished in the air. The Goderich plane
was formally dedicated to the memory of Mynarski, but
then, after much discussion, was removed from its pylon
in Huron and taken to the Warplane Heritage Museum
in Hamilton in 1979.
The trip from Goderich was quite unusual, and the
transport of the Lancaster was used by the Air Force as
a training exercise. The plane on the pylon was carefully
secured for the journey, and then was slung under a
Chinook helicopter, lifted, and carried to the Hamilton
site.
Then, nine years later, after being painstakingly restored,
the Mynarski Lancaster was made to fly again! The
occasion of its flight was indeed a day of celebration as
an estimated 20,000 people were there to watch. They
came from across Canada and far beyond.
Author John Melady
before his flight in
the Lancaster.
Today, the Lancaster, as restored, has pride of place
at the Hamilton museum. It participates in air shows
across this country, but in 2014 made a truly remarkable
journey. The plane was flown to Britain in order to linkup
with the only other operational Lancaster. During that
summer, the two aircraft were seen together in the skies
over Britain and their very presence evoked memories
for many of the war years when these great planes
participated in bombing Germany and helping to win the
war against Hitler. Canada’s Mynarski bomber was away
for seven weeks that year. On the way home it made stops
in Iceland, Greenland, Labrador and Quebec, and was
admired in each.
FALL 2020 • 13