Bomber proves popular with locals updated

Thousands of people including Deputy Police Chief Al Williams (pictured here) turned out at Jack Garland on Wednesday to get a glimpse at one of Canada’s Air Force jewels.

The Lancaster Bomber, built in Toronto in June of 1945 and one of only two in the world still flying, was on display on the tarmac and open to the public for exploration.

Although the aircraft on display (Mynarski Memorial Lancaster) did not see action in World War II, the Canadian-made four-engine Lancaster fleet was the most successful bomber used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Canadian.

It’s very exciting after flying in it over 50 years ago,” says Bob Studholme, Co-chair Project Flanders

Studholme explains that the last time he was in a Lancaster was in 1992 and seeing it in North Bay just brings back a lot of memories.

“Andrew Mynarski, who this plane is named after and who was on the same squadron as I was in 1943 but he crashed and died ... Andrew was a young guy and it brings a tear to the eye when you see something like this.”

“It just does when you think of the people that you knew that didn’t come back like in the City of North Bay 129 airmen didn’t come back to the City of North Bay and some of those fellows I went to school with I would say probably 80 of them all went to the North Bay Collegiate Institute Vocation School. You know you knew them all and so it brings back memories of all of those people.”

He also says there is great pride to see that the old girl still has wings and can take to the skies.

“It was one of the best bombers the British ever had it could carry 12 tonnes of bombs if it had to we usually ran with 8 or 10 tonnes that’s what we carried. No other airplane could carry that much ... so it does bring back old memories.”