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Ottawa, Canada
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Title
Lancaster Bomber Vera - Cockpit
Artist
Robert McAlpine
Medium
Photograph
Description
Avro Lancaster Bomber - The Lancaster was a World War II heavy bomber used by The Royal Air Force (RAF), The Royal Canadian Airforce (RCAF) and other allied countries. Lancaster bombers were powered by four Rolls-Royce (or Packard) Merlin PV-12, piston engines. Operated a crew of 7 (pilot, flight engineer, navigator, bomb aimer/nose gunner, wireless operator, mid-upper and rear gunners), they had a range of 2,530 miles (4,073 km). The cruising speed was 200 mph (322 Km/h) with a maximum speed of about 280 mph (370 km/h)
Only two Lancaster bombers still exist in flying (airworthy) condition. The picture above is of the flying condition Lancaster called Vera (coded VR-A, FM213), is in Canada, operated by the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton, Ontario. This Lancaster was flown across the Atlantic and back in 2014 where it appeared in joint flights with the only other airworthy Lancaster (operated by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, in Coningsby, UK. Vera is dedicated to Andrew Charles "Andy" Mynarski (14 October 1916 – 13 June 1944), a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross (the highest decoration in the British Commonwealth).
Andrew Charles “Andy” Mynarski VC (14 October 1916 – 13 June 1944) was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada to Polish immigrants parents. He was a a mid-upper gunner aboard a Mk X Lancaster Heavy bomber (marked VR-A), piloted by Flying Officer Art de Breyne. During a post D-Day raid over Northern France on the night of 12-13 June, 1944, this aircraft was strafed hit by a German Junkers Ju 88 Night Fighter and set on fire. The pilot ordered the crew to abandon the bomber and on the way out of the plane P/O Mynarski saw that P/O Pat Brophy, the rear gunner, was trapped in his turret. Mynarski made a futile attempt to break into the turret using an axe and his hands. In the process, Mynarski’s clothes and parachute caught fire. Brophy realized that the attempts to save him were in vain, and he waved Mynarski off and Mynarsky jumped from the plane, his clothes and parachute still burning. Mynarski was rescued by Free French partisans; but he died of his burns. Ironically, Brophy survived the crash of the Lancaster and was able to recount the story of Mynarski’s attempts to save him. The other members of the crew also were able to jump and survive the experience. As a result of his valour, Mynarski was awarded an Postumus Victoria Cross in 1946.
Uploaded
April 20th, 2018
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