During World War II, and for some years afterwards, the distinctive snarl of the Harvard was a familiar sound in Canadian skies. Recognized as one of the most outstanding aircraft of its era, it was chosen as the advanced single-engine trainer for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. As such, it served as a transitional aircraft upon which pilots who had learned the basics by flying Tiger Moths, Fleet Fawns, or Cornells would advance their skills so that they were prepared to fly combat aircraft such as the legendary Hurricanes and Spitfires.

Harvard Mk IV #20419 was built in Canada in 1952. It is very similar to the wartime Mk II's although this version features an improved cockpit canopy and a larger fuel capacity. It initially served at #2 Advanced Flying School at MacDonald, Manitoba and Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. In 1957 it was transferred to #4 Flying Training School at Penhold, Alberta. On 9 October, 1962 #20419 suffered Category "A" damage when it made a forced landing one mile west of Penhold after an engine failure while commencing an overshoot. The aircraft was struck off strength on 8 November, 1962. It was acquired by the Canadian Museum of Flight and Transportation in Langley, British Columbia and in 1996, the aircraft became the property of the Bomber Command Museum of Canada.