Bomber Command Museum Archived Newsletters
![]() NLS member Alvin Berger holds the propeller counterweight arms he made from scratch for the Blenheim. A grateful thanks to Alvin! |
![]() Maurice Galli painting the camouflage on the upper fuselage. Our thanks to Maurice ![]() Jim Wiersma painting the squadron letters. |
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Bryanne Wood, Barry Davidson Jr., and Liz Harder in front of the display honouring their late father, Barry Davidson. |
Former POW, Winston Parker, points to a special print depicting the Great Escape, prior to officially opening the display commenmorating this historic event. The framed print, donated by Winston, is of a painting by Bill Holder, of Okotoks. Winston is a long-time member of the Society and a major contributor to the museum. Our grateful thanks to him for his continued interest and help. |
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The Society hired Paul Fitzpattrick, a first year AME student from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in May with the assistance of the Federal Government's Summer Career Placement Program. Paul is a second career student. Having retired as a mining engineer, he decided to qualify as an AME and work on airplanes, a lifelong interest. As the summer progressed, Paul became one of the Society's "fanatics." He accomplished miracles, helping us ready the Blenheim for unveiling by our August 12 deadline. While working at the museum he often spent his lunch hours flying his R.C. model airplanes from a local grass area that NLS President Dan Fox had specially mowed for the purpose. Though Paul is now back in his final year at SAIT, he will be doing some more sheet metal work for us on weekends and semester breaks. He has offered to restore the ailerons for the Blenheim, over the winter months. Our Society extends a grateful THANK YOU to Paul for his extra efforts while in our employ. We wish him all the best in his chosen career. |
![]() Paul Fitzpatrick gets right into the job at hand - reskinning portions of the port wing of the Blenheim. |
In June, Paul and Louise Whitfield brought along their daughter Carol Fraser and granddaughter Heather Fraser to see the mountains and volunteer some of their time at the museum. Heather really liked the Lancaster and she was thrilled to be able to help her uncle, Peter Whitfield, with the ongoing restoration. Peter showed her how to work the glass bead machine. She remove the old paint from the Lascaster air tank which provides air pressure for the brakes and repainted the tank with interior green paint. This tank has since been installed in FM159. Heather said that she hopes to make a return trip in the future to help out on the Lancaster project. |
![]() Heather Fraser paints the Lancaster compressed air tanks. |
On May 29/2000, Paul and Gloria Szoke from Fort Macleod, AB, brought in several Lascaster components, including ammo track parts, which are the first we have ever received. they also had photos taken six years after the war of the Lancasters, including "Sugar's Blues," at the Pearce, Alberta, BCATP base, where wartime Lancasters were scrapped. The photos hahve been copied for our archives. Your Society is indeed indebted to the Szokes for their donation of the Lascaster parts. Our sincere THANKS go out to Paul and Gloria for their donation which will help greatly with the restoration of Lancaster FM-159. |
![]() Paul and Gloria Szoke with Lancaster parts. |
![]() Bernie Bechtel and freshly painted Link. |
![]() Bernie Bechtel operating the Link. A visiting family looks on as their daughter "flies" the restored simulator. |
![]() Lauren Kowalchuk and John Green beside the truck and loaded Cessna Crane. |
![]() The Jacobs engins complete with propellers that will be eventually installed on the museum's Cessna Crane. |
At the Society's September meeting a decision was made to create a memorial to Bruce Warren, DFC, in the form of a flower bed near the museum's enrance. The twins, Bruce and Doug Warren, were born in Nanton, both flew spitfires during WWII, and were each awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). Bruce died tragically while testing a prototype CF-100 after the war, due to an oxygen system malfunction. His twin brother, Douglas (Duke) Warren, RCAF Ret., of Comox, B.C., has been a friend and member of our Society since its inception. NLS members and volunteers, Jim and Pauline Wiersma, spent much time and effort creating this tribute to Bruce Warren. The memorial consists of a raised flower bed in front of the museum, at the foot of the flag poles. It has a large planting of tulips and other flowers which will enhance the museum grounds in the spring. More planting will take place in May to assure a continued profusion of blooms all summer. We'll have more about the display in the spring newsletter. This flower bed will enhance the museum grounds and be a permanent memorial to Bruce Warren. |
![]() We didn't have a photo of Jim and Pauline Wiersma working on the memorial flower bed, so here they are just having installed one of the "roundels" on the blenheim! |
Near the end of May the last of the concrete was poured in the new hangar addition. the tubing for future in-floor heating was placed in this 7200 square foot area. The heating of this area is under investigation. Solar power is being considered as a source, backed up by a conventional hot water boiler. The donation of a boiler and accessories by Mr. Joe Zielke of High River, Alberta, will provide us with the backup heating equipment. We extend a grateful THANKS to Joe for this donation. We would be pleased to hear from anyone reading this article who might have advice and/or information on solar or wind electric heating. You can contact us at the phone number at the bottom of this page. |
![]() The concrete floor being poured in the extended area of the hanger - note heat tubing is in place for future heating |
![]() Prop spinner from Lancaster FM-208 |
A propeller spinner from Lancaster FM-208 was donated to the museum by Louis de Repentigny of Montreal. The spinner had been a family possession for some 40 years and Louis wished it to go to a museum where it would either be used on another Lanc or displayed. This prop spinner will be displayed in our museum with a record of its history relating to the de Repentigny family and its RCAF use. Our THANKS to Louis for this historic addition to our museum! |
The 1941 fire truck above was donated to NLS by the Champion, Alberta, fire dept. (L-R) are Grant Wolf and Alfred Little of the Fire Dept.., along with Bob Evans and Joe English representing the NLSAM. Sinecere thanks to the Champion Fire Dept. for their donation of this former BCATP fire unit to our museum. |
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Dan Fox standing between Mrs. Kooistra and Baz Kooistra, NLS members from Holland. The Kooistras visited the museum again this past summer. Baz has been a Society member for over a decade and they have previously attended several of NLS functions. Thanks to Baz and his wife for their continuing support! |
* Harold Peter Berger *
Lethbridge, Alberta, passed away on July 16, 2000. He , along with his brother Alvin, donated several wartime artifacts to the museum.
* Bernice Berger *
Nanton, Alberta, wife of NLS member Alvin Breger, passed away in November, 2000, after a brave fight agains cancer.