Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada)
RCAF HALIFAX LW170 Recovery
(424 Squadron)
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Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada)
RCAF HALIFAX LW170 Recovery (424 Squadron)
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LW170 Recovery Phase I
Progress Reports
Halifax 57 Rescue
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Progress Report No.18 April 7, 2007 Registered Charity 84586 5740 RR0001
As Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada) starts into our third full season I look back and think of our journey together in our quest to find and recover RCAF Halifax LW170. We are closer than you think to a major breakthrough and so we must press on with renewed determination towards our ultimate goal. We are at a vital juncture in the Halifax Project and we need your support more than ever before, in these next few weeks.
We have progressed and built up our support base around the world with supporters in Canada, the U.S., U.K., Norway, Ireland, and many more nations around the world. As I look at our new logo above on this progress report I see the great symbols of the nations and the aircrews who flew and fought in Allied Bomber Command. The proud Maple Leaf on the RCAF flag represents the aircrews of Canada who fought so well in Bomber Command. The Union Jack on this same wonderful flag represents the British Commonwealth historical ties and, indeed, the hundreds of flight engineers and other aircrew of England who fought so gallantly beside their Canadian comrades.
Further to this we now have the honour and responsibility to tell the unknown story of the sacrifice of the thousands of American volunteers who flew in our Bomber Command as symbolized by the authentic Canada-USA shoulder flash worn by these American RCAF warriors. Finally, the newest symbol on our logo is the shamrock of Ireland representing the revelation and unknown sacrifice of the (11 at last count) Irish Nationals who were killed-in-action flying the Halifax bomber for Canada.
As we move forward together on our historic project we can all agree that the quote of Harry Truman, “The only thing new is this world is the history we do not know” surely rings true. I hope that as the years pass we will gather and educate new members and supporters of the Halifax Project who will learn and be grateful of the heroic efforts and sacrifice of our bomber crews. RCAF Halifax LW170 will be our ultimate tribute to them.
“Press on regardless… “ ON TO BUSINESS, THESE ARE THE HALI-FACTS
In our last progress report I told you of the exciting news that the Irish national television network – RTE invited myself to Dublin to tell about the Halifax Project on their variety show “Seoige and O’Shea” on Feb.22. I traveled over to Dublin by air on Feb. 22 (after working my Air Canada flight all night from Toronto!) and was on the air just after 4 pm.
The interview was short at only 10 minutes but it was broadcast live all across Ireland. I was able to tell all about out past recoveries of Halifaxes NA337 and LW682 with historic video of NA337 images as colourful background to our interview. I then told them of our revelation of the 11 Irish Nationals killed-in-action on RCAF Halifaxes along with our proposed Halifax Project details including a dedication to the unknown “RCAF Irish”. To date we have had over 2000 hits from Ireland on our website because of the TV program. In fact we now have a Mr. and Mrs. Lacey in Dublin researching to find the families of these RCAF Irish for us and the nephew of Sgt. Dinnen, killed-in-action on a RCAF Halifax, has been in touch with us with information about his uncle.
Later on I was given a DVD copy of this television interview which we hope to share with our members soon, subject to the permission of RTE and Jim Blondeau to set up a website location to see the interview on the internet. RTE definitely wants to follow up with us on the Halifax Project and possibly cover the location and recovery events of the Halifax Project in the near future.
Further to this, I was able to meet with the deep sea exploration group to give a technical briefing on the proposed Phase 1 – Sonar survey of RCAF Halifax LW170 and discuss the possibility of this group helping us locate our Halifax. We talked about the feasibility of attaching the Halifax sonar survey, as a historical effort, onto a scientific survey. There are several scientific surveys done in the deep water near LW170 each year so we must find out which surveys are being planned and hopefully we can “piggyback” our historic survey on to one of these scientific expeditions.
With the positive reception by this scientific group to our request for sonar survey assistance to find LW170 we have rallied all our high level Canadian officials to provide letters of support and reference for the Halifax Project which will be going to this scientific group and influential officials who can assist us. If we can get high level approval for the Halifax Project with these people, just as our Canadian officials have supported us, then I think we will be able to get the Halifax sonar survey done without major costings. By this I mean we could save (60 to 90%) of the sonar surveys costs which I have estimated to complete would be ($ 265, 000.).
I apologize for withholding names and groups but until we have an agreement in principle and fact, which will be forthcoming in the next few weeks, I do not want to announce any premature agreements or partnerships for the Halifax Project until all is in place. There are several reasons for this but the priority is to make the Halifax Project a success.
To this end, I must now speak frankly to all of you about the financial situation of Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada). Thanks to our individual members and the sales of the Halifax prints, Halifax CD-ROMS, memberships renewals, and donations we are doing OK from month to month. You have seen over the past 36 months the good work we have done (on a very tight budget) to promote and build up the Halifax Project. I was hoping to find a major sponsorship with the government or corporate world for the Halifax Project to sponsor all or part of the cost of Phase 1 of the Halifax Project. We have found no major sponsor to date but we will keep trying. If we can get the critical sonar image of Halifax LW170, just as we got the sonar image of NA337 in 1995, we can sell our project to all the possible major supporters who right now are “sitting on the fence”. That sonar image of LW170 is the key.
Here we have a golden opportunity to work with a top-line deep water exploration group which could sponsor and underwrite our Phase 1 to acquire the image of LW170 using their high tech research vessel. This group has indicated to me that the deep water sonar they use is a lease-rental and they would like Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada) to pay for the costs of this high tech sonar on their vessel. This would mean that we would need to be ready to pay, in the next several weeks, in the order of ($ 25,000 to $30,000) for our share of a sonar survey. Considering that the cost of the vessel is the main cost of the sonar survey we are getting this opportunity for about (90%) off the entire sonar survey expedition cost.
We have the timely and serious need to now have members and supporters send in their donations and purchase orders to show, to our future sponsors and those “sitting on the fence” we are serious about going ahead with the Halifax Project - Phase 1. If we only had 30 people step up now to donate ($ 1000.) each we would finally be ready to move into Phase 1 and be ready for our survey.
A command decision is in order and I have decided to be the first in this critical funding drive. I have just written a personal cheque to Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada) for $1000. I am not as concerned, as a director and Project Manager, about the tax receipt which will certainly be a benefit to you for the tax year 2007, but mainly about showing my serious intent to get our historic project started at this opportune time. Please send in soon whatever you can afford so we will be ready to go this summer! Our aim is to make the $30,000. target. I cannot stress how important these funds are at this time to make the Halifax Project GO !!
In other news about gaining support for our project Ken Cothliff of Air Supply Aviation Store in Leeds, UK (whose father was a pilot in RCAF 425 Squadron and killed-in-action) made some great arrangements for us and set up a lecture date of Mar.23 at a local hall to give a presentation on the Halifax Projects of NA337 and LW170. Over 60 people attended the lecture by yours truly which was enjoyed by all.
Ken has been selling INVINCIBLE ITEM for us at his shop and when the evening was drawing to a close he presented a cheque to us for over $1500. for print sales and proceeds from the lecture. We greatly appreciate all of Ken’s efforts on our behalf and thanks to him and his good wife Doreen for putting up with me for a day in Leeds. We truly have some good friends in Leeds and Yorkshire. ( see below the cheque presentation photo by Ken to yours truly).
I should add that while over in the UK on this lecture date I was able to travel out to Bristol in a van to pick up an original Halifax Boulton Paul tail turret for the Nanton Lancaster Society Air Museum. Thanks to museum curator Bob Evans, who had been contacted by Stephen Watts the owner of the Halifax tail turret, I was able to pick up this rare turret and get it shipped to Canada by good old Air Canada cargo. Seeing as how Nanton has one of the best turret collections in all of Canada and they collecting all the Halifax artifacts they can, this certainly will be a rare and unusual addition to their collection.
As you know prominent authors have written some very good books about the RCAF and Bomber Command which they have kindly offered to display and offer for sale here to help our cause. We have the unique “Bless you Brother Irvin” by John Neal which we have had available for some time where proceeds from the sale of the book about air force bailouts, the Caterpillar Club, will be donated to our cause.
We also have “Flying to Glory”, by Sandra Dempsey the playwright, which has had very good reviews as a fine story all about young airmen in the RCAF and Bomber Command. We hope to hear from Sandra soon as she was giving a unique reading of her book to audiences in New York at a special event. She was also going to tell of the unknown story of our RCAF Americans as over 120 young crew from the state of New York were killed-in-action in the RCAF.
Now we have a new addition to our reading selection we wish to promote and pass on to you. This book is titled “Incredible Tales of the Royal Canadian Air Force” by Cynthia J. Faryon. Not only are these stories about the unsung heroes of World War Two but they also include an epilogue about the recovery of RCAF Halifax LW682 in 1997 and the promotion of our Halifax Project to recover LW170. Also, Cynthia has used, with our blessing, the great image of our INVINCIBLE ITEM on the cover of her book.
Published by Altitude Publishing this book is one of the great series named Amazing Stories which are all about Canadian history. Cynthia’s father was her personal hero as he was a decorated RCAF veteran in Bomber Command. Well done Cynthia for another great book. (See photo of the front cover of this new book available for only $ 9.95 Can. )
As Project Manager of these historical projects I am starting to have a feeling about when we should move forward and when we should press hard in our goals and targets. I truly feel that now is the time to press forward and take the initiative on this most special project to save our Halifax.
Certainly we are in this for the long run and we will not be denied our heritage and history as we locate and recover LW170 even if it is next year or the next. I have always listened to that little voice inside me that I have developed over the years from living and from flying. That voice tells me that we must move now and take the first big and serious step to find our Halifax. The high-tech assistance and partnership which is being offered to us should be developed and solidified. I say this as your advisor and Project Manager hoping that you will understand the sincerity and strength of this timely financial appeal.
Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada) hopes to receive from all of you soon your support in whatever amount you can provide.
Keep your eyes on the target.
Sincerely, Karl Kjarsgaard Project Manager Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada)
www.57rescuecanada.com Phone - Eastern Canada 613 835 1748 email: 57rescuecanada@rogers.com Western Canada 403 603 8592
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