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Progress Report No.21
November 6, 2007
Registered Charity 84586 5740
RR0001
Greetings to all our members and supporters. We
approach a most special day, Remembrance Day on November 11th, when we
honour our men and women who have sacrificed for all us so that we might be
free.
Our special Halifax Project, to locate and recover the
most historic combat aircraft RCAF Halifax LW170, is our ultimate tribute to
the efforts and sacrifice of these wonderful people who gave their all for
Canada and the world, for Freedom and Peace.
As proceed on this most honourable quest to find LW170
we hope to educate all generations of Canadians and our Allies to the
excellence and great effort or our Canadian forces in the fight for Freedom.
As Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada) is partners with the finest Bomber Command
Memorial and museum in all Canada, the Nanton Lancaster Society Air Museum,
it is especially a hard time for all in Nanton as one of our own sons,
Corporal Nathan Hornberg of the King’s Own Calgary Regiment, was
killed-in-action in Afghanistan. He died fighting for what he and all
Canadians believe in, so we honour his sacrifice with our thoughts and
prayers going out to all his family at their great loss.
It will truly be a day of Remembrance in Nanton this November 11th.
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
ON TO BUSINESS – THESE
ARE THE HALI-FACTS
First let me say, as Project Manager, that I apologize to all our members,
supporters, and fans for a bit of a delay in getting out Progress Report 21.
Between my own job, family matters, planning for the Halifax Project, and a
myriad of other pressing items there has been hardly any lulls to sit down
and get this report out to you. We are making good progress and I will give
you a run down at this time.
Last report I invited all our readers to come out to the annual Memorial day
function at the Nanton Lancaster Society Air Museum on August 25. The world
is really noticing Nanton with their great Bomber Command Memorial Wall and
all the hands-on activities to educate all of us of the great efforts of
Bomber Command and our own RCAF in Allied Victory.
Nanton now has the world’s largest RCAF flag ( 40 feet by 20 feet -- 13
meters by 7 meters ) which was first raised and flown on August 24 and flew
all weekend as a tribute to our aircrews and RCAF. This super flag will be
flown in the future at all air force functions so you must come and see this
special flag. It flies on a 100 foot flagpole of our friends, Ultimate
Trains of Nanton, and you can see this wonderful flag flying from 5
kilometers away as you approach Nanton..
The special group within the RCAF that was paid tribute this year was the
RCAF Americans who joined the RCAF in WW2, over 8000 strong. There were over
370 names of Americans on Nanton’s Wall who were killed-in-action in Bomber
Command and it was a very special ceremony with many U.S. Officials and
family members attending this dedication of the sacrifice of Americans in
the RCAF. We must never forget our best friends and neighbours !
The Lancaster Merlin engine runs were great along with all the other
functions and activities, especially the addition of the wartime re-enactors
attending in full RCAF uniforms and combat gear which added great interest
and colour to this year’s event.
The Re-enactors are planning even more participation next year and hope to
come down for 3 days of fun at the museum and to help “Liberate” Nanton in
August of 2008.
Well done to all concerned! (to see photos of the event and raising of the
special RCAF flag just go to the Nanton Lancaster Society Air Museum website
for all the latest).
Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada) directors Jim Blondeau and myself, along with
director Chris Charland making his first trip to see the Nanton celebration,
were able to attend and participate in all the functions. Halifax 57 Rescue
(Canada) was pleased to have assisted Nanton in all the preparations and
support of this great event.
An interesting development which have come out of the ceremonies in August
at Nanton, with Jim Blondeau singing his tribute songs of “The Wall at
Nanton” and “American Eagle and the Proud Maple Leaf”, is that Jim and yours
truly have been invited to give a Remembrance Day presentation to 300+ young
people at the Ecole Senator Riley School in High River, Alberta on Nov.9. We
are most pleased to be able to contribute to the program for the young
people and teachers of this school who truly care about our veterans and
their sacrifice for our Freedom. I will report on this later in our next
report.
Our most important Halifax sonar survey, to locate and inspect LW170, is
very much a reality and soon we will be on our way to find our historic
Halifax. I have been constantly corresponding by email and phone with the
deep sea experts in Galway, Ireland and their officals about the plans for
the sonar survey. After much adjusting and evaluation of the scientific ship
cruises scheduled for late 2007 and early 2008 our joint opinion is that we
will be able to “piggyback” the Halifax sonar survey work on to one of these
scientific cruises in the early part of 2008.
To this end I will once again be going to Galway, Ireland to meet with the
sonar experts to do more detailed planning for the Halifax sonar work.
Remember that our Irish sonar experts already have done great “homework” on
the Halifax sonar survey box and have found 2 definite targets already by
applying their diligent searching talents to historic sonar data which was
gathered over 4 years ago during other sonar surveys. Certainly these 2
targets will be a first priority to scan when we go out on the sonar
expedition.
This upcoming meeting will be happening on Nov. 15/16 in Galway and I will
be sure to give all of you another update before Christmas season starts.
I should mention that just before this important meeting happens in Galway I
will be in Hull, England on Nov. 14 to give a presentation to a branch of
the Royal Aeronautical Society. This will be a program showing the past
recoveries of Halifax NA337 in Norway and LW682 in Belgium with the emphasis
on our new Halifax Project to locate and recover RCAF Halifax LW170.
All of this program was set up and organized by our good friend and ally in
Leeds, UK Ken Cothliff who runs Air Supply Aviation Store while he does his
best for the boys of Bomber Command, one of whom was his father who flew in
the RCAF and was killed-in-action on Halifaxes. Hopefully we will raise even
more support in the UK for our Halifax Project as we are not as prominent in
the UK as we should be, considering that LW170 served in an RAF 518 MET.
squadron as well as the RCAF in 424 squadron.
I would like to thank all of our most generous members and supporters for
their financial support in the recent past, especially those of you who have
provided major funds for the Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada) share of the sonar
survey costs. We must be ready to hold up our end of the partnership with
our Irish deep sea experts and at this time we have the minimum, just enough
funds to cover our sonar fund obligations.
I am not comfortable with our finances as they stand as so I must be
forthright about my concerns in order to protect our project. As Project
Manager I have kept the funds donated for our share of the sonar survey
costs separate from general revenues. I will keep our accounts this way to
ensure we have sufficient funds to cover our share of the sonar costs,
coming due in the near future.
Our general revenues are generated by the new memberships and donations,
sales of Halifax signed/unsigned prints and Halifax CD-Roms, and one-time
donations by groups and individuals. I feel it is important to tell you now
that our sales of prints and memberships with renewals has slowed down
considerably over these past 3 months.
To protect our financial position to do the sonar survey (because funding
via print sales has slowed down so much) I have had to start paying some of
the bills for Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada) out of my own finances. In fact, I
am covering all the travel costs and expenses out of my own funds for the
trip to Galway, Ireland next week. I am willing to accept this in the short
term and hope you will understand my mentioning our financial situation now.
In light of this momentary shortfall of our finances (with the pending sonar
survey looming in the near future) I would ask all of you who would like to
see the Halifax Project succeed to please send in your financial
reinforcements between now and the end of the year.
This could be in the form of a special purchase for Christmas of one of our
high quality signed or unsigned prints or a Halifax history CD-ROM or even a
renewal of your membership or purchase of a membership for someone you know
who has RCAF or air force heritage in their family. What about a special
Christmas gift for a friend or buying a print for your local Legion or Air
Force Association Wing?
There are many good reasons during the upcoming season to help us
financially get over the hump during this bit of a financial dry spell. I
can assure you that Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada) will persevere and succeed
but we will need your continued support. Simply by sending in your donations
and support for 2008 now (before the end of this year 2007) you will be
strengthening us for the all important 2008 when RCAF Halifax LW170 will be
found. For those of you who know myself and my directors, and our track
record, you know we will “press on regardless…”.
I will close for now with my favourite poem, which is a beautiful message
and beckoning call from all those “forever young” people we will remember.
DECEMBER 1943
The life that I have
Is all that I have
And the life that I have
Is yours.
The love that I have
Of the life that I have
Is yours and yours and yours.
A sleep I shall have
A rest I shall have
Yet death will be but a pause.
For the peace of my years
In the long green grass
Will be yours and yours and yours.
Sincerely,
Karl Kjarsgaard
Project Manager
Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada)
Registered Charity :
84586 5740 RR 0001
Halifax 57 Rescue
(Canada) Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada)
P.O. Box
606 Unit 31C – 174 Colonnade
Road
Nanton,
AB Ottawa, ON
T0L
1R0 K2E 7J5
Phone 403 - 603 -
8592 Phone 613 – 863 – 1942
Or 613 – 226 – 4884
www.57rescuecanada.com
email:
57rescuecanada@rogers.com
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