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.24 July 15, 2008 Registered Charity 84586 5740 RR0001
Warm greetings from Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada) directors to all of our members and supporters. We hope your summer has been going well for you and yours as we reach the middle of 2008.
In our previous 23 Progress Reports I have used the phrase “2 steps forward and 1 step back” to describe our efforts to locate and rescue our historic Halifax from the deep. It is a Herculean task and without precedent in the world of warbird recovery and preservation.
There are 3 vital ingredients in the success of our historic mission and they are “The Will” to succeed, “the Technology” to do the task, and “the Funding” to support those honourable efforts with these special tools.
All of these vital elements must come together at the right moment in time, without major stumbling blocks, for our project to succeed.
We know “the Technology” exists to do the research ship sonar and inspection survey of our Halifax which lies in over 5000 feet of water.
We have laboriously been able to raise “the Funding” to get started on the Halifax Project Phase 1, thanks to our die-hard members’ continued generosity and loyalty to our cause. We must continue to provide support of all kinds so that the Halifax Project will continue to have the momentum it needs to successfully complete our mission.
But the most important element of all is “the Will” of our people of Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada) to find and recover RCAF Halifax LW170.
My personal source of inspiration and the foundation of my determination to see the Halifax Project through to victory is my knowledge of Canadian aviation history and our combat aircrews. Their effort and sacrifice in air combat is unprecedented in size, intensity, and scope in all the 100 years of our powered flight, this special 100th anniversary being celebrated across Canada in 2009.
As I think back to those Halifax and Lancaster bomber crews, those young Canadians, British, Americans, and our 12 Irish crews, running into their enemy targets in Fortress Europe, pressing on regardless-whatever the cost (the aircrews knowing full well that only 1 in 4 of them (25%) would finish their combat tours), these young airmen must have wondered how they would complete their mission. But they never gave up, never relinquished their duty, and kept “the Will” to succeed at all costs with Allied Victory as their reward and our Freedom as their precious gift to all of our people.
They never gave up on us and Canada and world Freedom. So in return, we must never give up on them, their efforts, and their huge sacrifice by this ultimate tribute of finding and recovering their mighty aviation sword of Freedom, Canada’s most historic and rarest aviation treasure in 100 years, RCAF Halifax LW170.
She is out there and she waits for us.
On to Business, These are the Hali-facts:
In my opening remarks I spoke of “2 steps forward and 1 step back” and the situation with the Halifax Project has made progress with several positive developments but with a disappointing delay on the actual sonar search for LW170.
In previous Progress Reports I have told of maintenance delays with the “Celtic Explorer” research ship of the Marine Institute of Ireland. Originally the 48 hour Halifax sonar survey was scheduled for Jan/Feb 2008 while the ship was on a science survey.
During a refit of the ship in December 2007 a major problem was found with one of the diesel engines. The final upshot was a 60 day delay in getting the 2008 ship exploration schedule started, including the Halifax sonar survey. The entire 2008 schedule was sabotaged with science cruises being rescheduled, delayed, or cancelled.
The Irish officials said that the Halifax survey could be rescheduled in July/Aug. or later in the fall when a science survey, which would be going nearby the Halifax survey area, could be utilized to do the Halifax search. In the last report I stated that I would be meeting with the Irish officials in May but did not get a meeting with them until early June. I was hoping that all the final details for doing the Halifax survey could be worked out at that time and final approval would be given for our historic search.
When I was told in early June that the Halifax survey could be delayed until later in the year after July/Aug., due to continuing scheduling problems caused by the maintenance down time in Jan/Feb 2008, I pleaded my case to Michael Giloolly, Manager of Ocean Science Services, of the Marine Institute. During our meeting in early June I even offered an extra amount of funding to make up the difference in ship travel time to the Halifax survey area if the ship was a little too far away, in the July/August time period, on one of their science surveys.
Unfortunately, Mr.Giloolly has just recently advised me that there are just too many complications this summer to do the Halifax survey now and we will have to wait until later on this year. I am aware that the best times to get best results for a sonar survey are during the “calm” summer period of May to Aug on the Atlantic and if we are rescheduled for later on we could have weather problems.
Due to the continuing complications of scheduling and not enough ship time to do the Halifax survey we could also have the possibility of having to wait until 2009 to do our Halifax survey. I do not know why developing patience is a by-product of such a historic project but I am learning that this is so! Hair pulling is also a product of this waiting and I do not think my supply of this precious resource will last much longer!
I have made a command decision, as Project Manager, that we must file an alternate plan to get the sonar work done on the Halifax survey, by another research ship, which we are working on as we send this report to you now.
I have just discovered that there are 2 research ships which we could possibly use and which are scheduled to pass by the location of the resting place of our Halifax later this year. The first one is a Russian sonar ship transiting through in August going to Spain and the second one is a Canadian ship going to the Mediterranean, a bit later in August. I will be able to report back to you on these possible substitute sonar ships in our next report, so let us hope we can still get the sonar work done before the fall of 2008. The costs of the sonar plan will have to go up and I have addressed that need by including a funding appeal as listed below in this report.
I am sure you are as disappointed as I am with the delays but as I have stated in my opening remarks we must be determined and not give up. The prize is too great and there has been so much sincere effort in the project we must stay the course, in honour of those combat crews and veterans of whom I have spoken. They say that all things happen for a reason and I believe these developments are for the best, as there are other things happening with the Halifax Project, as listed below, which will really strengthen our cause on a national scale.
I have just come back from an important meeting in Calgary with Norman Leach, expert historian, noted and award winning author, and true Canadian patriot. Norman is very keen to help the Halifax Project to succeed and to this end, after discussing all the facets of the Halifax Project with him including the latest complications, Norman has agreed to becoming a Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada) historian and project promotion advisor.
Norman was the main military historian and technical advisor for the major motion picture “Passchendaele”, soon to be released nationally in the movie theatres. He has written several interesting book on Canadian military history and has received several awards for his excellence in this field. In addition, he has important and varied contacts in Canadian political, military, and corporate high-level circles that are very important to our Halifax Project.
We need all the support we can get to boost our prominence to national status if we are to get from all areas of the country the long term support and funding we need. Norman is very keen, with the 100th anniversary of powered flight being in 2009, to make the Halifax Project become one of the most historic projects we can do as a nation to celebrate this milestone. We hope to launch our national campaign for the Halifax Project very soon. Standby for further exciting news on this development.
Now, with regard to our funding and financial status of Halifax 57 Rescue, we have enough funding, thanks to your recent donations and print purchases ( with 2 major donations promised and in process) so that the basic Halifax sonar survey costs to be done by the Irish Marine Institute were covered. This was in the order of $50,000. This is a “wholesale deal” from the Marine Institute and just covers the basics with very little contingency funds as a back up.
(Please note Halifax 57 Rescue has not touched or paid out any funds from the vital sonar fund account and I am personally paying all bills for Halifax 57 Rescue outside of the basic operational monthly costs) as my commitment to our cause.
If we wish to take advantage of the sonar services of the Russian sonar ship or the Canadian research ship we must first strengthen our financial position. To this end I will be sending out soon an appeal later this month to ALL of our past and present members (which number around 350) a special donation appeal package. We must remain strong financially if we are going to cover contingency costs of this unusual situation of scarce research ship time and rescheduling. We must get the sonar data we need (Phase 1) as it is the critical item at this time to get the national program of the actual salvage and recovery of Canada’s most historic combat aircraft for the 100th anniversary of powered flight in 2009.
Remember, Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada) now have a “Direct Investing Account” which allows all people who hold stocks, bonds, and securities to donate these securities direct to our registered charity. You will receive a charity tax receipt for your donation of these stocks, bonds, or securities for the “Full value” of these securities.
This is opposed to your cashing of the stocks yourself and you would be liable and required to pay the capital gains tax on the profit of the stocks. If you have stocks that are collecting dust and support this historic project this would be the time to make this special donation procedure to help our registered charity. Please contact us at the phone/addresses below if you can contribute to the Halifax Project !
A first and glowing example of the advantages of our “Direct Investing Account” donation option was a very generous donation of stocks in June by RCAF Halifax veteran and air-gunner Charlie Yule of Winnipeg who flew his combat tour with RAF 192 Squadron and flew on the Halifax Mk. 3 and Mk. 6 type in late1944 and 1945. He took immediate advantage of our new donation option and donated a portion of his mutual fund stocks direct to us and this amounted to a grand total of ($5000.) !!
Thank you, Charlie, for your most generous donation at this vital time in our project and leading the way with this new and innovative way to support our cause. (Now we can say that Charlie Yule was also in “Pathfinders” of sorts, as well). We hope that many more supporters will take take advantage of the “Direct Investing Account” donation method for the Halifax Project.
The other options are to consider making a cash donation to the project or purchasing one of our beautiful “INVINCIBLE ITEM” limited-edition signed prints. We have sold over 150 so far and they have been receiving great reviews as a collectible aviation print. For every cash donation (cheque or money order) we will issue a tax deductible receipt direct to you. Please see our promotional information on our website for purchasing a limited-edition signed print (or one of the unsigned prints, as an another option).
Standby for a completely new look of our official website at www.57rescuecanada.com as Jim Blondeau of Dunrobincastle Entertainment , one of our Directors, is totally rebuilding our website with an all new format and a new VIDEO history of all our historic projects of the past 20 years and those projects of the future. This new and improved website, with all the special videos included on the website, will be just the ticket to enhance our national campaign for the Halifax Project. We will send out an announcement of this new website to all of you in early August.
In closing, please remember to put on your calendar the annual Memorial festivities at the Nanton Lancaster Society Air Museum, Canada’s Bomber Command Memorial, on August 22 and 23 at Nanton, Alberta. See all the events planned at their website at www.lancastermuseum.ca Come and see Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada) on this occasion as we will have a special booth at the event with all the latest news on the most historic aviation project in 100 years, the Halifax Project.
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
email: 57rescuecanada@rogers.com
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