SPECIAL NEWS RELEASE
July 13, 2011, Ottawa, Ontario - The passion of a small but devoted group of Canadian World War II aviation enthusiasts is about to be recognized, when a special cargo container arrives in the port of Montreal on July 20, 2011.
On that day, the ‘Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada)’ group will reveal the components of two rare airframes they recovered from a MALTA scrapyard; and explain their intent to use these parts as foundation to restore two Handley Page Halifax bombers. They are doing this to honour the pivotal role of the Halifax with RCAF and RAF Bomber Command during World War II, and to recognize the Halifax as a most rare and special symbol of Canadian sacrifice in Bomber Command.
Of the 10,656 Canadian names on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall at the Bomber Command Museum of Canada in Nanton, Alberta, over 7,000 flew on Halifaxes and made the ultimate sacrifice for Canada and the world on this unique aircraft.
Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada)’s dream of beginning the restoration a Halifax bomber for the Bomber Command Museum of Canada started in 2005 when a worldwide search for a Halifax bomber began. This quest really took flight in 2009, when project manager Karl Kjarsgaard discovered a treasure trove of Halifax-Hastings parts in an unused Maltese scrapyard. The extremely rare pieces consisted of 2 wing centre sections, 4 main landing gears, and 2 Bristol Hercules engines; enough key components for the foundations of two Halifax airframes. While the newly discovered parts were technically from a post-war Handley Page Hastings aircraft, the cores of the Hastings wings were built almost identical to the Halifax wings, so Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada) immediately began successful fundraising and subsequent recovery of these parts to Canada.
Now, after two years of hard work and fundraising, this significant find is finally en route by ship to Canada. Upon unloading, the parts will be transported to the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa where the next phases of the Halifax Project will begin.
A huge corporate contribution to the start of the Halifax rebuild has already become a reality with SPRUNG INSTANT STRUCTURES Ltd. providing new-build aluminum alloy Halifax main wing spars from Halifax factory blue-prints. This will mark the first time since World War Two that the main spars for the Halifax Bomber have been manufactured using modern technology, from original 1943 blueprints.
Together, the wing parts and landing gear, will become the centerpieces of two starter kits to restore two Halifax Bombers. One of these Halifax airframes is ultimately destined for the Bomber Command Museum of Canada in Nanton, Alberta while the other will be offered to interested museums or warbird historical groups interested in acquiring a rare Halifax.
Currently, there are only 3 restored or intact Halifax bombers in the world out of the 6,100 built. One is at the National Air Force Museum of Canada in Trenton, Ontario, the second at the Royal Air Force Museum in London, England, and the third at the Yorkshire Air Museum in York, England.
Since the inception of Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada) this historic group has been dedicated to preserving the Handley Page Halifax bomber. The registered charity’s goal is to locate and recover lost Halifax Bombers or their components, and to bring them back home to Canada to be restored and displayed to the general public as a true symbol of excellence, honour, and sacrifice.
Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada) has the ultimate goal to locate and recover the only RCAF Halifax bomber known to have survived the war, which ditched and sank in deep waters off the coast of Ireland in 1945.
Canada and the RCAF used 1,230 Halifaxes during World War Two.
For more information about these projects and Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada) contact:
Karl Kjarsgaard, Project Manager
57rescuecanada@rogers.com
www.57rescuecanada.com
In Ottawa, Ontario:
Unit 31C-174 Colonnade Road
Ottawa, ON K2E 7J5
Phone: 613-863-1942 or 613-226-4884
In Nanton, Alberta:
PO Box 606
Nanton, AB T0L 1R0
Phone: 403-603-8592
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