57 Rescue Canada is dedicated to preserving the Halifax bomber and its international heritage and is actively raising the financial support, through corporate and public sponsorship, to find and recover Halifax LW170.
Phase I - Finding LW170
In August 1945 while on weather patrol, the aging Halifax bomber LW170 sprung a fuel leak and, while trying to return to base, was forced to ditch off the Hebrides Islands west of Ireland. The Halifax floated for 7 hours while the crew was rescued from their dinghy nearby. Late that afternoon LW170, one of the last RCAF combat Halifaxes to have survived the war and the scrapyard, sank gently out of sight into the deep.
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| This photo was taken while the Halifax still floated on the surface. Note the location has been recorded along with a description on the incident. With the knowledge of the exact coordinates, 57 Rescue Canada is confident that a recovery is possible. |
LW170 Proposal:
Aviation Treasure for Canada and the United States
There are important times in the history of a country that form the foundation of a proud nation. The courageous actions and sacrifices of the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War Two, especially in Allied Bomber Command, form a unique part of Canada's great history.
Of all of the aircraft the RCAF flew into combat there is one special heavy-bomber that stands out from all the rest, the Handley Page Halifax. Our aircrews of the RCAF flew over 70% of their missions in the Halifax and used over 1230 Halifax aircraft from 1942 to 1945. Although there are 2 remaining Halifax aircraft, of the 6100 built, not one combat RCAF Halifax is known to exist from this total Canadian group of 1230 Halifaxes.
For decades the United States and Canada have been the best of friends and neighbours. We have supported each other in peace time and the war years to protect the freedoms given to us by the vision, labour, and sacrifice of our forefathers. World War Two was one of the most important times of cooperation and mutual support between the United States and Canada that our nations have ever seen.
The aircraft, Halifax LW170 of the RCAF, is the ultimate symbol of those cooperative bonds between our proud nations and the following information confirms this.
During the early and dark years of World War Two, before Pearl Harbour, our American brothers and sisters recognized the critical needs of Canada and her military. In an unprecedented move over 8,800 U.S. citizens signed up with the RCAF to help fight for our freedom. When the United States entered the war many of these patriots chose to transfer to their own Air Force and continue the fight for Allied victory. However, thousands of the Americans stayed on with the RCAF to the end, wishing to support total victory with the loyalty and allegiance to their Canadian comrades. There can be no finer reminder and tribute to the spirit of Americans and Canadians, together in a cause, than this.
It has now come to light , after researching the entire Honour Roll of RCAF combat bomber crews, that over 700 Americans were killed in action while serving in the RCAF ! The majority of these men, who paid the ultimate sacrifice, were all volunteers and chose to stay on with the Canadians. They knew the odds were only 1 in 4 of finishing their combat tour but they stayed to the end. The majority of these fine young men were flying on the Halifax, and Halifax LW170 is one of those flown by an American for Canada. Halifax LW170 has an unusual combat history in the RCAF. From May to August 1944 this aircraft did 28 combat missions to Germany and France during the critical days preceding and during D-Day. In fact, this Halifax participated in the bombing and destruction of the German heavy guns ,which threatened the entire Allied invasion fleet, on the historic morning of June 6, 1944. ( Later that month, on June 24, LW170 was flown to bomb a V-1 launch site by Flight Lieutenant Archie Compton DFC, of Mechanicsville, Virginia, U.S.A.) Finally, due for major maintenance in August 1944, LW170 was replaced by other Halfaxes and consigned to repairs, or at worst, the scrapyard. Fate intervened and this Halifax was repaired to be handed over to a weather patrol squadron where it soldiered on until just after the end of the war in 1945.
In August 1945 while on weather patrol, this aging bomber sprung a fuel leak and, while trying to return to base was forced to ditch off the Hebrides Islands west of Ireland. In the ensuing search and rescue operations the Halifax floated for 7 hours while the crew was rescued from their dinghy nearby. Late that afternoon LW170, one of the last RCAF combat Halifaxes to have survived the war and the scrapyard, sank gently out of sight into the deep.For the past year, after having made this amazing discovery about LW170, this writer has spent hundreds of hours retracing and investigating the final hours of this historic aircraft. Knowing from experience and first hand knowledge that it is technically possible to search, find, and recover this aircraft the quest to bring LW170 home to Canada has become the goal of myself and my supporters. Our efforts are international in scope in the gathering of data on LW170 and her resting place.
My group of 57 Rescue Canada, dedicated to preserving the Halifax and its international heritage, proposes to raise the financial support, through corporate and public sponsorship, to find and recover Halifax LW170. We propose that upon recovery, LW170 would be located in the Bomber Command museum at Nanton, Alberta, in Western Canada to honour those RCAF veterans who flew her. We further propose that this aircraft would become a special memorial to the virtually unknown American airmen of the RCAF who flew, fought, and died for Canadian freedom on behalf of the United States.The planning for the search and recovery of LW170 has been initiated. The special sonars needed to locate the aircraft are available and job estimates are being tendered from several companies. The technology to lift an intact Halifax has already been pioneered and constructed as the lifting device used in Norway on the British Halifax is the exact tool for the recovery of LW170. The experience gained in the Norway and Belgium recoveries will be invaluable to the success of the recovery of LW170. Vision and intestinal fortitude of our dedicated project team will be keys, along with sufficient funding from corporate, public, and private sources, to make this be the recovery of the decade.
We will "press on regardless..." to final success.
KARL KJARSGAARD - PROJECT MANAGER
57 RESCUE CANADA
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