Announcing! Aviation in Canada: The Noorduyn Norseman …

BIG NEWS CANAV readers! Volume 1 of Aviation in Canada: The Noorduyn Norseman will be on press on June 17. I’ll have books the week of June 24, so it’s closer than ever. It’s been a huge grind, but the job is done — research, writing, checking and double-checking, tweaking, now comes the hype!

As we speak, the pre-press talents of Friesen Printers in Altona, Manitoba are  in play. They’re getting the book ready to go on press and doing a bit of last-minute polishing (there’s always time, almost right down to when the pressman fires up his machinery).

As I’ve been doing since 1997 (when Friesen did Air Transport in Canada for me — a monumental job that ended with 22 tons of books coming off the bindery, hope you have your set of ATC!) I’ll be Westjetting out to do the press proofs, something that usually takes a solid 24 hours. Then, as you can see on my earlier blogs (e.g., see “All in a Week’s Work, Version 2011″ of October 2, 2011), the printing’s done and the finished sheets are left to sit for a couple of days. Next stop is Friesen’s hi-tech bindery, then the books will be packed and trucked east to CANAV. You wouldn’t believe what it all involves! Am I thinking here using such terms as “nightmare”? Pretty well, I must admit, but the end of it all is quite the opposite.

So … pop your order into the mail or via PayPal ASAP to get one of the early copies of this blockbuster of a new Canadian publication. This is a perfect gift to yourself or for a special relative or friend. Invest a small amount in something solidly Canadian  that will pay off for a lifetime! Here’s the basic info for you …

One of the RCAF’s original 1938 Norsemans is readied for a flight. This 74-year old bushplane today is with the Reynolds-Alberta Museum.

Volume 1 covers all the details of the early years of the amazing Norseman from first flight in 1935, through WWII to the early postwar years. You won’t want to miss this special CANAV publication! (Note to dummies — sorry guys, but it’s really not all on the web. Grown-ups read books, end of story.)

The busy Norseman flight test ramp at Cartierville during the war, when more than 700 Norsemans were built for the US military. Many of these aircraft returned after the war to serve in the Canadian bush. Some of them remain in service to this day.

Saskatchewan air ambulance Norseman CF-SAH at work in early postwar days — it’s the same historic plane shown above as RCAF “679″.

RCAF 413 Squadron Norseman AP-Q/2496 on geodetic survey support duties in the North early after the war.

Aviation in Canada: The Noorduyn Norseman — absolutely your perfect book for this summer’s reading!

And don’t forget to check out CANAV’s Spring Booklist!

Larry Milberry, publisher – May 21, 2013

Norseman book project update

Howdy, CANAV bush flying fans! It’s time for a quick update about our Norseman book project (scroll back a bit to see the main briefing). By now nearly all the text is written and checked and 100s of photos are scanned and captioned. More than 250 pages (15 chapters) are already in galley (page spread) form, so that’s solid progress. I fear that the end product will reach nearly 400 pages (big enough for two “normal” books), but you readers will be in your glory, too engrossed to complain about the book being too heavy.

This can’t be a spring book at this point, but I’m trying to keep roughly on track for a mid-summer book launch. One reason for the slowdown is how so much original new material keeps arriving. I’m trying to squeeze all of it in somewhere.

In the early 1990s Joe McBryan of Buffalo Airways restored CF-SAN. Having begun with Saskatchewan Government Airways in 1946, “SAN” later served a long list of operators, until grounded by an accident at Fort Simpson in 1981. Years later Joe acquired the wreck, had it restored to perfection, then re-introduced it at the Norseman Festival in Red Lake in July 1995. Here it sits in Yellowknife the following month.

Meanwhile, if you are especially a Norseman fan, while you’re waiting, get yourself a copy of Air Transport in Canada (order here). To date no book includes so much Norseman history in text and photos. If you don’t have ATC, you will be doing yourself a favour — it’s the largest aviation history book in print — more than 1000 pages and around 4000 photos in 2 massive volumes. Only 300 hundred sets remain of the original 3800. Usually $155++, now $95 + $15 Canada Post + $5.50 tax = $115.50 (Canada only, US/overseas contact me about the cost of shipping).

Keep checking in for occasional Norseman book news. Thanks to all you great Norseman fans who have been helping so enthusiastically. Keep your stories and photos coming until I fire up a red flare! Cheers … Larry

*UPDATE* New pics added! Here we go again! CANAV Books Announces … Aviation in Canada: The Noorduyn Norseman

Norseman No.1 awaits delivery at Cartierville towards the end of 1935. CF-AYO ended badly, crashing in NW Ontario in 1953. Its remains form a slightly oddball display at the Canadian Bushplane Heritage in Sault Ste. Marie. (These fine historic pix have been beautifully tweaked up by CANAV’s good supporter, astronomer Andrew Yee — you know Andrew from his celestial reports on the Weather Network. Click on each image to see it full size.)

Norseman C-FBHZ in a fine Richard Hulina air-to-air photo taken in August 2003, while Jacob Latto was at the helm. Unfortunately, in 2008 ‘BHZ suffered serious damage in an accident. But one never knows — many a wrecked Norseman has arisen “from the ashes”.

Norseman CF-OBI in an excellent Leslie Corness Kodachrome taken in the late 1950s at Frobisher Bay, Baffin Island. Having started with the Ontario Provincial Air Service in 1945, this Norseman V moved to Arctic Wings in 1955. On January 15, 1959 it force-landed on Hudson Bay and was lost.

Norseman V CF-GSR of Austin Airways sits at Moosenee over the summer of 1964. Since delivered new to Canadian Forest Products in 1950, ‘GSR served a host of operators and remained busy into the 2000s. (Larry Milberry)

How goes your vote for “the great Canadian bushplane”? Without thinking too much about it, lots of people have a knee-jerk solution. “The Beaver”, they shout in unison. One author even calls the Beaver “The World’s Greatest Bushplane”. Well, not hardly, although we all appreciate the Beaver. No argument there – it’s a good bushplane, just not the greatest by any yardstick.

But … if we’re philosophizing nostalgically about an “iconic” Canadian bushplane, at CANAV these days we’re thinking Noorduyn Norseman. That rugged old workhorse started its career in Northern Quebec in 1935 and, 75+ years later, a few Norsemans are still hard at it. In its own way, and all things considered, the Norseman can make the competition look like it has a way to go yet. The Norseman carries almost double a Beaver’s load, almost as much as an Otter, and does it faster than either. “No too bad” for a plane designed 77-78 years ago!

Straight off the mark in 1936, the Norseman proved itself a tough, dependable bushplane and a money-maker. But sales started sluggishly. After all, the world was in economic depression, and there were plenty of older, cheaper bushplanes getting the job done. It wasn’t until the US Army began ordering, that production got rolling.

In 1943-45 the Americans purchased more than 700 Norsemans for the war effort. Designated UC-64As, these were sent to do many a tough job in combat theatres from Alaska to the UK/Europe, India-Burma and the South Pacific. This puts a point on the fact (for anyone to see) that, without the war and Uncle Sam, the Norseman might not have made it.

UC-64A Norsemans on the shop floor at Noorduyn during the war. Note the unfinished frame nearest. Once its wooden formers and stringers were added, it would be covered in fabric and moved along the line.

A typical UC-64A in the field. 43-5396 ended somewhere in the European Theatre of Operations with the 9th Air Force. Little is known about most such US Army Norsemans, this one included. It is listed as being “condemned” in January 1946, which usually meant that a plane would be scrapped. (via Norman Malayney)

This UC-64A was used for developmental programs at the US Army test center at Wright Field Ohio. Here it is fitted with a 3-blade propeller, which was found to improve general performance. The postwar Norseman V adopted this feature. (National Museum of the USAF)

As soon as the US Army UC-64As were declared surplus in 1945, companies began sweeping them up at affordable prices. These Norsemans definitely led the way, allowing bush operators around the world to establish themselves in the new, wide open, peacetime economy.

Hudson Bay Air Transport’s CF-BFU in Northern BC in 1950. Ross Lennox, who took this photo, flew ‘BFU on this job, supporting prospectors in the field. Later, while with Gayle Air, ‘BFU flipped disastrously on landing one day in 1971/72 at Selkirk, Manitoba.

Although magazines and journals have often featured the Norseman, no major book about it has yet been published. Someone was always “doing” a Norseman book, but I never saw any results, other than a very fine 2007 magazine-format profile about the Scandinavian Norsemans. So … no Norseman book of any sort from 1935 to 2007, a mere 72 years.

However, a few researchers in Canada at least were laying a foundation. Bruce Gowans put out a list of Canadian civil Norsemans, and CAHS researchers from Paddy Gardiner to Bob Halford, M.L. “Mac” McIntyre, K.M. Molson and Fred Shortt added solid, original Norseman results. Meanwhile, Bob Grant, a longtime bush pilot, kept filling the magazine pages with articles about the Norseman.

Norseman CF-GMM in a typical scene among some of the local kids far up the east coast of Hudson Bay. Geoff Wyborn took this classic photo in the 1950s. It’s one of the favourites among readers of my book about Austin Airways.

Few scenes capture Norseman life better than this one from the 1960s. Austin Airways Norseman CF-JIN is out in the winter boonies with some sort of engine trouble. The technical guys are all set up for repairs with their engine tent in place, Herman Nelson heater standing by, snowshoes at the ready, etc. (Mark Nieminen)

Norseman CF-IGG blazing full-tilt at Moosenee in October 1969. Embers from a burning windsock had landed on it, igniting the paint-layered fabric. A stiff breeze did the rest. CF-IGG had been built by Austin Airways in Sudbury from components purchased from Noorduyn circa 1955. Nominally, CF-IGG was serial number N29-51, but this must have taken a bit of fudging with the paperwork. (Neil O’Brien)

Meanwhile, I had been gathering Norseman material for about 50 years. The day came earlier this year when it was time to do something. I talked to Hugh Halliday, who himself had been procrastinating about doing a Norseman book. We decided to go ahead, Hugh concentrating on the RCAF side of the story and using the Ottawa research facilities that he knows so well. Overnight, we started pulling together all the essential material needed by CANAV to finally get “the book” into print.

It now is almost September and I’ve got much of the text roughed out. You can imagine the approach – the recipe is well-proven in a long series of CANAV titles that you ever- skeptical readers have voted “Yea and thank you” time and again since 1981.

In Aviation in Canada: The Noorduyn Norseman, we start with the historic fundamentals – some biographical coverage of Bob Noorduyn and how he came to Montreal to design the ultimate bushplane. Early pre-war trials and tribulations are covered, then comes the war and boom times turning out UC-64As. Some coverage of these 700+ planes is included, but their story is going to have to be researched and published by someone else. CANAV’s book is essentially the Canadian story, with passing mention of Norsemans abroad.

Postwar Norseman 2486 in one of the finer RCAF air-to-air Norseman photos. Aviation bibliophiles will recall this as the endpaper shot in my first book Aviation in Canada (1979). 2486 served the RCAF 1941-53, then was donated to Norway, where it was in the RNoAF (including on UN duty in the Suez). Later, it was a commercial plane in Norway, until lost in a 1971 accident.

Naturally, much attention is paid to the RCAF Norseman before, during and after the war. Search and rescue is a huge theme here. Several dramatic episodes that were front-page headlines in the 1940s-60s are brought back to life.

Commercial operators across Canada are another giant part of the book, from QCA to Central Northern/Transair, OCA, Austin Airways, Wheeler Airlines, Northern Wings, etc. Norsemans with the provincial air services and RCMP also are included.

Richard Hulina also caught C-FBHZ just as it alighted on a lake near Sioux Lookout. If you don’t have Richard’s magnificent book Bush Flying Captured, do yourself a favour. For more info, see the CANAV book list right here on the blog.

Green Airways Norseman 5 CF-OBE finished for the day at Red lake on a fine evening in the early 1990s. Pilot Joe Sinkowski is stepping down from the cockpit after his enjoyable day’s work. (Larry Milberry)

Naturally, books galore could be written about all the potential  Norseman topics. With this one CANAV is covering specific topics based on well-researched material that you can’t find on that siren of sirens (all too often, the lazy researcher’s “quick and dirty” source), the internet (I like Homer Simpson’s term “interweb”, also his question one day, “Is that thing still around?”).

Not that there isn’t some wonderful Norseman material on the web — there is so much that a publisher might wonder, “Why bother with a book?” In a typical case, on his excellent website Geoff Goodall beautifully covers the history of the 14 Australian Norsemans.

But there still is a vast amount of Norseman material not on the web. Finding it and using it to best effect is the book publisher’s challenge. That’s what some of us love to do.

Many of the famous Norseman pilots and engineers are well written up in The Noorduyn Norseman. I call these fellows “The Kings of the Norseman”. These profiles cannot be found anywhere else. Sometimes I tracked down the great men themselves, or their families, since so many of the “Kings” are long gone. Where the trail was cold, Hugh could sometimes dredge relevant files from the public archives. In one case, in King City and Thunder Bay, I visited the sons of the great Norseman aficionado, Carl Crossley. His logbooks surfaced from this effort — they constitute a goldmine of Norseman history. Then, after some solid detective work, Hugh found Crossley’s wartime RCAF files. “Bingo”, as they say. Bit by bit, this is how CANAV has gotten the story down – the usual story, eh. Work like a dog for no pay, then put out the best book on the block.

Our book finishes with a close look at the Norseman in 2012. Several fine examples still are at work in the bush. Austin Airways’ famous CF-BSC has been restored. It started flying again this summer — I had a ride in it at Red Lake in July! Other legendary examples, such as Bearskin Airlines’ old CF-ZMX, also is back in the air. Other Norsemans , CF-SAP included, still are doing tough day-to-day work at remote tourist camps, and even are busy in Ontario’s “Ring of Fire”, a modern day gold rush scenario. Naturally, Gord Hughes Norseman shop is included, as is “Norseman Days” at Red Lake – several colourful pages are reserved for these topics.

So … get ready for a book that, by the standards of our ever-intelligent and demanding readers and fans, will rate that simple accolade which you have thrown at CANAV so often – “This one’s a real gem”. Aviation in Canada: The Noorduyn Norseman will give you a solid level of history — enticing reading with hundreds of choice photos/illustrations to balance off the whole effort. Sure, it’ll only be the tip of the iceberg, but it makes a good, strong start at getting the Norseman so deservedly back into the limelight.

Keep an eye here for further news. I’m planning a book launch by February 2013, but the sooner the better. This will be the 5th title in CANAV’s ongoing “Aviation in Canada” series. Look on p.1 of the blog for all the details. This is a series for any serious fan of Canadian aviation history.

Meanwhile, should you have any rare old photos of Norsemans (prints or slides), let me know (larry@canavbooks.com). Original material only –  those ancient, tiny old black and white prints are especially of interest. Should you have anything to lend, as usual I’m at 51 Balsam Ave., Toronto, Ontario M4E 3B6. Anything on loan will be scanned to the specs I need for high-quality book production and immediately returned.

The Norseman line-up at Gordy and Eleanor Hughes’ base near Ignace on July 19, 2012. Nearest is the newly-restored ex-Austin Airways Norseman V CF-BSC.

Four Norsemans on the same beach as photographed by Dutch aficionado Chris Mak in September 2012.

Thanks as usual for checking in…

Larry Milberry, publisher

New from the CANAV Books “Situation Room”

… Bombing and Coastal Operations gets noticed in Scale Aviation Modeller International. In its March 2012 issue, “SAM” — the most highly touted publication in worldwide modelling — gives the nod to our latest title. Have a quick read, and be sure to check out this indispensable  magazine at www.sampublications.com. UK and EU readers note that you now can order the Aviation in Canada series locally (and avoid costly shipping from Canada) — contact the Aviation Books Centre in Atherstone.

 

Bombing & Coastal Operations Overseas is Classic Aircraft’s “Book of the Month”

Classic Aircraft chooses its March “Book of the Month” — it’s Aviation in Canada: Bombing and Coastal Operations Overseas 1939-1945. Have a look and enjoy! UK readers note that you now can order the Aviation in Canada series locally (and avoid costly shipping) — contact the Aviation Books Centre in Atherstone. Check out http://www.aviationabookcentre.com.  North American readers order your copy here.

And be sure to subscribe to Classic Aircraft, one of the world’s  top aviation monthlies. Check out the website at www.aircraftmagazine.co.uk. This is one of those great “must have” action-packed reads — absolutely wonderful, so get on board.

The Travels of Nick and Larry — Chasing the Fairchild C-119

Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar 22104 of 436 Sqn approaches to land on Runway 33 at Downsview (Toronto) on a frigid February 6, 1960. Having joined the RCAF in 1952, by 1967 the C-119 had been replaced by a fleet of new C-130E Hercules. The C-119 always was a favourite for the few kids around Toronto chasing airplanes in the 1950s-60s. With its high wing, twin booms and massive R-3350s, it was an exciting sight. We were lucky to have 436 Sqn at nearby Downsview. It was close enough to hitchhike or cycle (about 15 miles, no sweat). There we photographed the Boxcars taxying by or landing. This series of historic Larry Milberry photos has been subtly sharpened up for presentation by astronomer Andrew Yee, whom many of you know from The Weather Channel.

Boxcar 22101looking pristine on the tarmac at Trenton on August 31, 1961. Nick and I hitchhiked to Trenton this day to photograph aircraft taking part in Toronto's CNE airshow. There was no trouble getting home later in the day, as Nick used his magic to get us aboard Dakota 663 for a pleasant 42-minute flight back to Downsview. Struck off strength in 1967, 22101 was sold by Crown Assets Disposal Corp. to Hawkins and Power of Grey Bull, Wyoming. HP owned 21 ex-RCAF C-119s, which fought fires from California to Alaska into the 1980s. 22101 served the HP fleet as N15505. Some say that it later joined the Pratt Museum at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, but there is a great debate about this (see http://www.ruudleeuw.com/c119s-in-ky.htm).

Back in the 1960s Nick Wolochatiuk and I spent a lot of time driving around Canada and the US in Nick’s VW Bug. Those were our fanatical photography days, when we were shooting all things natural (wildflowers were a specialty), industrial and transportation (land, sea and air). Sometimes our route in the Bug was a complete circuit of the Great Lakes, which we could do in about two weeks. Nick drove, I supposedly navigated. In summer we’d have Nick’s canoe strapped to the roof, lest we come across a float base with interesting planes, or a harbour with ships to shoot.

Flying Boxcar 22131 of 436 Squadron performs at RCAF Station Trenton during the open house on Dominion Day (July 1) 1961. The RCAF had two frontline C-119 squadrons -- 435 at Namao (Edmonton) and 436 at Downsview (Toronto). Both were famous for their intrepid work in the High Arctic and on UN duties overseas. Otherwise, the work-a-day stuff involved training with the Army on para duties, etc., and doing weekly domestic milkrun "skeds". 22131 ended with Hawkins and Power as N5216R. Years later is was dormant at Battle Mountain, Nevada. Much debate continues as to which RCAF C-119s became which N-numbers carrying which tanker numbers, and which ones resided where by 2012. This is part of the fun of being an "aviation archaeologist".

C-119G 51-8099 of the 403rd Troop Carrier Wing at home at Selfridge AFB, Michigan on May 21, 1966. About three years later this aircraft went to the Taiwanese air force, which operated C-119s into the mid-1980s. Nick and I had ended at Selfridge during a Great Lakes tour. It was a weekend and very quiet. Who knows why, but some decent USAF fellow decided to let us onto the base to photograph. The C-119 looked great. We also shot some F-106s.

Mostly, Nick and I were looking for anything with wings. One stop on a typical trip was the Airdale base at Sault Ste. Marie to shoot a beautiful Stinson Reliant and Norseman. From there we crossed into Michigan to visit the local SAC base to photograph B-52s, EB-57s and F-106s. (Fortunately, we never fell into the useless state of being airplane specialists. No one would ever hear us make such a pitiful claim as “I only shoot F-4s”, or, “I only shoot airliners”, etc. Nick saved me from that gloomy fate. We could talk enthusiastically one moment about the Joel D-9 Bébé, then next about the B-52.) We loved everything about our trips. Especially nifty to photograph were the big, ugly, rumbling transports. We shot KC-97s in Minneapolis, C-119s at Niagara Falls, Trenton and Downsview, C-123s at Malton and Stewart AFB, C-124s and C-133s at Charleston, R5Ds at Glenview and Andrews, R4Qs at Minneapolis, etc. To this day those old classics bring back special memories.

The C-119 served in many guises over the decades. Its most exotic role was as the C-119 "Shadow" and "Stinger" gunships during the war in Southeast Asia. This Shadow (52-5898, one of 26 AC-119Gs) was at Lockbourne AFB near Columbus, Ohio, on May 18, 1969. Nick and I visited Lockbourne on a quiet Sunday morning. Amazingly, the main gate was unmanned, so we tested the waters and drove on through. We were on the watch as we photographed, but in half an hour encountered no one. We considered ourselves lucky getting away so easily, when we could have been hauled in and raked over the coals.

52-5898 is in the markings of the 18th Special Operations Squadron/4413th Combat Crew Training Squadron. Two years later it was transferred to the South Vietnam Air Force. This close-up view shows two 7.62 miniguns mounted on the port side (4 such weapons could be mounted). The rear dome housed the tracking radar.

C-119G 22120 of the Central Experimental and Proving Establishment at Uplands (Ottawa) on April 5, 1961. On this trip I hitchhiked solo from Toronto. It was a chilly weekend, but paid off when I was allowed onto the RCAF base to photograph not just CEPE's C-119, but the Canadair C-5, a Comet, a USAF VC-54, two Argus, CF-100s, T-33s and lots of other great stuff.

C-119G 51-8096 of the 328th Air Transport Squadron runs up at Niagara Falls, NY during the base open house on May 21, 1960. This was an infamous "Nick and Larry" episode (there were many) where Nick was detained by the MPs. They interrogated him for two hours, very curious as to why he had been filling his stenopad with tail numbers. Nick overheard the MPs wondering if maybe the Commies had kids assigned to every base across country, since this was national Armed Forces Day. If so, they could get a decent inventory of the entire USAF! Smooth-talking Nick eventually wiggled his way out of this jam, so we made it home in one piece. In 1968 this Boxcar went for storage to the desert boneyard near Tucson.

On March 17, 1970 C-119G 52-5931 made a surprise visit to Toronto International Airport. It made 3 or 4 practice approaches before flying off towards home -- Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, NY. At this time 52-5931 was with the 328th Airlift Squadron/914th Airlift Wing. In December 1970 the wing converted to the C-130. The 914th is still at Niagara Falls with C-130s.

This eye-catching US Marine Corps R4Q Flying Boxcar of VMR-234 MCAS El Toro was at Minneapolis on August 20, 1963 during our Great Lakes circumnavigation of August 5-25. "R4Q" was the US Navy/USMC designation for the C-119. There were 97 R4Qs, the first one accepted in 1950, the last gone into desert storage in 1975. "7E/131717" also served with VMR-216 at NAS Whidbey Island, from where it flew to the boneyard in Tucson in July 1972.

When at Jomo Kenyata International Airport, Nairobi on March 18, 1993, I was delighted to come across this superannuated R4Q, ex-USCG 131700, sunning itself in the Back 40. Under the Comutair banner, in 1988 N3267U had bounced its way across the pond from the US, one fuel stop being at Iqaluit on Baffin Island. Eventually the old crate worked its way down to Kenya. Note the UN flag, since Comutair (ostensibly) was there to do humanitarian work (i.e. to make a bundle of quick cash for the investors for the least possible overhead). Someone told me that N3267U had made some relief flights, then was abandonned at JKIA. Later it was acquired by the Hollywood film makers doing the remake of "Flight of the Phoenix". As far as can be determined, the plane was shipped somehow to Namibia, where the movie was being shot. The old Boxcar was used as a prop and its remains likely are still sitting down there in the sand dunes. For all the incredible-but-true details check in at ruudleeuw.com/c119-n3267u.htm.

There are two magnificent books that beautifully cover the C-119 and its predecessor, the C-82. These have all the detailed gen that you’ll never find on the internet — that Siren who seduces the feeble minded. Try to get your hands on copies (out of print, so not available from CANAV). You’ll have to scour the used book websites (abebooks.com, etc.). However, such famous CANAV titles  as Sixty Years, Canada’s Air Force at War and Peace (Vol.3) and Air Transport in Canada are loaded with great RCAF C-119 history. These are available from CANAV, presently at good discounts, so check out the booklist. Air Transport in Canada alone will blow you away — two grand volumes, 1030 pages, something like 4000 photos. Normally $155 it’s on special only at CANAV for $95++. Click here to order online!

Order now from CANAV Books!

More “Thumbs Up” for Bombing and Coastal Operations

Canadian-built Lancaster Xs with 419 Sqn at Middleton St. George in May 1944. (RCAF Photo)

In the latest edition of the “971 Air Marshal Slemon Wing,” RCAF Association (Colorado Springs), George Sweanor — aka “Ye Olde Scribe” (of Great Escape fame) — included a few words about “Bombing and Coastal Operations”:

This massive work contains 661 photographs and mentions 1388 individuals. There are several pages devoted to the crew of one minor contributor known today as Ye Olde Scribe. This book, embracive as it is, can only begin to depict the slaughter, the sacrifice and the material destruction seen by two Canadian WWII operational commands.

While Bomber Command suffered the highest casualties – 59 percent, Coastal Command ranged further afield. So many stories that Larry has revived for us. There are copies of log book entries, letters home, leaflets, church memorials, newspaper columns, and a list of the 24 officers commanding 6 Group squadrons who became casualties: 18 killed, 4 POWs, 1 evaded and 1 an escaped POW.

It is simply impossible to adequately thank Larry for the years of research and interviewing (the vast majority now dead) he has devoted, at small financial return, to broadcasting Canada’s aviation history.

Christmas 1945 and 2011 – A Kriege Looks Back

George Sweanor and his mates of 419 Squadron were on operations to Berlin on March 27, 1943 when shot down. This was the crew while flying Wellingtons a few months earlier: rear gunner Sgt Scotty Taylor of Kirkland Lake, Ontario; wireless operator Sgt Frenchy Lanteigne of Caraquet, New Brunswick; navigator Sgt Bid Budinger of London, England; skipper F/O Pat Porter of Manson Creek, British Columbia; and bomb aimer P/O George Sweanor of Port Hope Ontario.

In Bombing and Coastal Operations I describe a bit about the Bomber Command tour of George Sweanor of Port Hope, Ontario, these days in Colorado Springs. This year George sent us a different take on Christmas — the views of a former RCAF POW, or, “Kriege” (as the fellows called themselves). George’s thoughts arise after more than 65 years of contemplation:

It was a universe not of our making nor of our choosing. Yet is was beautiful and deceptively peaceful in German Silesia that Christmas eve. For a brief moment the moon was alone and silent in the night sky. It softly and kindly illuminated the blanket of snow that hugged our barbed wire and the guard towers as we few survivors of aerial battles, some as long as five years ago, remembered distant homes and better times.

Suddenly, the quiet was shattered by the foreboding wail of sirens, soon followed by the ugly sounds of exploding flak and bombs. Bomber Command and the Luftwaffe were taking and losing young lives and killing or maiming hundreds in their homes while sickening us with a revulsion against all who worshipped the same God, yet saw fit to continue the slaughter even on his birthday.

We all longed to be home with the war a receding memory, yet there was little or no animosity towards the Luftwaffe flak gunners or fighters killing our comrades, while defending their homeland. We were all victims of man’s insanity.

In a way we pitied them. We believed they were fighting a losing and hopeless battle. And they had it so much worse. We, in Bomber Command, were excused further operations on the completion of 60 operations (a fond hope when the life expectancy was only five), but the Germans had to go on until they found “the Hero’s Death”. One of the many was Helmut Lent, who destroyed 110 of our bombers before he found his Hero’s Death in October 1944. Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer fought 164 night battles in an Me 110, destroyed 121 of our bombers, survived the war, only to be killed in a car accident. Men, boys really, like these caused us grievous losses, like the night of 30/31 March 1944 when, during a Nurnberg raid, they destroyed 94 of 705 bombers, killing 658 of 4,935 aircrew.

In the end we prevailed, at enormous cost, yet even greater cost to them, but what did we learn? This Christmas our highly-flawed species remains at war. For me, it all seemed so sad when in 1957 I met and became friends with the German who had shot me down in March 1943. I felt that both of us were flanked by the ghosts of lost comrades, created by the inability of our victorious veterans of WWI to prevent inept politicians from setting the stage for WWII,  robbing the world of the promise of the war-to-end-all-wars.

In wars it is the military that creates and endures so much suffering. So, in those countries where individual rights are cherished, and where civil authorities control the military, is it not the responsibility of less-restricted veterans associations to speak for the concerns of the military with its enormous stake in world peace, and to ensure that they get at least as much attention as commercial and political interests?

The Readers Are Getting into It … The Latest “Bombing and Coastal” Commentary

For any book publisher reviews are part of the business. On the whole, however, the book reviewing trade has been sliding for years. While the daily press used the revere its full-time and professional book editors, today many dailies have pitifully watered down this important arts feature.

Book editors/reviewers are more than ever inclined towards fiction, so that makes it harder than ever to get any Canadian history book noticed. Right off the top, Canadian dailies are almost guaranteed these days to ignore anything to do with an aviation book. Apparently, this is drab, démodé stuff. But give them something in the line of fiction — some easy reading, nothing to tax the brain — then you might catch their eye. Or maybe a nice shallow cook book or some Hollywood starlet’s latest sexercise book, or something really intellectual, maybe about ultimate fighting or hockey violence. Above all, give them something out of New York vs any hopeless Canadian effort, right! This said, there always will be serious reviewers seriously reading serious books. The smaller Canadian dailies and weeklies seem to attract this sharper type of book critics. These fine citizens  are rarely arrogant the way our “supporters” in the mainstream press tend to be.

CANAV has had a few hundred solid reviews over 30 years, and only the one dud, that from Aeroplane Monthly by some poor sod who does not appear to have done any serious history or arts studies.

Many fine comments have already reached CANAV about Aviation in Canada: Bombing and Coastal Operations Overs 1939-1945. On the whole people are getting the big picture — this is a good book. Roger Lindsay in the UK submits the comments below — his first impressions. Roger knows a bit about books, having toiled at serious research and writing for decades. His publications about such aircraft as the Javelin, Lightning and Venom are classics. His latest — Cold War Shield — is simply magnificent. Here is Roger’s take on Bombing and Coastal Operations:

Hi Larry … your new “Bombing and Coastal Operations Overseas” arrived today by post. I’ve spent the best part of a day drooling over the photos and absorbing the personal recollections covering so many of your courageous countrymen who served in the RCAF. The book is magnificent and already a total joy, a stellar production. As usual I’m in awe at the detail, the exceptionally high standards of layout, design and printing, and can only imagine the effort expended in putting it together.

I feel that we Brits owe a huge debt to the thousands of Canadians who came across to our side in the last war, not least those who served in Bomber Command at such great sacrifice. Your book brings that terrific contribution into focus with more impact than many other publications.

I’m also greatly enjoying your Coastal Command coverage, which never receives the publicity it warrants. You’ve found some super photographs, almost entirely new to me, and I suspect most readers. 

Finally, I must congratulate CANAV Books on achieving 30 years of fabulous top quality publishing, in spite of all the problems. I hope the book sells in truck-loads and brings in a small fortune!

What great stuff, Roger. This worn-out old publisher is grateful.

Another note comes from Ron Butcher, who served his tour on Lancasters with 408 Squadron. I cover a bit about his crew on pp 133-34. Ron requests an amendment ref. p.133. In the centre column he has asked that I add how his crew completed two operations on D-Day. Then, he correctly raps my knuckles for saying that his crew completed their tour February 20, when the date should be June 11. Somehow the odd such gaff creeps into every such book, to say nothing of ordinary typos which always evade the proof readers. We spot them in the highest quality books and everyone understands how those nasty little cockroaches creep in. Ron notes some of these, which I’ll add to the errata list and send to my readers at the next mailing. I’ve asked Ron to join my cadre of intrepid proof readers. One can never have too many eyes checking manuscript and galleys.

CANAV announces 2 new titles: The Canadair Argus and … Night Fighters!

When I launched The Canadair North Star in 1982, I mentioned that I hoped to publish a book about the Canadair Argus and Yukon. I carried on to produce The De Havilland Canada Story the following year, then 30+other books, including Sixty Years, Canada’s Air Force at War and Peace (Vol. 3) and Canadair: The First 50 Years each with some decent Argus content. But I failed in the end to do the Argus book.

Here are a few Argus photos (not shown in the book) that I took in years gone by. To begin, check out the shadow of 407 Sqn Argus 20718 as we scorched low over Eagle River crossing in the Yukon during a NORPAT (Northern Patrol) of March 22, 1977. The crew had me along as a freeloader that week. Needless to say, a great time was had be all.

In the end some ex-RCAF Argus folks got themselves organized “committee-wise” to gather enough material to turn out The Canadair Argus: The Untold Story of Canada’s Cold War Maritime Hunter. And a fair effort it is — all things considered (lots of anecdotes, tons of photos, etc.). The book gives some basic background about RCAF Maritime Air Command in its early postwar days, when the Lancaster and Neptune “held the fort” against a formidable Soviet submarine fleet. As the Cold War heated, a more capable anti-submarine plane was needed and that gave rise to the Argus.

August 29, 1968 and Argus 20732 flies through its maritime patrol demo over the Toronto waterfront during the Canadian International Airshow.

There follows the story in good detail of this grand RCAF legend in service with the Argus Conversion Unit, 404, 405, 407, 415 and 449 squadrons, on test and evaluation tasks, etc. Amazing stuff about training & tactics, weapons and the previously secret guts of the operation. Through the 1960s-70s the Soviet submarine service knew it would take a beating if push came to shove in the cat-and-mouse game that went on 24-365 on Canada’s coasts. The Argus would ensure that.

Andy Graham photographed 415 Sqn Argus 20712 taxying at Greenwood on a rainy day in April 1969.

20723 seen along the Lake Ontario shore from RCN Tracker 1545 on August 28, 1969 during a CIAS practice flight.

Besides the ASW game, the book mentions Argus squadrons on such special taskings as the Cuban Missile Crisis. Also “Fincastle — the Commonwealth ASW championship exercise, where the Argus always shone. Search and rescue, Arctic patrols and mishaps also are covered.

The “committee” part of the book comes through with the lack of so much as a table of contents, let alone an index (forget about a bibliography, eh!). As for typos? Well, they are always a real bugger to chase down. We scramble like mad at CANAV to put out a clean book and haven’t yet succeeded to perfection. However, the Argus committee don’t appear to have bothered at all with copy editing, and don’t seem to realize that there is such a thing as photo-shopping to clean all the dust and crap from a photo. From what I can see, they went 90% – 95% of the distance, then pooped out. Oh well … if you’re an RCAF bibliophile, you still need this one. So says ye olde scribe.

NB … The Argus book is no longer being carried by CANAV. Please order from Aviation World in Toronto (check their website for the details).

Tracker 12131 and Argus 10739 on gate guardian duty at Summerside in January 1987.

Right behind the Argus book … here comes Night Fighters: Stories from the Flyers of Canada’s All-Weather Fighter Force, Canada and Europe 1953 to 1984. Compiled by an all-weather committee headed by John Eggenberger, Bob Merrick, and Doug Munro, this new title focuses on CF-100 and CF-101 days.

CF-100 100784 as a gate guardian at Baden-Soellingen. The photo was taken from a 444 Kiowa on July 8, 1982. '784 now resides in the heritage air park at CFB Winnipeg. (Both pix by Larry Milberry)

Very cleanly done, very much worth the price of admission, Night Fighters is packed with “True stories told by those who watched over Canada’s and NATO’s airspace during the crucial years of the Cold War. Whether scrambling to intercept a Bear, taking part in realistic exercises to maintain their combat readiness, flying in the daily training adventures, or thrilling airshow crowds with thunderous formation displays, these flyers were constantly honing their arcane skills.”

The last CanForces Voodoos. Tail numbers 101006 and 101067 operated from CFB North Bay with 414 (EW) Sqn -- '067 as an electronic warfare trainer, '006 as a pilot proficiency trainer. Retired in 1987, '006 ended on display at Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, while '067 today is in Minneapolis in USAF markings. Photo taken from T-bird '473 on April 3, 1987.

Now available … basic book specs: 216 pages, 8.5 x 8.5 in., softcover, photos. List price $24.95, CANAV price $22.50 + $10.00 postage +$1.62 GST = $34.12 . Cheque or PayPal only, as usual.