| The Canadian Aviation Historical Society |
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From the Desk of the Executive |
The Canadian Aviation Historical Society looks forward to hosting our 60th Annual General Meeting this Friday, 23 June 2023. The in-person portion of the meeting will be held in the beautiful setting of Kingston, Ontario. After three years of holding remote annual meetings, I am very pleased to be able to host our AGM in-person as well as via the ZOOM option. It has been an honour to work with all the members of your Board of Directors through the difficult period of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure that the CAHS remains active and relevant to every member of our society. There have been many challenges over the past year but also many reasons to celebrate. Our convention in Winnipeg last September was a great success. We have been able to publish our electronic newsletter monthly and continue to work towards returning our quarterly Journal back on schedule. The contributions of all our volunteer associate editors, working with our Journal editor, Terry Higgins are showing positive results moving forward. As the second longest serving national president, I value your support and freely admit I could not perform my duties without the dedication and contributions of every member of your board. The friendships I have made are very special, and I value every one of them. I look forward to making even more connections as we share our passion for our rich Canadian aviation history together. We have a dedicated group of paid and volunteer individuals that maintain our digital, web, and print presence. Thank you to our Website Administrator/Graphics Director (Terry Higgins), Webmaster/Data Manager (Andrea Wiseman), and E-Newsletter Editor (Katherine Simunkovic). We received news recently that the CAHS was one of the beneficiaries of the estate of the late Shirley and Gordon Grant. Their donation set us on a sound financial footing for the future, and we are very grateful for their contribution to our society along with the many other organizations and charities they felt should benefit from their associations. We have acknowledged their donation with a certificate of appreciation that we are posting on our website, in our e-newsletter, and in the upcoming issues of the Journal. We have, sadly, lost many dedicated members as they took their final flights from us. Many have been long time members and no one more profoundly than our long-time patron, Robert Bradford, who left us on May 25. His contributions of artwork and support of Canadian aviation history will be missed, but we will feel his presence for years to come. We at the CAHS are committed to ensuring the successful preservation of aviation and aerospace history, and I extend my deep gratitude to each of you for your continued support to fulfill that vision. Blue Skies, Gary Williams |
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Gary Williams, National President, Canadian Aviation Historical Society |
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2023 CAHS National Convention |
The 2023 CAHS National Convention and AGM starts on Wednesday. While in person registration is now closed, you can still view the convention presentations by Zoom. Register via the CAHS convention webpage, and join us at 9 am EDT on Friday and Saturday for six sessions each day on a variety of aviation topics. Note that the first session starts at 9 am and remaining sessions start on the half hour. The fee for full attendance is only $50 for CAHS members, and $75 for non-members, which includes a one year CAHS online membership. You can also register for either day for only $40. For those attending in person, we will have a Meet and Greet at 7:30 pm EDT on Wednesday. On Thursday, we will leave the hotel at 8 am EDT and travel to 8 Wing Trenton for a tour in the morning. In the afternoon, we will travel the short distance to the National Air Force Museum of Canada, and have an in depth tour of the museum. We will depart for Kingston at 4 pm, for dinner on your own and a free evening. Friday and Saturday will feature several sessions at the hotel, starting at 9 am EDT. The CAHS National Annual General Meeting will start at 4:30 pm EDT on Friday. There will be a short break before the reception and banquet, beginning at 6:30 pm EDT Friday. The convention will close at 4:30 pm EDT on Saturday. On Friday at 3:30 pm EDT, Diana Trafford will make a presentation about her longtime friend and dedicated CAHS member George Fuller. We are pleased to provide this presentation to our members at no cost, at the same link as the AGM. |
Jim Bell, National Secretary, Canadian Aviation Historical Society |
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Click the button above, then click on the little magnifying glass to begin your search. |
| Click the button above or, if you have a smartphone, simply point its camera app at the on-screen QR code to donate via mobile. |
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From the Desk of the Journal Editor
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Recent CAHS Journal covers featuring the art of our Society's National Patron, Robert Bradford.
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Our Journal is well known for the variety of (mostly Canadian-themed) aviation art featured on its covers. This design choice was initiated by our founding members when the tonal range of photographs and colour artwork did not render well in the "black ink only" printing method that they were forced to use in those early days. As better print technologies became more affordable and increasing membership numbers provided economy of scale, our covers would eventually feature full tonal and ultimately full-colour art. Throughout that 60 years of publication history, we've been blessed with the contributions of a wide range of artists. The list includes many CAHS stalwarts, including CAHS National Patron, Robert "Bob" Bradford, who passed away last month at 100 years of age. As you may learn from the "In Memoriam" feature below, his legacy runs deep in the curation and celebration of Canadian aviation history. Among other things, he was a very accomplished artist who took great care to produce images that were as technically and historically accurate as possible. I had the always-pleasurable privilege of working with him on a number of occasions. Learning of his recent passing saddened me deeply. Especially as it comes so soon after the passing of one of his similarly storied comrades in art, Jim Bruce. Both were long-standing members of both our Society and the Canadian Aerospace Artists Association (CAAA). The CAAA is also a virtual chapter of the CAHS. In my Journal and calendar design roles, I feel very fortunate to have the continued willing support of many like-minded CAAA members. The variety gracing our covers is something you should be collectively proud of. I look forward to continuing the trend made possible in large part by your own founding members all those years ago. And, thanks in part to the aviation museums with whom Bob and Jim were involved, we will, when thematically appropriate, continue to feature works created by these great artists. Until next time, |
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Terry Higgins, Creative Director, Website Administrator, CAHS Journal Managing Editor and Graphics Director, Canadian Aviation Historical Society |
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From the Desk of the Treasurer |
In addition to Father's Day this weekend, June is also graduation season for schools, colleges, and universities. Please consider giving a gift membership or an aviation book as a gift this year to a graduating student in your life. Youth will be the future of Canadian aviation and the history-makers of tomorrow. Why is it so important to introduce youth to aviation careers? Both civilian and military aviation career paths (such as pilots, mechanics, and air traffic controllers) are experiencing significant shortages globally. These shortages can only be addressed by more people choosing an aviation career. It is a fact that many youth enter aviation because a family member was already in aviation or happened to expose the students to the industry while they were impressionable as children or teenagers. So, there is a need to help introduce aviation options to youth who do not have family members already in the industry, especially since many high school guidance departments might not be aware of these shortages and hence are not adequately promoting aviation career options. I know aviation was never on the list of jobs to which I was exposed while in high school. To close out my piece, I wish to make a Father's Day tribute to my Dad, Mervin. I became an air force historian (in my spare time), as well as a Defence Scientist conducting workforce challenges analysis for the Royal Canadian Air Force (in my full-time job) because of my Dad. He was in the air force for 25 years, so I did get exposed to the air force as a child. He also took me to airshows and aviation museums as a youth, which helped instill a fascination with, and love of, airplanes. I think my earliest memory of an airshow is walking through a C130 Hercules with my Dad and thinking how big it was as I stood inside that cargo bay during a tour. I didn't join the air force or become a pilot, but I did link together my love for research and analysis with aviation history and the RCAF's future personnel requirements. Thanks, Dad, for sharing your love of aviation with me! I have great memories of us going to airshows and museums together, and now I love all things aviation too. You can find a wonderful selection of aviation books available at a discount in our shop or at our Login Canada affiliate page We are also offering the remainder of our 2023 Aviation Artists' calendar for half price ($10 total with shipping to Canadian addresses). We at the CAHS would be thrilled if CAHS membership or merchandise were used as a vehicle to inspire the young people in your family to fall in love with the Canadian aviation industry, help with the aviation industry's shortages, and become the history-makers of the future. |
Cordially, Dr. Rachel Lea Heide, National Treasurer, Canadian Aviation Historical Society |
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CAHS 2023 Aviation Art Calendar |
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| CAHS Marks 60 Years in Aviation History |
The Canadian Aviation Historical Society is excited to mark an incredible milestone this year! by John Chalmers CAHS Membership Secretary |
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| LCol William G. Barker Memorial Park Project will honour Canada’s most decorated war hero |
A remarkable project is under way to commemorate Canada's most decorated war hero, LCol William G. Barker, VC, through the establishment of the LCol William G. Barker Memorial Park at the former RCAF Station Rockcliffe. by Gord McNulty, CAHS Vice President |
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| Otter Tales: Flying Memories by Jack Ireland |
Pilot and author Jack Ireland shares stories from his flying career as a bush pilot on Turbo Beavers and Otters and onto being involved with space operations with Transport Canada. This presentation was originally given to CAHS Manitoba Chapter. Jack Ireland's book can be purchased via the author here: jiottertales@gmail.com or here: https://aviatorsbookshelf.ca/products. via Kyle Huth
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| On his 100th birthday, Ran Clerihue, the sole surviving member of the Second World War’s 407 Demon Squadron, was honoured with a flyby. |
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Northern Lights Elsie MacGill Award |
The Northern Lights Aero Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2023 "Elsie" award, recognizing outstanding Canadian women who have made significant contributions to aviation or aerospace. To read about each recipient, please click here. |
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With a heavy heart, the CAHS passes on the news of the passing of Robert “Bob” Bradford, official patron of the CAHS. Known widely for his incredible artistic talents, Bob Bradford was also a Second World War pilot, a technical illustrator at AV Roe Canada and de Havilland, a historian, and a past Director at Canada’s national aviation museum in Ottawa. Bob Bradford will be missed by many. We pass on our condolences to his family and friends. To read his obituary, please click here. From Terry Higgins,CAHS Creative Director, Website Administrator, Journal Managing Editor, and Graphics Director: "I knew Bob, not too well, but well enough that we would exchange up to a half dozen phone calls each time I had the occasion to use his awesome art on a CAHS Journal cover or within our annual aviation art calendar. Accomplished as he was, he always exuded a schoolboy’s joy at the possibility of his art being used by the CAHS “yet again.” We’d talk about the pieces in question and the subjects to the extent that I always learned something new. He would also point me in the direction of other artists' works if he thought a particular piece was more suitable for the cover-theme subject at hand. I will miss those calls. I think the last time I spoke with him was soon after my family moved from Ontario to New Brunswick in September 2022. Or maybe just before the move. Whatever the case, his quiet chuckle, a feature of most calls, is a lasting memory beyond whatever aircraft or aviator we were discussing at the time. He was a prince of a man. I knew him as consistently gentle-spirited and a kind, authentically enthusiastic mentor of Canadian aviation history. I’m quite certain I am not alone in expressing that I will miss him dearly. His legacy will live on here. Thank you for your long dedication to the curation of Canadian aviation history, and your art Mr. Bradford. Blue Skies." |
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On 9 June 2023, a solemn interment ceremony for George Fuller was conducted in his hometown of Sherbrooke Quebec by his nephew David Grauwiler. Other family members present were Peggy Grauwiler (wife of David) and nephew Tom Grauwiler. Also attending were Jim Mason, Diana Trafford, and Roger Bernardin representing CAHS Montréal, as well as John and Inga Lawson representing the Montréal Aviation Museum (MAM). Afterwards, a dinner was held celebrating George’s contribution to Canadian Aviation history and his inspiration given to those younger to continue the research and conservation of such important events.
Report by James D Mason
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L-R: Peggy Grauwiler, Inga Lawson, John Lawson, Roger Bernardin, Diana Trafford, Tom Grauwiler, David Grauwiler. (Photo by Jim Mason) |
| David Grauwiler. (Photo by Jim Mason) |
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At the CAHS Convention this week, on Friday at 3:30pm EDT, Diana Trafford will make a presentation about her longtime friend and dedicated CAHS member George Fuller. The CAHS is pleased to provide this presentation to our members at no cost, at the same link as the AGM. For coordinates to see the talk, please visit the CAHS convention webpage. A link to the AGM will be distributed in a couple days. |
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Canadian Aviation Moments |
Here are the questions and answers to this month's Canadian Aviation Moments: |
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| Question 1: What amazing record of the First World War did Canadian Raymond Collishaw establish during June and July of 1917?
Source: Canada’s Fighting Airmen, pg. 68 (Drew) |
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| Question 2: What was the estimate of the number of aircraft by type that would be required for the BCATP during the Second World War and what portion of the airplanes by type would be supplied by each of the four countries involved (Britain, Canada, New Zealand and Australia)? Source: Wings For Victory, pg. 43 (Dunmore) |
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| Question 3: How did the bombing on 22/23 Oct 1943 provide some valuable breathing space for the Allies?
Source: No Prouder Place, pg. 269 (Bashow) |
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Spoiler alert - the answers to this month's questions follow. Skip the rest of this section and come back later if you wish to guess/research the answers first. Good luck and have fun! |
ANSWER 1: “During June and July of 1917 Collishaw established one of the most amazing records of the war, when in a period of less than two months he destroyed twenty-nine German aeroplanes. Only Richthofen exceeded this number over the same period. True, in ten days, in 1918, Bishop shot down twenty-five enemy machines, a mark which was never approached by any other pilot; but the fact remains that in day-in-day-out fighting, Collishaw’s record stands first among British airmen. And there was an important difference between his victories and those of the German idol. Richthofen only exceeded the Canadian’s total by one, when in March and April of 1917, he was given credit for the destruction of thirty British planes, but of those thirty only eight were fighting scouts while on the other hand twenty-three of Collishaw’s victories were won against fast, well-armed fighting machines.”
Source: Canada’s Fighting Airmen, pg. 68 (Drew) |
ANSWER 2: “Moreover, it was calculated that the scheme would require only 3,540 aircraft instead of the 5,000 first considered essential: 702 Canadian-built Tiger Moths and Fleet Finches for elementary instruction, 1,368 Avro Ansons for twin-engine pilot training and for navigation instruction, and 750 Fairey Battles for gunnery instruction. Britain promised to provide the Ansons and Battles, more than 500 of the Harvards along with 133 replacement engines, as well as half of the engines for the Tiger Moths. The rest of the Harvards were to be provided by Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Canada would also pay for the Tiger Moths, half of their engines, plus the Finch airframes and engines.” Source: Wings For Victory, pg. 43 (Dunmore) |
ANSWER 3: “One such “heavy blow” was dealt to Kassel on the night of 22/23 October 1943. Of the 569 aircraft dispatched, a force consisting of 322 Lancasters and 247 Halifaxes, 43 aircraft were lost, representing 7.6 percent of the force. Initial H2S marking overshot the target area, which contained, among other elements of industry, a plant for the manufacture of V1 flying bombs. However, eight of nine following visual markers correctly identified the aim point and placed their T1s accurately. Although the loss rate was heavy, what resulted was the most devastating attack on a German city since the Hamburg firestorm in July, and a similar degree of damage would not be attained again until well into the following year. The bombing was so concentrated that it totally stopped the manufacture of the flying bombs for several weeks, a delay which later provided some valuable breathing space for the Allies. It also created a firestorm at its epicentre, although this one was not as extensive as the Hamburg experience.” Source: No Prouder Place, pg. 269 (Bashow) |
Select a chapter to discover what they have been up to since the last newsletter. Many of our Chapters remain very active on Zoom with presentations every bit as good as they would be if we did not have pandemic restrictions to deal with! |
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Special Thanks To Our Supporters |
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In addition to its members, contributors, and newsletter subscribers, the CAHS is thankful for the ongoing support of its Corporate Members, Museum Members, and Partner Organizations, as well as the many individuals and organizations whose financial donations are so generously given. If you would like to become a Corporate Member or Museum Member - or if you know an organization that might like to join - we are always happy to receive new applications. Please use the hyperlinks above to learn more about our corporate members and partner organizations. Corporate Members: |
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If you have changed your mailing or e-mail address, please get in touch to keep us up to date. Contact the Membership Administrator here. To enquire about membership payment records, contact the Treasurer here. Click here to renew immediately online, or to join as a new member. If you would like to register or renew by mail, printable forms are also available in the bottom area of this page on our site. If you have any aviation history-related news or events to share, please contact our newsletter editor here. Please feel free to forward to friends and family members, or encourage them to sign up on our website to receive the newsletter directly for FREE. We hope that you enjoy receiving this monthly newsletter and find the contents informative and enjoyable. If you no longer wish to receive it for any reason, please use the unsubscribe option below to have your email address removed immediately from the mailing list. |
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The Canadian Aviation Historical Society (CAHS) P.O. Box 2700 • Station D • Ottawa • Ontario • K1P 5W7 visit us at www.cahs.com The CAHS is incorporated as a Canadian Registered Charity under a Federal Charter with the business registration number 118829589 RR001 |
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