RTW 39. In memory of those brave men

Thursday, 10 June 2010

Winnipeg, Canada

Whole day on the rails trundling through flat as a pancake landscape. Having left the mountainous Canadian Rockies behind now crossing the Canadian Prairies.

God. It’s flat.

Am to spend the weekend in Winnipeg.

To meet people I’ve never met before.

But.

We have a connection.

My Great Uncle, Flying Officer Leonard Lee, was the pilot of a Sunderland Flying Boat DV967 during World War 2 as part of 228 Squadron Coastal Command. Attacking German U-boats. He trained at Carberry, near Brandon, in Manitoba, Canada. He and his ten crew were shot down and killed over the Bay of Biscay whilst attacking a German U-boat.

When he died, my Great Aunt kept in touch with his crew’s family. One of his crew was Sergeant Vincent Goldstone and Great Aunt kept in touch with Vincent Goldstone’s mother after the war. When Vincent Goldstone’s mother died, Great Aunt kept in touch with her other son, and brother of Vincent Goldstone. When my Great Aunt died, my father continued corresponding with Vincent’s brother. Vincent also had a sister who made a donation to the Carberry Museum in memory of her brother.

Now. This is where a strange quirk of fate happens.

My Great Uncle’s second officer was Ron Bradford. He left the crew to become captain of his own crew, at the age of 20! Ron Bradford’s best friend was Maurice Shnider. Both Ron and Maurice came from Winnipeg. Ron died in 2004 and in memory of his great friend, Maurice began to research the crew of Great Uncle Leonard Lee’s flight. Quite by chance, someone passed Maurice the Carberry Museum booklet (where they all trained) which had Vincent Goldstone’s name in and a donation by his sister. Maurice then contacted Vincent’s sister but as by now she was elderly and infirm, her daughter (Vincent’s niece) responded to Maurice’s request for any further information.

Which then led to Vincent’s niece ringing my father out of the blue in 2004 to explain the situation. And have been in touch ever since.

So.

That’s why I’m here in Winnipeg.

To meet both the niece and best friend of my Great Uncle’s flight crew.

Met at the station by the niece and her husband. Mr & Mrs Manitoba. We’ll meet Maurice tomorrow. It’s only as we sit in the hotel bar getting to know each other that we realise that the date on which they were all killed was.

Sunday. 13 June 1943.

This weekend will be the anniversary.

Pure coincidence that we’re meeting on this weekend.

It was meant to be.

It sends a shiver down my spine.

So this weekend is in memory of these brave men:

Flying Officer Bertrand Leonard Lee

Flying Officer Desmond Fairfax Hill

Pilot Officer George Lough

Flying Officer Alfred Keith McDougall RCAF

Flying Officer Robert Jasper Agur RCAF

Sergeant Vincent Murray Goldstone RCAF