The Greenwood Art
Association presents paintings to the Greenwood Military Aviation Museum
On
26 January, 2005 Col (Retired) R.D. Beaman, on behalf of the Greenwood Art
Association, presented two paintings to the Greenwood Military Aviation
Museum. The Acting Wing Commander LCol D. Butt accepted these
paintings and passed them to the Museum’s General Manager, Major Bert
Campbell for safekeeping. During the past four years, the Greenwood Art
Association has donated 20 original paintings to the Museum. The
Association commissions artists whose specialities include military
aviation and portrait painting. Funds for these commissions are raised
through membership fees and donations to the Association. Individuals
wishing to become members are encouraged to visit the Museum and complete
the applicable application form. The two paintings with their accompanying
narratives are shown below.
Flight Lieutenant
Robert Morrison Aldwinckle, DFC
Unveiling
of F/L Aldwinckle painting by LCol Butt and Col Beaman.
Robert
Morrison Aldwinckle was born 28 July 1920 in England. He came to Canada as a child and had completed one
year at the University of Toronto before joining the RCAF in August 1940.
Awarded his pilots wings, he attended No. 13 Operational Training Unit
(OTU) at Patricia Bay, BC training for duty with a Bomber Reconnaissance
(BR) squadron. He began operations with 116 BR Squadron at Dartmouth on
Catalina aircraft. Next came service with 10 BR Squadron Detachment in
Yarmouth, which shortly thereafter was renamed as 162 Squadron. While with
162 Squadron in Dartmouth he received a “Mention in Despatches”. In
response to an urgent situation he went to Gander, Newfoundland in January
1943 flying Canso aircraft on Atlantic convoy protection patrols.
After
converting to the B-24 Liberator in June he returned to 10 BR Squadron at
Gander and resumed flying Atlantic patrols that now closed the “Atlantic
Gap” - the U-Boat killing grounds during the period known as the
“Happy Times”. On 26 October 1943 while patrolling in Liberator A586
Aldwinckle spotted a submarine on the surface and initiated a depth charge
attack. The submarine saw the aircraft and began to dive and the attack
weapon was changed to a “Zombie” – a top secret homing torpedo not
to be used for surface attacks. The submarine then elected to remain
surfaced and fight back with its two 20 MM anti-aircraft guns. The attack
weapon was altered to a stick of six depth charges—but only one
exploded. The submarine returned fire and Aldwinckle circled out of the
guns range and attempted to get a second aircraft to the scene, but
failed. A ruse of an open message declaring a return to base because of
fuel shortage caused the submarine to dive at which time a second attack
using the Zombie and two remaining depth charges was initiated. The attack
appeared successful and was later confirmed—they had sunk U-420. During
their return to base they attacked a second submarine with guns only and
forced it to submerge. Flight Lieutenant (F/L) Aldwinckle was awarded the
DFC for “his initiative and devotion to duty have at all times been
exemplary”.
Subsequent
duties saw F/L Aldwinckle promoted to Squadron Leader, posted to Eastern
Air Command HQ and then to the Operations Staff at Air Force HQ where he
was demobilized in May 1945.
He
returned to the University of Toronto for one year but in 1946 he rejoined
the RCAF and, while on leave-without-pay, he attended Oxford University as
a Rhodes scholar. He graduated with a degree in Engineering Science, and
returned to full time RCAF service in the Aeronautical Engineering Branch
until 1971 when he retired in the rank of Brigadier General. He had a
second career working in several federal government departments. After
full retirement Brigadier General Aldwinckle remained in Ottawa where he
died in 2003.
This
painting was created and painted by artist Geoff Bennett. Click
here to view painting.
404 Squadron and The
Bristol Blenheim IVF
Unveiling
of Blenheim painting by LCol Butt and Col Beaman.
404
“Buffalo” Squadron was formed at Thorney Island on 15 April, 1941 and
was equipped with Bristol Blenheim MK-IVF aircraft.
The MK IVF aircraft was fitted with a four machine gun pack of .303
Brownings installed in the bomb-bay position. It also had a dorsal turret
with two Browning machine guns and a single .303 machine gun in the nose
position operated by the navigator. It was employed in the Fighter escort
role as well as reconnaissance role along the Norwegian coast seeking
targets for the Coastal Command strike aircraft.
It had a crew of three; pilot, navigator and Wireless Op/Air
Gunner.
The
aircraft had a wingspan of 54
feet 4 inches with a fuselage length of 43 feet 7 inches and a height of
12 feet 9 ½ inches. It had an empty weight of 7,409 pounds and a maximum
weight of 15,000 pounds. It was powered by two Bristol Mercury XV radial
air-cooled engines developing 995 HP each driving Hamilton three-blade
variable pitch propellers. It had a maximum speed of 266 mph at 11,800
feet, a range of 1,460 miles and an endurance of 8.65 hours. Its service
ceiling was 22,000 feet.
404
Squadron flew the aircraft from its time of formation in April 1941 until
January 1943 when it was re-equipped with Bristol Beaufighters.
The
painting depicts four scenes: one
scene depicts the squadron commander’s aircraft EE-D shooting down
“Weather Willy” – a Luftwaffe Ju.88 weather reconnaissance aircraft
which was destroyed approximately 60 miles east of Sumburgh; another scene
depicts the aircraft in the fighter support role escorting a Coastal
Command Hudson aircraft attacking German shipping along the Norwegian
coast; the background scene shows the coasts of Scotland - and identifies
the 404 Squadrons operating stations of Sumburgh and Dyce during 1941/42
– and the coast of Norway with several patrol routes depicted.
Lastly, in the lower left corner is shown the 404 Squadron badge
with its distinctive Buffalo head and the motto “Ready To Fight”.
This painting was created and painted by artist Don Connolly.
Click
here to view painting.
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