Battle of Britain Sunday

[Gunner]

The Swords and Ploughshares Museum participated in Canada's National Battle of Britain Sunday Parade on 19 September.

It was a quiet event, held at the National Aviation Museum and featured the Past, the Present and the Future (RCAF Veterans including some of 'The Few', current serving memberof the Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Cadets all on parade together.

The minute of silence was punctuated by a fly past of the Mynarski, VC Lancaster Bomber, a Harvard (representing the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan), a flight of Griffon Helicopters in missing man formation and a two ship sortie of CF 18's. Michael Potter regretted that his Spitfire was unable to join the flypast this year, unfortunately it is still under repair after dropping its landing gear into a hole and bending the prop at an airshow in Genesee this summer.

A cool, sunny day with a strong breeze made the parade participants comfortable on what is normally scorching tarmac and the vets set the example to the younger generations by all remaining on parade for the whole show (a number of the young cadets succumbed to heat and tension and fell out).

Our 40mm Bofors Light Anti-Aircraft Gun was on parade to represent the army's contibution to the Battle of Britain. Many Light and Heavy Ack Ack batteries of the Royal Canadian Artillery joined thier airborne fellow Canadians in holding Hitler's Luftwaffe, and his plans for invasion, at bay during those difficult months in 1940.

We were pleased to be able to participate and flattered by the attention the vets and the audience paid to the gun after the parade marched off. The Assistant Chief of the Air Staff, Maj Gen Dumais, and his Command Chief Warrant Officer were kind enough to come over and thank our volunteers for thier efforts.

It was sobering to note that for the first time since I have started participating in this event that the 100 man Guard from the Air Force outnumbered the veterans. In Eric Bogle's immortal words, "...and year after year, thier numbers get fewer.... someday no one will march there at all" (The Band Played 'Waltzing Matilda')

We will remember them!

Mike