Honouring air crash sites
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Issue Date
2004-11-04
Editor
Authors
Rankin, Paul
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Abstract
Audio recording and transcript of Paul Rankin's November 2004 presentation to the Nanaimo Historical Society about military air crashes on Vancouver Island during the Second World War. Rankin describes a project he has been working on for several years to research the November 10, 1944 crash of a RCAF B-24 Liberator bomber (serial number KH108) near Nitinat Lake. Rankin explains how he got started on the project, gives a brief history of the RCAF on the West Coast, talks about the night navigation mission which took off from Abbotsford that the aircraft was participating in on the night of the crash, gives details about the crash and the crash site, and chronicles what has been done since to honour the 10 crew members who died as a result of the crash. Rankin also gives information about other Vancouver Island military air crash sites, including one in the Nanaimo River watershed which occurred in May 1944.