Saving a Halifax

Story by Katherine Simunkovic
CAHS Newsletter Editor
Photos provided by Karl Kjarsgaard
Bomber Command Museum
posted December 2022
Last we updated you on the Halifax recovery project that the Bomber Command Museum of Canada (BCMC) in Nanton, Alberta is working on was back in Spring 2021! Since then, the team has been working continuously in their recovery efforts with two additional parts hunting trips to the UK and Holland this year.
 
Now after these two trips have been completed to bring more parts back there are many updates to share. The rebuild shop for the Halifax wing is in Arnprior, Ontario, being done by KNOX TECH of Ottawa. Soon to be completed, it will be shipped out to Nanton for assembly.
The main wing center-section of the Halifax.
Production photo of a Halifax Bomber – yellow lines show our center wing.
Pictured above is the main wing center-section of the Halifax with all basic riveting being completed by Knox Tech. Shown just beside the newly finished centre section is a wartime production photo of a Halifax Bomber with the yellow lines indicating where the Bomber Command center-section of the wing would be.
Bin of parts that has arrived from the UK to Bomber Command.
Halifax recovered main electrical panel.
The team has been successful in sourcing out parts that are needed for the rebuild while also recovering parts from the sea. Pictured above is a crate weighing 700lbs filled with rare Halifax parts, shipped from the UK. Next to that is a photo of the recovered main electrical panel of the Halifax through which all wiring is routed for the entire aircraft.
Halifax recovered pilot fire control panel.
The photo above shows a recovered pilot fire control panel that sits above the pilot for fighting engine fires. The team at Bomber Command already has a restored Halifax instrument panel. What will also be added to this panel and now arrived in Canada, is the control column and control wheel – both extremely rare parts. The team has made the decision to purchase these items which together will complete the control column unit.
 
The team is also looking for anyone that might be able to trade with them. We are looking to trade a Lancaster Mk. X flight engineer panel for a Halifax flight engineer panel.
 
Coming up soon will be an announcement on the twelve Halifax propellor blades that the team has been searching the world for over the past seven years! To keep up-to-date on announcements (and to Donate to support the rebuild of the Halifax) on the work being done on this restoration project, please visit our recovery and rebuild site: www.fundrazr.com/417498
 
You can imagine the cost to travel and recover parts, perform the restoration work and order parts that are unavailable through other channels increases the cost footprint for this project exponentially. The team at Bomber Command has done an incredible job of making funds go as far as possible and have been able to capitalize on a 10 to 1 value – for every $100 donated, they are received parts and labour in the value of $1000.
 
That being said, one trip to the UK or Holland averages about $3000. On top of that the cost to have parts shipped back to Canada is also quite high. A big thank you to Air Canada Cargo, Dan Osborne, Graham Bristow, Rob Desjardins and Andy Ward for helping with the cargo fees to get parts shipped back, particularly the cargo box pictured above!
 
While assistance through donations has been greatly appreciated, the team needs ongoing donations to continue their work in recovery and restoration. If you’re able to donate to this project, there are some gifts and perks that you can receive based on the level of your donation. While they’ve successfully raised about $100,000 over the last three to four years, those funds have been depleted about 90% and the team is in need of more donations to continue their work.
 
Donations can be made to: www.fundrazr.com/417498
Click Here to return to the articles page.