Bomber retrieval for museum a long process

Officials with the Bomber Command Museum in Nanton are working on a ground-breaking project this summer to recover a Halifax bomber from the Swedish Coast.

With hopes to retrieve that engine and expand their exhibits, director of the Bomber Command museum, Karl Kjarsgaard travelled to Sweden in early July to work with the recovery process of this historic artifact.

“My job is being responsible to go around the world for the museum and find Bomber artifacts,” he says. “I’m heading to Toronto then Sweden to work on a project (in July). We found a Halifax airplane underwater that the Swedish government is helping us to recover. Eventually they will be sending it to Nanton to be restored.”

The retrieval of this engine has been a long time coming and has been given the name of the Halifax Sweden Project. The Royal Canadian Air Force heavy Bomber (Halifax HR871) served during war times with the 405 Pathfinder Squadron. Upon returning from a raid at Hamburg on Aug. 3, 1943 the plane was struck by lightning and lost two engines. The crew diverted to Sweden and exited the aircraft, however, the Bomber continued flying until it crashed into the Baltic Sea 15 kilometres off the Swedish coast.

This Bomber aircraft was later rediscovered by a diving group from ‘Havsresan-Sea Journey’ of Lund University. Now, Bomber Command Museum officials are working with Halifax 57 rescue upon this discovery to surface the Bomber and restore it back to its former glory so it can stand proud within the internationallyacclaimed museum.

Kjarsgaard says the Halifax Bomber is a key component to Canada’s history, and the museum is working hard to add this engine to its collection.

“The Halifax airplane was used by Canadians more than the Lancaster, and we have a Lancaster in our collection, so it’s pretty clear what else we need in our museum. Thus far we have found 30 per cent of a Halifax engine and we’re hoping this one in Sweden could provide us with the missing parts.”

On the weekend of July 7, Kjarsgaard flew to Sweden via Toronto to work with the divers and look at the retrieval process of this historic item.

So far in the recovery process, two phases have been set in place to earth the engine, starting with divers working to excavate cubic metres of sand that are surrounding the Halifax in its current position underwater.

Finally, the divers will work to lift the aircraft components above ground for recovery before it can be sent to Nanton, where it will reside within the museum.

Kjarsgaard says this process is not exactly fast, as the museum is working with volunteer divers on weekends to slowly bring this aircraft to the surface of the water.

“We’re beginning the recovery on the weekend of July 7. It’s a volunteer-based project, where underwater divers work and they have to work upon weekends and bring the Bomber up in sections. So, it’s a project that will go throughout the whole summer. Hopefully we will be finished by September.”

Updates of progress being made on the Halifax Sweden Project can be found weekly online at: https://fundrazr.com/417498?ref=ab_15ZpC7.

Although the project is well underway with hopes to receive the recovered artifact by September, donations to help fund the extraction and recovery are still being accepted and can be made online at: https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/417498.

Kjarsgaard says this project, just like all the projects the museum tackles, is close to his heart and he loves the idea of being able to keep the history alive of those who risked everything for their country’s freedom.

“We’re having fun saving history and doing it for the guys that gave us our freedom.”