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Saturday, October 17, 2015

GAHS Celebrates Ferry Command’s 75th

In honour of this prestigious day, the GAHS will be posting 3 stories with reference to Ferry Command on our website in the near future. Not only was this an event that led to a major contribution in the winning of WWII but it set the course for Gander Airport’s future. This future led to the town of Gander as it is today. Indeed, a most important day in Gander’s History.

Friday, October 9, 2015

Ferry Command's 75th Anniversary Event

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of Ferry Command, the Gander Rotary Club and the North Atlantic Aviation Museum will be sponsoring a gala event to be held 6 pm Tuesday, Nov. 10 in our historic Gander Airport's International Lounge. Organizers are encouraging 40s dress. Funds raised support the Ferry Command Memorial Hall, Cobb’s Pond Rotary Park, and other Rotary projects worldwide. Tickets are $60 per person and available from any member of the Gander Rotary Club or North Atlantic Aviation Museum. Mayor Claude Elliott will serve as MC and auctioneer (those who have seen His Worship in auctioneer mode will note it is an event in and of itself). Get out and support the NAAM and Rotary Club.

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Gander Lake’s B24 Liberator Crash Update

We have been in contact with Tony Merkle about an update on his progress lately in his attempt to recover the B24 that crashed in Gander Lake during WWII . He advises us the project is still ongoing. There was a delay with the archaeology permit but that is to be resolved shortly. He had to put the project aside this summer due to personal work commitments. He hopes to resume searching later this fall. He advised he is getting  good feedback from the pilot's son who turned 72 this year. It looks like later attempts at dragging with grapnels may have sent the plane down over the steep slope into much deeper water. This was from an attempted salvage operation carried out by the military shortly after the crash.  Tony  has re-equipped himself with much better underwater video equipment which will aid in his search. We hope to follow this project as it progresses.

Thursday, October 1, 2015

OO-CBG, Sabena Crash Video

In 1946 Sabena Airlines OO-CBG crashed west of Gander. The USCG Association has presented this video . It was one of the first effective uses of the helicopter for civilian rescue work. This documentary includes actual film and photographs of the rescue underway and also features a narrative by one of the Coast Guard helicopter pilots, CDR Stewart Graham (ret). Army Captain Samuel Preston Martin, MD was instrumental in organizing the lifesaving effort. He was posthumously awarded the USCG Legion of Merit in 2007 - 41 years after the rescue. The cemetery at the crash site was named in his honour ’St. Martin In The Woods’. This video was first shown at that award ceremony. Our compliments to the USCG for this presentation.