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The official eNewsletter of the CALGARY MOSQUITO SOCIETY
Retain, Restore, Honour and Educate
Welcome to Volume 11 (April 18, 2009)
MEETING THIS WEDNESDAY: April 22, 7 p.m. Same place as last month: the Phoenix Foundation, #1, 2821 - 3 Ave. N.E., just north of Memorial and east of Barlow. We're
open to all who wish to assist or just want to find out what is happening. Bring a friend. One of the things we need to do is develop a list of events that we plan to attend this
summer and how best to represent ourselves. Ideas, resources and bodies needed.
Click for a larger map.
GREAT NEWS! Last week the Calgary Heritage Authority wrote a letter to Calgary City Council urging them to retain both the Mosquito and Hurricane aircraft. In part
the letter, signed by chairman Gerry Meek, reads "The CHA encourages council to retain these valuable and unique aircraft as an integral part of the city owned collection." The
Calgary Mosquito Society had no input to this and only learned of when asked by the local media to comment on the letter. The Authority's is operated by the City of Calgary, the
purpose of which is to advise council on all matters relating to heritage resources in the city of Calgary. A huge 'THANK YOU!' to Gerry Meek and the authority. And yes, we have
sent them an embarassingly gushy note of gratitude and asked for a full copy of the letter.
EXACTLY 200 DAYS AND COUNTING... until the committee of city council votes on the fate of their Mosquito. Dear City Council: Please see note above.
F for FREDDIE PRESENTATION MAY 8: How and why did WWII's most accomplished bomber aircraft, a Mosquito with 213 combat operations, end up in Calgary the day after
VE Day? Who was the heroic young pilot and what was his connection to Calgary? This is a special presentation by Richard de Boer on the 64th anniversary of Freddie's arrival in
Calgary. At the John Dutton Theatre of the main Public Library, 616 Macleod Trail S.E. at 7 p.m. No cost. Open to all. See attached poster. Print it out; hand it out. A video
taped copy of the presentation has been requested by the History Channel who are looking at a full documentary treatment of the story. Come share history in the making!
AUSSIE MOSSIES. Several weeks ago I had an email from Ken Wright of Melbourne, Australia wondering if we might be interested in a story he wrote about Australian
Mosquito ops during WWII. Ken is an amateur historian who researched and wrote this story based on interviews with Mosquito pilot Jack Rayner. Thanks for Jack for use of the photos
and especially to Ken for taking the initiative to share his work with us. "HONOUR and EDUCATE" is part of our mandate. Because of its length we will serialize it into three parts.
Attached is Part I of Ken's aptly titled "Mosquitoes Bite at Night". (see if you can spot the Canadian 428 Squadron Lanc in the background of one photo).
(Webguy's comment: Ken's articles will take a little longer to reach the website. Watch for them under the "de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito" history page.)
OTHER MOSSIE HAPPENINGS: Latest word is that Bob Jen's Mosquito, the former Spartan CF-HML located in Vancouver, will now be unwrapped, disassembled and crated for
its trip across the straits to Victoria Air Maintenance, rather than be barged over in one piece. As Shakespeare famously wrote, 'The course of true love...' Also thanks to our
friend Sean Keating for a link to some very fresh photos and information about progress on the Mosquito in Windsor at
www.warbirdinformationexchange.org
Hope to see you Wednesday eve and on Friday, May 8!
Richard de Boer
President, CMS
403-235-1350
