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Printable information sheet to attach to 573 Air Cadet Sqn Trackable Coin
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A steady hand reaches out to those who gathered to remember the courage of Pilot Officer Andrew Mynarski, VC, who lost his life in an attempt to save another.
Frozen in a moment in time, the Victoria Cross (VC) recipient is seen, as he must have appeared to his friend and colleague, Flying Officer Pat Brophy: a determined individual who would risk all that he had to save a friend. In that moment of Pilot Officer Mynarski’s courage, Flying Officer Brophy gained the courage he needed to face what he thought would be his death.
While stories of friendship, fierce determination, selfless courage, and ultimate sacrifice can be found in today’s Canadian Armed Forces, the stories of Canada’s Victoria Cross recipients are especially inspiring. Many of these stories speak of insurmountable odds, extreme danger, and acting to help others. Of the 99 Canadians who were awarded the VC for “conspicuous bravery, extreme devotion to duty, or an act of valour or self-sacrifice in the presence of the enemy”, only seven belonged to the Air Force. And of these seven, three came from Manitoba – including Andrew Mynarski.
The ten-year journey to “Bring Andrew Home” to Winnipeg began in 2005 when members of 573 Andrew Mynarski VC Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron attended the dedication of the “Forgotten Hero” statue at the former Royal Air Force Station Middleton St. George in the United Kingdom. Located at the now-renamed Durham Tees Valley Airport in England, the statue depicts Pilot Officer Andrew Mynarski as he was seen last by Flying Officer Brophy, rear gunner on the Lancaster bomber that was shot down in flames – saluting in farewell. That statue inspired the desire to have a similar memorial built in his town of Winnipeg.
Originally, the Mynarski Statue Project Committee discussed replicating the statue in England, but the costs of doing so would have been in excess of $100,000. Eventually, the plan to commission a local artist, Charlie Johnston, to design an original statue was adopted. With one hand stretched outward at eye level, Andrew Mynarski’s bronze doppleganger is striking in its historical accuracy and detail: from the equipment he carries and the uniform he wears, to the very act he engages in – the effort to free his trapped friend.
Dedicated on Friday, June 12, 2015, in Winnipeg’s Vimy Ridge Memorial Park, the memorial welcomes visitors to interact with Pilot Officer Mynarski’s likeness and learn more about his story. Not only is there an inscription on the plinth upon which the statue rests, there is also a QR-Code on the plinth that links visits to a dedicated website and educational program that relates the story of Canada in the World Wars.