Former Lancaster pilot Jack Finan of Stoney Creek, who is now 95 years old, stands at the controls of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum’s Mynarski Memorial Lancaster as he talks to pilot Dave Rohrer before his flight in the bomber on Saturday. Jack Finan was allowed some minutes at the controls while in flight, and he did excellent.
“I only think about the good times now,” Finan said, “That’s easier than remembering all of the people who didn’t come back.”
Jack Finan was born and raised in Hamilton. He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force at the outbreak of war in 1939. He was first trained as an airframe mechanic and then later as a pilot and officer. He survived the war after numerous bomb runs on Germany, unlike many of his former colleagues.
During World War II the Avro Lancasters flew 156,000 sorties and dropped 608,612 long tons (618,378 tonnes) of bombs between 1942 and 1945. Just 35 Lancasters completed more than 100 successful operations each, and 3,249 were lost in action.
Of the 17 surviving and largely intact Lancasters known to exist, two are airworthy; “Thumper”, based in Coningsby, the UK, is operated by The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, and the other, called “Vera”, is in Canada, operated by the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum.
Finan’s family think he may be the oldest living Lancaster veteran, or possibly the last such veteran. They admit, however, they have no proof for either claim.
Charlie Linklater of White River, ON was a Lancaster pilot and I believe he just turned 98 or 99
Robert Harlow flew Lancasters in WW2. Hey is 95 and lives in the Gulf Islands out in British Columbia.
I will be 96 next June. My last flight as Captain of a Lancaster with 101 Squadron, at Binbrook, Lincs on November 28. 1945. I was then transferred to Transport Command flying Dakotas. It would be interesting to know how many WWII Lancaster pilots are still alive. God Bless. Flt. Lt. Robert F. Reynolds.
My father flew Lancasters with 9 Squadron out of Bardney and ended up flying Mosquitoes towards the end of the war. Sadly, he passed away in 1976. His kid brother was killed on one the Berlin raids in early 1944 flying as a navigator with a 49 Squadron crew. I wish you long life and hope you get a telegram from the Queen when you hit the magic ton.
Hi Robert- your father and his brother are heroes. They pave the way for freedom for generations to come…If you like to write an article to tell us about your father and his brother, argunners.com will be more than happy to publish it.
Very nice article.
But if you got no proof that he’s the only one surviving, then the title shouldn’t say so.