"2006, OUR BEST YEAR EVER!"
Work around the restoration hangar was impacted for the second month in a row by some severe Canadian weather, the month started with a heavier then normal blanket of snow, followed by extremely high winds with an abundance of rain. When you live on an Island covered in old growth forest it’s common to see the damage that these majestic trees can create when they fall across power lines or on tops of homes, cars and trucks, the results are often painful. One recording station south of Victoria measured wind gusts of 157 kilometers per hour; this resulted in fewer then normal visitors to the hangar. For a few days our restoration team was unable to get to work. Thankfully the snow is now gone and we are able to get around the Comox Valley although it was a challenge for a few days.
Towards the end of the month visitations started to pick up and many people dropped into the hangar to pick up Y2-K Spitfire souvenirs and copies of “ Touche” our Limited Edition print supposedly for Christmas gifts. Without this support and the many donations we receive we would be unable to continue our important heritage work. Many of our visitors drop $5 dollar bills into our donation box some drop $20 bills, some write cheques or give us a credit card to process a $100 donation, several donations arrive through our website, however or whatever you decide to donate it is very much appreciated and we will provide you with a tax receipt. We thank everybody for supporting the Spitfire restoration during 2006. The past 12 months have been the most rewarding in our projects 6 year history. Instructions on how to make a donation from “this” website can be accessed at our home page under “Donations needed and accepted on- Line”. Please check it out and be part of this project.
Some exciting “Canadian” warbird news came out of the Quebec based, Michael Potter collection during December that will honour former Wing Commander James Francis “Stocky” Edwards. Stocky has been a frequent visitor around the Y2-K Spitfire hangar and often drops into the hangar on Saturdays to share Spitfire stories with our guests. Michael Potter has purchased a
P-40 Kittyhawk,( it’s being restored in New Zealand) to add to his already impressive fighter collection and will paint his latest acquisition in the markings that Stocky carried on his Kittyhawk while serving with 260 RAF Squadron in North Africa. Stocky Edwards was the highest scoring ace in the Desert Air Force and earned the name, “The Hawk of Martuba” for his efforts. This will indeed be a wonderful addition to this fine collection of heritage fighters. Michael Potter is to be congratulated for his continued support of Canadian heritage and its military hero’s. Stocky Edwards flew Spitfires in Italy and Europe and commanded 127 Spitfire Wing towards the end of the Second world. Stocky is one of Canada’s most decorated hero’s and participated in 470 operational sorties. We are pleased to announce Stocky Edwards will also attend our 7th annual open house event on May 20 2007 along with 10-12 other Spitfire veterans.
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Stocky Edwards sitting in the cockpit of Ralph Maude’s, former RCAF Kittyhawk at the Victoria B.C. airport. Edwards was reunited with the Kittyhawk as part of a documentary film being produced by Michael Kirby. 
Stocky Edwards signing “Touche” the Y2-K limited edition print at the restoration hangar in October of 2005. These high quality prints are available for a donation of $195. Information on how to obtain a copy are available on this website, the print has the signatures of 12 Canadian Spitfire veterans. |
Wing Commander James Francis “Stocky” Edwards DFC with Bar, DFM, Order of Canada, This photograph was taken May, 1945 at Schwiverdingen, Germany next to Stocky’s personal Mk XVI Spitfire TD147 JF-E. Stocky Edwards remained in the RCAF after the war and instructed some of Canada’s first Vampire pilots. In 1952 Edwards led 3 Squadrons of RCAF Saber Jets to Grostenquin France. He retired from the Air Force in 1972 and lives a few blocks from the Y2-K Spitfire hangar.
Stocky with his Daughter Dorothy, reviewing some Spitfire information at the restoration hangar. Stocky is a frequent visitor to the hangar. |
Work has resumed on the flight control parts that will eventually be installed in the tail section; dozens of locally machined parts have returned from cad-plating and are now being assembled. Bonn and Tom have started work on the skin stiffeners that are attached to the trailing edges of the tail fin and to the horizontal stabilizer. Bonn has also been fabricating flight control parts that are attached to the forward section of the Spitfire and some have been installed so that control cables can eventually be attached.
We have sold some spare Spitfire parts on eBay recently and have made additional contacts with other Spitfire projects around the world,” so few parts so many projects” If you’re not aggressive in your efforts to acquire these very rare parts you loose out, as a small museum we can hardly be described as aggressive maybe “determined” suits us better.
The Y2-K Spitfire project does have a considerable inventory of spare parts and will consider trades, or an outright sale of said parts to other Spitfire projects, get in touch with us and let’s see if we can make a deal.
In our last update we mentioned the new Y2-K profiles that were being created for us by Brian Cauchi in Malta, we use these profiles to publicize our project and for marketing events here on Vancouver Island. The profiles arrived this month and we thought you would like to see the incredible job Brian did for us. Brian is an engineer in Malta and has a passion for historic aircraft; his knowledge of the Spitfire in Malta service during the Second World War is second to none and it’s clear that Brian is also a very creative and talented individual. These profiles show the Y2-K Spitfire in a variety of moods, some with full invasion stripes as of June 6th, 1944 (the Y2-K Spitfire flew 5 operational sorties on that day) while other views show our Spitfire pre-D-Day guise and in August after the stripes had been removed from the upper surfaces. We thank Brian for his efforts the, profiles are remarkable.
3 different Y2-K Spitfire profiles..
Three different profiles of the Y2-K Spitfire at various times in its career. These magnificent profiles created by Brian Cauchi of Malta features TE294 prior to D-Day minus the invasion stripes that were applied to all Allied aircraft. The remaining profiles show TE 294 with partial invasion stripes (circa August 19, 1944) in a rather clean look and another view shows the Spitfire looking somewhat weathered after several weeks of exhaustive non-stop fighting during the Normandy campaign.
Brian Cauchi of Malta, the artist that created our excellent Y2-K profiles.
Brian is a world class modeller and is recognized as a leading authority on Spitfires while in Malta service.
W/C Douglas “Duke” Warren is also a frequent visitor to the Y2-K Hangar and has attended all open house events since the restoration project began. Duke flew Spitfires with 403 Sqn RCAF, 165 and 66 Squadron RAF. |
Jim O’Toole and Art Sager both former 443 Sqn veterans will be attending the 2007 Open House. Sager is the only surviving wartime, Squadron Leader and was flown to the Y2-K Hangar in a 443 Squadron Sea King helicopter thus the flight suit. Both veterans will attend the May 20th, 2007 Open House.
Duke Warren, Jim O’Toole, and Stocky Edwards November 11, 2006 at the Y2-K hangar. |
Remember, if you like heritage aviation events and mixing with several wartime Spitfire veterans then pencil in May 20th, 2007, it’s the Sunday of the Victoria Day long weekend. Plans are well underway for the 7th annual open house.” Canada’s most significant aviation project” will be hosting the aviation restoration event of the year, watch this space for details as we announce them over the next few months.
Peace on Earth and thank God for the Men and Women that are keeping us safe.
Thanks again for your time and support
Pat Murphy
And the Y2-K Spitfire restoration team. |
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