WWII artifact hand delivered to Windsor from England

The Canadian Historical Aircraft Association on Monday received a piece of a Lancaster bomber used in the Second World War.

United Kingdom resident Jeremy Hall presented the association with the navigation panel of a Lancaster bomber. Hall stumbled upon the panel in Scotland when specifically looking for a fuse box. He has been collecting Lancaster parts for more than 40 years.

"When I went to collect the fuse box [from a friend], was offered some other parts, one of which was the original navigator panel from this Lancaster," Hall recalled. "It was just too good of a relic to leave there."

Knowing the restoration of a Lancaster was underway in Windsor, Hall offered the part to John Robinson, president of the aircraft association. He flew to Windsor to hand deliver the artifact.

"I thought, ‘what a nice tribute.’ We’re actually getting a piece of a Lancaster that was part of an unfortunate crash," Robinson said.

The plane is said to have slammed into a Scottish hillside during a night training sessions. Four men, including one from Ontario, were killed in the crash.

"It seemed the right thing to do; to commemorate those young boys," Hall said of handing the panel over to Canadians.

The plane, like the one being restored and dedicated to the Bad Penny crew in Windsor, was part of the 101st Squadron.

"We thought that connection was important," Robinson said. "We’re very pleased Jeremy has brought that part to us."

Robinson said the panel eventually be on display at the association’s museum.

"We most likely will display it in some kind of a case, in our archive section, and have that story about the part available for people to read," Robinson said.