Love the Lancaster

Heroes Remember

Love the Lancaster

Transcript

Interviewer: What was your favourite aircraft? Oh the Lancaster. I remember one time this pilot, it's in my log book anyway, his Lancaster got shot down. Anyway we, we got this little Oxford, called it ‘Ox-box', he got a telegram that his aircraft was serviceable, like where it crash landed or force landed. So anyway, I'll never forget this...., we go, our pilot with another pilot, and I was a wireless air gunner and we go to the base to pick up this repaired Lancaster, this was this guy's last trip. He's screened, he's going home, the pilot, his whole crew. Anyway, he takes off with his repaired Lancaster, and I'm sitting there as a wireless air gunner, it gets back to base and I'm standing up in the astrodome, he does, like we'll say here's the, here's the mess hall, he flies around the mess hall, he puts his wing between the mess hall and a tree. I'm terrified, I'm standing up in the astrodome I'm looking straight at the ground because I'm like, standing like this. All you say is, "Stop it, stop it, stop it." Well all he had to do was just lose speed and we're just, wings in... then he circles the mess hall, and then he gets on the runway. Right at the control tower, "Oh no, I bet those propellers must have let chips out the runway." Right at the control tower, you could see all these, all these people inside, you could see them all scattering, and then the last second he just pulled that Lancaster up, and just missed that control tower. Then he did a few more manoeuvres and finally we land. And before we've even stopped, up comes the commanding officer in a jeep, and he's screaming, he says, "What the hell do you think you got there a four engine spitfire? He says, "Get in this jeep, you're on charge." This guy didn't care cause he's screened he's going home, but he almost killed me in the meantime from fear. Because I'm standing up, standing up looking at the ground, and there's the mess hall. But those Lancaster's were fantastic. In fact one time, we were flying on a training ship, we come across a Flying Fort, the American B-17 or Flying Fort. We did a fighter attack on it, with our Lancaster, our skipper said, "Okay boys, watch this." And he went up and he, and here's the old lumbering Fort and you know he went like this. Oh yeah they, you could do anything with them. But you know there's only two in the world, one's in England, one's in Canada. They destroyed them all, didn't save one, there's a couple on pedestals, you know static, and all that, shame because they were a beautiful aircraft.

Description

Mr. Taschuk explains why the Lancaster remains his favourite wartime aircraft, recalling some stories highlighting its capabilities.

Neil Taschuk

Mr. Taschuk was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. His father, a Russian immigrant, fought for Canada in the First World War. Mr. Taschuk joined the air force along with many others from the community, and was sent overseas as soon as he had earned his wireless air gunner (WAG) wings. He was assigned to a Lancaster in Bomber Command's 434 Squadron. Given the casualty rate at the time, it was a near death sentence. Against huge odds and having experienced numerous near misses, he and the rest of his crew were one of few in bomber command who were never injured in any action, training, or other mishaps.

Meta Data

Medium:: Video
Owner:: Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:: 03:48
Person Interviewed:: Neil Taschuk
War, Conflict or Mission:: Second World War
Branch:: Air Force
Units/Ship:: 434 Squadron
Occupation:: Wireless Air Gunner

Language selection

Love the Lancaster

Heroes Remember