The Airmen Memorial is dedicated to all airmen from Peterborough and District. It was erected by the 428 Wing Royal Canadian Air Force Association on June 5, 1971.
It was assembled near Montreal and first flew on May 6, 1954. Six days later, it was an operational fighter/trainer at CFB Clinton for Canadian pilots and ground crews to master radar. In April 1957, the aircraft was stationed to CFB Chatham and used to train pilots in battle scenarios. By 1970, it was decommissioned and sold to a war surplus store near the Chatham base. Three members of the local Air Force Association 428 Wing, Alf Dawson, Gord Wilson and Vince Strano, purchased the aircraft for a memorial at a cost of $4,500.
The wings were removed and loaded with the fuselage onto a flatbed donated by Eddie Redmond, manager of Toronto-Peterborough Transport Company. The T-shaped reinforced steel frame was fabricated by Central Steel and inserted into the reassembled body and wings of the fighter to support its weight. It was repainted and renumbered to reflect its new home with the 428 wing and hoisted into its current location by Eastwood Construction workers.
