2013 Battle of Britain Parade
2Lt Catie Keyser
On Sunday the 15th of September, Canadians paid tribute to the selfless acts and bravery of the many Canadian and Allied nations’ members who, back in the summer and fall of 1940, defended skies of England against the Axis Forces. The Battle of Britain Memorial Trust details that the “last major daylight raid on London took place on 15 September, now commemorated as Battle of Britain Day.”
Several Edmonton individuals were a part of the approximate 700 Allied aircrew that defended against the Axis Forces. They were known as “The Few”, and included previous Mayor of Edmonton Ken Blatchford’s son Peter “Cowboy” Blatchford. At the time, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was quoted as saying “Never was so much owed by so many to so few.”
The Alberta Aviation Museum, located on the South end of the City Center Airport, hosted this year’s Battle of Britain Parade.
The parade was attended by Canadian veterans of previous conflicts. Those on parade were current members of the Canadian Armed Forces from 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron, as well as members from local Air Cadet squadrons 504, 395, 12, 699, 533, and 812.
The Reviewing Officer at the parade was the Commanding Officer of 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron, LCol Roderick MacDonnell. He addressed the spectators and the hundreds on parade, highlighting that we must invest in our cadets because they are the cornerstone of the future of the Royal Canadian Air Force. He spoke of the lack of untrained and unskilled individuals of the Allied Forces who were thrown into pilot positions as no organization alike to Air Cadets existed prior to World War II to prepare them.
The LCol MacDonnell was impressed at the number of cadets representing their units on parade Sunday. “Their eagerness and energy was very motivating.”
The parade organizer was Erwin Loewen, the Vice President of the 700 Wing Air Force Association of Canada. He emphasized the importance of the history of the parade.
This was the last year that the parade will be held at the Aviation Museum, as the City Center Airport will be shut down this coming November. The taxiway that the parade is normally held on will be uprooted to make way for other infrastructure. Tom Hinderks, Executive director Alberta Aviation Museum, stressed the sadness in the change as the connection between the museum and the yearly parade was substantial.
Additionally, the museum will not be allowed any more space, and will be forced to remove many items from their collection, including a Boeing 737 airplane. The museum is also waiting to hear what other restrictions and funding implications will be coming their way.
When asked where the parade will be the following year, Mr. Hinderks was unable to reply. In his words, “it’s going to be a challenge.”
