Ottawa - Airmen Over Poland Memorial

 

Location:  City of Ottawa     N 45.42156   W -75.69320

At the south-east side of Confederation Park, 100 Elgin Street.

 

This memorial was erected by The Polish Home Army Ex-Serviceman's Association In Canada to pay tribute to the Canadian Airmen who fell while flying support missions over Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II.  A smaller additional plaque was added in 1995 by Polish President Lech Walesa to posthumously award all these airmen the Polish Home Army Cross for their valour.   These missions certainly deserve more credit and promotion by the media and historians alike.  The plaque is worded in English and French, and partly in Polish.  I will give only the English translation, the other languages can be seen in the photos. 

Marker text:

"TO LIVE IN HEARTS WE LEAVE BEHIND IS NOT TO DIE."

                                                                                  (THOMAS CAMPBELL)

THIS IS TO EXPRESS THE GRATITUDE AND ADMIRATION WHICH

LIVES IN THE HEARTS OF FORMER SOLDIERS OF THE

POLISH HOME ARMY FOR THE VALIANT CANADIAN AIRMEN:

F/L   C.A. BEANLAND            5. 8. 1944

F/L   A.R. BLYNN                     5. 8. 1944

F/O   H.L. BROWN                   5. 8. 1944

P/O   D.N. CARTER                  17. 8. 1944

P/O   G.A. CHAPMAN              5. 8. 1944

F/L   A.F. FORBES                    30. 8. 1944

P/O   J.J.R.T. GODIN                 6. 1. 1944

F/O   T. GORAK                        30. 8. 1944

P/O   N.E. HUGHES-GAMES   28. 9. 1944

P/O   R.K. JACK                         30. 8. 1944

F/O    B.I. KALHEIM                30. 8. 1944

SGT   V.J.L. LEBLANC            30. 9. 1942

FS    A.G.W. LIDDELL              5. 8. 1944

F/O   G.D. MacRAE                    5. 8. 1944

FS   T.A. McDOWELL               20. 4. 1943

FS   W.B. NESS                           18. 8. 1943

FS   A.E. NICKERSON               11. 7. 1942

P/O   O.A. O'LEARY                   18. 8. 1943

FS   T.A. PURVIS                         30. 8. 1944

SGT   H.M. ROBERTSON           30. 4. 1942

P/O   J.D. SMITH                         18. 12. 1944

F/O   A. STIENSTRA                   17. 8. 1944

SGT   P.F.J. SYKES                      6. 1. 1944

F/O   B.V.L. VEIRA  D.F.C.         29. 12. 1943

P/O   R.J. WESTGATE                 11. 7. 1942

FS   C.B. WYLIE                          5. 8. 1944

 

WHO FELL OVER POLAND WHILE FLYING SUPPORT MISSIONS

DURING WORLD WAR II AND IN PARTICULAR DURING THE

UPRISING AIMED AT LIBERATION OF THE CITY OF WARSAW

FROM NAZI OCCUPATION IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER 1944.

 

THE POLISH HOME ARMY EX-SERVICEMEN'S ASSOCIATION IN CANADA

1964

 

 

THESE CANADIAN AIRMEN WERE

POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE

POLISH HOME ARMY CROSS UNDER

AUTHORITY OF THE PRESIDENT OF

THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND, LECH

WALESA.

                                                    1995