Halifax Mk. VII, “Notorious Nan” was part of a batch of 46 Halifax bombers built between 1 August and 9 September 1944, serial NP736 – 781. Twenty-three of the aircraft were delivered to No. 408 [Goose] Squadron, No. 6 [RCAF] Group. Aircraft serial NP747 arrived at No. 408 Squadron on 10 August 1944, and became the property of ground crew – Gale, Howley, Shearer, Jaxon, and Ledger.
Laverne Thomas Adam Shearer was born in Kitchener, Ontario, on 7 July 1923, completing grade nine at Victoria Public School. After two years working for the Goodrich Rubber plant in Kitchener, Lavern left to join the RCAF enlisting at Hamilton, Ontario, on 20 August 1941. LAC Shearer #R12262 was posted to St. Thomas, Ontario, graduating as airframe mechanic on 10 October 1941, then moved to No. 4 Bombing and Gunnery School at Final, Ontario, arriving on 18 February 1942. One year later Laverne departed for England, posted to No. 408 [Goose] Squadron at Leeming, Yorkshire, in March 1943.
No 408 Squadron flew the Handley Page Halifax Mk. II from December 1942 to October 1943, they then converted to the Avro Lancaster Mk. II which they flew until September 1944. On 10 August 1944, Shearer and ground crew received the new Halifax Mk. VII aircraft assigned code letters “EQ-N”.
Ground crew – August 1944, top - Bob Gale, Howley, Shearer,
Jaxon [artist] and Ledger.
The Nose Art first featured the pin-up lady with name “Notorious Nan” painted by ground crew LAC Jaxon. At a later date [possibly after the engine fire on 16 September 44] the nose art received a background of full [yellow] moon, green palm tree and waves of water.
The aircraft completed her first operation on 25/26 August 1944, flown by the squadron commander, Wing Commander A.R. McLernon, DFC, who flew the aircraft a total of four times. “Nan” had a short career completing only nineteen operations from 25 August to 14 October 1944, flown by eleven different crews. Flown twice [9 and 12 October 44] by F/O Richard MacMillan Wallis, age 20 years from Toronto, Ontario, the crew were all killed in action on 29 January 1945, flying Halifax NP746.
NP747 was hit by flak on two different operations, 15/16 September 1944 and 14/15 October 44, which became the last operation. Operation number nineteen was flown to Duisburg, where 243 bombers attacked, 17 returned early and one was lost. NP747 was damaged by flak, on the three-engine landing the pilot over-shot, then the starboard undercarriage collapsed.
The morning of 15 October 1944, “Nan” has completed her 19th and last operation. Cat. “B” accident the bomber cannot be repaired and is designated for disposal at Handley Page on 23 October 1944. [Shearer photo of crash scene]
Nan was now ferried to the graveyard at the former Handley Page Aircraft repair depot at Rawcliffe airfield, in Yorkshire, England. In the following few months, the Canadian flown Halifax bombers would eventually all be reduced to scrap.
In April 1945, F/L H.H. Lindsay and Mr. R. Goodwin arrived at Rawcliffe, where they picked thirteen Nose Art panels to be shipped to Canada. On 11 April 45, Mr. Goodwin cut the Nose Art lady and name “Notorious Nan” from the airframe of Halifax NP747, the two panels received the code 2-3-3. On 7 May 1946, the Nose Art collection arrived at the Lisgar building of the Dept. of National Defence for Air [RCAF] in Ottawa.
During the mid-1980’s and 1990’s the two panels of “Notorious Nan” remained on loan to No. 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron, Edmonton, Alberta, [private museum at CFB Namao]. By the year 2000, “Nan” had found a new home at the Alberta Aviation Museum located in the Edmonton Aviation Heritage Centre, where she was displayed on the hangar wall. In the last year, [2001] the World War Two Nose Art of “Notorious Nan” was returned to the War Museum in Ottawa, location today, unknown.
Were the 1945 efforts of F/L Lindsay and Mr. Goodwin for nothing? Should the curators and directors of modern Canadian aviation museums decide they know best, and this is not Canadian cultural art? Most of all do the RCAF veterans even care?
Laverne Shearer was discharged from the RCAF in September 1945, worked as a master mechanic in a Kitchener garage until August 1956, when he became seriously ill. He passed away at Westminster Veterans Hospital, London, Ontario, on 24 April 1969.