Claresholm – Lancaster Long-term storage 1945-47
No. 15 Service Flying Training School at Claresholm, Alberta, closed the doors on 30 March 1945, and six months later it began to receive the Canadian Lancaster bombers for long-term storage. Claresholm would receive the largest number of veteran Lancaster X aircraft, with a total of 28 placed into storage. The following squadron Lancaster aircraft were flown to Claresholm:
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No. 431
[Iroquois] [10] - KB774, KB801, KB811, KB812, KB819, KB827, KB837
KB847, KB900, and KB922 KB812, SE-F [Fox] (above) flew at least 39 Ops. Struck off charge 6 April 1950. Photo taken at Pearce before the move to Claresholm. |
No. 434
[Bluenose] [5] - KB825, KB840, KB844, KB849, and KB880 “Nan” KB840 nose art came from the December 1943 Varga pin-up [There’ll Always Be A Christmas]. Scrapped 22 Jan. 1947 |
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No. 420 [Snowy Owl] [4] - KB885, KB928, KB937, and KB942. The four merlin engines on “Super Mouse” carried names – Miss Placed, Miss Fire, and Miss Fit, the fourth is unknown. |
The nose art came from the United States Navy insignia for VB-14, a bombing squadron in World War Two. |
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The Lancs of the 420 Squadron had not been flown on operations but they contained impressive nose art and rare “snowy owl” tail markings which were painted in England. 20 Lancaster aircraft were on charge. The Mr. Nose collection contains 15 photos. |
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No. 408 [Goose] [3] - KB905, KB913, and KB994 “Vicky The Vicious Virgin” KB905, EQ-V, Scrapped 22 Jan. 1947. |
No. 425 [Alouette] [2] - KB876 and KB934 “Lucky Lady” KB876, KW-L struck off charge 22 January 1947. |