The Story of Andrew Mynarski

June 12-13, 1944, over France With his Avro Lancaster bomber on fire, air gunner Andrew “Andy” Charles Mynarsk, desperately tried to free a trapped comrade in the jammed tail-gun turret. For precious moments, he struggled with the turret doors while the fire that consumed his clothes and parachute, sealed the fate of the bomber and its crew. His selfless act won him the Victoria Cross, Canada’s highest tribute.

Avro Lancaster VR-A, from 419 Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) "Moose" Squadron was lost on the evening of June 12/13, 1944, over Northern France. Only one of the crew died that day. Although the aircraft was on fire, “Andy” Mynarski’s valiant efforts to save Flying Officer “Pat” Brophy, the tail-gunner, were in vain; forced to retreat through the blazing bomber, he stood to attention at the exit and saluted his trapped comrade, before falling to a fiery death.

Brophy miraculously survived the subsequent crash, later recounting the bravery of his friend. His story resulted in the posthumous award of the Victoria Cross to Andrew Mynarski in 1946, the last award of its kind presented to a Canadian for the Second World War.

More than sixty years later, at Middleton St. George, the bomber base in England where he served, a larger-than-life bronze statue of Pilot Officer Andrew Mynarski was dedicated.

Today, his hometown of Winnipeg is mobilizing to remember its North-End hero by bringing an exact copy of the Mynarski statue home to Winnipeg. A group of local Winnipegers prominent in business, government, heritage, military and community organizations have now embarked on a fund-raising project to raise the funds to cast a new statute by Keith Maddison, the original sculptor of the Mynarski memorial at Middleton St. George, and bring it home to Canada.

Join us in the Mynarski Statue Project in honouring his memory and all the brave airmen of Bomber Command.

Learn more about the legacy of Andrew Mynarski in the resources page.