John Roman, front row second from left – Redux

A comment made about this post…

I have been following your website for a while now. My dad served as a mechanic with 403 squadron and I was quite happy to find him in the group squadron picture you posted a while back. (John Roman, front row second from left).

Have you run across his name before? He died in 1982, he would have really enjoyed your site. I have some of his pictures and documents you may be interested in, including a written history of the squadron someone recorded in 1945. I would be curious if there is a way to figure out which pilot(s) my dad worked with. Keep up the good work.

Sincerely

Jim Roman

John Roman, front row second from left…

T. O’Sullivan

My father – RJ “Dick” O’Sullivan is the airman in group pic right side looking at pic third row kneeling 5th from right wearing wedge cap to the left of the airman not wearing a wedge cap. The group photo we have at home is framed with the 403 Heraldic Squadron crest.

I don’t know if you have this

I don’t know if you have this, feel free to delete if you don’t want it.  I came across this poem, author unknown to me, originally published in the Royal Canadian Air Force magazine is a tribute to the ERKs.

OUR GROUND CREW

Here’s to the men with greasy hands –
Who fuel our planes when we come in to land
Who fix flak damage and stop the leaks
Who change the tires and stop the squeaks
Tend to the controls to fly them straight
Wait for the planes when the pilots are late.

Who smooth the scratches and rivet the panels
Check, “Loud and Clear” on the radio channels
Who read the writeups and make the repairs
Then check the lines for chaffing and tears
Who pull the chocks and check the wings
And do a million other things

That make an aircraft safe and ready to fly
So – Here’s a salute to those hard working guys
From a group of fliers who too seldom ponder
About the men who keep us UP in the wild blue yonder.

I thought it was a pretty good tribute to them –

GP Cox

The man behind the Spitfires

Pat Murphy is the man behind all those Spitfire models he made for the Vancouver Island Military Museum in Nanaimo, British Coumbia.

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He has contributed so much.

This is Pat’s latest contribution.

Pierre, sorry it’s taken me a few weeks to send you this picture of S/L Hart Finley’s two daughters, Heather left ,and Sandra right and myself at the Spitfire display. Both of Harts daughters attended the museum to see the model of their famous Dad’s Spitfire. Both daughters brought their husbands and we all had a great visit. Heather brought one of her Dad’s log boooks from his days with 403 Squadron and allowed me to make a copy for the museum. The log book makes for some very interesting reading and we are very proud to be able to add the log book to our growing collection of Spitfire and bomber pilots log book collection.

S/L Hart Finley’s two daughters, Heather left and Sandra right

Pat Murphy with Hart Finley’s daughters