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Mynarski's Lanc
Lancaster V-RA, with its young Canadian crew, flew just a handful of
operations. On the night of June 12, 1944, it was set afire by a JU88, forcing
the crew to bale out. Seeing the rear gunner trapped Pilot Officer Andrew
Mynarski vainly braved the inferno to help, losing his parachute to the flames.
He was forced to jump without it. Miraculously the burning Lancaster pancaked,
and the rear gunner survived. Andrew Mynarski was awarded the Victoria Cross
posthumously. Mynarskis Lancaster is depicted setting out on that fateful night.
Four of the crew members: Brophy, navigator Robert Bodie, radio operator James
Kelly and pilot de Breyne were hidden by the French and, except for Brophy,
returned to England shortly after the crash. Vigars and the wounded bomb aimer
Friday were captured by the Germans and interned until they could be liberated
by American troops. Pat Brophy joined French Resistance fighters and, after
waging war on the ground behind enemy lines, made it back to London in
September, 1944 where he learned of Mynarskis death. It was not until 1945 when
Pat Brophy was reunited with Art de Breyne and the rest of the crew, that the
details of his final moments on the aircraft were revealed. He related the story
of the valiant efforts made by Mynarski to save him. |
