July 31 marked the 75th anniversary of 405 (Maritime Reconnaissance) Squadron’s Lancaster aircraft KB965 crash, in 1950, at a newly-established weather station on the northeastern tip of Ellesmere Island. Memorial ceremonies were held at 14 Wing Greenwood, led by the modern 405 (Long Range Patrol) Squadron, and at Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Alert, home of the Joint Arctic Weather Station.
A new role for the maritime patrol Lancaster at the time, the crew’s mission to air drop supplies to scientists based at JAWS Alert ended in catastrophe. The cargo’s parachute became tangled in the aircraft’s tail and elevators, causing the pilot to lose control of the aircraft. It crashed approximately 500 metres south of the station, killing the seven crew members and two passengers onboard.
“The mission, which was aimed at enhancing the fluidity of mission goals, turned tragic,” said 14 Wing Greenwood Padre Magnus Chilaka at the local memorial. “A day of anticipation and hope was met with sorrow and darkness.”
At 11 a.m., a wreath-laying ceremony was held at VP International’s headquarters in Greenwood. Among the many who came to pay their respects was 14 Wing’s coordinator of official languages Manon Dubé, the niece of KB965’s navigator, Flying Officer Joseph Roland Gerard Dubé.
“I didn’t expect to be so deeply moved. Attending the commemorative ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the Lancaster crash in Alert touched me to the core,” said Dubé. “Seeing him honoured alongside his fallen comrades filled me with pride, but also stirred deep emotion. That moment reminded me of the true meaning of duty, of courage… and of the importance of never forgetting.”
A veteran of the Second World War, F/O Dubé served operationally overseas as a navigator with No. 425 Squadron before repatriating to Canada in 1945. He was 29 when he lost his life July 31, 1950.
“This solemn occasion serves as a point of reminder of the extreme dangers of Arctic operations and the inherent risks of military aviation,” said 405 Squadron Commanding Officer Lieutenant-Colonel Joel Stubbert.
“While we reflect on the loss of these nine courageous souls, we also honour their dedication, sacrifice and the families and loved ones they left behind.”
At 11 a.m. local time, CFS Alert conducted its own remembrance ceremony at the KB965 crew’s shared gravesite. 14 Wing chaplain Lieutenant (Navy) Annie Lampron, on a five-week tour at Alert, had the honour of representing Greenwood and 405 Squadron at that ceremony.
“Their story is not just one of loss, but of legacy,” she said, leading the reflection. “It reminds us that heroism is not always about grand gestures. It is often found in the quiet determination to do what is right, even when the odds are insurmountable.
“As we remember them today, we do more than honour their memory: we carry forward their spirit.”
CFS Alert Commanding Officer Major Dermody and Station Warrant Officer Master Warrant Officer McNicol laid a wreath on behalf of the Canadian Armed Forces at the crash memorial.
