Visit Halifax NA337
National Air Force Museum of Canada
Trenton, Ontario
TimeKeepers Canada presents this incredible adventure story from Norway as a team of Canadians, British and Norwegians attempt to recover this rare WWII aircraft from Lake Myosa. This 25 part series of 5 minute clips are listed below. Each video should follow the next clip in order on Youtube but in some search engines, you will need to return to this web page to continue watching the program in its original order.
Multiple Components
This story begins with the meeting of three men at Canada's National War Memorial in Ottawa. Tony Little and Ed Rae were both tail gunners in Halifax aircraft in the war. When World War II ended, the Halifax airplanes were destroyed, leaving no visual record of these aircraft ever existing. At a Yorkshire, England aviation museum, one was being built from different salvaged parts. Karl Kjarsgaard of Halifax 57 Rescue believed there needed to be a Halifax found, recovered and restored for Canada in honour of our veterans.
A few years earlier, Karl had mentioned to the two men that he had told his young son a bedtime story about finding a mythical Halifax airplane under water. It was just a story.
As they stood there in the chill of that day in 1993, this moment was the beginning of turning that dream into reality.
Halifax NA337
Dedication
Karl Karsgaard, a co-pilot for Canadian Airlines, was determined to follow a lead he had discovered in his research. While in Europe, he decided to visit Norway. It was something he'd heard about. The possibility of a plane from the war in a lake.
Back in Canada, Karl met with Jeff Jefferies, a Halifax Pilot ( DFC) from Toronto and they worked together with the Halifax Aircraft Association. Many veteran airmen joined in this remarkable group and HAA was formed.
Before we go any further, we need to know about the Halifax aircraft. It was a four engine bomber that was used in bombing missions over Europe. There were over 6,000 built and 1833 were destroyed in the war but they were known for their toughness and powerful Hercules engines. The planes were flown by many Canadian airmen.
The Aircraft
Thomas Weightman was the tail gunner in Halifax NA337. In this candid interview in a pub with the Canadians, he recalls the mission on that night in 1945.
Thomas Weightman
In England, Karl and Jeff visit an aviation museum in Yorkshire where a Halifax is being rebuild from salvaged parts. Later the recovery team from Canada see the first actual shots of the plane underwater.
Canadians visit Yorkshire
Karl Karsgaard and Tony Little visit Stonefall Cemetery in proud remembrance of those who fought and died defending our right for freedom.
Tony Little - RCAF POW
Tony Little takes Karl to Tholthorpe Air base in England which
was one of the bases from the war. Tony describes a take off
on the aging Tholthorpe runway.
RAF Tholthorpe
Since the beginning of time, there has always been one question millions
of humans have asked. Why do people go to war?
In every case, one side is aggressive. Whether its greed or lust for power,
it leads to the destruction of someones way of life.
There are a multitude of reasons for defending yourself. When you or
your ally is attacked, you must stand together and fight. The aggression
must be stopped at all costs. Churchill understood that when he met the German Chancellor in 1932.
Bombing of London
As the talk of war increased and Germany began to invade other nations, our Armed Forces began to train pilots, bomb aimers, navigators and gunners for missions overseas. From Toronto island's Little Norway to Vulcan Alberta's prairie runways, RCAF volunteers learned that war was inevitable and training was essential.
Karl walked into our office in 1995 and told us about the airplane under the water. We had been recommended by Tony Little. Karl convinced us to travel to Norway and record the recovery of a rare Halifax Bomber.
The calculations required to lift a 42,000 pound airplane from a lake depth of 750 feet were astronomical. Scott Knox developed some ideas and worked with Karl and Dag's crew in this difficult task.
How To Lift A Halifax
With our cameras rolling, we followed Karl to the shoreline of Lake Mjosa, a deep 100 mile long body of water. Part A of the recovery project was to lift the tail section of the aircraft from 750 feet down.
Arrival In Norway
Biding time was the only thing we could do as everything needed to be checked and double checked. This attempt would only take 7 days they said. We were all hopeful but deep inside we realized this was turning into a major international recovery project.
Waiting For the Weather
The Lighting Bolt
At times the weather wasn't cooperating but there were plenty of great moments that needed to be recorded. The RCAF team of engineers had arrived from Trenton and were eager to work on the aircraft.
The clock is ticking and Dag begins the timer for the project. Its night time and these hardy Vikings load the boats and head out to the recovery site.
The ROV is Stuck
Norway Dilemma
Time was running out on their airline tickets and the plane was still on the bottom of Lake Mjosa. A decision has to be made. Would the Canadians stay or head home?
Karl is co-piloting the Canadian Airline 767 from Canada to Europe and jumps on a flight to Norway to see the plane just off shore. The moment is special since it is the realization of his sons child hood story about a Halifax airplane.
Karl Returns To Norway
The plane is sitting on rocks, 200 feet from shore and needs to lifted. Different opinions abound on how to get the plane up off the sled and onto the beach.
Can It Make The Beach
Here is a second look of the actual lift to the beach with a poem written in honour of the veterans. You will see the plane laid out in Trenton where the magnificent job of rebuilding the plane will take place. Heres a few scenes from our upcoming episodes.
Visit Halifax NA337 at the RCAF Aviation Museum
Trenton Ontario Canada
Norway To Trenton
Coming Soon July 1, 2021
As the plane was beginning to take shape, we watched as a new section of the museum was built to house the Halifax. Years of hard work was the only way this aircraft could be readied for public view. Dozens of volunteers and thousands of hours of work was donated by many Canadian veterans.
Trenton Rebuild Shop
The Halifax NA337 Story Part 20 Trenton 2005
The Adventure is not over as we wait for the great unveiling of the aircraft. Hundreds of guests, many Halifax veterans and their families meet as the curtain rises 10 years after the recovery. A song was written in Norway that summed up the feelings of the veterans at that moment in history.
NA337 10 Years Later
Lily Yang visits the Quinte Air Show in 2016 at the RCAF Air Base at 8 Wing Trenton. There she meets a member of the actual RCAF Engineers that had disassembled the plane in Norway. 21 years later, Karl was working on recovering a second Halifax for Canada with a recovery project off the coast of Sweden.
8 Wing Trenton Air Show
As Karl and Halifax 57 Rescue Canada search the Baltic sea for new parts for a second Halifax for Canada, he invites his team of Sweden divers to see the Norway Halifax in Trenton. You can see the look of awe on their faces as they are amazed at the size of the aircraft.
SCSC Divers Visit Trenton
Our mission as members of TimeKeepers Canada is to use our skills, knowledge and dedication to honour our veterans. Education is our goal and Halifax NA337 is only one of the many projects recorded over 37 years with our veterans. We made a promise to tell their story and that is exactly what we intend to do.
Watch our video on TKC Multiple Components
How To Use TKC Components
We encourage everyone to visit The RCAF Aviation Museum in Trenton, Ontario, Canada and see the magnificent Halifax NA337.
Karl's dream of recovering a second Halifax for Canada is to be based in Nanton, Alberta at the Bomber Command Museum of Canada. Travelling in Europe from England and Malta to Denmark and Sweden, his endless search continues.
Halifax 57 Rescue Story
TimeKeepers Canada
Multiple Components
QuickClip Multi Series
The Question and Answer Series
Extended Interviews
The World Wars
The Big Events
Medicine
Aviation
Canadas Future
Wisdom
EnviroStation
Creative Canadians
1997 Halifax LW682 Discovered In A Bog In Belgium
Finding A Second Halifax for Canada
The Story of Halifax LW682 Part 25
Halifax LW682
As Jeff Jefferies and HAA worked on rebuilding Halifax NA337 in Trenton, the new mission for Karl Kjarsgaard and Halifax 57 Rescue was to find a second Halifax for Canada.
After a series of meetings with a group called BAHA in Belgium, we travelled to Gerrardsbergan. There we met for the first time on a Friday night before we began a weekend recovery project.
This is the incredible story of Halifax LW682 and the Ingots.
Coming Soon - 2022
