Wartime Service
In 1940, Mynarski joined the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, a militia unit, but only served a short time before enlisting in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). In September, 1941, he was posted to No. 3 Manning Depot in Edmonton. After basic training, he went to No. 2 Wireless School in Calgary but had trouble learning Morse Code. He was then posted to No. 3 Bomb and Gunnery School at MacDonald, Manitoba, graduating just before Christmas as an air-gunner, earning his "AG" brevet.
Mynarski was promoted to temporary Sergeant in Halifax just prior to going overseas in January 1942. After a series of transfers through operational training units, as a Warrant Officer (second class), he joined Flying Officer Art de Breyne's crew as the mid-upper gunner in 419 "Moose" Squadron, based at RAF Middleton St. George, Yorkshire.
The squadron first flew combat operations using Vickers Wellington bombers before converting to the Handley Page Halifax bombers. After a short introduction to this four-engine heavy bomber, 419 Squadron began to receive the Avro Lancaster bomber in 1944, including examples built in Canada by the Victory Aircraft Company in Malton, Ontario. In early June, de Bryne's crew received Canadian-built Avro Lancaster Mk X bomber, #KB726, coded "VR-A" (call sign A for Able).
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Famous quotes containing the words wartime and/or service:
“The man who gets drunk in peacetime is a coward. The man who gets drunk in wartime goes on being a coward.”
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