A proposed memorial park at the Tillsonburg Regional Airport has received support in principle from Tillsonburg Town Council.
Council heard a delegation from the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association about plans for the memorial project, which would pay tribute to Canada's military aviation history and the men and women who served.
At the centre of the proposed memorial garden would be a full-size replica Second World War Spitfire donated to the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association by Ray Whittemore, the former owner of K-W Surplus in Kitchener.
The replica, constructed from fiberglass and steel, was previously displayed on the roof of the K-W Surplus building before being donated to the association. CHAA plans to restore and repaint the aircraft before placing it on a raised structure as part of the memorial.
The proposal grew out of donations of memorial benches from the families of three of the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association's founding members — Bob Hewitt, Norm Beckham and Len Fallowfield.
The planned garden would also recognize Canada's military heritage, including the Royal Canadian Air Force, Canadian Armed Forces, Canadian Coast Guard, Merchant Marines and the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.
There are also plans to recognize two notable former CHAA presidents — legendary Second World War Spitfire pilot Charley Fox and Canadian astronaut Bjarni Tryggvason.
Fox was a highly decorated RCAF pilot who flew Spitfires during the Second World War and is credited with attacking and wounding German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel shortly before D-Day. Following the war, Fox lived in the Tillsonburg area and remained involved with the community. He died in a vehicle collision in Tillsonburg in 2008.
Tryggvason, a Canadian astronaut and engineer, served as president of the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association and flew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in 1997. He died in 2022.
The memorial would also recognize the important role the Tillsonburg Regional Airport played in Canada's wartime aviation history.
The airport was used as a relief field for RCAF Station Aylmer's No. 14 Service Flying Training School during the Second World War, as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. The program trained thousands of pilots and aircrew across Canada.
Today, the airport remains home to the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association, which works to preserve, restore and demonstrate Harvard and other aircraft associated with the RCAF and the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.
The memorial project is being spearheaded by CHAA, with the association undertaking fundraising for the restoration of the aircraft and construction of the garden.
The project has been in development for several months. CHAA vice-president John Britton previously said the donation of the memorial benches helped inspire the idea of creating a larger memorial garden around the replica Spitfire.
Council's support in principle represents an important step forward, although additional work and approvals will be required before construction can proceed.
The Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association continues to host public events and fly days at the Tillsonburg Regional Airport, providing visitors with an opportunity to see its collection of vintage aircraft and learn about the area's aviation heritage.
If completed, the memorial garden would provide a permanent tribute at the airport to Canada's military history while highlighting Tillsonburg's own connection to the country's wartime aviation training program.
