" BEYOND PRAISE - LANCASTER "
Len Krenzler

245 Signed & Numbered Paper 20" x 30" Email-price
85 Signed & Numbered Giclee Canvas 20" x 30" Email-price
50 Signed & Numbered Giclee Canvas 24" x 36" Email-price
25 Signed & Numbered Giclee Canvas 30" x 45" Email-price

Signed by Don Currie, Doug Curtis and Harold MacLeod

Commissioned by the Nanton Lancaster Air Museum

During the summer of 1944, Nazi V-1 flying bombs were striking England.
While visiting his parents' home near London during his last leave, Ian
Bazalgette had, together with his sister, huddled for hours under a metal
table with a mattress on top of it as the V-1's came down around them.

Just weeks later, S/L Bazalgette, a Canadian flying with No. 635 Squadron
RAF, was one of several "Pathfinders" tasked with marking the target for a
Bomber Command attack on the V-1 storage facilities at Trossy St. Maximin,
north of Paris. After the Master Bomber was put out of action and the Deputy
Master Bomber was shot down, it was left to "Baz" to mark the target
for the main force following behind. Despite the fact that his bomb-aimer
was badly wounded, both starboard engines were knocked out, and the
starboard wing had been set on fire, S/L Bazalgette pressed on to the
target, marking and bombing it accurately.

The aircraft then went into a spin from which Baz was able to recover.
Then the fuselage began to fill with fuel. Ten minutes later the port-
inner engine seized and Baz ordered those crewmembers who were able,
to abandon the aircraft. As they approached the French Village of Senantes,
four of the airmen jumped and Baz prepared to attempt to land the
flaming Lancaster on a single engine with the hope of saving the two
injured crewmen still on board. Following a successful landing, the
aircraft exploded killing S/L Bazalgette as well as F/L Ivan
A. Hibbert and F/S Vernon V. Leeder.

The French Villagers hid Baz's remains from the Nazi's and later buried
him in their churchyard. S/L Ian Willoughby Bazalgette was the
only Albertan to be awarded the Victoria Cross during World War II,
the citation concluding with, "His courage and devotion to
duty were beyond praise."

Each print is accompanied by a biography of Ian Bazalgette
published by the Nanton Lancaster Air Museum.

 

Beyond Praise - Len Krenzler

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