Today In History

March 19, 1962

In Algeria, it's the ceasefire of a dirty eight-years war that didn't want to say its name...
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

April 17, 1970

After a trip that was almost their last one, the astronauts of Apollo 13 are back on Earth.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
 

June 13, 1944

Canadian mid-upper gunner Andrew Mynarski and his crew of RCAF Lancaster VR-A, KB726 departed Middleton St. George on their 13th sortie. The target was to be the rail marshalling yards at Cambrai, France. The bomber was engaged by a German Ju88 night fighter and flames erupted from the port engines. The pilot gave the order to bail out, but on his way to the rear hatch to jump, Mynarski noticed the tail gunner, Pat Brophy, was trapped in his station. Exiting the tail gun 'bubble' required rotating the gun, however damage to the aircraft prevented it from moving. Mynarski tried several times to free the tail gunner, but was unable. He was forced to bail out, leaving his comrade behind.

Sadly, by the time Mynarski evacuated the aircraft, the burning fuselage damaged his parachute preventing it from opening successfully. Andrew Mynarski was killed in action 78 years ago today.



The aircraft, which now contained only Pat Brophy, stayed aloft a short time before crash landing in a field in France. Brophy miraculously survived the crash from the tail gunner's compartment with minor injuries. He made his way to a French village where resistance members helped him to safely return to England. 

Pilot Officer Andrew Charles Mynarski was posthemously awarded the Victoria Cross for his attempts to rescue Brophy.