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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, July 6, 2012 · 8 Second World War veteran at dedication By Brice Roy SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER For Sgt. Henry Eric Wells the "journey of a lifetime" was a long time coming. The Second World War veteran and Oakville resident was part of a Canadian delegation that travelled to London, England to unveil a new memorial dedicated to the bravery of those who fought in the RAF during the war. Along with Wells were 42 other veterans of the Second World War, accompanied by Minister of PHOTO COURTESY GOVERNMENT OF CANADA Veteran Affairs Steven Blaney, Edmonton MP royal treatment: In front, centre, Sgt. Henry Eric Wells of Oakville in the Canadian Laurie Hawn, a former fighter pilot and delegation in London for the unveiling of the Bomber Command Memorial. Lieutenant-General André Deschamps, Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force. The Bomber Command Memorial was unveiled by the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and other members of the Royal family at cerewww.halton.ca Access Halton at: Dial 311 mony on June 28 at London's Green Park. "It was journey of a lifetime. I felt so honoured, it really was fabulous. Much appreciated by everyone involved," said Wells. " Wells and his fellow veterans were spared no expense or courtesy throughout their three-day trip. The delegation was also excused from customs and traditional airport security. "We were royally treated. The whole event was so well-organized, the Minister of Veteran Affairs really pulled out all the strings," said Wells. The surprises did not end on the flight home for the returning heroes. The group's flight was given escort back into Canada by F-18 fighter jets. The unveiling of the memorial was an opportunity for Wells and the other veterans to rekindle old friendships and share stories of their time in the air force. The majority of the memories Wells has from his time in the air force revolve around the 101 Squadron or the "Airborne Cigar" and his time spent aboard the Lancaster bombers. "We were the most hated guys on the squadron because the Germans knew that our Lancasters had special antennae on them. We knew that if they were going to attack us, it would be us first," said Wells. "The squadron itself lost 1,650 odd airmen." As a special duty operator, Wells was part of a crew that ran the electronic counter-measures on the aircraft. One of Wells' duties was to ensure the photoflashes were released after the bombs to document the raid. However, sometimes the equipment wasn't always the most co-operative. This led to a memory Wells will never forget. "One of these flashes became stuck and I had to leave my position, grab my parachute, grab my oxygen bottle, and my axe and get over there and hack it free," said Wells. "It was a bloody hairraising experience." During the dedication ceremony, a Lancaster Please contact us, as soon as possible, if you have any accessibility needs at again left Wells breathless. Halton Region events or meetings. One of the bombers flew overhead dropping The Regional Municipality of Halton PHOTO COURTESY GOVERNMENT OF CANADA ON TOUR: Sgt. Henry Eric Wells of Oakville was in London for the unveiling of the Bomber Command Memorial. A Lancaster bomber flew overhead dropping thousands of poppies. "The event itself was spectacular. The Lancaster bomber flew over and dropped what seemed like a million poppies." Sgt. Henry Eric Wells, Oakville Second World War veteran "It's a bit hollow because we knew what we were doing. We didn't need any recognition. We did our duty. We all did our jobs with pride for our country." 05/06 0712 more than 80,000 poppies. "The event itself was spectacular. The Lancaster bomber flew over and dropped what seemed like a million poppies," said Wells. The Bomber Command Memorial is a "fantastic structure" and a "true work of art," according to Wells. It is a nine-foot bronze statue that depicts a bomber crew returning from a mission. While Wells said the act of recognition and dedication of the new memorial are honours, he would have risked his life regardless. "It's a bit hollow because we knew what we were doing. We didn't need any recognition. We did our duty. We all did our jobs with pride for our country."