Avro Lancaster FM 213 from the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. The Lancaster will be at the 2024 Cold Lake Air Show – Photo from the Cold Lake Air Show / Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum.
A picture of Warren Geldart – Supplied Photo
The upcoming Cold Lake Air Show is shaping up to be a memorable time for attendees but promises to be a particularly special event for one family.
Theresa Geldart, the Wing Procurement Manager with the 4 Mission Support Squadron at Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake, is eagerly anticipating the arrival of an aircraft with a deep familial connection: the Avro Lancaster FM 213.
Geldart’s grandfather, Warren Garnet Geldart, was a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) during the 1950s. He flew a variety of aircraft during his time in the RCAF, including several missions aboard Avro Lancaster FM 213, an aircraft that played a crucial role in Canada’s post-war aviation history.
“He was awarded a Flying Scholarship through the Royal Canadian Air Cadets (RCAC) and went on to the RCAF sometime around 1952. He was first posted to the Flight School at RCAF Station Claresholm,” explains John (Jack) Geldart, Warren’s son.
“His first posting as a Flight Officer was to Greenwood (Maritime Reconnaissance Command), where he qualified and flew the Avro Lancaster as a co-pilot.”
The logbook that shows Geldart’s first flight on FM 213, dated September 9th, 1954 – Supplied Photo
Geldart first flew on FM 213 at RCAF Station Torbay in Newfoundland and Labrador, now St. John’s International Airport. At that time, the famous World War Two bomber was used in a Maritime reconnaissance and Search and Rescue role. Originally built in 1945, the Lancaster is now a treasured exhibit of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton, Ontario and one of only two flying examples left in the world.
The Lancaster was restored in 1988 and is named after Canadian Pilot Officer Andrew Mynarski VC, who received the Victoria Cross in 1944. For Theresa, the opportunity to witness the very aircraft her grandfather once piloted is more than a historical curiosity; it is a poignant reminder of her family’s heritage.
“If we could see the Lancaster in person, it would bring me closer to my grandfather’s legacy. It would be another piece of the puzzle put into place from his RCAF flight logbook!”
“I never got to meet him, but I am told that I am just like him. I truly believe that my strong passion for the RCAF is because of him! My grandfather died when my father was just a young man so I know it would mean the world to him. My son is so incredibly proud of his great-grandfather’s RCAF career and would love an up close and personal look at [FM 213].”
Warren Geldart would eventually move to Churchill, Manitoba and retire from the RCAF in the summer of 1957.
For the Geldart family, service in the Canadian Armed Forces has been a common story.
An article detailing the crash of a different Lancaster that Geldart was involved in – Supplied Photo
“My father was in the Navy for 36 years and retired a Chief Petty-Officer as a Communicator Researcher, my uncle Bruce was also in the Canadian Armed Forces, and so was my great-grandfather.”
“I have worked with the Department of National Defence since 2010 at 4 Wing. I started my procurement career at Real Property Operations and moved over to the Wing Procurement Manager position in 2019 where I have been supporting the RCAF ever since! I am incredibly passionate about my career and could not imagine doing anything else. This is my calling in life, I love what I do, and it shows!”
The Cold Lake Air Show runs July 20th and 21st at Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake. More information on the air show is available on its official webpage.
