Statue of Andrew Mynarsky VC

St George Way, Darlington

England Durham Darlington

This memorial, at Durham Tees Valley Airport, at the former RAF Middleton St George Officers Mess, commemorates Andrew Charles "Andy" Mynarski VC (1916-1944). He was a Canadian aviator awarded the Victoria Cross for an action in which he was killed while attempting to rescue a trapped crew member.

Mynarski was mid-upper gunner in a Lancaster bomber of the 419th squadron of the Canadian Royal Air Force. During a flight on 13 June 1944 over France, the Lancaster was attacked by a Ju 88 night fighter and it caught fire. The crew was ordered to abandon the plane but Mynarski discovered tail gunner Pat Brophy was trapped in his turret and made his way through the burning plane to rescue him. That failed and Mynarski exited the plane while his flight suit and parachute on fire. He hit the ground hard and burning but still alive. A few days later, he died as a result of severe burns in a hospital.

The rest of the crew managed to leave the plane and even tail gunner Brophy survived the plane crash. When the crew was reunited in 1945, Brophy told the story of Mynarski's valiant efforts to save him.

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