Page 10 - Jan2020
P. 10
KDN. A proud history of racing
The rain is pounding the metal hangar roof making
it hard to hear each other talk. We are preparing
Canada, 1943. With the disastrous Dieppe Raid still fresh
KDN for the weekend of racing. She is wearing her
in their minds, Canadians began the year with tragic news number 54 and sporting a handsome Royal Aero
from the Battle of the Atlantic and ended it with Club decal. One hundred miles away at the race
successes in Sicily. The end of the war was still two years course, the 1000’ hills are hidden in the low clouds
that are being driven along by a gusty wind. The
away. But 1943 brought a hopeful shift that was fuelled
forecast is not good for Saturday for the running
in part by Canada’s effort on the home front, where our
of the Stewards Cup. We must fly this race to
sacrifices and resolve were represented by a coded qualify to enter the Kings Cup which is scheduled
message on a new 5-cent coin: We Win When We Work to run on Sunday. It looks like the race will be
postponed until Sunday and the Kings Cup may be
Willingly. Enhanced with special finishes, this bronze coin
delayed to another day or cancelled. We are, as
re-creates a historic design that is a favourite of
they say in the UK, gutted.
collectors and historians. The reverse is a three-part
Late Saturday night, we learn that the pilots who
tribute: to Canada’s nickel-less 1943 Victory nickel; to its
are there were able to fly one practice in the low
creator, Thomas Shingles; and to the Canadians on the cloud and gusty winds. It was very turbulent,
home front, where civilian contributions were crucial to knocking headsets off and flying below the
the war effort and, ultimately, the Allied victory. hilltops. They tell us the plan is to fly both races on
Sunday. This has caught us off guard. We are not
A favourite of collectors and historians! Order your
expecting this change, and the weather here is still
bronze Victory nickel today! raining.
