Honouring the brave: Andrew Charles Mynarski was the RCAF’s first Victoria Cross recipient of the Second World War

Now a fully trained RCAF Flight Sergeant, Mynarski was off to France where he was assigned to No. 419 Squadron, an RCAF unit. Mynarski’s crew would be flying their 13th sortie late on June 12 and early into June 13, 1944. The crew reflected on this eerie set of numbers and before the mission, Mynarski found a four-leaf clover — a symbol of good luck — and gave it to  his friend and crewman Pat Brophy. During the mission, Brophy would be manning the rear turret while Mynarski was in the sister position of mid-upper. The two would be defending the bomber from oncoming enemy night fighters, as the rest of the crew manned the aircraft en route to their objective.

The crew’s objective was to attack German positions in Cambrai, France, specifically the rail marshalling yard. During the mission, their bomber came under heavy enemy fire. Eventually, their two engines began to fail and fire broke out — both inside and outside of the aircraft. Pilot Officer Arthur “Art” de Breyne ordered the crew to abandon the burning aircraft. Mynarski was on his way to the escape hatch when he noticed Brophy still trapped in the rear turret, struggling to escape. According to the 1946 citation of the act in the London Gazette, Brophy had been trapped when the port engine of the aircraft failed. In defiance to the command to abandon the airplane and save himself, Mynarski fought through the flames to help Brophy try to break free. However, it soon became apparent that even with Mynarski’s help, Brophy was trapped for good. Brophy told his friend to save himself at which point Mynaski, badly injured by the flames, saluted his friend before escaping from the aircraft. Unfortunately, the flames had damaged his parachute which caused him to descend more rapidly, and he hit the ground with more force than he would have with a fully functioning parachute. The damage on impact and burns from the aircraft caused Mynarski to die shortly thereafter.

Miraculously, Brophy survived the crash of the burning aircraft and was able to testify to Mynarski’s heroic sacrifice. In a letter written to Mynarski’s mother, Brophy espouses his fondness and pride for having known and served with her son, a testament to the close relationship that Brophy and Mynarski shared.

Mynarski was the first RCAF serviceman to be honoured with a Victoria Cross in the Second World War. In 2005, a statue fashioned in his likeness was unveiled in Middleton St. George, United Kingdom, the home of the No. 419 Squadron. Another statue of Mynarski was erected in his hometown of Winnipeg as of 2015. Mynarski’s sacrifice highlights the strong sense of duty and bravery that all Victoria Cross recipients possessed. As of January 2020, his Victoria Cross can be found in Winnipeg at the Air Command Headquarters.