Retired lieutenant-general Michel Maisonneuve recently experienced a profound connection to Canada's military history through an unforgettable flight in a World War II-era B-25 Mitchell bomber. His journey aboard the historic aircraft from the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum provided powerful insights into the challenges faced by Canadian aircrews during the Second World War.
A Flight Through History
Last July, Maisonneuve found himself in the rear gun turret of the only airworthy B-25 Mitchell still flying in Canada. The flight originated from Hamilton, Ontario, home to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum that maintains this precious piece of aviation history. Despite the peaceful Canadian skies, the experience vividly recreated the tension and danger that wartime crews faced daily.
"Here I was, sitting in the rear gun turret of our Mitchell B-25 fighter-bomber, with all my senses on guard and my head on a swivel," Maisonneuve recalls. The clear blue day provided perfect flying conditions, yet the ever-present threat of enemy attacks remained mentally palpable throughout the mission.
The aircraft was piloted by CEO Major David Rohrer, with co-pilot Liam Pearson and flight engineer Jessica Side completing the volunteer crew. Their route took them over Niagara Falls, then downtown Toronto at approximately the same height as the CN Tower, before crossing Lake Ontario.
The Reality of Wartime Conditions
The flight demonstrated the remarkable capabilities of the B-25 Mitchell, an aircraft built in 1945 in Missouri that served as a versatile workhorse during the war. Equipped with 18 machine guns and capable of carrying a full bomb load, the aircraft's maneuverability was put to the test when the pilot executed evasive maneuvers, jerking the plane up and to the right in an almost barrel roll.
Maisonneuve's experience highlighted the harsh realities faced by wartime crews: extremely noisy and cramped spaces, uncomfortable temperatures ranging from too hot in summer to freezing in winter, and the constant threat from enemy aircraft and ground-based anti-aircraft weapons. Crews often returned with planes full of holes, facing endless missions day after day while carrying the emotional burden of learning that friends and compatriots had been shot down or wounded.
Honoring the Legacy
The Royal Canadian Air Force, born in 1924, celebrates 101 years of service in 2025. Its members fought gallantly alongside the British Royal Air Force and U.S. Air Force, with many Canadians also serving with allied air forces. Maisonneuve emphasizes that we owe these veterans a debt that cannot be repaid.
"Freedom is not free," Maisonneuve states. "It is paid for by the blood of men and women warriors prepared to pick up the torch." He quotes U.S. General Douglas MacArthur: "The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war."
This Remembrance Day, Maisonneuve urges Canadians not only to remember and thank those who suffered wounds and scars but to rededicate themselves to following their brave example. The generations that fought for Canada and its values deserve to be honored not just one day a year, but through ongoing remembrance and commitment to the principles they defended.
Michel Maisonneuve served Canada for 45 years as a retired lieutenant-general and is currently a senior fellow at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. He is the author of "In Defence of Canada: Reflections of a Patriot" published in 2024.
