Volunteer veteran honoured by city council

By Bill Samuel

Honoured: Lloyd Wright receives the Senior Achievement Award from Trenton Mayor John Williams.A Second World War veteran was honoured at the Quinte West council meeting Nov. 15.
Lloyd Wright, 87, received the Ontario Senior Achievement Award from the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario for his efforts in restoring one of the last Halifax bombers in existence today. The honour is bestowed on only 20 people a year in Ontario.
Born and raised in Toronto, Wright was working as a machinist for the John Inglis Co. at the outbreak of the war, before he enlisted. The factory was, as were most Canadian manufacturers, busy producing munitions for the war effort. He enlisted as a reservist in the RCAF and began flying as the pilot of a Halifax bomber in 1944. Wright flew 33 sorties before the end of the war.
After the war, Wright enrolled at the University of Toronto and earned a degree in engineering. Upon completion of his degree, Wright then joined the regular Air Force; he continued flying until 1971 and stayed until retirement.
“It was the farthest thing on our minds at the time that I would one day be restoring one of the last remaining Halifax bombers.” said Wright.
There were over 6,000 planes manufactured; 2,000 were destroyed due to enemy actions and accidents, Wright said. The rest were melted down for pots and pans after the war: “The ladies wanted their pots and pans,” he said.
Because all the remaining Halifax aircraft had been scrapped there were no spare parts when Wright began the restoration project.
“I machined the bits and pieces,” said Wright. “I made screw jacks for the elevators, the most problem and the most interesting were little screw jacks.” Wright cut gears, landing mechanism or just about any part that needed to be recreated.
Joan Wright has patiently stood by her husband through the years.
“I only needed patience with Lloyd when he was with the other woman [the Halifax],” said Joan Wright, Lloyd’s wife of 60 years.
“Lloyd has been a part of the museum since the very beginning,” said Anne-Marie Lau, Volunteer Manager, RCAF Memorial Museum. “He has served with the restoration team on the Halifax as well he worked in the front as a tour guide.”
Beginning in 1984, when the museum was in a couple of bowling allies on the south side of Trenton, Wright spends his Wednesday afternoons taking tours through the museum. His wealth of knowledge about the Halifax and Canadian air history is shared with anyone who is interested.
Right, along with all the other volunteers in the workshop are now working on restoring an Avro Anson and de Havallind Harvard for display.