AAM Communications Coordinator Steve Finkelman and Pat Barford, Howard Blatchford's niece, share a toast to the famous WWII ace.

Howard Blatchford's medals donated to the AAM, a miniature Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), a Memorial Cross and a miniature set of dress uniform flying wings.

The goal of the Alberta Aviation Museum is to keep Edmonton's aviation history alive. We are delighted to receive several important artifacts from some of the city's flying legends to help us do that.

Howard Peter Blatchford was a World War II fighter ace from Edmonton who flew during the Battle of Britain. He was shot down and killed in 1943. At the time of his death he had recorded five aircraft destroyed, three shared aircraft shot down and three "probables." He also scored the first victory by a Canadian pilot during the war.

The Blatchford name should be familiar to all Edmontonians. He was the son of Kenneth Blatchford, a former mayor of Edmonton and an early promoter of aviation. Blatchford Field was named in the former mayor's honour.

Pat Barford, Howard Blatchford's niece (and granddaughter of Kenneth Blatchford) uncovered some of her famous uncle's World War II medals and has donated them to the museum. They include a miniature of the Distinguised Flying Cross (DFC) Blatchford was awarded for a December 1940 mission in which his squadron shot down eight enemy aircraft and damaged a further five.

The official commendation reads, "In the course of the combat he rammed and damaged a hostile fighter when his ammunition was expended, and then made two determined head-on feint attacks on enemy fighters, which drove them off. He has shown magnificent leadership and outstanding courage."

Barford has also donated a set of enamel Flying Wings and the Memorial Cross presented to Blatchford's mother after his death in combat.

"Howard Blatchford was an Edmonton guy," says Barford, who is pleased to give the artifacts a permanent home at the AAM. "I am happy to see him recognized in his home and to have his stuff in his home where he grew up."

Max and Marjorie Ward donating his 1946 commercial pilot's licence to AAM Curator Lech Lebiedowski.

Ward and long-time friend and former Wardair mechanic Guenther Moellenbeck check out the Norseman display during their recent visit to the museum.

Annie Shortill

(Feb 1915-Nov 2017)

Annie Shortill has been around aviation in Edmonton for most of her 102 years.

"My first date (in 1934) was sitting under the wing of an American Eagle (biplane,)" she said during an interview for the Blatchford Tales Oral History Project in 2014. "My husband (to be, Howard,) was selling rides at one cent a pound for a trip around the city. And almost every Sunday after was to Blatchford Field."

The couple continued to be great aviation buffs, meeting many of the early aviation pioneers including airport manager Jimmy Bell and airline entrepreneur Grant McConnachie.

Shortill shared her husband's love of all things aviation. "They rather excited me and appealed to me. Just seeing it taking off and seeing what it could do...like a flying bird."

Although her husband was medically unfit to fly, he did join the military working as a truck driver with units of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, which trained hundreds of thousands of pilots for the war effort, both in Alberta and at bases across the country.

After the war the couple continued their involvement with aviation. For a time, Annie Shortill worked in the kitchen of the Edmonton Flying Club. She and Murray were among the group of enthusiasts who laboured to get an aviation museum started in Edmonton in the 1980's. Ten years later, when the museum moved to its present location, she was a constant presence at Hangar 14 as a volunteer.

"Shortill supported all the fundraising things that we did." remembers Barb Cloney, who worked for the Edmonton Aviation Heritage Society in the hangar. "Raffles in particular. She would always provide the afghan and the mitts and the scarfs and she made them herself."