Finding the Pathfinders

Whilst we're busy with the launch of ESPTV, we're also currently fundraising for a documentary close to my heart- a documentary about my father, Douglas Percy Cannings who flew in Lancaster Bombers during the war (yes, I was a late baby- I'm not that old!)
Bids are in with the Heritage Lottery and the Council and we'll know by mid September.
My Dad wants to find out what happened to all his crewmates in the two squadrons he served in- 100 Squadron at Waltham, Grimsby and 97 Squadron, Conningsby. Chances are there's not many left now but we want to contact the surviving family members too and gather them together for a day at East Kirkby to see a Lancaster Bomber up close.
We've found a few families so far and we'll hopefully find someone from each family. The stories we're uncovering so far are amazing, and some of them very sad.
We'll be enlisting the help of local history volunteers and St Christophers School, Lincoln too in our search, as we want to find some people that lived in Conningby and Grimsby during the war who can remember the Lancasters in the sky.
Of course, we'll be providing some paid jobs to Lincolnshire creatives too and making sure that, as always, that we give some paid work to newly graduated students in the region.
This is going to be a very special project and we'll keep you updated on here how it's all going.
My sister has done an excellent blog on her trip to Belgium accompanying Dad to a book launch about the Pathfinder Squadron raids there. (the writer had consulted Dad on some historical detail).
http://sandycanblog.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/im-so-proud-of-my-dad.html
It was one of the reasons that I wanted to tell this story. It's been an emotional time just making the first inroads into researching this. It is going to make a very special documentary.