Another piece has been added to the Forever in the Clouds monument, which pays tribute to the men who died in an airplane crash in 1946 south of Estevan.
Darren Jones, the Alberta-based sculptor who carved the monument from a 500-year-old Douglas fir tree using a chainsaw, was back in Estevan last weekend to add a plaque and an additional structure that will be in front of Forever in the Clouds.
The plaque was completed by Estevan Trophy and Engraving.
Forever in the Clouds has the faces of the 20 Royal Canadian Air Force pilots and one groundscrewman who died in a plane crash at the former Estevan Airport site on Sept. 15, 1946.
“Lester (Hinzman) got the names of the pilots and the lead aircraftman all put onto the plaque,” said Jones.
The plaque also includes the ranks ages of the 21 people killed, and whether they received a Distinguished Flying Cross for their service.
“It’s informational, but it also tells which fellows were on the sculpture,” said Jones.
A piece of weather-proof plywood will help ensure the longevity of the plaque. It is affixed to a 290-year-old Douglas fir from Alberta’s Porcupine Hills. It’s wood that Jones acquired when he swapped wood for a sculpture in Bellevue Mine.
“This is how they paid me, so this is where I’m paying it back a little bit,” he said.
The addition also features a Lancaster bomber, the name of the sculpture and an image of an airmen’s grave in Canada. The opposite side has a field grave.
While in Estevan, Jones also worked on the main Forever in the Clouds sculpture. He sanded and shined the monument, and engraved the name into the lower area that serves as a bench where people can sit down for a break.
A permanent home for the sculpture hasn’t been determined. It currently stands on Hinzman’s property south of Estevan. But it’s designed so that it can be easily moved, and it will be making appearance at the Saskatchewan Air Show, which will happen in Moose Jaw on July 6 and 7.
“After that, it’s up to Lester on where he wants to put it,” Jones said.
The sculptor hopes the appearance at the air show will create even more awareness about the men who died in the 1946 plane crash.
“The air force themselves actually participated so greatly in finding pictures and supporting us in this endeavour, I think it all shows to the airmen that we have now that we do care about what they do. It will respect their sacrifice for them and their families.”
Jones said he still marvels at the monument and how it turned out. It was nearly a three-year project to finish Forever in the Clouds, between researching the project, finding photos of the airmen who died and then completing the work.
Jones’ profile as an artist has been growing thanks to his work on Forever in the Clouds and a previous project, the Estevan Soldiers’ Tree monument. After leaving Estevan, he was to drop off a sculpture in Madge Lake that serves as a tribute to those that have battled cancer.
