For a time, my mother worked for Victory Aircraft Ltd in Malton during WW2. She started out riveting, like those women in the photo. Because of her petite size, they then had her wiring up the cockpit. She has told me she very much preferred the riveting. She says that she found the wiring of the cockpit to be quite stressful.

In 1940, Britain turned to Canada in her time of need as a place to build aircraft out of the reach of German bombers. The National Steel Car Corporation's new plant in Malton, Ontario was chosen for the location. This company had been building Westland Lysanders, wings for Handley Page Hampdons and were involved in one capacity or another with Ansons, Harvards, Yales, Hurricanes and Martin Marauders.

The need for heavy bombers was considered paramount and the Lancaster was chosen as the best design. The initial order was to be for not less than 250 machines. The engines were to be American Packard built Merlins. The Canadian Lancs, known as the Mk X's, were similar to the British Mk III's but Canadian or American radios, instruments and ball bearings were used. A new efficient wiring system was also fitted.

In August, 1942, a Lancaster Mk I was flown over from England to be used as a tool making pattern.

Due to management problems, in November 1942, the company was declared a crown corporation by the government and was re-named "Victory Aircraft", later to become A.V. Roe Canada Limited or Avro Canada.

The first Canadian prototype KB700, named "The Ruhr Express" was flown on August 1, 1943.

Ultimately, 430 Lancaster X airframes were completed before the war's end. Peak production in the first quarter of 1945 reached one aircraft a day with a peak work force of 10,000 people. The last one emerged from the factory in September, 1945.