In early 2012 I was commissioned to create a sculpture to commemorate the return of a WW2 Halifax bomber to its home base in Trenton Ontario. The bomber had been shot down over Belgium and landed in a bog. Originally it was destined to be restored but it was too far gone. Instead, it was melted into ingots with a portion being used for the roof of the bomber memorial at Royal Air Command in London. Queen Elizabeth was there to dedicate that memorial. HRH Prince Edward was coming to Trenton Ontario to dedicate the memorial there. I was given some of the aluminum from the bomber to incorporate into the piece I was commissioned to design for him. The bomber was from the "Thunderbird" squadron so it was only fitting to make a thunderbird on one side of the piece. The other side was a Halifax bomber. The aluminum was used to forge the beak of the thunderbird, an ingot at its feet, and the props of the plane. I did not have any knowledge of pouring metals at the time and was very thankful for the help of a very talented jeweler in Brockville Ontario, Chris Palko, at https://palkojewellery.com/. I was told that often when pieces are given to the royal family the piece is left "in care of" the presenting establishment. I was very happy when I asked where the sculpture had gone and was told it had been placed very quickly into the Prince's car. The security from Scotland Yard informed me that they thought it was going to be placed on the Prince's desk.