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About Me

Dr. Lisa M. Daly is an aviation archaeologist and expert in Newfoundland and Labrador’s aviation history. Her thesis work focused on the Second World War aviation material culture of Gander, but her work has taken her all over the province for archaeological and historical research. Along with military history, she is also reaearching early transatlantic attempts, many out of Harbour Grace, and Sidney Cotton’s time in Newfoundland. She has been involved in the heritage and tourism industry since 2001, starting with a summer position at the Provincial Archives of NL, and since then has worked as a tour guide with Wildland Tours, the coordinator for the Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove Museum, the event manager for Anna Templeton Centre’s We Love Craft Skill Sharing Series, and as an expert consultant for Plum Creative and Admiralty House Museum and Archives, and more. She is the current Chair of Heritage NL and also sits on the boards for the Conception Bay Museum in Harbour Grace and the Newfoundland and Labrador Historical Society.

Lisa holds a B.A. (hons.) from Memorial University in Physical Anthropology (Archaeology), an M.Sc. from Bournemouth University in Forensic and Biological Anthropology, a diploma in Heritage Resources from Memorial, as well as her Ph.D. in Archaeology, also from MUN. For a while she worked as an archaeologist with the Government of New Brunswick, but decided to move back to St. John’s. She is currently working on multiple research projects, conference presentations, talks, academic and non-academic papers and books, and sometimes even updates her blog: planecrashgirl.ca. She is the non-fiction editor for Engen Books and has published both fiction and non-fiction with that publisher.

Recent Publications

Upcoming Works

Daly, L.M. and N.J. Sherren. 2024. Their Sturdy Pride: RCAF Torbay History and Aviation Mysteries of Newfoundland and Labrador. Engen Books: Chapel Arm, NL.

Daly, L.M. in press. At War, but Far From the Front: Crashes, Disasters, and The Newfoundland Airport. Gaulton, B. (ed) Journal of Newfoundland and Labrador Studies, Occasional Publication.

Peer-Reviewed Works

Daly, L.M. 2023. Engaging the Public at the Crossroads of the World: Methods and Site Preservation in Aviation Archaeology Sites in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. In: Strides Towards a Standard Methodologies in Aeronautical Archaeology. M. Lickliter-Mundon and H. Whitehead (eds). Springer Press: United States.

Daly, L.M. 2018. An Empty Graveyard: The Victims of the 1946 AOA DC-4 Crash, Their Final Resting Place, and Dark Tourism. AP Online Journal in Public Archaeology. 8(2): 79-98.

Deal, M., L.M. Daly and C. Mathias. 2015. Actor-Network Theory and the Practice of Aviation Archaeology. Journal of Conflict Archaeology, 10(1), 3-28.

Daly, L.M. 2015. Aviation Archaeology of World War II Gander: An Examination of Military and Civilian Life at the Newfoundland Airport. Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of
Newfoundland.

Magazines and Journals

Daly, L.M. 2021. “Courage? I Should Say So”: Frances Grayson, The Dawn, and the Plane in the Pond. NQ, 114(2): 30-42.

Daly, L.M. 2018. Dogfight Over the Gander Airbase. InFormation: The Historical Publication of the Alberta Aviation Museum, January/February 2018, pg. 5-7.

Daly, L.M. 2013. The North Atlantic Squadron: A Survey of World War II Aviation Archaeology Sites in Gander, Newfoundland. Canadian Aviation Historic Society Journal, 51(4).

Book Chapters

Daly, L.M 2019. Introduction. In Flights From the Rock (Vance, Daly, and Curtis, eds.). Engen Books: Chapel Arm, NL.

Daly, L.M. 2018. Sacrifice in Second World War Gander. In Canadians and War, volume 3. Lammi Publishing: Canada.

Documentary/Television Presentations

Lindbergh’s Lost Rivals (presenter/archaeologist). Expedition Unknown, first aired 15 June 2022, Discovery Channel.

Ein Flughafen Am Ende Der Welt: Die Geschichte des Gander International Airport (Gander International: The Airport in the Middle of Nowhere, presenter). Gruppe 5 Filmproduction GmbH, first aired 12 November 2019, German TV 3sat.

Fallen War Birds (presenter). Land and Sea, first aired 08 February 2015, CBC.

Public Archaeological Reports

Daly, L.M., K. Keeping, K. Hargan, J. Bosch, and M. Cassels. 2023. Lost Aircraft and Documentaries at CgAl-01, Gull Pond, Cape Shore, NL. Provincial Archaeology Office 2022 Archaeology Review, 21: 106-109.

Daly, L.M., and S.K. Green. 2014. Garden Hill: The Crash of a USAAF C-54. Provincial Archaeology Office 2013 Archaeology Review, 12: 22-24.

Daly, L.M., and E. Guiry. 2012. Flights and Film: 2011 Field Work in Gander, NL. Provincial Archaeology Office 2011 Archaeology Review, 10: 52-59.

Daly, L.M. (2011). 2010 Survey of World War II Aircraft Crash Sites In and Around Gander, Newfoundland. Provincial Archaeology Office 2010 Archaeology Review, 9: 27-33.

Other Publications (except technical reports)

available at Contributions to Aviation Archaeology – Plane Crash Girl.ca

Media Coverage

Social Media

Country Focus

Canada

Expertise by Geography

North America

Expertise by Chronology

20th century

Expertise by Topic

Local & Regional, Material Culture, Military, Museums, Technology, World War II