List of British Commonwealth Air Training Plan facilities in Canada

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British Commonwealth Air Training Plan in Canada
Yale 3416 Numbers View.JPG
North American Yale (W/T) from No. 4 WS
Active 1939–1945
Country Canada Canadian Red Ensign 1921-1957.svg Flag of Canada.svg
Branch Royal Canadian Air Force Royal Canadian Air Force Ensign (1941-1968).svg
Royal Air Force Air Force Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg
Role Aircrew and groundcrew training
Part of British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
Aircraft Airspeed Oxford
Avro Anson
Boeing Stearman
Bristol Bolingbroke
PBY Canso[1]
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Consolidated PBY Catalina

Cessna Crane
Douglas Digby[2]
De Havilland Tiger Moth
Fairchild Argus[3]
Fairchild Cornell
Fairey Battle
Fairey Swordfish
Fleet Finch
Fleet Fort
Handley Page Halifax[4][5]
Handley Page Hampden
Hawker Hurricane
Lockheed Hudson
Noorduyn Norseman
North American B-25 Mitchell
North American Harvard
North American Yale
Northrop Nomad
Stinson 105

Supermarine Walrus
Westland Lysander
Engagements World War II

This article contains a List of Facilities of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) in Canada. The BCATP was a major program for training Allied air crews during World War II that was administered by the Government of Canada, and commanded by the Royal Canadian Air Force with the assistance of a board of representatives from the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.[4]

Schools and facilities were set up at 231 locations across Canada.[6] Many of these facilities were airfields. In December 1939 the Canadian government identified 24 existing airfields that could be used leaving 80 new ones to be built.[4] Classroom facilities with residences were commandeered from Universities, Colleges, and other provincial institutions. Basic training facilities were commandeered from private schools and municipal governments. These "borrowed" facilities were augmented with new construction as required.[note 1]

Planning and operation of facilities

There were four phases to the acquisition, construction, and operation of BCATP facilities:

  • the beginning as specified in the Riverdale Agreement of 17 December 1939
  • an expansion as a result of the move of RAF facilities to Canada starting in July 1940[note 2]
  • an expansion as a result of the Ottawa conference of May and June 1942
  • closures as a result of the decision to begin winding down in November 1943 and terminate the plan on 29 March 1945

BCATP activities were managed through four Training Commands. Each command was responsible for activities in a region of Canada:

Manning Depots

Recruits began their military careers at a Manning Depot[7] where they learned to bathe, shave, shine boots, polish buttons, maintain their uniforms, and otherwise behave in the required manner. There were two hours of physical education every day and instruction in marching, rifle drill, foot drill, saluting, and other routines.

Remedial high school education was offered to bring 17- and 18-year-old recruits up to the RCAF academic level. There was also a standard aptitude test — the RCAF Classification Test.

After 4 or 5 weeks a selection committee decided whether the recruit would be trained for aircrew or groundcrew. Aircrew "Wireless Air Gunner" candidates went directly to a Wireless School. "Air Observer" and "Pilot" candidates went to an Initial Training School.

Recruits were often assigned "tarmac duty" to keep busy. Some were sent to factories to count nuts and bolts, some were sent to flying schools and other RCAF facilities to guard things, clean things, paint things, and polish things. Tarmac duty could last several months or more.

The No. 1 Manning Depot in Toronto was the Coliseum Building on the Canadian National Exhibition grounds and it accommodated up to 5,000 personnel.

No. 1 Toronto, Ontario

No. 2 Brandon, Manitoba moved to Swift Current, Saskatchewan

No. 3 Edmonton, Alberta

No. 4 Quebec City, Quebec

No. 5 Lachine, Quebec

No. 6 Toronto, Ontario[note 4] (Women's Division, October 1941 – May 1942)[8]

No. 7 Rockcliffe, Ontario (Women's Division, Fall 1942)

Aircrew training facilities

Initial Training Schools

Sir James Whitney School for the Deaf. In 1941 site of No. 5 ITS, Belleville

Pilot and Air Observer candidates began their 26 or 28 week training program with four weeks at an Initial Training School (ITS).[2][9] They studied theoretical subjects and were subjected to a variety of tests. Theoretical studies included navigation, theory of flight, meteorology, duties of an officer, air force administration, algebra, and trigonometry. Tests included an interview with a psychiatrist, the 4 hour long M2 physical examination, a session in a decompression chamber, and a "test flight" in a Link Trainer as well as academics. At the end of the course the postings were announced. Occasionally candidates were re-routed to the Wireless Air Gunner stream at the end of ITS.

No. 1 Eglinton Hunt Club, Toronto, Ontario

No. 2 Regina College & Regina Normal School, Regina, Saskatchewan

No. 3 Sacred Heart College, Victoriaville, Quebec

No. 4 Edmonton Normal School, Edmonton, Alberta

No. 5 Ontario Provincial School for the Deaf Belleville, Ontario

No. 6 Toronto Board of Education, Toronto, Ontario

No. 7 Saskatoon Normal School & Bedford Road Collegiate, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Elementary Flying Training Schools

DH82C Tiger Moth basic trainer with night flying kit
Student cockpit interior with night light and Morse Code key

An Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) gave a recruit 50 hours of basic flying instruction on a simple trainer like the De Havilland Tiger Moth, Fleet Finch, or Fairchild Cornell over 8 weeks.[2] Elementary schools were operated by civilian flying clubs under contract to the RCAF and most of the instructors were civilians. For example, No. 12 EFTS Goderich was run by the Kitchener-Waterloo Flying Club and the County of Huron Flying Club.[4] The next step for a pilot was the Service Flying Training School.

No. 1 Malton, Ontario (Moth)

No. 2 Fort William, Ontario (Moth)

No. 3 London, Ontario (Finch)

No. 4 Windsor Mills, Quebec (Finch and Moth)

No. 5 Lethbridge,Alberta, moved to High River, Alberta (Moth and Cornell)

No. 6 Prince Albert, Saskatchewan (Moth and Cornell)

No. 7 Windsor, Ontario (Finch)

No. 8 Vancouver, British Columbia, moved to Boundary Bay, British Columbia [4] (Moth)

No. 9 St. Catharines, Ontario (Moth)

No. 10 Hamilton, Ontario, moved to Pendleton, Ontario (Moth and Finch)

No. 11 Cap-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec (Finch and Cornell)

No. 12 Goderich, Ontario (Finch)

No. 13 St. Eugene, Ontario(Finch)

No. 14 Portage la Prairie, Manitoba (Moth and Finch)

No. 15 Regina, Saskatchewan (Moth and Cornell)

No. 16 Edmonton, Alberta (Moth and Finch)

No. 17 Stanley, Nova Scotia (Finch and Moth)

No. 18 Boundary Bay, British Columbia (Moth) [9]

No. 19 Virden, Manitoba (Moth and Cornell)

No. 20 Oshawa, Ontario (Moth)

No. 21 Chatham, New Brunswick (Finch)

No. 22 L'Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec (Finch)

No. 23 Canadian Red Ensign 1921-1957.svg Davidson, Saskatchewan, moved to Yorkton, Saskatchewan — operated by the RCAF.[4] (Cornell)

No. 24 Abbotsford, British Columbia (Cornell)

No. 25 Assiniboia, Saskatchewan — originally No. 34 RAF (Cornell)

No. 26 Neepawa, Manitoba — originally No. 35 RAF (Moth)

No. 31 Air Force Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg DeWinton, Alberta — taken over by the Toronto Flying Club. (Moth, Stearman and Cornell)

No. 32 Air Force Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Bowden, Alberta (Moth, Stearman and Cornell)

No. 33 Air Force Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Caron, Saskatchewan (Cornell)

No. 34 Air Force Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Assiniboia, Saskatchewan — taken over by Winnipeg Flying Club as No. 25 EFTS [4] (Moth)[9]

No. 35 Air Force Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Neepawa, Manitoba — taken over by Moncton Flying Club as No. 26 EFTS [4] (Moth and Cornell)

No. 36 Air Force Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Pearce, Alberta (Moth and Stearman)

Service Flying Training Schools

The 1942 Hangar Line at No. 9 SFTS Centralia in August 2013. #4 on the left, #1 in the distance.
Instructor and student with North American Harvard II aircraft of No.2 Service Flying Training School, RCAF Station Uplands, 1941

Graduates of the EFTS "learn-to-fly" program went on a Service Flying Training School (SFTS) for 16 weeks. For the first 8 weeks the student was part of an intermediate training squadron; for the next 6 weeks an advanced training squadron and for the final 2 weeks training was completed at a Bombing & Gunnery School.[2] The Service schools were military establishments run by the RCAF or the RAF.

There were two different types of Service Flying Training Schools. Recruits in the fighter pilot stream went to an SFTS like No. 14 Aylmer where they trained in the North American Harvard or North American Yale. Recruits in the bomber, coastal or transport pilot stream went to an SFTS like No. 5 Brantford where they learned multi-engine technique in an Airspeed Oxford, Avro Anson or Cessna Crane.

Air Observer Schools

British P10 Magnetic Compass with dead reckoning navigation tools
Airmens' Canteen, No. 4 AOS

Air Observers were what we could call "navigators" today. For recruits in this stream, the training path after ITS was 8 weeks at an Air Observer School (AOS), 1 month at a Bombing & Gunnery School, and finally 1 month at a Navigation School. The Air Observer schools were operated by civilians under contract to the RCAF. For example, Nos. 7, 8, and 9 were run by CP Airlines. However, the instructors were RCAF.[4] The basic navigation techniques throughout the war years were dead reckoning and visual pilotage, and the tools were the aeronautical chart, magnetic compass, watch, trip log, pencil, Douglas protractor, and Dalton Navigational Computer.[11] Recruits also studied Aerial photography.[12] They trained in the Avro Anson.

No. 1 Malton, Ontario (Anson)

No. 2 Edmonton, Alberta (Anson)

No. 3 Regina, Saskatchewan, moved to Pearce, Alberta (Anson)

No. 4 London, Ontario (Anson)

No. 5 Winnipeg, Manitoba (Anson)

No. 6 Prince Albert, Saskatchewan (Anson)

No. 7 Portage la Prairie, Manitoba (Anson)

No. 8 L'Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec (Anson)

No. 9 Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec (Anson)

No. 10 Chatham, New Brunswick (Anson)

Bombing and Gunnery Schools

This plaque marks the site of No. 1 B&GS Jarvis

The Bombing and Gunnery School (B&GS) offered instruction in the techniques of bomb aiming and machine gunning to Air Observers, Bomb Aimers, and Wireless Air Gunners. These schools required large areas to accommodate their bombing and gunnery ranges, and were often located near water.[note 5]

No. 1 Jarvis, Ontario (Anson, Battle, Bolingbroke and Lysander)

No. 2 Mossbank, Saskatchewan (Anson, Battle, Bolingbroke and Lysander)

No. 3 Macdonald, Manitoba (Anson, Battle, Bolingbroke and Lysander)

No. 4 Fingal, Ontario (Anson, Battle, Bolingbroke and Lysander)

No. 5 Dafoe, Saskatchewan (Anson, Battle, Bolingbroke and Lysander)

No. 6 Mountain View, Ontario (Anson, Battle, Bolingbroke and Lysander)

No. 7 Paulson, Manitoba (Anson, Battle, Bolingbroke and Lysander)

No. 8 Lethbridge, Alberta (Anson, Battle, Bolingbroke and Lysander)

No. 9 Mont-Joli, Quebec (Anson, Battle, Bolingbroke and Lysander)

No. 10 Mount Pleasant, Prince Edward Island (Anson, Battle, Bolingbroke and Lysander)

No. 31 Air Force Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Picton, Ontario (Anson, Battle, Bolingbroke and Lysander)

Air Navigation Schools

Nos. 1 & 2 Air Navigation Schools offered 4 week courses in astronavigation and were the last step for Air Observers. The RAF schools, Nos. 31, 32, and 33, provided the same training as Air Observer Schools.

No. 1 Trenton, Ontario moved to Rivers, Manitoba and redesignated Central Navigation School

No. 2 Pennfield Ridge, New Brunswick (Anson)

No. 31 Air Force Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Port Albert, Ontario (Anson)

No. 32 Air Force Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

No. 33 Air Force Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Hamilton, Ontario (Anson)

No. 2 Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

Wireless Schools

RCAF Morse Code Practice Buzzer

Students in the "Wireless Air Gunner" (WAG) stream spent 24 weeks at a Wireless School[2][7] learning the theory and application of wireless communications. This included signalling with lights and flags as well as radio. Their "WAG" training was completed with 4 weeks at a Bombing & Gunnery School.

No. 1 Montreal, Quebec[13] moved to Mount Hope, Ontario (Norseman, Moth, Stinson 105)

No. 2 Calgary, Alberta[14] (Harvard and Fort)

No. 3 Winnipeg, Manitoba[15] (Moth, Stinson 105)

No. 4 Guelph, Ontario (Norseman, Moth, and Yale)

Naval Air Gunner School

No. 1 Yarmouth, Nova Scotia (Swordfish)

Flight Engineers' School

The flight engineer was the member of a heavy bomber aircrew responsible for monitoring the fuel, electrical systems and the engines. He also controlled the throttle settings and was the pilot's "assistant". Flight engineers were not co-pilots but they had some flying training and were expected to be able to take over the controls in the event the pilot was killed or disabled.

No. 1 Aylmer, Ontario (Halifax)

General Reconnaissance Schools

The General Reconnaissance School trained pilots and air observers in the techniques required for ocean patrol. It was the equivalent to an Operational Training Unit (OTU), and last stop before aircrew were assigned to operations. The topics included DR Navigation, Astro Navigation, Compasses and Instruments, Meteorology, Signals, Reconnaissance, Coding, Ship Recognition, Aerial Photography, and Visual Signals. Flight Lieutenant (F/L) R. E. MacBride from No. 162 (BR) Squadron RCAF trained at No. 1 GR.[12]

Aircrew spent 9 weeks at a General Reconnaissance School.

No. 1 Summerside, Prince Edward Island (Anson)

No. 31 Air Force Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island (Anson)

Operational Training Units

RCAF officers watching U.S. P-51 Gunnery Practice at an OTU

The Operational Training Unit (OTU) was the last stop for aircrew in training. Students spent 8 – 14 weeks learning to fly operational aircraft (Hawker Hurricane or Fairey Swordfish, e.g.). The instructors had experience in actual operations, and often were posted to OTUs after their operational tour.

No. 1 Bagotville, Quebec (Hurricane)

No. 3 Patricia Bay, British Columbia (Canso, Catalina)[1]

No. 5 Boundary Bay British Columbia and Abbotsford, British Columbia (Liberator, Mitchell)

No. 31 Air Force Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Debert, Nova Scotia redesignated No. 7 OTU (Hudson, Mosquito))

No. 32 Air Force Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Patricia Bay, British Columbia moved to Comox, British Columbia and redesignated No. 6 OTU and moved to Greenwood, Nova Scotia (Beaufort, Hampden, Swordfish, Anson)

No. 34 Air Force Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Pennfield Ridge, New Brunswick (Ventura)

No. 36 Air Force Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Greenwood, Nova Scotia redesignated No. 8 OTU (Hudson, Mosquito)

Central Flying School

The Central Flying School was located at Trenton, Ontario.

Central Navigation School

The Central Navigation School was located at Rivers, Manitoba (Anson).

Instrument Navigation School

The Instrument Navigation School was located near Deseronto, Ontario.

Flying Instructor Schools

No. 1 Trenton, Ontario

No. 2 Vulcan, Alberta, moved to Pearce, Alberta[4] (various)

No. 3 Arnprior, Ontario (various)

Relief landing fields

Grand Bend Airport. The 1942 Hangar as seen from the Taxiway, Control Tower on top. R1 for No. 9 SFTS Centralia.

Every principal airfield (e.g. EFTS or SFTS) had one or two relief airfields located within 10–15 km. The No. 1 Relief Airfield is called "R1" in RCAF Station diaries. Some of the relief fields were paved, some were just grass, and some had hangars, barracks, and maintenance facilities. For example, students at No. 14 SFTS Aylmer moved to their R1 at Yarmouth Centre for the last four weeks of their training (radio, bombing,and gunnery).[5]

  • Alliston, Ontario — R2 for No. 1 SFTS Camp Borden Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[16]
  • Burtch, Ontario — R1 for No. 5 SFTS Brantford and principal field for No. 4 Wireless School Guelph. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[17]
  • Douglas, Manitoba — R1 for No. 12 SFTS Brandon Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[17]
RCAF Burtch, abandoned relief airfield. R1 for No. 5 SFTS Brantford.
  • Edwards, Ontario — Relief for No. 2 SFTS Ottawa Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[19]
  • Dufferin, Ontario — Relief for No. 16 SFTS Hagersville Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[18]
  • Farnham, Quebec — R2 for No. 13 SFTS St. Hubert Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[19]
  • Goderich South — Relief for No. 12 EFTS Goderich Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[18]

File:RCAF Cayuga H-Hut.JPG

  • Granum, Alberta — R1 for No. 7 SFTS Fort MacLeod Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  • Hartney, Manitoba — R1 for No. 17 SFTS Souris Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[17]
  • Hawkesbury, Ontario — Relief for No. 13 EFTS St. Eugene Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[19]
  • Limoges, Ontario — Relief for No. 10 EFTS Pendleton Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[19]
  • Maurice, Quebec — Relief for No. 11 EFTS Cap-de-la-Madelaine Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[20]
  • Petrel, Manitoba — R1 for No. 33 SFTS Carberry Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[17]
  • Pontiac, Quebec — Relief for No. 3 FIS Arnprior Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[16]
  • St. Joseph, Ontario — Relief for No. 9 SFTS Centralia Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[18]
  • Sandhurst, Ontario — R2 for No. 31 SFTS Kingston Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[16]
  • Whitby, Ontario — Relief for No. 20 EFTS Oshawa Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[16]
  • Willoughby, Ontario — Relief for No. 9 EFTS St. Catharines Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[18]

See also

Notes

  1. For example, Wireless Schools required a shooting range. At No. 4 WS in Guelph, an "armament building" was constructed on the Ontario Agricultural College grounds.
  2. After the Fall of France the British government decided to move RAF assets out of the United Kingdom to Canada together with their RAF personnel. The first unit to move was No. 7 Service Flying Training School from Peterborough, England which sailed for Canada on 29 August 1940. No. 7 re-opened on 7 October 1940 at Kingston, Ontario as No. 31 SFTS. All the RAF schools moved to Canada were given numbers with "31" or above to distinguish them from the original BCATP schools. Starting in 1942 some of the RAF schools were "Canadianized" and taken over by the RCAF. An example of this is the Elementary Flying Training School at De Winton, Alberta. It began as a transplanted RAF school run by RAF personnel. It opened on 18 June 1941 as No. 31 EFTS. On 13 July 1942 it was taken over by the Toronto Flying Club under contract to the RCAF. In the body of the article RAF schools are marked with an RAF ensign.
  3. Headquarters was at Prudential House, 55 York St. in Toronto
  4. No. 6 was opened at the original site of Havergal College, 354 Jarvis St. in Toronto
  5. For example, the aeronautical chart for 1 B&GS Jarvis shows a 140 square mile main range over Lake Erie, and 3 or 4 small "target zones" on land near the shoreline. These ranges start at Grant Point and end at Turkey Point.

References

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  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Lougheed, E. C. (2002).No. 4 Wireless School At Guelph, 1941-1945. Archival and Special Collections, University of Guelph. RE1 UOG A1642.
  8. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. 10.0 10.1 History of Moncton
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  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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External links