air training program made canada the ‘aerodrome of democracy’ during wwii by Jason G. Antonio, Moose Jaw Express
When the Second World War started on Sept. 1, 1939, Great Britain knew it needed to train airmen and pilots safely but couldn’t do it because of how close the island was to the battlefield. So, the United Kingdom looked to Canada for help.
The Harvard plane was considered the iconic symbol of the BCATP and an outstanding aircraft of its era. An example can be found at the Western Development Museum in Moose Jaw. Photo courtesy Karla Rasmussen
The Great White North had an abundance of air training space beyond the range of enemy aircraft and excellent climatic conditions for flying. Moreover, the country had immediate access to American industry — especially parts and aircraft — and could transport men and airplanes to England via the
North Atlantic. So, Great Britain signed an agreement on Dec. 17, 1939, with Canada, New Zealand and Australia to create the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP). The plan’s objective was to train pilots, navigators, bomb aimers, wireless operators, air gunners, and flight engineers. As a result, more than 131,000 crewmen — including French, Czechs, Norwegians, Poles, Belgians and Dutch — were trained between 1939 and 1945, making this one of Canada’s great contributions to Allied victory. It also led United States President Franklin Roosevelt to call Canada the “aerodrome of democracy.” The plan’s total cost was roughly $2.2 billion — or $41.5 billion adjusted for inflation today. Training details Student pilots and crewman spent their time at air training bases. These bases were composed of dark green-shingled buildings and bright yellow training aircraft — the latter a hallmark of the program. Training schools focused on specific skills: flying, bombing and gunnery, air observation, air navigation, radio operations, or flight engineering. Of the 107 training schools across the
Anson planes were used to teach pilots and aircrews about bombing and gunnery. Photo courtesy Karla Rasmussen
country, Saskatchewan had 21 such venues in 14 communities like Caron or Mossbank. This was the second-highest number of training schools in Canada. Trainees began their military careers at a Manning Depot, where they learned to bathe, shave, shine boots, polish buttons, maintain their uniforms, and behave properly. They also received two hours of physical education daily and instruction in marching, rifle drill, foot drill, saluting and other routines. After five weeks, a selection committee decided whether the trainee would go into the aircrew or groundcrew stream. Initial training school Wireless air gunner candidates went directly to a wireless school. Air observers and
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pilot aircrew candidates went to an initial training school (ITS). Pilot and air observer candidates began their 26- or 28-week training program with four weeks at an ITS. They studied theoretical subjects and were given various tests to pass. 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 four-hour-long M2 physical examination, a session in a decompression chamber, a test flight in a link trainer, and academics. At the end of the course, the postings were announced. Flying schools An elementary flying training school (EFTS) gave a trainee 50 hours of basic flying instruction on a simple trainer like the De Havilland Tiger Moth, Fleet Finch, or Fairchild Cornell. Civilian flying clubs under contract to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) operated the elementary schools, while most instructors were civilians. Graduates of the EFTS’s learn-to-fly program went to a service flying training school for 16 weeks. For the first eight weeks, the trainee was part of an intermediate training
