Stories
Every person who participated in the British Commonwealth
Air Training Plan (BCATP) in Alberta has a different story to tell. Some remember it as the
best time in their lives, others don't recall it quite as
enthusiastically.
These are their stories, in their own words.
Included in this section is, simply, a handful of memories, a
sampling of stories told by those who trained in Alberta during
World War II under the BCATP. These are the recollections of learning
to fly warplanes in Canada's prairie skies, provided by
people from different places, with
diverse ways of living, all trying to get along and adjust
to their wartime circumstances. These are tales of harrowing close calls
and tragic mishaps. These are also quiet stories about the struggles and
joys of day-to-day life as part of the BCATP, with
recollections of warm welcomes and frosty weather. Above all
else, these are honest memories of humour, friendships made and time
well spent, on and off the base.
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