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Heritage Trail #107 British Commonwealth Air Training Plan- Part 1
As war clouds gathered over Europe in the late 1930's, thoughts
turned to Canada as a suitable place to train pilots. And as
historian Pat Myers explains, that gave birth to the British
Commonwealth Air Training Plan.
"It was far from Europe and the prairie landscape meant lots
of open skies, [and] relatively low population, so there
wouldn't be a whole lot of danger to civilian lives when the
skies were filled with practicing pilots."
The BCATP, as it was known for short, brought young men from
all over the Commonwealth to train for the Allied War Effort.
"The plan was run by the RCAF with assistance from the flying
clubs. Canada was divided into four training commands, and
Alberta fell into Training Command Number Four, which was head
quartered in Calgary in September of 1941. Alberta had several
facilities under this plan. The training command, as I said, was
located in Calgary after 1941. A manning depot was located in
Edmonton. An Initial Training School was located in Edmonton as
well. And Elementary Flying Training Schools were located at
Edmonton, De Winton, Bowden, Pearce.....There was one at
Lethbridge that was later moved to High River. Service Flying
Training Schools were set up in Calgary, Fort Macleod,
Claresholm, Vulcan, Medicine Hat and Penhold. There was a
Bombing and Gunnery School in Lethbridge, a Wireless School in
Calgary, an Air Observer School in Edmonton and Pearce.......
and finally a Flying Instructor School that started in Vulcan
and was later moved to Pearce."
The prairie landscape was a new experience for the young men
from Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, and Holland.
Their first stop was the Manning Depot in Edmonton where they
learned the basics of military life. Then they moved through
various levels of training in the different centres in southern
Alberta.
"For those who got to go on to the pilots dream went to
Service Flying Training School where they learned advanced
flying techniques. After graduation from SFTS as it was known,
the pilots went overseas for operational training. Not everyone
though, went overseas. Some pilots received further training and
went on to be instructors themselves. Others received postings
in the Home Defence Guard."
And the towns hosting the young airmen loved the excitement
and economic boom brought to them by the British Commonwealth
Air Training Plan.
On the Heritage Trail,
I'm Cheryl Croucher.
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