A History of the Air Services in Canada

written by Don Nicks
as a series of articles for North Bay and Moose Jaw base newspapers in the late 1990s.

Canada has had a proud aviation history. From those austere beginnings on 23 February 1909 on Bras-d'Or Lake with J.A.D. McCurdy piloting Alexander Graham Bell's Silver Dart through to the present-day, Canada has rightfully been proud of her aviation history. But, what of her military aviation history? This article will present a brief overall history of Canada's Air Force.

Canada's military interest in aviation was very slow in starting. The first demonstration put on for the Department of the Militia and Defence (now the Department of National Defence) was at Camp Petawawa in August 1909, when J.A.D. McCurdy demonstrated the Silver Dart and the Baddeck No. 1 (another aircraft from A.G. Bell). However, after wrecking one aircraft and crashing the other during the demonstration, the Department of the Militia and Defence did not show any interest in this new "fad". Over the intervening years, several attempts were made to interest the Canadian government in aviation. But every time an attempt was made, they were frustrated on the grounds of "no funds available."

Canadian Aviation Corps

On 16 September 1914 (while the original Canadian Expeditionary Force was forming up in Valcartier), Col Sam Hughes, Minister for the Militia and Defence, authorized the creation of the Canadian Aviation Corps (CAC). This corps was to consist of one mechanic and two officers. E.L. Janney of Galt, Ontario, was appointed as the "Provisional Commander of the CAC" with the rank of Captain. The expenditure of an amount not to exceed five thousand dollars for the purchase of a suitable airplane was approved. The aircraft selected was a float-equipped Burgess-Dunne bi-plane from the Burgess Aviation Company of Massachusetts. Capt Janney flew the aircraft back to Canada. Upon his arrival in Sorel, Quebec, Canada Customs arrested Capt Janney and the aircraft was impounded. After Canada Customs received notification from the Department of the Militia and Defence, Capt Janney and the aircraft were released. As it turned out, this was to be the only flight of Canada's first military aircraft.

While Capt Janney was accepting Canada's first military aircraft, the other two members of the CAC were recruited: Lieutenant W.F.N. Sharpe of Prescott, Ontario, and Staff Sergeant H.A. Farr of West Vancouver, British Columbia. Immediately after Capt Janney and the Burgess-Dunne were released from Customs, the aircraft was crated for shipping, and the CAC sailed on the S.S. Athena with the First Canadian Contingent of the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

After landing at Plymouth, England, the aircraft was off-loaded and shipped to Salisbury Plain were it was considered unsuitable for military service. It was placed in storage, where it eventually rotted and was written off. Capt Janney, now without an aircraft, resigned his commission and returned to Canada. Lt Sharpe continued in England with the Royal Flying Corps. He was killed while on a solo flight in a Maurice Farman bi-plane on 4 February 1915.

This ended the first attempt at a national air force.

Royal Canadian Flying Corps

During 1916, there was a renewed interest in aviation within the Department of the Militia and Defence. The War Council and the Canadian Headquarters overseas thought that Canada should have their own air services supporting the war effort. Much effort was placed on realizing this dream; however, Ottawa would not support this concept and the second attempt to create a national air force died.

Because Canada did not have a national air service during World War One, many Canadians served with distinction in the Royal Flying Corps, the Royal Naval Air Service and later the Royal Air Force. Some of the more famous Canadians were Raymond Collishaw, William "Billy" Bishop, "Wop" May, Roy Brown, William Barker and Alan McLeod to name a few. The exploits of some of these aviators are covered in another article. This early link with British military aviation is where a great many of our customs, traditions and dress codes originated.

Royal Flying Corps in Canada

The British War Office and the British Admiralty viewed Canada only as a potential source of recruits for their respective air services. Initially recruits had to have a valid pilot's license before the RFC or the RNAS would consider recruiting them. This placed a strain on the small civilian training services available in Canada at that time. These civilian schools were inadequate to handle the increased demand for pilot training. At a cost of $400 for 500 minutes, these intrepid aviators paid for their own training at this time. As the demand for trained aviators increased, the RFC found that there were insufficient training facilities in Britain and they turned to Canada for assistance.

In 1917, the RFC decided to establish a training organization in Canada. The original plan called for four training stations with one or more aerodromes at each station and up to five training squadrons per station. After consultation with Canada, the revised plan called for three stations: RFC Station Camp Borden, RFC Station Desoronto and RFC Station North Toronto. RFC Station Camp Borden was the main training site and was accepted on 2 May 1917. In no time, they had all five squadrons and a school for aerial gunnery operating at full capacity. RFC Station Deseronto consisted of aerodromes at Mohawk and Rathburn, and it was operating with five training squadrons by the end of May 1917. RFC Station North Toronto consisted of aerodromes at Long Beach, Leaside and Armour Heights, and by the end of June 1917, there were three training squadrons operating.

With America's entry into the war in April 1917, a reciprocal agreement was established between the RFC and the U.S. Army's Signal Corps. This agreement brought Americans to Canada for training, and it allowed the RFC to train in a snow free environment. Fort Worth Texas was selected as the training centre, and the school of aerial gunnery and the wings from Camp Borden and Deseronto ceased training in Canada in November 1917 and moved to the Fort Worth area. RFC Station North Toronto remained open in Canada to test the feasibility of training personnel in a Canadian winter. This test was so successful that the training for the winter of 1918-19 was to be in Canada. Meanwhile, the other RFC training units proceeded on their 1600-mile rail-trip to Texas. The winter of 1917-18 was spent in Texas.

In April 1918, the RFC, now the Royal Air Force (by Royal decree 1 April 1918), returned to Canada and re-established their stations. In addition, it was decided to establish several advanced flying training units in Canada. By the time the armistice was signed on 11 November 1918, the RAF establishment in Canada had a total strength 11,928 all ranks. It was staffed by 993 officers and 6,158 other ranks and had 4,333 cadet pilots and 444 other officers under training. In its twenty and one-half months in Canada, the RFC/RAF training establishment had recruited 16,663 personnel and had graduated 3,135 pilots, of whom 2,539 went overseas and 356 remained in Canada as instructors, and 137 observers, of whom 85 were sent overseas. At the time of the armistice, it had an additional 240 pilots and 52 observers that were ready for overseas service. Additionally, there were 130 fatal crashes involving RFC/RAF aircraft in Canada during this same period.

Canadians in service with the Royal Flying Corps/Royal Naval Air Service

Because Canada did not have a national air service during World War 1, many Canadians served with the Royal Flying Corps, Royal Naval Air Service and eventually, the Royal Air Force. Canadians served on all the fronts of the war, from the Home Front (England) to the Western Front (France and Belgium) down to Italy and the Dardanielles, over the Adriatic and the Mediterranean, and over Egypt and Palestine. Canadians served with pride and distinction (3 Victoria Crosses were won by Canadian airmen), and by the wars end it has been estimated that over 23,000 Canadians served within the air services of the United Kingdom, of whom 1,563 made the ultimate sacrifice.

At first, the RFC and the RNAS recruited only trained personnel, mainly pilots. This severely taxed on the training services in Canada. At this time candidates had to pay for their own training (about $400 for 500 minutes of flying) and one prominent Canadian's training school was running at full capacity: J.A.D. McCurdy had a flying school at Toronto Island. However, as the war progressed, the RFC decided to provide pilot training for suitable candidates.

The first Canadians to graduate from McCurdy's flying school were Homer Smith and Arthur Ince. Later Arthur Ince shot down a German seaplane (14 December 1915) off the coast of Belgium; this was the first Canadian kill in World War 1. Another Canadian who paid for his own training was John Bernard "Don" Brophy, of Ottawa. Don joined the RFC after graduating from the school at Toronto Island and departed for England on 8 December 1915. At the time Don reached the front, the life expectancy for a pilot was three weeks, but Don lasted an incredible five months. During this time, he suffered with most of the problems of the day: engine, airframe and propeller failures were common. In addition, during this time, air fighting was in its infancy: rifles and pistols were being carried in cockpits and bombs were strapped to the side of the aircraft. However, after surviving duty at the front and while serving on the Home Front, Don died on Christmas Eve 1916 when the airframe of his BE12 failed and he spiraled into the ground.

Life in the RFC/RNAS was not "a bed of roses" for the glamorous flyboys as depicted in the movie "The Dawn Patrol"; there were many hardships. A typical air station on the Western Front consisted of an open field (airstrip), canvas hangars, officers' mess (normally the only solid construction around) and living quarters (generally under canvas). More often than not, there would be another squadron using the same open field, but established on the opposite side of the grass runway. Flying continued throughout the extreme summer heat with its dust and sweat and in winter during the rains (creating quagmires and muddy lakes) and the cold of November to February. Dysentery, fever, nerves and stomach problems were all common place in the air services, and life expectancy for a new pilot in 1918 had decreased to a few days.

The missions varied with the aircraft. Originally, the airplane was seen as an observation platform for artillery spotting. Then aviators started arming themselves and shooting at each other, with the occasional success. This brought technology into the forefront, as methods were devised to mount machine guns on aircraft. Some of the early methods were an over wing mount to avoid the propeller, mounting the engine on the rear (pusher type) so a machine gun could be fired out the front of the aircraft, armour plating the back side of the propeller so that bullets fired by the pilot would not damage the propeller (this, however, meant that one in every five rounds fired bounced off the propeller), and finally, after the design was found on a German aircraft, an interrupter gear mechanism (the machine gun ceased firing anytime the propeller swung through the firing arc). In addition, the pilots were also dropping things from aircraft, such as flechettes (large steel darts that could penetrate a steel helmet), progressing to grenades and finally to bombs.

Canadians were involved in all the various aspects of the flying war. Of the twenty-seven allied pilots who had thirty or more combat victories, ten were Canadians, including the top ace (Maj Bishop with 72 victories) and the third top ace (Maj Collishaw with 60 victories). In addition, as previously mentioned, three Canadian airmen won the Commonwealth's highest award for valour, "the Victoria Cross": Maj Bishop, Maj Barker and Lt McLeod.

William Avery "Billy" Bishop was born in Owen Sound, Ontario, 8 February 1894. At the termination of a very unsuccessful academic career, Bishop joined the Mississauga Horse and at the outbreak of the war was a cavalry Lieutenant. Shortly after his arrival in England, Bishop saw his first airplane and at that point he decided that the only way to fight a war is, "up there above the clouds and in the summer sunshine". Bishop originally trained as an observer and flew for four months at the front before an injury placed him in the hospital. Upon his release, he discovered he could now apply for pilot training. After completing the course in only fifteen hours, Bishop was posted to a Home Defence unit. Bishop was finally posted to the Western Front in March 1917; reporting to No 60 Squadron RFC. It only took him eight days to score his first victory. Bishop quickly established a reputation as a loner and a crack shot, and his score of combat victories grew very rapidly. On 2 June 1917 Bishop took off before dawn on a mission he and Albert Ball had discussed; the idea was to attack the enemy before he was prepared for the attack. On that day, Bishop single-handedly attacked a German aerodrome and shot down three enemy aircraft for which he won the Victoria Cross. Late in 1917 he departed England for Canada for a well-earned rest. Upon his return in early 1918, Bishop was promoted to Major and posted to command No 85 Squadron, and in his final two weeks in combat he shot down an incredible twenty-five enemy aircraft, twelve coming in the last three days. After this feat, Bishop was posted to a staff job as he was now considered a valuable war symbol. His secondment to the RAF was terminated and he was attached to the Canadian Headquarters Overseas as a temporary Lieutenant-Colonel. While in this staff job he pursued the creation of the Canadian Air Force.

Although he did not win a Victoria Cross, Raymond Collishaw was another prominent Canadian, finishing the war as third overall allied ace. Collishaw was born in Nanaimo, British Columbia, on 22 November 1893. He joined the RNAS in 1914. His first mission over the front was flown in September 1916 with No 3 Wing RNAS. On 1 February 1917 he was transferred to No 3 (Naval) Squadron. In April he was promoted to Flight-Commander and posted to No 10 (Naval) Squadron. With him he took four other Canadians, Ellis Reid of Toronto, J.E. Sharman of Winnipeg, J.E. Nash of Hamilton and M. Alexander of Montreal. With these people Collishaw formed the "Black Flight" (each flight was assigned its own colour and Black was the colour for his flight), one of the most successful flying units on the Western Front. Finally, by January 1918, Collishaw had again been promoted and placed in command of No 3 (Naval) Squadron. Naval squadron commanders were not expected to fly, but Collishaw disregarded this rule as much as he could. On 1 April 1918, Collishaw officially transferred to the RAF and was placed in command of 203 Squadron. In his final four months in combat he scored an additional twenty victories. On 1 October 1918 Raymond Collishaw was withdrawn from the front, promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel and posted to aid the formation of the CAF. Raymond Collishaw retired from the RAF as an Air Vice Marshal in 1943.

William George Barker was born in Dauphin, Manitoba, in November 1894. He initially joined the Canadian Mounted Rifles and fought in the Second Battle of Ypres. When "Willy" first transferred to the RFC he went as a mechanic, but flew several missions as a machine gunner. In April 1916 he was commissioned as a Lieutenant observer and in late 1916 he returned to England for pilot training. Upon his graduation in January 1917, he was posted back to the Western Front. After flying a tour on RE8s, he returned to England in early September to instruct student pilots. The restless Barker, applied for a transfer to a scout squadron and in late September he was posted to No 28 Squadron. In October the squadron proceeded to Belgium, but by late October it was moved to northern Italy to bolster the sagging Italian Front. This front provided a different opportunity for the pilots, as the Austrians had very few aircraft and, therefore, the mission was primarily ground support. In September Barker was recalled to England to command the school of air fighting at Hounslow. On 27 October, while returning to Hounslow from his attachment to No 201 Squadron, Maj Barker attacked a Rumpler CVII reconnaissance aircraft and shot it down. While following it down, he was attacked by a Fokker DR I. In the ensuing diving fight Barker shot down the DR I, but received a bullet to the thigh. Upon his recovery from this engagement, Maj Barker flew into a German Jagdgeschwader (squadron). During the spiraling melee Maj Barker shot down another three German aircraft, but he also received two more injures (another in the thigh and one in the right elbow). While the Germans withdrew, Maj Barker crash-landed close to the front lines and members of the Highland Light Infantry were able to extract him from the wreckage. Maj Barker won the Victoria Cross for this action.

Second Lieutenant Alan Arnett McLeod of Stonewall, Manitoba, was the third Canadian airman to receive the Victoria Cross. His action was not against the enemy, but for saving the life of his observer. While on a photo-reconnaissance mission, McLeod's aircraft was attacked by eight enemy tri-planes. After a fierce fight, a bullet eventually penetrated the fuel tank and set the aircraft on fire. McLeod continued to fly his aircraft while his gunner/observer, Lt A.W. Hammond, warded off further attack. The fire became so intense that even with sideslipping McLeod had to climb out of the cockpit. From here he continued to fly the aircraft toward a safe arrival with the ground. He was finally able to crash-land the aircraft in no-man's land where, though he was wounded five times and his observer six times, he was able to extract his observer from the wreckage. During this fight, the observer was able to shoot down three of the enemy aircraft. For this action Lt A.A. McLeod was awarded the Victoria Cross.

The Original Canadian Air Force 1918-1920

As early as 1915, the British Army Council suggested that forces of the Dominions should raise their own air units. Even though the overseas headquarters and the War Council had made an attempt in 1916 to create the Royal Canadian Flying Corps, it was not until the spring of 1918 that any action was officially taken by Canada.

In a memorandum dated 30 April 1918, the Canadian High Commissioner in London suggested that the government consider forming a Canadian Air Force (CAF) in England. His proposal was based on the fact that so many Canadians were already serving in the Royal Air Force, and they had expressed a desire to serve in Canadian Squadrons. In considering the proposal, the Canadian government made a study in July and discovered that some 13,000 Canadians were serving in the RAF, of whom 850 were on secondment from the Overseas Military Forces of Canada. This study finally brought the Canadian Privy Council around to discussing the possibility of forming Canadian squadrons within the RAF, with the eventual aim being the formation of the Canadian Air Force.

The original proposal was to form a Canadian Wing of up to eight squadrons to serve with the Canadian Corps in France and Belgium. The cost of equipping and maintaining this formation would be borne by the Canadian government. To raise these squadrons, it was proposed that a survey be conducted of current RAF squadrons to determine which squadrons were at 60 to 80 percent Canadian aircrew. From these squadrons eight would be selected for Canadian service. Unfortunately, the RAF and the British Air Ministry felt that this would unnecessarily disrupt the fighting ability of these units and the entire field force. In addition, it was pointed out that these units might have a large percentage of Canadian aircrew, but there were very few Canadian ground crew. Thus it was decided to train the required ground crew first before any Canadian squadrons could be formed.

On 5 August 1918 the Air Ministry authorized the formation of two Canadian squadrons, one a fighter squadron and the other a bomber squadron. On 22 August 1918 a CAF detachment was formed at the school of Technical Training at Halton, England, to train the required ground crew for these two Canadian squadrons. On 19 September 1918 the Canadian Privy Council approved the formation of the CAF in England, comprised of two squadrons and a CAF Directorate of Air Services. This directorate was a branch of the General Staff of the Overseas Military Forces of Canada, and Lieutenant-Colonel William Avery Bishop became the first commander of the CAF in England.

On 20 November 1918, nine days after the signing of the armistice, No. 1 Squadron (fighter) was formed at Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England; it was followed on 25 November 1918 by No. 2 (day bombing) Squadron also at Upper Heyford. To administer these two squadrons, No. 1 Wing CAF was formed on 25 March 1919. However No. 1 Wing did not assume their duties until 1 April after the two squadrons had moved south to Shoreham-by-Sea.

The Canadian government decided not to retain a permanent peace-time air force and orders were sent to cease flying and to package up all aircraft and equipment for shipment to Canada. No 1 Squadron was disbanded on 28 January 1920 and No 2 Squadron and the Wing disbanded on 5 February 1920. The directorate of Air Services was finally disbanded on 5 August 1920. Thus ended Canada's second attempt at creating a national air force.

Royal Canadian Naval Air Service

Because of the importance of Halifax to the war effort and the threat posed by German submarines, the British Admiralty suggested the establishment of two air stations on the east coast; one at the Eastern Passage (Dartmouth) and one at Sydney, both in Nova Scotia. However, the Admiralty expressed regret that they could not provide any assistance in this endeavor and suggested that Canada create her own air service. Initially the Americans rendered assistance by providing two flying boats to patrol the area around Halifax and the Bedford Basin. On 5 September 1918 the Royal Canadian Naval Air Service was approved by the Canadian government. Personnel were to be trained on lighter-than-air airships (dirigibles) and heavier-than-air airships (aircraft). By the signing of the armistice, the RCNAS had 81 cadets of whom 60 were under going training in the United States, with 13 in the United Kingdom and eight in Canada awaiting training. Additionally, six coxswains had enlisted for airship duties and were serving in the United Kingdom.

On 5 December 1918 the RCNAS was disbanded and all the cadets and coxswains were demobilized.

Canadian Air Force 1920-23

18 February 1920 saw the second Canadian Air Force authorized by the Privy Council. This home-based CAF was formed as a part of the Air Board (this Air Board consisted of three branches: Civil Aviation Branch, Civil Operations Branch and the Canadian Air Force), and was authorized to appoint six officers and men with temporary rank. This new CAF was a non-permanent organization to provide biennial 28-day refresher training to former officers and airmen of the wartime Royal Air Force. On 31 August 1920 a CAF association was established, with branches in all provinces to maintain a roster and select personnel for training. The programme started at Camp Borden, using the installations erected by the RAF in Canada for their wartime training. The aircraft and other equipment that had been donated by the British and Americans was used for training. By the end of 1922, when refresher training was suspended, 550 officers and 1,271 airmen had completed the course.

While the CAF was a non-permanent force, it did not embody any units and its primary mission was to provide service training. Many of its members were seconded to the Air Board for its Civil Operations Branch. One Air Board operation that deserves mention was the trans-Canada flight of 1920. The Civil Operations Branch of the Air Board flew relays of their branch personnel as well as CAF aircraft and crews from Halifax to Vancouver in ten days; total flying time was only 49 hours and seven minutes. The Air Board took an early interest in Northern Canada and during the summer of 1922 sent Squadron Leader R.A. Logan, CAF, on a flying expedition of the Canadian Arctic with the Department of the Interior. By 1922 it was apparent that a non-permanent establishment was not what was required in a country the size of Canada and a reorganization of the Air Board was undertaken. The final step to this reorganization was the combining of the Civil Operations Branch and the Canadian Air Force to create a new air force.

The Royal Canadian Air Force

The reorganization of the Canadian Air Board and the Canadian Air Force was completed on 1 April 1924, and the "Royal" prefix was granted by the Crown and added to the CAF. Thus, Canada's fifth attempt at creating an air force finally met with success. The Royal Canadian Air Force was originally made up of three branches: a Permanent Active Air Force, a Non-permanent Active Air Force and a Reserve Air Force. The original establishment for the RCAF was set at 62 officers and 262 airmen. This early RCAF was unique amongst world air forces as the majority of its work was non-military in nature. It performed the duties that today are often performed by civil agencies: photo-survey, casualty evacuation, air mail delivery, fisheries and border patrol, utility transport for government officials, etc. The RCAF assumed control of the original six stations of the Civil Operations Branch of the Air Board at Camp Borden, Winnipeg, Vancouver, High River (Alta), Ottawa and Dartmouth, and the headquarters was established in Ottawa. By 1927 there was strong opposition to the military performing these civil operations. Therefore, the Directorate of Civil Government Air Operations was created to administer and control all air operations carried out by state aircraft, except for exclusively military operations. DCGAO was supposed to be a civilian organization, but in reality it was commanded, administered and staffed by RCAF personnel who were seconded to or attached to this new directorate. By 1927-28 the RCAF had been reduced to two air stations (Camp Borden and Vancouver) and a headquarters, the other stations being transferred to DCGAO. As money was scarce and DCGAO had assumed most of the flying operations in Canada, this RCAF organization was essentially a paper force. The RCAF was essentially training personnel for DCGAO.

In 1932, after seeing gradual growth, the RCAF was slashed by one-fifth, releasing 78 officers and 100 airmen because of the world wide depression at the time. This left the total strength at 103 officers and 591 airmen. For three years the RCAF was barely able to survive, but in 1935 the situation began to gradually improve. This time period also heralded a major change to the concept of operations. For years the RCAF had been engrossed in civil aviation; now it was about to become a military air force.

On 1 November 1936 the Department of Transport was created, and this relieved the burden of civil aviation from the RCAF. The RCAF returned to many of the air stations that had been civil in nature for so many years and formed military type squadrons (bomber, fighter and torpedo). In addition, RCAF Station Trenton, Ontario, was constructed at this time. As the RCAF saw real expansion, it was realized that the infrastructure to control this vast organization was stretched to its limit and it was time to decentralize. Four new regional commands were set up to report to RCAF HQ in Ottawa. These new commands were:

	Eastern Air Command in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with operational command of all units in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick (Newfoundland was still a British colony at the time)
	Central Air Command in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with operational command of all units in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and northern Ontario
	Western Air Command in Vancouver, British Columbia, with operational command of units in British Columbia, and Alberta, and
	Air Training Command in Toronto, Ontario, with control of all basic aircrew and groundcrew training and responsibility for Camp Borden and Trenton

RCAF HQ in Ottawa exercised command over all units in Ontario (except the north west) and Quebec. With the growing concern over a conflict in Europe, funding now became available for expansion and as a result of its reorganization, the RCAF was fairly well prepared for the coming war. As of 19 December 1938, the RCAF no longer reported to the army Chief of the General Staff. They now had their own chief, the Chief of the Air Staff, who reported directly to the Minister of National Defence.

Although the Non-permanent Active Air Force (Auxiliary Air Force) was authorized in 1924, it was not until 1932 that it became a reality. Three squadrons were formed that year: No. 10 Sqn Toronto, No. 11 Sqn Vancouver and No. 12 Sqn Winnipeg. In 1934 two more squadrons were formed: Nos. 15 and 18 Sqns Montreal. In 1935 two more squadrons were formed: No. 19 Sqn Hamilton and No. 20 Sqn Regina. On 15 November 1937 to facilitate expansion in the Permanent Force, the Non-permanent Force squadrons were all re-numbered to the 100 block of designators, i.e. No. 10 Sqn became No. 110 Sqn. In 1938 the last three Non-permanent Force squadrons were formed: No. 114 Sqn London, No. 116 Sqn Halifax and No. 117 Sqn St John, N.B. In September 1939, when the RCAF mobilized, the Non-permanent Force represented about one-third of the total air force strength.

The Second World War

From the modest force at the out break of World War Two, the RCAF grew to be the fourth largest air force in the world. On the eve of the outbreak of World War Two, the RCAF had twenty squadrons on strength (eight Permanent Force and twelve Non-permanent Force) with authority to form three more Permanent Force squadrons. These squadrons had a total of 270 aircraft of twenty different types; of these only 124 could be termed operational service types and then only twenty-nine could be deemed first-line equipment (nineteen Hurricanes and ten Battle Bombers).

From this start the RCAF expanded into three major elements: the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, the Home War Establishment, and the Overseas War Establishment with elements in Western Europe, Mediterranean and the Far East.

The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP)

On 10 October 1939 it was announced that Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom had agreed in principle to a combined and co-coordinated training plan based in Canada, similar to the World War One plan. Aircrew training would be conducted far from the battle zone. On 17 December 1939 the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan agreement was signed; Canada would be turned into a giant training mill.

Under the BCATP agreement the RCAF would administer 40,000 trained personnel and instruct (and provide groundcrew for) 20,000 aircrew annually in 74 training schools. At the time the RCAF had only 4,061 officers and airmen (including the Non-permanent Force) and had only trained 45 pilots in 1939. The BCATP was to become a major undertaking as the first schools were to be open by 29 April 1940, a mere four months away.

To meet the demand, the RCAF called upon the seventeen civilian flying schools in Canada to provide the elementary flying training for the plan and a group of commercial and bush pilots were assembled to train observers. The Department of Transport assumed the responsibility for selecting suitable sites and for contracts for the construction of these stations. The first schools were opened as planned on 29 April 1940 and training began. By the end of September 1941, seven months ahead of schedule, all but three schools were opened. The first students from the plan were not expected to graduate until early 1941, but because accelerated training was possible in Canada, on 27 October 1941 the first 39 graduate pilots passed out of Camp Borden, followed by the first observers from Trenton and the first air gunners from Jarvis.

The plan was expanded in June 1942 to include 67 training schools (including 21 double schools, stations that had two schools) and ten specialist schools. The RCAF was still responsible for the administration of an additional 27 RAF schools in Canada. By the close of 1943, the BCATP had reached its peak with four training commands, operating 97 schools and 184 ancillary units on 231 sites. It was now graduating an average of 3,000 students a month.

The programme was so successful that on 16 February 1944 the signatories agreed to begin a gradual reduction in the plan. Because of a backlog of trained aircrew the RCAF in June 1944 ceased recruiting aircrew and by October the closure of schools was stepped up. As an example of the excessive number of aircrews, during 1944 and 1945, it was common practice for aircrew to receive an Army commando course prior to proceeding overseas and as a result of a shortage of flight engineers, a second pilot (pilots were in short supply as late as 1943) with flight engineers training was supplied. On 31 March 1945 the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan came to an end having produced 49,707 pilots, 29,963 various navigators, 15,673 air bombers, 18,696 wireless operator/air gunners, 15,700 air gunners and 1913 flight engineers. The grand total trained aircrew from the BCATP was 131,552. The BCATP was credited for being a major contributing factor to winning air superiority in Europe.

Home War Establishment

When the war began in 1939, the RCAF had two operational commands (Eastern and Western Command) and seven understrength squadrons equipped with a variety of obsolete aircraft. Because of the importance placed on the sea link between Canada and the United Kingdom, Eastern Air Command was given top priority for re-equipping and up-grading. When Japan entered the war in December 1941, the priority was reversed and the Western Air Command became top priority.

Because of the nature of Canadian geography, poor communications, lack of infrastructure and the isolation of many RCAF stations, command and control became very difficult. This necessitated the requirement for the creation of a smaller sub-headquarters. These became groups; odd numbered groups were designated for Eastern Air Command and even numbered groups were designated for Western Air Command.

In November 1943, the Home War Establishment reached its peak with 37 operational squadrons: 19 in Eastern Air Command and 18 in Western Air Command. Eastern Air Command's primary concern was the eastern sea approaches and the U-boat threat. As the war effort would depend largely on the ability of the allies to ship the required supplies from North America to the U.K. or to other theatres, the North Atlantic was an essential roadway/seaway to victory. Eastern Air Command based their planning on this premise and accordingly equipped the bomber-reconnaissance squadrons with Hudson, Bolingbrooke and Catalina aircraft and later with Liberators. During the early stages of the Battle of the Atlantic, Eastern Air Command had to be satisfied with patrols and escort out to several hundred miles over the Atlantic; it was not until 1944 when they were able to fly patrols and escort convoys across the Atlantic. Their primary targets were the German U-boats that were attacking allied shipping; some were actually venturing into the Gulf of St. Lawrence to sink vessels. The most critical period was from early 1942 to mid-1943 when submarine activity reached its peak. Although aircraft from Eastern Air Command had only six confirmed U-boat kills, this cannot be the sole measure of the contribution of the command. Because of the patrols flown, the U-boats were always on their guard. Therefore, many opportunities were lost that otherwise would have been taken and many more allied ships would have gone down; this in itself might have jeopardized the war effort and delayed victory.

In contrast, the Western Air Command generally was a quieter area. The first eighteen months of the war were spent flying patrols and identifying boats. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, things changed rapidly. Because of the seriousness of the situation and the lack of reinforcements in Alaska, Canada agreed to assist in the defence of Alaska. In May 1942, two squadrons were sent to Prince Rupert to defend this important seaport. In June 1942 a second formation was sent to Anchorage Alaska to assist in the defence of Alaska. After the Japanese forces landed on Kiska Island in the Aleutian chain, this formation started flying offensive operations against the Japanese. On one of these missions S/L K.A. Boomer became the only member of a home unit to score a confirmed victory against an enemy aircraft. With the total withdrawal of the Japanese forces in the summer of 1943, the Canadian squadrons moved back south to British Columbia.

RCAF Overseas

When the war began, the Royal Canadian Air Force was represented in England by a small liaison staff in London and various personnel attending training courses. As early as 1939, senior RCAF officers were pressing for the formation of overseas units, and in November the Chief of the Air Staff wrote a memorandum to the Minister of National Defence stating it was essential that the RCAF take more affirmative action in the war effort in addition to the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. His proposal was to establish an overseas command to operate under RAF headquarters; the command would operate two major air groups in England, a bomber group, and a fighter group, each containing three wings of two squadrons.

This proposal, when presented to the British Air Ministry, was received with mixed emotion. The bomber group was well received, but because of the organizational make-up of the U.K. (it was divided into RAF Fighter Command defence sectors with an associated air group assigned), the fighter group was not supported. However, Canadian fighter squadrons were welcome to come over and become an integral part of the RAF fighter team. Under an amendment to the BCATP agreement signed on 17 December 1939 and a supplemental agreement (7 January 1940), it was agreed that the RCAF would form 25 overseas squadrons in the U.K.

The first RCAF squadrons overseas were Nos. 1, 110 and 112 Squadrons. Of these, No 1 was a fighter squadron and Nos. 110 and 112 were army co-operation. The two army co-operation squadrons were to support the 1st Canadian Division in France, but by the time they arrived in England the Canadian Army had returned to England after a failed excursion to France to support the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), then evacuating from Dunkirk.

Because of the large number of Dominion squadrons that were expected to form-up in the U.K., there was a great potential for mass confusion; imagine having command of five squadrons, all numbered No 1, RAF, RCAF, RAAF (Australia), SAAF (South Africa) and RNZAF (New Zealand). To alleviate this confusion, the British Air Ministry assigned blocks of squadron numbers to the Dominions: 400-445 to Canada, 450-467 to Australia and 485-490 to New Zealand. The original three RCAF squadrons were then renumbered: No. 1 became No. 401 Sqn, No. 110 Sqn became No. 400 Sqn and No. 112 Sqn became No. 402 Sqn. Eventually, the RCAF had 44 of the "400 block" squadrons, along with three Army Observation Post squadrons (Nos. 664,665 and 666 Sqns) and one Home Defence Establishment squadron (No. 162 Sqn on detachment from Eastern Air Command), for a total of 48 squadrons serving overseas. These squadrons served on all fronts and in all theatres, and consisted of 15 bomber squadrons, 11 day fighter squadrons, three fighter bomber squadrons, three fighter reconnaissance squadrons, three night fighter squadrons, one intruder squadron, six coastal patrol squadrons, three transport squadrons and three army co-operation (AOP) squadrons.

When the first RCAF squadrons arrived overseas, it was a bleak period on the continent. The Battle of France was just about over and the Battle of Britain was about to begin. No. 1 (401) Sqn RCAF was equipped with Hurricanes, its pilots commenced an intensive training period and by August 1940 were participating in the Battle of Britain. In addition, because of the number of Canadians serving with or seconded to the RAF, the RAF converted one of their squadrons to a Canadian unit: No. 242 (Canadian) Sqn, commanded by S/L J.E. Johnson, RAF. These two squadrons gave a good account of themselves during the battle; No. 242 Sqn scored 68 1/2 confirmed victories and No. 401 Sqn scored 28 1/2 confirmed victories. However, our participation in fighter operations did not terminate at the end of the Battle of Britain; they continued throughout the war. The RCAF formed night fighter (Nos. 406, 409 and 410) squadrons and an intruder (No. 418) squadron. These squadrons were operational in the summer of 1941 and were patrolling/prowling the night skies with great effect; night fighters patrolled the skies around the U.K. using ground controllers and airborne radar to intercept incoming bombers, while intruders prowled around German airfields at night waiting for returning German bombers or night fighters. After the allied invasion in June 1944, these night squadrons continued their nocturnal work on the continent; and when the German "Buzz Bombs" started arriving in England (unwelcome that they were), two of the night fighter squadrons turned their efforts against this new threat. By war's end, No. 409 Sqn was credited with 10 V-1 "Buzz-Bombs" and No. 418 Sqn had 77 kills over the English Channel credited to them and another five over England.

Prior to the war, the doctrine of the RAF did not include the concept of close support to land operations, but was strictly strategic in orientation (the RAF would bomb the bridges and factories while the army took care of the front line). After the lessons learned from the German war machine in their Battle of France, this doctrine was re-thought and army co-operation squadrons were formed. Initially these squadrons were equipped for light liaison duties (artillery spotting similar to WW1 and light transport). With the experience of the German Stuka still fresh in their memories, these squadrons were soon taking up a more active role in army co-operation; photo-reconnaissance, sweep "rhubarbs", escort and close air support were now missions for army co-operation squadrons. When the RCAF started participating in this new form of warfare, the units were posted to Army Co-operation Command. After 6 June 1944, Army Co-operation Command was disbanded and the Second Tactical Air Force was landed on the continent. Canada and RCAF Headquarters Overseas had envisioned providing all of the required air support for the First Canadian Army on the continent, but this undertaking would have totally drained the RCAF's resources overseas, and with their commitments to Coastal Command and Bomber Command to think about, a compromise was reached. The RCAF would provide units for the Second Tactical Air Force in the hopes they eventually would form an all Canadian (Composite) Group. This did not materialize, but the Canadian squadrons in 2 TAF were assigned to No. 83 (Composite) Group and this group was assigned to the First Canadian Army.

As previously stated, Canada had volunteered to form bomber squadrons in the U.K. to be a part of Bomber Command. These squadrons were originally paid (Canadian rates of pay) and equipped by the British Air Ministry. The first Canadian bomber squadrons were formed in late 1941 and were a part of No. 4 Group RAF in Yorkshire. By late 1942, with five bomber squadrons operational and six more on the way, plans went ahead to create No. 6 (RCAF) Group. On 1 January 1943 No. 6 Group assumed operational command of the RCAF bomber squadrons overseas. This group eventually operated 14 squadrons on eight different stations. On 1 April 1943, the Canadian government assumed the responsibility for pay and equipment for her overseas bomber force. Throughout the entire bombing offensive, the bomber organization was highly centralized and controlled by Bomber Command Headquarters. At the time, the groups were responsible for ensuring the crews were briefed according to Bomber Command's instructions (routes to and from the targets, altitudes, numbers of aircraft and bomb load), while the stations provided the domestic support and the squadrons provided administration and aircraft maintenance only. However, this changed in March 1943, when Bomber command reorganized into the Bomber Operational Base System; this system brought several small bases under one station commander and it centralized the administration and maintenance on this new large station. This reorganization reduced squadrons to the aircrew and basic servicing capabilities only (gas, oil, starts and parks). From the start, the Canadians in Bomber Command and later in No. 6 (RCAF) Group suffered under the operational work load placed upon them from Bomber Command and the lack of operational experience within their ranks; many losses were heartfelt during this time and moral suffered. However, as experience grew and equipment improved, the losses dropped and there was a corresponding increase in morale. By war's end No. 6 (RCAF) Group had a most enviable record of successes.

As previously stated, the RCAF Overseas contributed many units and personnel directly to the war effort in Europe. These were not the only contributions made by Canada or Canadians overseas. In addition to the combat squadrons supplied to the various RAF Commands, the RCAF also established transport squadrons outside Canada. In the late summer of 1944, No. 437 Squadron was established as a part of Transport Command and almost immediately participated in the airborne assault on Arnheim with their Dakota aircraft. They provided glider-tow and airborne re-supply services for the airborne landings at Arnheim. After this operation they continued to provide transport services to the armies on the continent: bringing supplies in and casualties out. The RCAF also provided two other transport squadrons (Nos. 435 and 436) in the South East Asian Theatre of operations. These squadrons were formed in India and provided vital services to the British 14th Army in India and Burma. After the cessation of hostilities, the three transport squadrons were consolidated in England and flew supplies, mail and personnel to the Canadian occupation forces in Germany.

While the Home Defence Establishment was providing coastal patrols on the Canadian side of the Atlantic, there were Canadian squadrons flying the same missions from the United Kingdom. Eventually this establishment (Canada's contribution to Coastal Command's effort) would reach six squadrons with another on detachment from the Home War Establishment for a total seven. Their mission was protecting the vital North Atlantic sealanes by patrolling for U-boats and surface raiders. In addition, Canada also supplied one coastal patrol squadron for the South East Asian theatre. Shortly after their arrival in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), a member of No. 413 Sqn (S/L L.J. Birchall) discovered the Japanese invasion fleet which was headed for Ceylon. Because of this warning, the island's defences were alerted and the fleet was driven off, thus starting the great Japanese reversal in the Pacific.

Although the RCAF contributed 48 overseas squadrons to the war effort, the actual contribution by Canada was far greater. Of the RCAF personnel who served overseas, only about 40 percent actually served on Canadian squadrons, the remaining 60 percent served in RAF units. In addition to this, many Canadians joined the RAF before the RCAF was recruiting people (George Beurling originally joined the RAF before he transferred to the RCAF). During the defence of Malta, it was estimated that one in every four pilots who flew a mission was a Canadian. The RCAF officially has only two Victoria Cross winners (P/O A.C. Mynarski and F/L D.E. Hornell) and four George Cross winners, but there were a total of four Victoria Crosses (S/L I.W. Bazalgette, RAF, and Lt(N) R.H. Gray, RCNVR) and five George Crosses were won by Canadian airmen. The actions of these gentlemen will be described later.

For a country the size of Canada with a population of only 16 million, it was quite an impressive contribution: 249,662 personnel served with the RCAF during the war, of whom a total of 93,844 served overseas. 17,100 people lost their lives of which 14,544 occurred overseas.

Canada's Air Victoria Crosses of World War Two

	Flight Lieutenant David Ernest Hornell was born in Mimico (Toronto), Ontario. He enlisted in the RCAF in the fall of 1939 and flew Canso flying boats in the coastal patrol mission. On 24 June 1944, he and his crew sighted a fully surfaced U-boat traveling at high speed. F/L Hornell immediately turned to the attack. But the aircraft had been spotted by the U-boat crew and a fierce battle ensued. The U-boat fired its anti-aircraft gun and the Canso responded with its machine guns; both the U-boat and the aircraft were hit. Despite the damage to the aircraft F/L Hornell pressed home the attack, receiving more damage from the U-boat's fire, but the attack run was successful and the U-boat was seen to rise out of the water and sink. The damage to the Canso was such that the starboard engine was on fire (the burning engine eventually fell off) and a crash landing was deemed necessary. With a super human effort F/L Hornell was able to ditch the aircraft in a heavy sea. With the aircraft on fire and in danger of an imminent explosion, only one serviceable dinghy was available to the crew. This one dinghy was incapable of holding the entire crew, so they took turns in the cold north Atlantic. Throughout the night this went on; the nightmare continued when the dinghy capsized in the middle of the night. By morning two of the crew had succumbed to exposure and the rest were completely exhausted when rescue appeared on the horizon. The aircraft dropped a lifeboat, but unfortunately it landed 500 yards down wind. F/L Hornell, despite his exhaustion, had to be physically restrained to prevent him from swimming for the lifeboat. Eventually, after twenty-one hours in the North Atlantic F/L Hornell and his crew were rescued, but blinded and completely exhausted F/L Hornell died shortly after rescue. During the entire ordeal F/L Hornell displayed valour and devotion of the highest order in terms of his skill in the attack, his disregard for his own personal safety and his indomitable leadership qualities.
	Squadron Leader Ian Willoughby Bazalgette, Royal Air Force, was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and was working in England when the war broke out. He initially received a commission in the artillery before he transferred to the Royal Air Force for pilot training. On 4 August 1944, S/L Bazalgette was acting as the "master-bomber" of a pathfinder squadron detailed to mark an important target at Trossy St. Maximim for a large bomber force. In a Lancaster on his attack run S/L Bazalgette came under intense anti-aircraft fire. This fire put out both starboard engines and started numerous fires. Knowing that the deputy "master-bomber" had already been shot down, his attack had to be effective. Despite the appalling conditions of his aircraft, S/L Bazalgette pressed on gallantly to the target, bombing and marking it successfully. When the bombs were released, the aircraft dived uncontrollably. Through superior airmanship, S/L Bazalgette recovered the aircraft allowing most of the crew to parachute to safety. Knowing that there were still injured crew onboard, S/L Bazalgette attempted the near impossible task of landing a badly crippled aircraft. Unfortunately the aircraft exploded after landing and he and the two remaining crew died. His courage and devotion were beyond praise.
	Pilot Officer Andrew Charles Mynarski was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and joined the RCAF in November of 1941. Upon completion of his training as an air gunner, he joined a bomber squadron in December 1942. On 12 June 1944, P/O Mynarski was the mid-upper gunner of a Lancaster that was detailed to bomb a target at Cambrai, France. The aircraft was attacked from below by a German night fighter. As an immediate result of the attack, both port engines failed, fire broke out on the port wing and in the aft section between the mid-upper turret and the tail gunner. The crew were ordered to abandon the aircraft. P/O Mynarski left his mid-upper turret and proceeded to the escape hatch when he saw that the rear gunner was still in his turret and was having problems trying to leave it. Disregarding his own personal safety, P/O Mynarski proceeded to the rear to assist his tail gunner. While proceeding through the flames his parachute and clothing caught on fire. Despite his attempts to free the tail gunner, it was to no avail and P/O Mynarski had to abandon his attempts. Reluctantly, P/O Mynarski left the tail gunner and proceeded back through the flames to the escape hatch where, as a last gesture, he saluted the tail gunner before he jumping from the aircraft. His descent was watched by some French farmers as his parachute and clothing were still on fire. He was eventually found by the French, but he was so severely burned that he died shortly after. Miraculously, the tail gunner escaped from the aircraft after it crashed and reported the events surrounding P/O Mynarski's death. For this conspicuous act of unselfish heroism and for valour of the highest order P/O Mynarski was awarded the Victoria Cross.
	Lieutenant Robert Hampton "Hammy" Gray, Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve, was born in Trail, British Columbia. He joined the RCNVR Fleet Air Arm in 1940. On 9 August 1945 Lt(N) Gray flew off the carrier "Formidable" to lead an attack on Japanese shipping in Onagawa Wan (Bay) on the island of Honshu, mainland Japan. At Onagawa Bay his flight found a number of Japanese ships and dived to the attack. Furious fire was encountered from the army batteries on the ground and from the warships in the bay. Lt(N) Gray selected for his target an enemy destroyer and pressed home the attack oblivious to the concentrated fire. His aircraft was hit several times and eventually caught fire, but he still pressed the attack. When he was within 50 feet of his target he released his bombs and scored at least one hit. His target sank almost immediately. Unfortunately, Lt(N) Gray was unable to recover his aircraft and he crashed into Onagawa Bay, giving his life after a fearless bombing run.

The RCAF's George Cross winners were:

	LAC K.M. Gravell, a wireless operator/ air gunner: On 10 November 1941 LAC Gravell died while trying to rescue his pilot after the Tiger Moth they were flying in crashed and burned.
	Air Commodore A.D. Ross: On the night of 27/28 June 1944, while the Commander of 62 Operational RCAF Base, he rescued the pilot from a crashed 425 Sqn Halifax. The aircraft exploded on his return to rescue the tail gunner and Ross was injured. He subsequently lost his left hand.
	LAC K.G. Spooner, a navigator student: On 14 May 1943 took control of an Anson aircraft after the pilot was incapacitated. This action allowed the other crewmembers to bail out. Unfortunately, LAC Spooner lost control of the aircraft and died in the crash.
	F/O R.B. Gray, navigator. On the night of 26/27 August 1944 the Wellington aircraft that F/O Gray was navigator in was shot down by a U-boat. F/O Gray aided the other three survivors, but died in the water.
	AC1 E.R.C. Frost, was serving with the RAF at the time of award. In addition, the original award he received was the medal of the Military Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, for Bravery and under the original warrant for the George Cross, his medal was eligible for conversion to the George Cross. His citation read:

�AC1 E.R.C. Frost displayed great courage in effecting the rescue of an unconscious pilot from a burning aircraft which resulted from a collision in which two Blenheim were involved while taking off. Not knowing that the pilot was the sole occupant, AC1 Frost entered the rear cockpit to rescue the wireless operator. Satisfying himself that no one was there he climbed out and ran to the front. There, working with another person, they extricated the pilot from the burning aircraft. Unfortunately the pilot died later.�

"Tiger Force" Pacific

From the earliest days of World War Two, the primary goals were victory in Europe, phase one, and defeat of Japan, phase two. By late 1944 an Allied victory in Europe was assured and planning for phase two was implemented.

On 20 October 1944 a very large bomber force was proposed. This force was code named "Tiger Force". It was to consist of three bomber groups: one RAF, one RCAF and one a composite of RAF, RAAF, RNZAF and SAAF squadrons. Each group would consist of 22 bomber, fighter and transport squadrons. The Canadian group was to be based upon 6 Group. Later the bomber strength of these groups was reduced from twelve squadrons to ten and finally to eight.

On 8 May 1945, when Germany surrendered, the plans for the creation of "Tiger Force" were stepped up. The RCAF squadrons selected for the "Tiger Force" were converted to the Canadian built Lancaster X which the crews ferried back to Canada. The training stations were RCAF Station Debert, N.S., RCAF Station Greenwood, N.S., RCAF Station Dartmouth, N.S., and RCAF Station Yarmouth, N.S. However, before these squadrons could commence training, the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima (6 August 1945) and Nagasaki (9 August 1945) and Japan surrendered (14 August 1945). The RCAF "Tiger Force" was ordered to cease flying on 6 September 1945 and was then disbanded.

WW2 Commonwealth Awards to Members of the RCAF

The RCAF earned a great deal of respect from the allies during WW II. This is displayed in the number of Commonwealth awards to members of the RCAF:

Victoria Cross (VC) 2

George Cross (GC) 4

Distinguished Service Order (DSO) 73

Bar to the DSO 6

Military Cross (MC) 5

Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) 4,017

Bar to the DFC 218

Air Force Cross (AFC) 427

Bar to the AFC 1

Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) 1

Distinguished Gallantry Medal (Flying) 12

George Medal (GM) 20

Military Medal (MM) 1

Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) 515

Air Force Medal 42

Post-War Era

At the cessation of hostilities the RCAF had 164,846 all ranks (the peak was in 1944 with 215,200) serving; this was to be reduced to an authorized strength of 16,000 all ranks. This demobilization was to take place over a two year period. On 6 February 1946 the Cabinet approved a Peacetime RCAF of four components: a Regular Force, an Auxiliary, a Reserve and the Royal Canadian Air Cadets (the RCAC was established during the war to provide basic military training to Canadian youth, so that training cost could be reduced when they joined the regular force). On 30 September 1947, when this organization came into affect, the RCAF was stood down from "Active Service".

The post-war Regular Force RCAF was not all that different from the pre-war RCAF. Eight squadrons were authorized, but only five stood-up. These were to form the professional nucleus of the air force. Their primary tasks were again: aerial photography, air transport and communications (utility). A new task that the RCAF assumed was search and rescue. In addition, Air Force Headquarters decided that the squadrons that did stand-up would be from the "400 Overseas" block of squadrons.

By 1947 the post-war world was not the utopia that everybody had hoped for. The relationship between the democratic dominated western nations and the communist eastern bloc were cooling very rapidly. So, after the post-war rush to demobilize, there came a new resurgence of the RCAF. The Department of National Defence (DND) announced in mid-January 1947 that the services would be built up. In late September 1948, the first post-war pilot course commenced (the first course since 1944).

From a post-war low of 11,569 officers and airmen in December 1947, the RCAF commenced a steady growth until January 1955 when a ceiling of 51,000 officers and airmen was authorized (this was a first as the RCAF was now larger than the army's 47,000). The post-war RCAF peaked in the mid-50s with 29 regular force squadrons and twelve auxiliary squadrons. This continued until 1962 when the CF-100 squadrons were withdrawn without replacement.

The post-war infrastructure changed dramatically. Initially Canada was divided into two geographic commands: Central Air Command, located in Trenton, with No. 10 Group in Halifax and North Western Air Command, located in Edmonton, with No. 11 Group in Winnipeg and No. 12 Group in Vancouver. At this time while the regular force was trying to settle into their post-war organization, the auxiliary air force (now primary reserves) was being re-established. In April 1946 the auxiliary air force was authorized an establishment of 4500 officers and airmen and 15 squadrons. The auxiliary air force's role was air defence; this role they kept until 1958.

With the expansion of the RCAF came a corresponding increase in the infrastructure. Beginning in 1948, the RCAF began to structure their commands along operational commands vice regional commands, No. 9 Transport Group became Air Transport Command and No.1 Air Defence Group was formed. In 1949 Maintenance Command became Air Material Command and Central Command became Training Command. Additionally in 1949, Nos. 10 and 11 Groups became Maritime and Tactical Group respectively. In the early 50s, with world tension increasing, expansion continued, No.1 Air Division in Europe, No. 5 Air Division (formerly No. 12 Group) and No. 14 (Training) Group were formed, while other groups were elevated to command status: Air Defence Command, Maritime Air Command and Tactical Air Command.

Air Transport Command

Since the earliest days of aviation in Canada, air transport has played an important role. The Canadian Air Force and then the RCAF have always been involved in this aspect of opening up Canada's vast interior.

During World War Two, air transport played a vital role in the support of the allied efforts in Europe. Large quantities of supplies were flown over to the United Kingdom. In addition to freight, the ferrying of aircraft to Europe came under the umbrella of Air Transport and a western terminus for the ferry service was constructed at Goose Bay.

In the immediate post-war years air transport, including aerial photography of the north, was a major role that the RCAF was tasked with. No. 9 (Transport) Group was formed to meet all of the transport requirements of the RCAF. As the RCAF expanded in the late 40s, so did No. 9 (Transport) Group until 1 April 1948 when Air Transport Command was established headquartered in Rockcliffe. The headquarters moved to Lachine, Quebec, in August 1951 and later to Trenton, Ontario, in September 1959. This command continued through unification until 2 September 1975, when Air Command was formed and Air Transport Command became Air Transport Group.

Throughout its long service Air Transport Command/Group has provided Canada with her primary Search and Rescue and with her strategic airlift capabilities. Some of the major operations that Air Transport Command has participated in have been Korea, support to No. 1 Air Division in Europe, UN operations (including Suez crisis 1956, Gaza 1956-67, Belgian Congo 1960, New Guinea and Yemen 1962, Cyprus and India-Pakistan 1964, Kashmir 1971, Egypt 1974, Golan Heights 1973 , Persian Gulf 1991, etc), Mercy operations (1960 earthquakes in Morocco and Chile, 1961 forest fires in Brazil, 1970 earthquake in Peru, 1973 drought in sub-Sahara Africa, 1979 uprising in Iran and Vietnamese boat-people, etc) and northern resupply. Air Transport Group continued to live up to their motto of "Versatile and Ready".

Air Defence Command

The original post-war concept called for air defence to be the responsibility of the auxiliary squadrons. These squadrons, augmented by auxiliary mobile radar squadrons, were equipped with Vampire jet interceptors or Mustang fighters and later with Sabre Mk 5s; no regular force units were involved in air defence. However, with the deteriorating international situation of the late 40s, Canada decided to equip regular force squadrons for air defence. In December 1948, No. 1 Air Defence Group was created in Ottawa, Ontario. In November of 1949 the headquarters moved to St Hubert, Quebec. The Group became Air Defence Command in June 1951 and was integrated into North American Air Defence Command (NORAD) in September 1957. The Command finally moved to North Bay, Ontario, in August 1966. In September 1975 Air Defence Group was formed as an operational group of Air Command and in 1984 Fighter Group was created and assumed the responsibility for all fighter operations within the Canadian Forces.

By 1955 Air Defence Command had reached its peak strength with nine Regular Force squadrons (flying CF-100s) and ten Auxiliary squadrons (flying Vampires and Mustangs). During this period, as radar warning lines were being erected across Canada, Canadian and American officials considered how best to optimize their defences. The concept of an international radar system gradually evolved into a single command structure and the North American Air Defence (NORAD) agreement was the final development. Canada had three radar warning lines, the Distant Early Warning (DEW) in the North West Territories, and the CADIN/ PINETREE and the Mid-Canada lines stretching across Canada at different latitudes. Under the NORAD agreement, there would be an American as the Commander in Chief with a Canadian as his deputy, and the backup NORAD command centre would be in Canada.

As equipment capabilities increased the requirement for numbers decreased, the nine CF-100 squadrons were replaced by five CF-101 squadrons (later three squadrons) and the combat control system was modernized with the Semi-Automatic Ground Environmental (SAGE) system, thus eliminating many of the manual control centres. During this time period, the auxiliary lost their air defence role and were re-equipped for light transport and liaison duties. Their mobile radars were disbanded. This trend has continued into the 1980's and 1990's with the Regional Operational Control Centre (ROCC) replacing SAGE, the North Warning System (NWS) replacing the DEW line, and the coastal radars replacing the remaining CADIN/PINETREE and Mid-Canada radars.

Fighter Group then became responsible for all fighter operations in the Canadian Forces and was prepared to deploy a wing of CF-18s to any region in the world. They continued to live up to the motto of Air Defence Group "Detegere et Destruere" (To Detect and To Destroy) with their own motto "Proponere et Posse" (Purpose and Power). In 1997, with the further re-organization of the Air Force, 1 Canadian Air Division assumed responsibility both for all fighter forces and for the Canadian NORAD Region air defence operations.

Maritime Air Command

The original RCAF plans did not include a plan for the defence of Canada's coasts; this was to be left to the Royal Canadian Navy. Therefore, only a small headquarters was set up in Halifax in April 1947 (No. 10 Group, Central Air Command). However, as the Soviet submarine fleet increased, the threat to the northern sealanes increased proportionately and the RCAF was required to augment the RCN. This increase in responsibility led to the formation of Maritime Group in April 1949 and finally Maritime Air Command in January 1951. Maritime Air Command was absorbed into the Canadian Forces Maritime Command in January 1966 and then was separated again as Maritime Air Group when Air Command was formed in September 1975.

On 1 April 1952 Maritime Group became an integral part of newly formed Allied Command Atlantic of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. In July 1952 its area of operations was increased to include the Pacific Coast. Over the years MG/MAC/MAG have patrolled both coasts and provided yeoman service with the detection of submarines to the RCN/Maritime Command and Allied Commanders in the Atlantic and the Pacific. Their motto was fittingly "Over the Seas".

No. 1 Air Division Europe

With the increasing tension between the east and the west in Europe after the Second World War, the European communities of the west started discussing a plan for a united defence. From these discussions came the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. No. 1 Air Division was formed as Canada's air contribution to NATO. It was to consist of four wings of day fighters. These wings were to be located on the continent and because of the damage to the established airfields, new airfields were to be constructed. Canada would deploy two wings to France (Marville and Grostenquin) and two wings to Germany (Zweibrucken and Furstenfeldbruck). Because these airfields would not be ready immediately, the first wing would initially go to England (North Luffenham) and the headquarters for No. 1 Air Division would be located in Metz, France. The RCAF's original concept for overseas service were tours of one year unaccompanied for married personnel and two years for single personnel. This changed by late 1953, when it was realized that many families were going to Europe with their spouses.

The first two squadrons of No. 1 Wing crossed the Atlantic onboard the HMCS Magnificent (an RCN aircraft carrier) in November 1951. Upon their arrival in England they deployed to RAF North Luffenham, were they stayed until Marville was ready for occupation in March 1955. The third squadron of No. 1 Wing flew across the Atlantic in operation Leapfrog I, flying to Labrador, Greenland, Iceland, Scotland and to England. As the remaining wings were formed in Canada, their new homes on the continent were being completed.

Leapfrog II in October 1952, saw all three squadrons of No. 2 Wing fly across the Atlantic to arrive at their new home at Grostenquin, France. Considered ready for occupation by the French, it was far from being ready by Canadian standards and life on the continent by these intrepid aviators was far from easy. Leapfrog III (April 1952) saw the three squadrons of No. 3 Wing fly across the Atlantic to their new home at Zweibrucken, Germany. In early 1952 it was realized that when No. 4 Wing was ready in Canada to fly across, their new home in Furstenfeldbruck would not be complete. The French Air Force offered Canada one of her deployment bases in Germany and alternate plans were devised. Therefore, in September 1952 (Leapfrog IV), No. 4 Wing arrived at their new base at Baden-Soellingen, Germany.

By 1955 NATO realized that there was a shortage of all weather interceptor capability and Canada responded by volunteering four CF-100 squadrons for service to NATO. Between October 1956 and August 1957, one Sabre squadron per wing was stood-down and replaced by a CF-100 squadron from Canada. In the fall of 1959, the Canadian government announced that starting in the fall of 1962 the Sabre squadrons of the Air Division would be re-equipped with CF-104 Starfighters and the CF-100 squadrons would be disbanded.

This new equipment brought a new role to the Air Division. Instead of the Day/All Weather interceptor role, the Canadian Squadrons would now be involved with nuclear strike and reconnaissance. However, during 1964 the cold winds of change were blowing and the French government announced that all nuclear weapons located on French soil would fall under French control. Therefore, in late 1964 after being recently re-equipped with the CF-104, No. 2 Wing sent their two squadrons to the two wings in Germany and closed their doors at Grostenquin. The other wing in France (No. 1 Wing Marville) converted to strictly reconnaissance, and the communications flight (103 KU) for the Air Divisions moved to Marville from Grostenquin. In March 1966, the French government announced the withdrawal of their military forces from NATO and the NATO forces stationed in France must leave (or fall under French command). New quarters were found for No. 1 Wing and 1 Air Division HQ at Base Arienne 139 Lahr, West Germany. The move of the operational equipment was accomplished by March 1967. Because the French were loath to move out of Lahr, the dependants and schools were moved later.

As an austerity measure, in 1968 No. 3 Wing Zweibrucken was closed and its two squadrons were moved to Nos. 1 and 4 Wing. 1969 brought the announcement that the amalgamation of the Canadian Forces in Europe to one command and two bases, and that the Canadian army in northern Germany (Zoest area) would be moving south to Nos. 1 and 4 Wings. This meant that No. 1 Wing Lahr would close its doors and the air force in Europe would be reduced in strength (from 6 to 3 squadrons) and concentrated at Baden-Soellingen; the new name would be 1 Canadian Air Group (CAG). The Group remained until 1988 when Canada increased her commitment to NATO (3 squadrons in theatre and two squadrons in Canada) and No. 1 Canadian Air Division stood-up again. However, shortly after this, relations with the east started to warm and Canada made another announcement; Canada would withdraw her forces stationed in Europe and close the doors on her two bases by 1994. The Air Division, reduced to three squadrons then to two and finally one, ceased flying operations 1 January 1993. This ended a major era of Canada's Air Force. "Ad Custodiendam Europam" (For the Defence of Europe).

Training Command

Training Command was formed at Trenton in October 1949; it controlled No. 14 (Training) Group in Winnipeg. In September 1958 Training Command moved to Winnipeg and absorbed No. 14 (Training) Group.

Training Command was responsible for the training of all personnel in the RCAF. In addition, under a mutual aid programme, they assumed the responsibility for training aircrew for Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. Later, this arrangement included Turkey, Greece and West Germany. Between May 1951 and July 1957, the RCAF trained 4600 pilots and navigators for our NATO allies. This arrangement was extended for another three years for Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway, and in 1958, Canada was contracted by West Germany to train an additional 360 aircrew. Some of the RCAF Stations used during this period were: Penhold, Alta; Claresholm, Alta; MacDonald, Man; Gimli, Man; Portage la Prairie, Man; Moose Jaw, Sask; Winnipeg, Man; Trenton, Ont and Centralia, Ont.

Training Command survived unification in 1968 and was responsible for all individual training, including flying and trades training. In 1975, when Air Command formed in Winnipeg, Training Command was reduced in size (became Training Systems) and moved back to Trenton, Ont. Their motto was "Exercendum Usque ad Optimum" (One must train up to the highest standard).

The RCAF in Korea

Because the RCAF was rebuilding her fighter forces at the time of the Korean conflict (four wings of three squadrons each for NATO), it did not contribute any fighter squadrons. However, the RCAF did make significant contributions to the war effort.

Soon after the outbreak of hostilities in Korea, Canada committed her primary transport squadron (No. 426 Sqn) to United Nations service. In July 1950 the RCAF ordered No. 426 Sqn stationed at RCAF Station Lachine (Dorval) up to war time strength (12 North Star aircraft) and in late July its personnel were detached to McChord AFB Washington. From 25 July 1950 until 9 June 1954, No. 426 (T) Sqn provided outstanding service to the UN in Korea, completing 599 missions for a total of over 34,000 flying hours. This was a feat, which amazed the U.S. Military Air Transport Service, "how so few could do so much with so little".

Although Canada did not send any fighter squadrons to Korea, she did send pilots there on "exchange" with the United States Air Force. A total of 22 pilots served on Sabre squadrons and one RCN pilot served with a U.S. Navy Panther Fighter Squadron in Korea. These pilots accounted for a total of 9 Mig-15s confirmed, 2 probables and 10 damaged. RCAF pilots were awarded seven U.S. Distinguished Flying Crosses, one Commonwealth Distinguished Flying Cross, four U.S. Air Medals and flew a total of 1,036 sorties in Korea. Of these pilots, only one was shot down and became a POW (S/L "Andy" MacKenzie was accidentally shot down by a USAF pilot). In addition, because the US could not produce the numbers of Sabres needed to sustain the war effort, Canada supplied the USAF with 60 F-86 Sabre Mk 2s (USAF F-86E-6).

Air Display Teams

Lieutenant Colonel William Barker, one of Canada's much decorated air aces of the First World War, founded his own flying team of four captured German "war trophy" Fokker D VII scout planes. Based at Leaside, Lt Col Barker's team put on the first public exhibition of formation flying in Canada. A premier attraction at the 1919 Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), this demonstration team was the forerunner of all Canadian military aerobatic teams to follow.

The first official air display team formed by the RCAF was the "Siskins" in 1934 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of aviation in Canada. This team flew three Siskin fighter aircraft in close formation at many festivals and events throughout the summer season of 1934. The RCAF would not see another air demonstration team until after World War Two.

The first post-war jet demonstration team was formed at St Hubert in 1949. This team, known as "The Blue Devils", was formed from members of No. 410 "Cougar" Squadron. They flew air demonstrations throughout the 1949 season. In the early 1950s a Centralia based team of Harvards, "The Easy Aces", flew close formation and aerobatic demonstrations in south-western Ontario.

In 1954, the Air Division decided to support an air demonstration team. The concept was each wing would provide a team on a rotational basis. The first wing selected was No. 3 Wing Zweibrucken and the team was the "Fireballs". In their distinctly painted bright red Sabres, these boys dazzled crowds across Europe. The following year, 1955, No. 2 Wing was selected to provide a team. The Air Division team was now called "The Sky Lancers". Approximately 20 shows were flown during the 1955 season. In 1956 No. 4 Wing provided the members of "The Sky Lancers". Unfortunately on 2 March 1956, while practicing their routine over the Rhine valley, "The Sky Lancers" crashed near the Vosges Mountains south west of Strasbourg killing four of the five team members. This accident put an end to RCAF aerobatic teams for several years.

1959 was the "Golden Anniversary" of aviation in Canada and the 35th anniversary of the RCAF. This event was not to go unannounced by the RCAF. A team was formed and they were to fly gold-painted Sabres with a large red and white hawk painted on each side. These were the "Golden Hawks". After a two-month work up at RCAF Station Chatham, N.B., they flew 69 shows across Canada. Although the "Golden Hawks" were formed for only one year, they were so popular that they continued for another year. 1960 saw the first performances of the Canadian team in the United States. The team continued their sterling performances until 1963 when they were transferred from Chatham to Trenton and then, after a total of 317 displays, on 7 February 1964 the "Golden Hawks" were disbanded. The reason given was to save $750,000 a year in operating costs.

Between 1962 and 1964 an RCAF Station Moose Jaw based team called "The Goldilocks" was formed and flew air demonstrations across Canada. They were formed as a parody of "The Golden Hawks" and flew Harvards in some of the craziest formations every seen by the public. The team disbanded when the Tutors replaced the Harvards.

To celebrate Canada's Centennial year, another single year-only team was formed and they were a part a large aerial demonstration. The formation team was called the "Golden Centennaires" and were formed at Portage la Prairie, Man. The plan was to perform 100 demonstrations across the country during the centennial year. Their final demonstration was on 18 November 1967 at Nellis AFB for the "Thunderbirds" reunion. The other members of the centennial demonstration were a solo CF-104, a solo CF-101 and two restored AVRO 504s.

A solo demonstration that flew the Canadian airshow circuit for many years was the bright red T-33 of "The Red Knight". Between 1958 and 1969 the "Red Knight" performed solo jet demonstrations across North America. The last years of the "Red Knight" were spent in a Tutor. The "Red Knight" was officially phased out in 1970 after the fatal crash of the last "Red Knight".

The "Snowbirds" Canada's longest running air demonstration team started in early 1970, when the base commander at CFB Moose Jaw noted that the Ex-Centennaire Tutors were painted all white. This new team was composed of pilot instructors from 2 Canadian Forces Flying Training School who practiced after hours and on weekends and their demonstration was close formation only. Officially they were the 2 CFFTS demonstration team; it was not until 1971 that the name "Snowbirds" was used (the name was suggested by a seventh grade student in Saskatchewan). In 1974 they officially became the Canadian Forces Air Demonstration Team and in April 1978 they received squadron status, becoming 431 Air Demonstration Squadron. The "Snowbirds" have continued through to the present day as Canada's Air Ambassador to the world.

Many squadrons throughout the years have provided unofficial air demonstrations teams. Some of the teams have had some interesting names: The Bald Eagles (CF-100s), The Bobcats (CF-101s), The Warlocks (CF-101s), Roy and the Boys (CF-101s), The Vikings (Tutors), Musket-Gold (Musketeers), The Dragonflies (Kiowas), The Hummingbirds (Kiowas), The Deadeye Zips (CF-104s), The Alberta Arrows (CF-104s) and many more.

Unification

It was argued in 1964 that the command, logistics, administration and training functions of the three services of Canada could be streamlined and unified. In April 1964 the government introduced bill C-90 "Integration of the Headquarters Staff" into the house. On 1 August this bill created a single commander of the armed services of Canada, the "Chief of the De