Rummaging through my in-laws squirrel hoard of WW2 pictures I discovered these photos of the Duke of Kent at the RAF's No. 32 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) by 1940 it was better known as RCAF Station Moose Jaw. The background music: Princess Alice and The Earl of Athlone along with Prince George, Duke of Kent were visiting western Canada in August 1941. Inspection photos of No. 32 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) are dated as August 14, 1941. Accompanying the Duke of Kent on his inspection are Air Commodore Cowley, and Group Captain C. E. H. James. My wife's grandfather from England lived with my wife's parents working the flight line canteen No. 32 SFTS frequently inviting some of the lads home. Many a Saturday night party was held with my wife being the recipient of a fine doll collection for Christmas. One of the Royal Air Force student pilots gave these photos to my wife's grandfather.
15 Wing / CFB / RCAF Station Moose Jaw Saskatchewan Canada The declaration of World War II saw the Moose Jaw Flying Club initially contracted to provide pilot training for the Royal Canadian Air Force, however this was soon replaced by the far larger British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) which saw the Government of Canada acquire the aerodrome and completely reconstruct it into RCAF Station Moose Jaw in 1940 with the new aerodrome opening in 1941. Initially the Royal Air Force trained exclusively at the base under the RAF's No. 32 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) (ca. 1942) using Harvard’s, and later, Oxfords. No. 32 SFTS eventually broadened its intake to train 1,200 pilots for the air forces of Canada, the United Kingdom, Norway, New Zealand, Poland, France, Czechoslovakia, Belgium, the United States and the Netherlands. In 1946 RCAF Station Moose Jaw was decommissioned and the aerodrome was returned to civilian service after the war. Rising Cold War tensions saw the aerodrome reactivated by the RCAF in 1953 as the site of military pilot training. RCAF Station Moose Jaw undertook additional construction to support its expanded personnel complement. The base was used by the RCAF and its NATO allies for pilot training, using both single-prop World War II-era Harvard’s and CT-133 Silver Star jet training aircraft. By the mid-1960s these were both replaced by the Canadian built CT-114 Tutor. Snowbirds | Royal Canadian Air Force | DND/CF
Prop wash, Thanks for that! I came across a photo album depicting nearby 41 SFTS Weyburn from that time that may be of interest to you. Hopefully not too far off topic. Weyburn - 41 SFTS - 1942 - flickr
According to the following pages of the Unit ORB it was the funeral of AC Thompson that took place on the 14th of August 1941. The visit in the photos is recorded as 23rd August 1941. ORB content copyright TNA Regards Ross
According to the following pages of the Unit ORB it was the funeral of AC Thompson that took place on the 14th of August 1941. The visit in the photos is recorded as 23rd August 1941. ORB content copyright TNA Regards Ross Unit ORB ~ Daily Diary of RAF's No. 32 Elementary Flying Traing School (EFTS) at Swift Current should not be confused with No. 32 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) located at Moose Jaw. Bill
Unit ORB ~ Daily Diary of RAF's No. 32 Elementary Flying Traing School (EFTS) at Swift Current should not be confused with No. 32 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) located at Moose Jaw. Bill More on Swift Current from the web sites listed below. The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan | Details BCATP Station Bowden Bill
