No. 3 Training Command RCAF was a training command of the
Royal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
established to administer the schools of the
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), or Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) often referred to as simply "The Plan", was a massive, joint military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zea ...
.
History
No. 3 Training Command was formed as No. 2 Training Group at
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
on 18 March 1940, but was soon redesignated as No. 3 Training Command on 29 April 1940, responsible for schools in
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
and
The Maritimes
The Maritimes, also called the Maritime provinces, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The Maritimes had a population of 1,899,324 in 2021, which makes up 5.1% of Ca ...
.
Air Commodore Clifford McEwen was appointed group commander on 19 March and continued in that position for the command until 26 March 1941. Later commanders were Air Commodore
George Victor Walsh from 27 March 1941,
Air Vice-Marshal
Air vice-marshal (AVM) is a two-star air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes u ...
Joseph Lionel Elphege Albert de Niverville from 2 November of that year, and Air Vice-Marshal
Adelard Raymond from 20 November 1943 to the end of its existence. As the BCATP was wound down it was merged with
No. 1 Training Command RCAF to form
No. 1 Air Command RCAF on 15 January 1945.
Schools
The command controlled the following schools in January 1944: Location and aircraft operated, if applicable, are in parentheses.
* Initial Training School: No. 1 (
Victoriaville
Victoriaville is a town in central Quebec, Canada, on the Nicolet River. Victoriaville is the seat of Arthabaska Regional County Municipality and a part of the Centre-du-Québec (Bois-Francs) region. It is formed by the 1993 merger of Arthabask ...
)
* Elementary Flying Training Schools: No. 4 (
Windsor Mills;
Fleet Finch
The Fleet Finch (Fleet Model 16) is a two-seat, tandem training biplane produced by Fleet Aircraft of Fort Erie, Ontario. There were a number of variants mainly based on engine variations. Over several years beginning in 1939, a total of 447 ...
and
de Havilland DH.60 Moth
The de Havilland DH.60 Moth is a 1920s British two-seat touring and training aircraft that was developed into a series of aircraft by the de Havilland Aircraft Company.
Development
The DH.60 was developed from the larger DH.51 biplane. ...
), No. 11 (
Cap-de-la-Madeleine
Cap-de-la-Madeleine is a former city in Quebec, Canada at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice River and the St. Lawrence River. It was amalgamated into the City of Trois-Rivières in 2002. Population (2006 census) 33,022.
History
Cap-de-la-M ...
; Finch and
Fairchild Cornell
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach a ...
), No. 13 (
Saint-Eugène; Finch), No. 17 (
Stanley
Stanley may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Film and television
* ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film
* ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy
* ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short
* ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...
; Finch and Moth), No. 21 (
Chatham
Chatham may refer to:
Places and jurisdictions Canada
* Chatham Islands (British Columbia)
* Chatham Sound, British Columbia
* Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi
* Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...
; Finch), and No. 22 (
Quebec City
Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...
; Finch)
* Service Flying Training Schools:
**No. 2 Service Flying Training School (
Uplands
Upland or Uplands may refer to:
Geography
*Hill, an area of higher land, generally
*Highland, an area of higher land divided into low and high points
*Upland and lowland, conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level
*I ...
;
North American Harvard
The North American Aviation T-6 Texan is an American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and other air forces ...
and
North American Yale
The North American NA-64 (NA-64 P-2 or NAA-64 P-2 in French service, Yale in Canadian service) is a low-wing single piston engine monoplane advanced trainer aircraft that was built for the French Air Force and French Navy, served with the Royal C ...
),
**
No. 8 Service Flying Training School RCAF (
Moncton
Moncton (; ) is the most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of New Brunswick. Situated in the Petitcodiac River Valley, Moncton lies at the geographic centre of the The Maritimes, Maritime Provinces. The ...
;
Avro Anson
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engined, multi-role aircraft built by the aircraft manufacturer Avro. Large numbers of the type served in a variety of roles for the Royal Air Force (RAF), Fleet Air Arm (FAA), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) a ...
);
**
No. 13 Service Flying Training School RCAF (
Saint-Hubert; Harvard and Anson)
* Air Observer Schools: No. 8 (Quebec City; Anson), No. 9 (
St-Jean; Anson), and No. 10 (Chatham; Anson)
* Bombing and Gunnery Schools: No. 9 (
Mont-Joli
Mont-Joli () is a city in the La Mitis Regional County Municipality within the Bas-Saint-Laurent region of Quebec, Canada. It is the county seat. The city is located east of Rimouski near the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River.
History
In ...
; Anson,
Fairey Battle
The Fairey Battle is a British single-engine light bomber that was designed and manufactured by the Fairey Aviation Company. It was developed during the mid-1930s for the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a monoplane successor to the Hawker Hart and Hi ...
,
Bristol Bolingbroke
The Bristol Fairchild Bolingbroke is a maritime patrol aircraft and trainer used by the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. Built by Fairchild-Canada, it was a license-built version of the Bristol Blenheim Mk IV bomber.
De ...
, and
Westland Lysander
The Westland Lysander is a British army co-operation and liaison aircraft produced by Westland Aircraft that was used immediately before and during the Second World War.
After becoming obsolete in the army co-operation role, the aircraft's ...
), and No. 10 (
Mount Pleasant; Anson, Battle, Bolingbroke, and Lysander)
* Wireless School: No. 3 (Montreal;
Noorduyn Norseman
The Noorduyn Norseman, also known as the C-64 Norseman, is a Canadian single-engine bush plane designed to operate from unimproved surfaces. Distinctive stubby landing gear protrusions from the lower fuselage make it easily recognizable.
Intro ...
and Moth)
* Flying Instructor School: No. 3 (
Arnprior
Arnprior is a town in Renfrew County, in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario, Canada. It is located west of Downtown Ottawa, at the confluence of the Madawaska River and the Ottawa River in the Ottawa Valley. Arnprior has experienced sign ...
; various)
* Naval Air Gunners School: No. 1 (
Yarmouth;
Fairey Swordfish
The Fairey Swordfish is a biplane torpedo bomber, designed by the Fairey Aviation Company. Originating in the early 1930s, the Swordfish, nicknamed "Stringbag", was principally operated by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy. It was also used ...
)
* General Reconnaissance Schools:
**
No. 1 General Reconnaissance School RCAF
No. 1 General Reconnaissance School RCAF was a flight training unit in 3 Training Command, of the Royal Canadian Air Force, flying Avro Ansons from RCAF Station Summerside, PEI.
RCAF Eastern Air Command was the part of the Royal Canadian Air Fo ...
(
Summerside; Anson)
**
No. 31 General Reconnaissance School RCAF (
Charlottetown
Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlottetown was an unincorporated town until it was incorporated as a city in ...
; Anson)
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
* {{Cite book, title=RCAF: Squadron Histories and Aircraft, 1924–1968, last=Kostenuk, first=Samuel, last2=Griffin, first2=John, publisher=Samuel Stevens/Hakkert & Company, year=1977, isbn=0-88866-577-6, series=Canadian War Museum Historical Publication No. 14, location=Sarasota/Toronto
3
Military units and formations established in 1940
Military units and formations disestablished in 1945