The Winnipeg RCAF Bombers were a

Canadian football Canadian football () is a team sport, sport played in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposing team's sco ...

team 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 ...

. They lost the

30th Grey Cup The 30th Grey Cup was played on December 5, 1942, before 12,455 fans at Varsity Stadium at Toronto. The Toronto RCAF Hurricanes defeated the Winnipeg RCAF Bombers The Winnipeg RCAF Bombers were a Canadian football team during World War II. They ...

and

31st Grey Cup The 31st Grey Cup was played on November 27, 1943, before 16,423 fans at Varsity Stadium at Toronto. The Hamilton Flying Wildcats defeated the Winnipeg RCAF Bombers 23–14. Curiously, both teams wore red and white jerseys and one team had to ...

games. In

1942 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Declaration by United Nations is signed by China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and 22 other nations, in wh ...

, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers didn't have any competition for the regular season so they created their own competition. With an abundance of players available, the Blue Bombers split the players into two teams. The civilian men played for a team known simply as the ''Bombers'' and the servicemen played for the ''RCAF Flyers''. A third team in the Winnipeg City League was the

University of Manitoba Bisons The Manitoba Bisons are the athletic teams that represent the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The football team plays their games at Investors Group Field. The soccer team play their home games at the University of Manitoba ...

who were a junior team. Upon completion of the

Winnipeg City League season, the teams were dissolved and a new combined team was formed for playoff competition. On November 4, 1942, the Winnipeg RCAF Bombers were created and 34 players were selected to the team. Of the 34 players, 16 players came from the ''Bombers'', 15 players represented the ''RCAF Flyers'' and the remaining 3 players were Manitoba Bisons. As the RCAF & Bombers teams made up the majority of the team, it was decided to call the combined team the Winnipeg RCAF Bombers. In addition to creating a stronger team, the combined team served another purpose. The war efforts were the number one concern at the time and there was no guarantee that the servicemen would be available for the

Grey Cup The Grey Cup (french: Coupe Grey) is both the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team playing in the namesake championship of professional Canadian football. The game is contested be ...

game. By forming a combined team, the Blue Bombers ensured that they would have a competitive team if some or all of the players got called into active military duty. The

Winnipeg RCAF Bombers played their first game on November 7, 1942 against the Regina Navy football team. The RCAF Bombers won the game 13-6 and advanced to the

. On December 5, 1942, the Toronto RCAF Hurricanes defeated the Winnipeg RCAF Bombers 8-5. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers kept the RCAF Bombers moniker for the

1943 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Soviet Union announces that 22 German divisions have been encircled at Stalingrad, with 175,000 killed and 137,650 captured. * January 4 – ...

season and they played in the Armed Services Rugby League with two other teams (Winnipeg United Services Combines & Regina All-Services Roughriders). The Winnipeg RCAF Bombers easily won the regular season as they went a perfect 6-0. They defeated the All-Services Roughriders in the two-game total-points series 12-0 and they advanced to the

. On November 27, 1943, the

Hamilton Flying Wildcats The Hamilton Wildcats were a Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario that played in the Ontario Rugby Football Union (ORFU) from 1941 to 1947, and in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (IRFU) from 1948 to 1949. The team was formed ...

defeated the Winnipeg RCAF Bombers 23-14.http://manitobia.ca/content/en/newspapers/WPT/1943/11/29/pages/00006787.xml/iarchives - Winnipeg Tribune The team suspended operations for the

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in Nor ...

season and when reorganized in

1945 1945 marked the end of World War II and the fall of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. It is also the only year in which nuclear weapons have been used in combat. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. Januar ...

, they reverted to being the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Winnipeg RCAF Defunct Canadian football teams Canadian football teams in Winnipeg 1942 establishments in Manitoba 1943 disestablishments in Manitoba Sports clubs established in 1942 Sports clubs disestablished in 1943