Daily Diary

No. 33 Service Flying Training School,
Carberry, Manitoba

November 1940

This Transcription of the Operational Record Book of No. 33 Service Flying Training School that was Located at Carberry, Manitoba, Canada was created by the volunteers at the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum, Brandon, Manitoba. You can visit their website by clicking this heading.

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WILMSLOW
20 November 1940

• In accordance with Air Ministry instructions, No. 33 S.F.T.S. formed at Royal Air Force Station, Wilmslow, England, for service in the United Kingdom. to Dominion of Canada.

24 November 1940

• Group Captain H.E. Walker, M.C., D.F.C., appointed Officer Commanding the Unit, supervised the assembly of the First Echelon. The personnel of the Unit were drawn from various Schools and Squadrons with no nucleus from any established Flying Training Schools.
  Assembly of the First Echelon was completed during the period 20.11.40 to 24.11.40 and was placed under the Command of Wing Commander T.C. Dickens. Group Captain H.E. Walker formed a Unit Headquarters at the R.A.F. Station, Wilmslow, with which he remained in order to supervise the dispatch of further personnel and equipment.

26 November 1940

• The First Echelon, comprising thirty-five Officers, forty-one Senior N.C.O’s and five hundred and ninety-three other ranks, marched to Wilmslow Railway Station, by the dim light afforded by a few hurricane lamps, to entrain for the port of embarkation at 25.00 hours on 26.11.40. Two troop trains were provided by the Railway Transport Officer. Luggage bore the code names of ‘CABBAGE’ (for the ship) and ‘GRANT’ (for the Unit). The journey was made over-night in strict black-out conditions.

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#33 S.F.T.S.
27 November 1940

• At 07.00 hours the Echelon detrained at Glasgow to embark in S.S. PASTEUR, a French Vessel of approximately twenty-eight thousand tons. Here it found itself in the company of other R.A.F. personnel posted under the Empire Training Plan and of certain Naval detachments. Group Captain Shakelton was Officer Commanding Troops for the voyage. The ship sailed almost immediately, was joined by the S.S. CAPETOWN CASTLE, and was escorted by two destroyers during the earlier part of the voyage, which proved to be uneventful.
  The airmen’s quarters were passably comfortable except at night, when the inability of opening port-holes, added to the peculiarities of the ship’s air-conditioning system, rendered conditions too hot for comfort. The health of the R.A.F. personnel on board was excellent, and there was little sea sickness despite heavy seas.

28 November 1940

• NIL.

29 November 1940

• NIL.

30 November 1940

• NIL.