Daily Diary

No. 33 Service Flying Training School,
Carberry, Manitoba

January 1941

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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#33 SFTS
1 January 1941

• On this first day of the New Year the Station was stimulated by the arrival of fifty-six U.T. Pilots: and there was a general feeling of expectation that the event would expedite the provision of aircraft, cause the return of the Flying Instructors on temporary duty at McLeod, and bring about the normal working life of a Service Flying Training School. A make-shift system of heating was installed in No. 2 Hangar, and a programme of lectures was put into effect by the acting C.G.I. These pupils, after assembly at Wilmslow, embarked for Canada on 17.12.40, disembarked at Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 29.12.40, and entrained in company with another S.F.T.S. Unit which was travelling westwards. The strength of the Station on 1st. January, 1941 was:- Officers,28, Warrant Officers and Senior N.C.O’s, 42, Other Ranks 577.

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#33 SFTS
2 January 1941

• NIL.

3 January 1941

• In settling down after the period of New Year’s passes, a Domestic Night was ordered, and, on the following day there was a Commanding Officer’s inspection. This was followed by a parade of Officers and Senior N.C.O’s. at which the Wing Commander, Commanding, issued instructions for the fuller enforcement of discipline. Also, to meet the grave danger of fire – to which a Camp of this type of construction is peculiarly liable – a Fire Committee was set up to deal with all aspects of the matter.

4 January 1941

• The marking out of a basket-ball court in the Recreation Room led to a highly enthusiastic interest in the game, and a tournament was arranged between the Barrack Blocks together with teams representing the Senior N.C.O’s. and the Officers. It is perhaps worthy of record, that a visiting Official of the Y.M.C.A., observing the flourishing state of the Basket Ball, the keen practicing of the Boxing now introduced, and the quite advanced activities in Ice-Hockey (a second rink being now completed for the use of Officers, Senior N.C.O’s, Matches, and Match practices), commented that he had never seen a new Station get into its athletics stride nearly as quickly – a pleasing remark, especially in view of the fact that a lack of heating in the Drill Hall was preventing its use as the main sports arena, and holding up the games programme.

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#33 SFTS, Carberry
5 January 1941

• The Evening was notable by reason of the presence of a Concert Party from the Winnipeg Branch of The Legion. The Concert was given in the Recreation Room, the stage of which had been made, temporarily, fitting for such a performance. The room was filled, and the show was very good indeed. Subsequently, the Concert Party was entertained by the Officers in their mess; and, after a little dancing, the visitors left for their long road journey back to Winnipeg. The concert was free, and the artistes gave their services gratis.

6 January 1941

• An incident occurred on 6.1.41 that served to show that, although the Station was not tardy in pursuing recreation, it was ready for action at a moment’s notice. At an hour when a film was being projected in the Recreation Room, capacity filled, a low-flying aircraft fired two red flares – Verey lights – in the immediate vicinity of the Camp. Although the landing ground had been carefully rolled day and night to obtain – and maintain – a solid snow surface, there was as yet no flare-path to assist night flying machines. Within thirty seconds of the fall of the first flare, the Commanding Officer had stopped the film projection, and instructed all drivers present, to take their vehicles forthwith to the …

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#33 SFTS
6 January 1941
(continued)

• … landing ground with headlights switched on. And before the aircraft had completed three circuits of the landing ground, he had personally supervised the flood-lit area provided by nearly the entire transport of the Station. This operation was so successful that the aircraft landed without undue hesitation and without semblance of mishap. It proved to be an Anson from R.C.A.F. Station, Rivers, piloted by Flying Officer Matthews with four U.T. Pilots of that Station who had lost their way in conditions of ground mist. A few minutes after the return of the transport, a repetition of the operation became necessary owing to a report that yet another Anson was in difficulties in the neighbourhood. This machine did not put in an appearance. The strength of the Station was increased by the arrival of twenty-seven U.T. Pilots from No. 2 Manning Depot.

7 January 1941

• Flying Officer G.W. Rowe, Works and Buildings Officer, who had been carrying out these duties as a Civilian, was posted to No. 33 S.F.T.S. with effect from 23.12.40.

8 January 1941

• NIL.

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#33 SFTS

9 January 1941

• Flying Officer J.H.C. Lewis, a Canadian-born Officer of the Royal Air Force, was appointed to take charge of Ice-Hockey. A visit was paid during the morning by four representatives of the important Winnipeg Store – Eatons. These gentlemen discussed with the Commanding Officer and the P.M.C. a generous project they had conceived of helping to fit out the Officers’ Mess in a becoming manner. Comforting subjects such as curtains, carpets and chairs were deliberated. After lunch in the Mess, the visitors, departed in a felicitous atmosphere. At this time, the prolonged and painful failure of letters to arrive from Home was beginning to be mitigated in some instances – but, generally speaking, the Camp felt itself to be almost completely cut off from Britain. As to the movement of wives in the required direction, there was no information at all.

10 January 1941

• NIL.

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#33 SFTS
11 January 1941

• In the newly acquired warmth of No. 2 Hangar it was found possible to begin work on the assembly of two Anson aircraft. A little later, with night-shifts also at work, four machines began to take shape. Difficulties were encountered, as the machines – exported from Great Britain – required many adjustments to fit them for the severity of the Canadian winter. An official visit was made by Mr. Colbrock of the Ministry of Supply, in company with Wing Commander Vallance and Squadron Leader Stuart of the No. 2 Training Command, and Squadron Leader Evans.

12 January 1941

• Flying Officer G.M. Mathieson, Accountant Officer, arrived from No. 2 Manning Depot in order to spend a few days in observing the Station’s methods of accountancy, and of co-ordinating them with those employed by the R.C.A.F.

13 January 1941

• The Commanding Officer, Wing Commander T.C. Dickens, was summoned to Winnipeg on Court of Inquiry duties. In his absence – a period of a week – Squadron Leader W.W. Loxton assumed command of the Station.

14 January 1941

• NIL.

15 January 1941

• NIL.

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#33 SFTS
16 January 1941

• It was learned that Flying Officer A.J. Mansfield, one of our Instructors at Macleod had met with a flying accident during training and had sustained serious injuries.

17 January 1941

• A signal was received from Group Captain Walker, that he, with the Senior Equipment Officer (Squadron Leader Cartwright) and Flight Lieutenant Watson, had arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia.

18 January 1941

• Lieutenant H.R. Stewart, R.C.D.C., was posted to the Unit to assist with the heavy Dental duties previously supported by Lieutenant Creasy, R.C.D.C.

19 January 1941

• An inadequate mirror of the early life of this Station would be presented if reference to an event of intimate personal significance to all ranks were omitted. On this Sabbath, the organisation of the water supply permitted a resumption of natural physical processes in privacy – a long awaited change from those public conditions which had tended to impair the dignity of personnel.

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#33 SFTS
20-25 January 1941

• During the next few days there was some coming and going of Officers to engaged in various duties. Squadron Leader C. Mathers (of Rivers), for instance, visited the Station for a period of time devoted to giving this Unit the benefit of his longer acquaintance with the problems peculiar to the operation of aircraft in Canada. In fact, there was an increasing stir of preparation, and, indicative of this, a comprehensive sweep of the Camp designed to project all idle airmen into a Physical Training Class produced – from a strength of approximately six hundred – a mere squad of thirteen unlucky men. It was at about this time that the Senior Medical Officer reported that the health of the station had been good since its inception – in fact there were, despite the unaccustomed climatic conditions, fewer cases in Sick Quarters than he would have expected in Britain during a similar period of Winter. There were, naturally enough, a few instances of comparatively minor injuries resulting from ignorance, or excess of zeal on the ice; and one Officer had the doubtful distinction of being the first ski-ing casualty.

26 January 1941

• An outstanding day in the early life of the Station: The Second Echelon – leaving Wilmslow on 8.1.41, embarking at Glasgow on 10.1.41, disembarking at Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 23.1.41., and thence entraining for Carberry (with, en route, a fine reception at Winnipeg) – arrived in Camp at 12.30 hours. The Echelon under the Command of Squadron Leader N.E. Morrison A.F.C. consisted of 26 others Officers. 8 Senior N.C.O’s. and 256

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#33 SFTS
26 January 1941
(continued)

• … other ranks including 56 U.T. Pilots. From the point of view of personnel, the Station was now nearly complete. All that was needed was the actual presence of the Group Captain, and the return of those Flying Officers of the first Echelon who had been temporarily attached to the R.C.A.F. Unit at MacLeod. But the roll of U.T. Pilots, now amounting to 112, turned one’s thoughts with renewed concentration to the lack of warmth in four of the five Hangars, and to the lack of aircraft. Indeed, with a temperature far below zero, one also remembered the unheated Drill Hall and the incapacity of the Recreation Room to cater to the needs of so great a numerical strength as the Unit now comprised. The experience of the first Echelon, however, and the memory of difficulties already surmounted, caused the attitude towards the future to be vigilant yet undismayed. It became instantly necessary to turn the Games Room in the Officers’ Quarters into a dormitory – removed some distance from lavatory convenience – thus compressing the Officers in their social hours into a very inadequate (although bare) space. But normal accommodation was happily available for the newly arrived airmen. Some evidence of the preparedness of the first Echelon was provided by the fact that the Second Echelon was received, recorded, outfitted with Winter

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#33 SFTS
26 January 1941
(continued)

• … wear, and quartered, in one hour and five minutes. Indeed, by the hour of English Tea, only the increase in the number of airmen on the ice-rink bore any casually visible testimony to this important development in the condition of the Unit.

27 January 1941

• NIL.

28 January 1941

• Members of the Second Echelon expressed some surprise that everything was not yet ready for the full training of U.T. Pilots but a day in Camp persuaded them that, within the limits imposed by its incomplete construction and equipment, every effort was being made towards that desired end. Meanwhile, they attended the twentieth cinematograph performance, they had the opportunity of joining in the third Bridge and Whist Drive, they learned of the highly successful Dance given a few days before by the airmen to the residents of Carberry and its environs, they found that they could take part in a stringed orchestra or brass band, they noted that two Concert Parties from Winnipeg were due to visit the Station – in fact they quickly realised that life resembling that on an average Station in Great Britain was being attained as quickly as possible, and that there was plenty of work to be done in preparation for the full programme of training hoped for in the near future.

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#33 SFTS

29 January 1941

• As an earnest of this, the Flying Instructors who had been attached to the R.C.A.F. Station at MacLeod returned to this Unit: and twelve Harvards were supplied to the Station.

T.C. Dickens
Wing Commander, Commanding,
4th. February, 1941. No. 33 S.F.T.S. Carberry,
MANITOBA.