RCAF.Info » ORB » No 33 SFTS ORB » No 33 SFTS-ORB-1941-11

Daily Diary

No. 33 Service Flying Training School,
Carberry, Manitoba




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.


CARBERRY

  • 1.11.41 STRENGTH: Personnel
 OfficersOther RanksCivilians
RAF75994
Service Personnel other Than RAF
RCAF471
RCASC14
CDC12
Civilians8
Trainees
RAF264
  • STRENGTH: AIRCRAFT
 ServiceableUnserviceable
Ansons4524

Carberry

  • 1.11.41 Stimulated by the knowledge that it had put up a ‘record’ in, the past month’s flying hours, and that some cylinder replacements were actually on the way, the Station felt justified in holding its first Dance common to all Ranks. It took place in the Drill Shed; and approximately thirteen hundred people were present on All Saints Day in high Hallowe’en fettle. Certain slight difficulties, natural to the Prairies, were over come, and many motor – coaches brought a large number of partners to the cheerful oasis of the Camp. Four of these coaches travelled a distance equal to that of Bath from London – a matter entailing little more concern than bringing a partner from Dorking to the Dorchester. In the Drill Shed a wall area of about 5000 square feet had been concealed beneath decorations. The smooth concrete was given more surface by some pounds of boracic crystals. The’ Station Dance Orchestra played centrally, from what was normally the Boxing Ring. And the joyous proceedings finished in time for the Winnipeg partners to reach home by four o’clock in the morning.
  • 2.11.41 Except for essential services and the usual attention to Flying Instruction, this Sabbath was subdued and dignified and without remorse. The Sunday Evening Social, always unswerving in the pursuit of knowledge and restrained amusements, was remarkably well attended.
  • 3.11.41 Contrasting notices in Daily Routine Orders drew attention, to the now fully- realised ambition of general Physical Training (the whole Station entering admirably, as expected, into the spirit of the thing); to the melancholy prospect of the perils of Frost-Bite and Snow-Blindness, and the probability of death if overtaken by a blizzard during a hitch in-hitch-hiking; and the results of failing to control the wanderlust induced by months of Prairie Life. As touching the latter, sentence of a Court-Martial was promulgated in re five of the Unit’s Airmen charged with W.O.A.S. Desertion. It was not conceded that they had deserted; but, having legitimately left Camp, and subsequently finding new experiences and fresh beauties across Canada, they had clearly been guilty of absence without leave. They were incarcerated for an appropriate period.

Carberry

  • 4.11.41 Meanwhile, the Station Hospital-was still agog with generous injections of
    Diphtheria Toxoid and an efficiency in X-ray photography equal to that of Passport Photographers. At the same time the Senior Medical Officer was strongly impressing on all personnel the grave dangers involved in sexual intercourse on Leave or Pass, and the precautions absolutely essential before and after the immoral gratification of such impulses.
  • 5.11.41 The behaviour of the weather was also incommoding flying instruction to a serious extent: but a walk through the Camp proved on this night that leisure was being well spent. In the Recreation Hall there was a well-filled house for the repeat – and no longer gratis – performance of the ‘Rip Chords’ Second Edition. In the Ground Instruction School the first class of a course in Advanced Mathematics, with a Schoolmaster Corporal as Instructor, assembled-fifty-eight strong and worked for nearly two hours with the utmost concentration. In the Sergeants’ Mess there were scores of Officers in specially good humour as they had defeated the Senior N.C.O’s unexpectedly in Basket-Ball, and now proposed to-try their luck at Table Tennis and Darts. In the Y.M.C.A. Reading Room there was much letter-writing. The Drill Shed was lively with games. And the Canteens sounded jolly.
  • 6.11.41 Course No. 26 had now completed its training. On this occasion, as the Parade Ground was iced over, the ‘Wings Parade’ was held in the Drill Shed, when the presentation of flying badges was made by Lieutenant-Colonel S. English, Officer Commanding the Artillery Training Centre at Brandon. The novelty of such ceremonies having worn thin, fewer visitors than usual were present: but the Parade was smarter and more polished than ever. It was followed by the usual social exercises: and, later in the evening, the Graduate Pilots held their farewell party. The difficulty of wording their invitation cards in a way to compete with the wit of former Courses was overcome thus: “The Fledglings of No. 26 Course request the pleasure of etc. on the evening of their Wings Parade day. Beer in the Bird-bath – 9:00 p.m.”
    Also in the evening the Corporals initiated two representative Officers – one of high, and one of low, altitude – into their Club with a moving ceremony. This gesture, possibly unprecedented, was characteristic of the general good feeling and cheerfulness that was abroad on the Station. This warm atmosphere contrasted with the weather which produced callous winds and some snow. An Officer was appointed to take charge, of the Season’s skating; and the new Station Shop displayed Christmas Cards.

Carberry

  • 7.11.41 Wing Commander Maturin of P.2, R.A.F. Headquarters, Ottawa, was now present on the Station; and, despite; his calm manner, the usuall exciting crop of rumours of upheaval, dispersal, and dissipation, were enjoyably promoted. In the bareness of the Prairie it was but natural that the flowers of the imagination should gaily sprout.
    Sixty-three members of Course No. 26 left the Station – twenty-three bound for No. 31 G.R.S. Charlottetown, thirty-nine for No. 1 “Y” Depot, Halifax, N.S., and one for the Conversion Training Squadron No. 1 “M” Depot, Toronto. Five members remained in Camp, two having ceased training and three being transferred to the other Courses.
  • 8.11.41 A call was made for economy in the use of electrical lighting, and it was pointed out that if lighting were unnecessarily used, say, for five hours daily in the Hangars etc. in the course of two hundred days no less than a sum of $3870. dollars would be wasted. A fairly heavy but quite legitimate use of such current was exercised, however, in the Drill Shed – where Basket-ball and Badminton, Miniature Rifle shooting, Volley Ball and Boxing were getting well into their-stride – and in the Recreation Hall for its frequent use for rehearsals of Concert Party, Orchestra, Dramatics, Cinema, Gramaphone Concerts, and various other activities such as Airmen’s Dances.
    In the evening the Station Table Tennis Team journeyed to Winnipeg and heavily defeated its opponents, who retaliated with delightful hospitality.
  • 9.11.41 The Unit was by way of enlarging the already very wide circle of its friends. A letter arrived from a representative of the Red Cross Unit of the University of Toledo, Ohio, and the Toledo Sorority, asking for the names of fifty airmen to whom they would supply Christams boxes of food.
    In the Recreation Hall a number of Officers and Airmen listened from 20.30 hours until 22.15 to a recorded concept of Beethoven: Overture, Fidelio; Violin Concerto; and the Symphony No. 3 in E Flat.

Carberry

  • 10.11.41 With the snow on the ground Winter had at least to be squarely faced. Great-coats, at all Parades, and after sun-down, became compulsory wear. The attention of all personnel was drawn to the dangers, of exposure after indoor sports. And outdoor sports gear was regretfully brought back into store – with the exception of ice-hockey equipment, when the reverse process took place. The Final Match of the Inter-Barrack Block Soccer Tournament was played, and Tournaments in Basket-Ball and Badminton were set in motion. The Station Table Tennis Team, expanded to twenty-four members, journeyed into Brandon to play victoriously in the first event of the new Brandon District Services Athletic Association. And swimming (in indoor Baths) leaped into prominence.
  • 11.11.41 Remembrance Day was not given much prominence on the Station itself, beyond the sale of Poppies; but there was special Services in Carberry. And the Commanding Officer
    attended a large, impressive and representative gathering at No. 2 Manning Depot in Brandon.
  • 12.11.41 That the Station was not engrossed in games and recreations to the disadvantage of the main issue was rendered clear by a Notice congratulating all ranks on the setting up of a new day – ‘record’ of three hundred and forty-five aeroplane hours. In view of the fact that the Unit felt that – however good its maintenance – its aircraft were far below the quality of many other similar Schools, this notice put everyone on his toes: and a warning to the effect that to members of the Royal Air Force no distinguishing shoulder-titles (indicating their country of origin) were permitted was taken as a compliment rather, than a deprivation.
  • 13.11.41 Indeed, the Unit was heartened for its venture in taking over the Walker Theatre in Winnipeg for two days for the public performance of the ‘Rip Chords’ Second Edition. This was done in no half-hearted manner, and the response from Winnipeg was fine. Apart from a few seats in the Gallery the Theatre was packed, and, with the Commanding Officer acting as Host to distinguished Service and Civilian guests, the show went with a swing and without a hitch. Old servants of the Theatre said that it was like the old days come back, the only unusual note being struck by the appearance of the programme sellers who had volunteered their services and were in the uniforms of the Woman’s Auxiliary Corps.

Carberry

  • 14.11.41 On the following day – after a Matinee given gratis to all uniformed members of the Services, when two hundred naval ratings marched through the Theatre’s foyer and down the middle gangway in fine style – the Evening Performance opened in an electric atmosphere. Not a seat was unoccupied throughout the House, and three or four score people were turned away. The Management observed that there had been nothing resembling, this ‘Capacity house’ for sixteen years. The audience was in good humour, and complained that the three hour show was too short. And there were numerous requests for a third night. This, for obvious Service reasons, was out of the question.
  • 15.11.41 The Concert Party returned in good order and with highly satisfactory profits to donate to charitable objects through the P.S.I. Money-making was in no way an object of the Party- but it rolled in nevertheless. During Night Flying an unusual accident broke the long spell of immunity that the Unit had enjoyed. While landing, an Anson swing off the runway and its engines stalled – leaving the tail on the runway. Another Anson, landing on an apparently clear runway, crashed into the tail of the first causing damage C14 and C7. Neither Pupil-Pilot was hurt.
  • 16.11.41 Early on this Sunday morning snow fell heavily and conditions forbade flying. Two snow-compaction machines immediately set to work (on the landing field, and small fir trees were planted to indicate to the Pilots the position of the strip-lights lest they taxy into them. At the sub-station at Petrel there was but one roller as the second had been despatched to help No. 12 S.F.T.S., R.C.A.F. at Brandon. The Relief Landing Ground at Oberon could not receive attention: and it seemed that its usefulness had ceased with the coming of Winter conditions.
  • 17.11.41 Robbed of their flying, the Courses improved the unhappy occasion by attending
    A most attractive series of talks by Instructors who had seen various aspects of active service operations, by films of appropriate instructional type, by Games of Physical Training, and by some very willing navvying to make foundations of a Squash Court which they

Carberry

  • 17.11.41 (cont.) themselves would not be present to enjoy.
    During the day, a Mr. Flower, Test Pilot of the Cessner Crane Company, defeated by fog in his attempt to make Brandon, was forced to land at Carberry where conditions imprisoned him for two days. At this time there was present on the Station No. 1 Visiting Flight of the Central Flying School.
  • 18.11.41 This day seemed replete with heavy deliberations. The Station Commander’s Conference in the morning included such varied items as Snow-Compaction, the new home made portable Canteen redolent of the Embankment, the censorship of the happy-go-lucky Station Newspaper which was enjoying a fine circulation under the title of the ‘RAF RAG’, the acquisition of ‘Hot Bags’, the construction of suitable carriers for ‘ReccoFlares’, the arrangement of special drill for those Camp workmen now a little self-conscious in new uniforms, and many other matters of varying weight. In the afternoon there was an Officers’ Mess Meeting where amongst numerous decision one was that some financial support should be given monthly to the P.S.I. Fund. This unusual action was taken because, for many Games, all Ranks – especially during the Winter – were thrown very much together and some Sports gear became common property. The Senior N.C.O’s were prepared to make a similar gesture.
  • 19.11.41 The Pupil-Pilots were still enjoying films, lectures, games, and navvying, but constantly looking at the sky which continued to frown. In the evening sixty-six airmen attended the Higher Mathematics Class; a rehearsal of ‘French Leave’ was in full swing, and there was a strong attendance at a Musical Evening devoted mainly to Schubert, Chopin and Saint Saens.
  • 20.11.41 A beautifully clear atmosphere shot every available Anson into the air as great a degree of abandon as the Chief Instructor was likely to tolerate. Course No. 28 was nine hundred hours below schedule and was due to conclude on the 5th December. Flying continued briskly all day and far into the night.
  • 21.11.41 Next-morning, however, the weather again betrayed the Unit’s optimism: and, five and a half days of non-flying conditions in one week created a very serious situation. The lectures given by Instructors representing Day Bombers, Night Bombers, Army Co-operation, and twin-engined Night Fighters were inspiring and illuminating, but the dire necessity at the moment was flying hours, and more flying hours: and, as touching the Senior Course, there was a serious doubt of the possibility of achieving the minimum of seventy-five hours and the completion of Air Exercises by the scheduled date of graduation.

Carberry

  • 22.11.41 Invitations to airmen to spend Christmas or the New Year began to come by post in two’s or threes, but it was impossible to make any definite arrangements at so early a date. So many airmen had now made good friends amongst Canadian families that the intense activity of the 1940 Christmas in fitting groups of personnel into the hospitality afforded by shoals of invitations was unlikely to recur. Besides there were now Courses to be trained; and Leave on the grand proportions of the first Christmas at Carberry was not expected.
    True, it was announced that the R.C.A.F. was to be granted five days furlough – information that coincided with a B.B.C. notice that the Services at Home would carry on normally in order to prevent congestion on the railways. In any case, a decision had not yet been made.
  • 23.11.41 This Sunday was enlivened by a visit from Wing Commander A.G. Malan, D.S.O., D.F.C., and Wing Commander E.H.G. Moncrieff, who were flown from Winnipeg by one of the Instructors of ‘the unit. All available Pupil-Pilots and Instructors were rapidly assembled to listen to a talk by Wing Commander A.G. Malan, D.S.O., D.F.C. Evading the special actions which had resulted in his decoration, he spoke about tactics, the behaviour of various aircraft, and sundry experiences of a type which gave useful information to his audience.
    In the evening the Recreation Hall was turned over to an audition of previously untapped talent on which the Station Concert Party might draw. About three hundred people were present and there was no lull in the proceedings from 20.00 to 22.30 hours.
  • 24.11.41 For a day and a night, flying had been resumed in good conditions, and on this day again it was possible to carry out a full programme including dual long distance tests. During the morning there were two taxying mishaps to mar the day. In one case a Pupil-Pilot while taxying his Anson from its position in the line of parked aircraft collided with the tail of another Anson causing damage to both aeroplanes of the categories C7 and C1. Not long afterwards, a Pupil-Pilot taxied on a course converging on that of another aircraft and failed to observe the other Anson. A collision was the result entailing damage C3 and C21. In neither accident was there any injury to the occupants of the aircraft.

Carberry

  • 25.11.41 A situation that night have resulted in damage to both Pupil-Pilot and Anson occurred when the engines of an aircraft cut about two miles from the Camp. The Pupil-Pilot concerned made a good forced landing in a field without any damage at all.
    A healthy appetite for the pleasures of wedlock, and a confident willingness to accept the responsibilities of Holy Matrimony, had by no means been lacking in the Station’s personnel. These were unlikely to be diminished by a notice absolving Airmen from the necessity of obtaining permission for such ventures.
  • 26.11.41 It was now becoming abundantly clear that Airmen had no intention, during the Winter, of spending their leisure hours in bed. The flooding of the new Ice-Rink was eagerly watched, and skates were sharpened. The boxing ring was put back into commission. Badminton and Basketball Tournaments were in progress. The library shelves received a large number of excellent books bought from an United States ‘Book of the North’ Club to satisfy the demand for
    good class literature. In the Ground Instruction School of an evening,
    Mathematics and Dramatics leaked out of adjoining lecture-rooms. And now, in addition to many other activities, a strong response was returned to the Station Chaplain’s desire for a choir.
    In the evening, there was yet another successful Airmen’s Dance.
  • 27.11.41 A decision about Christmas and New Year Leave was now made. Fifty per cent of personnel were granted five days’ Leave at Christmas, and fifty per cent, at the New Year. Those who proposed to take advantage of this very liberal grant were precluded from taking the usual fortnightly forty-eight hours’ pass during the month of December: so, by this ruling, the Unit was saved to a very considerable degree from the effects of what would otherwise have been a crippling loss of work.
    It appeared that the proportion of Airmen’s wives to Officer’s wives brought to Canada was now readjusted – for news was received of the arrival of three more wives of Officers of the Unit.
  • 28.11.41 For a second time the Station Swimming Team was engaged in a Gala in Winnipeg, and for a second time it achieved victory. On this occasion, the Sherbrooke Baths were turned over to the Brandon Services Athletic Association, and the Unit members entered Teams for the usual events of Swimming Sports.
    The Officers of No. 1 Visiting Flight, Central Flying School now left the Station; and the aircraft allocated to them were instantly put into commission again for their normal purposes.

Carberry

  • 29.11.41 A great fight was being put up by the Flying Instructors of Course No. 28 to obtain the minimum seventy-five hours per Pupil, and the majority of Air Exercises, by the 5th December. The adverse weather conditions of the previous week had put the three Courses in a parlous state. Course No. 30 was 772 hours in arrears, and Course No.32 was over 500 hours down.
    30.11.41 Three events on this Sabbath deserved notice. In the morning there was the First Choral Communion Service, and the first appearance of the Choir. In the afternoon there was, for the first time, skating on the airmen’s new Ice-Rink. And in the evening there was a Confirmation Service in Carberry – conducted by the Bishop of Brandon – at which three airmen of the Unit were confirmed.
    On this day, also, many of the personnel of the Station remembered that, a year ago, they were on the high seas heading West on a French-built ship designed, rumour said, for luxurious cruises in the Mediterranean and South Pacific. It was debated whether or not the date of the arrive in Carberry of the First Eschelon should be celebrated.

CARBERRY

  • 30.11.41 STRENGTH: Personnel
 OfficersOther RanksCivilians
RAF79967
Service Personnel other Than RAF
RCAF481
RCASC14
CDC12
Civilians9
Trainees
RAF202
  • STRENGTH: AIRCRAFT.
 ServiceableUnserviceable
Ansons3834
  • C.H. Brill
    Group Captain, Commanding,
    No. 33 S.F.T.S R.A.F.

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