Daily Diary

No. 33 Service Flying Training School,
Carberry, Manitoba

December 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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CARBERRY.

• 1.12.41 STRENGTH: Personnel

	Officers	Other Ranks	Civilians
RAF	78	955	–
Service Personnel other Than RAF
RCAF	6	83	–
RCASC	1	4	–
CDC	1	2	–
Civilians	–	–	9
Trainees
RAF	–	202	–

• STRENGTH: AIRCRAFT.

	Servicable	Unservicable
Ansons	42	30

IMAGE 1567

Carberry.

• 1.12.41 The month opened with the type of weather designed to cause despair to those engaged in building up the ice on the two rinks – with frost, thaw and snow, each striving for the mastery. More often than not, it was so cold that ‘Parkas’ (warm, weatherproof and cowled coats) were in greater demand than could be satisfied by Equipment. Moreover, a shortage of winter caps with ear flaps rendered it necessary to sanction the wearing of balaclava helmets – with strange unorthodox apparitions resulting. Many survivors of the First Echelon scoffed at the temperature – but in secrecy resorted to warmer underwear, partly because of the strength of the suggestion (beloved of genuine ‘Old-Timers’) that the Britisher’s blood thins in the Canadian climate.
  Nevertheless, the good spirits of the Unit – never higher – were rising steadily in response to the realisation that, despite all obstacles, fine progress was being made in flying hours; and in the afternoon of this first day of the month an incident occurred which showed that the quality of the Flying Instruction was good. While instrument flying over the MacGregor – Austin area, a Pupil-Pilot, after throttling back his port engine which had shown a drop in oil-pressure, temperature, and revolutions, heard a loud report. A little later he realised that the port airscrew had fallen off. Being some distance from the Station, he handed over to his safety-pilot for a spell, and then took over to land the Anson – which he carried out successfully. He was congratulated by No. 2 Training Command for this effort.
• 2.12.41 Admittedly, as a result of adverse weather and shortage of aircraft, both No. 30 and No. 32 Courses were about five hundred hours in arrears: but optimism, based on the great efforts being made by the Instructors, prevailed. Nor was this rising tide of cheerfulness stemmed by a crop of serious warnings relating to such offences as evading the Censorship by furtively entrusting letters to homeward-bound Pilots, or neglecting precautions against frost-bite and snow-blindness, or causing casualties by driving private cars carelessly, or inviting mechanical Transport accidents through breaches of the regulations, or courting disaster by leaping on or off moving railway trains.

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Carberry.

• 3.12.41. Sixty-three Pupil-Pilots – to constitute No. 34 Course – arrived from Moncton where they had been waiting more or less impatiently since the 10th. of November. They included in their number a chinaman and an Indian. The Unit was pleased to hear that the Chinaman had travelled unusually far in quest of the instruction provided by No. 33 S.F.T.S. He had embarked at Singapore on the 16th. of October and reached Freemantle ten days later. He then proceeded from Perth to Sydney, and so on to San Francisco. From there by railway, he passed through Vancouver and two days later arrived at his goal.
  Looking round the Camp during the evening the new Course found a Higher Mathematics class over sixty strong, a Whist Drive at which ladies of Carberry were present, a Grieg Concert in the Recreation Hall, and a notice that special Trains for Christmas Leave were being arranged. These things seemed to surprise them. They also heard that during the day a Pupil-Pilot, finding that he was overshooting the landing-field, opened up his engines with full flap, his starboard engine then failed. His Anson yawed, stalled, and crashed one mile South of the Station, with extensive damage of B. category. The Pupil-Pilot was unhurt.
• 4.12.41. Next day, a Pupil-Pilot lost himself after practising turns; and, when his fuel became low, sought for suitable ground for landing. Finding this, he made a dummy run to make sure he was not mistaken, his engine failed, and he landed on unsuitable ground causing damage to his aircraft of B. category. He was thirty miles away from the Station, but was unhurt.
  Following up the warnings to Mechanical Transport to have a care, a restriction of speed to forty miles per hour was imposed. At the same time the exhortations to economise in light and heat were extended to petrol.
  In the afternoon came the “Wings Parade” of No. 28 Course, when flying-badges were presented to the Graduates by Group Captain J.S. Scott, M.C, D.F.C., Officer Commanding the No. 2 Manning Depot, R.C.A.F., Brandon. And in the evening the Course threw a farewell party of the usual gay and refreshing type.
• 5.12.41. The sixty-three Graduates left the Station for various destinations such as Port Albert, Hamilton, Charlottetown and Halifax; and it was something of a coincidence that on the same day there came to the Chief Instructor a cable conveying the greetings – from England – of members of Course No. 26.
  It was now learned that the willing efforts of the Station’s Soccer Team in pitting themselves thrice against the prides of Winnipeg (once successfully) had resulted in the swelling of the Wings for Britain Fund by no less than one thousand one hundred and sixteen dollars. Not to be outdone, the ‘Rip Chords’ (Station Concert Party) gave a large

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Carberry.

• 5.12.41(cont’d) part of their unavoidable profits to increasing the supply of milk for British Babies.
  A significant notice appeared to the effect that until further notice the endurance of Ansons was to be rated as three hours normally, and three and on half hours in extremes.
  6.12.41. The Corporals’ Club was now in a very flourishing condition. Curtains, furniture and
  one or two minor structural readjustments had greatly improved its comfort and appearance. Another very successful Dance was held, nearly all the partners being brought in from Winnipeg despite the slippery state of the roads. The gay courage shown by these damsels in travelling over one hundred miles and back for the sake of a Dance on the Station continued to be a matter of amazement to personnel.
  On the same day the Unit learned with dismay that the prime mover of its fortnightly newspaper had been posted to a Navigation Course – but it bad no intention of allowing this stroke of bad luck to cripple its journalistic efforts. In a very short time the gap was filled.
• 7.12.41. On this Sunday altered arrangements for Divine Worship were tried out with encouraging results. Instead of the compulsory Church Parade, a purely voluntary service was held in the Chapel mid-morning with the Station Choir in attendance.
  In the evening – one day in advance of the actual anniversary – there were contrasting types of celebration of the arrival in Carberry of the First Echelon. In the United Church in Carberry a special Service was held with members of the United Airmen’s Guild present. This was followed by a ‘fireside hour’ in the Church basement. In the Sergeants’ Mess the Senior N.C.O’s held a Dinner to which invitations had been sent to the Commanding Officer, to Wing Commander Dickens (who commanded the Unit during its early pioneer months), and to a few other representative Officers. After Dinner and a few choice speeches, there was dancing interspersed with various concert items: and this social function, different from any previous occasions, was an unmitigated success.

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Carberry.

• 8.12.41. This was another day of intermingled warnings and cheerful news. On the one hand arrangements for Christmas and New Year Leave were clearly well under control, and Royal Air Force personnel were reminded of the fact that one warrant per annum was available to permanent Staff for a maximum distance by rail of three hundred miles. Details of how airmen could secure free or cheap rooms when staying overnight in Winnipeg were also published. On the other hand, amongst various warnings against behaviour likely to induce frost-bite, came the exploding of the former remedial theory of rubbing the frosted part with snow and applying cold water. The more congenial measure of being assisted to a warm room, plied with warm liquor, and gently massaged towards the frosted area was advocated. Another warning – mainly the result of the bellicose attitude of a thoroughbred red setter towards civilians – concerned canine discipline.
• 9.12.41. A glance at the Notices sections of Daily Routine Orders of this day might well have scandalised anyone who believes that wars can be won only by unremitting toil without recreation. There were references to skiing, dancing, basket-ball, volley-ball, badminton, table-tennis, skating, hockey, boxing, the choir and a Concert.
  Five Officers were promoted to sundry War substantive ranks, with pleasing and generous results. Amongst a variety of points attended to at the Station Commander’s Conference, reference was made to the fact that the Unit’s Crest had now been approved by His Majesty, that the new Link Trainer Building and Fire Station were nearing completion, that the Red Cross Society had sent comforts in hundreds and thousands, that two new Hangars were to be built, that the home-made
  Squash-racquets Court was well under way, and that there would be played every Sunday morning (on the Tannoy system of broadcasting throughout the Camp) bells recorded by gramophone as a reminder that the voluntary Service was about to be held.
• 10.12.41. During this sold spell, outside door-knobs – usually full of warm and friendly significance – were regarded as sinister objects. This was due to a warning that it was unwise to touch them with the bare hand when the temperature was very low. As indeed all exposed objects were now painful to the touch; warmth was confined to the hearth and the heart. In the afternoon the Commanding Officer and the Squadron Leader Administrative visited the very friendly No. 2 Manning Depot to be present at the opening of that Unit’s new Airmen’s Mess. They were back in time to look in at a very flourishing Airmens’ Dance at which the atmosphere of Christmas was already perceptible.

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Carberry.

• 11.12.41. During the last two or three days various Officers of a new Unit to be stationed at the not-yet-completed Camp at Weyburn were visitors to No. 33 S.F.T.S., where they busily picked up all the wrinkles they could about the workings of a Station in this Dominion. The personnel of this new Unit had been delayed at Brandon until such time as their new quarters were ready for occupation. As, in a sense, they were at a loose end for the time being, it was not surprising that seventy-five Airmen of this No. 41 S.F.T.S. were attached to the Station at Carberry where they filled all the available room, and entered into the spirit of things.
• 12.12.41. The presence of Squadron-Leader A.G. Goulding of No. 2 Training Command indicated that the sites of the two new hangars were to be selected. Although the Station was now an entirely settled entity, there seemed always to be some improvement or other in progress; and in the course of a year a remarkable transformation had been effected. In fact, apart from the unsatisfied craving of many young Airmen to remuster to Air Crews and the natural desire of many Officers to get back into operations, together with a fairly general feeling that life on the Prairie was depressing, the Air Force Routine Order No.722 (relating to personnel who had completed fourteen months of service in Canada) presented to many minds less attraction than it would have done six months before. Certain personnel who had married Canadian girls during the course of the year were clearly less home sick or aggressive.
• 13.12.41. Indeed, the Station was by way of being somewhat self-satisfied: for it was revealed that the good flying record of October (7517- hours) was being maintained. In November, although one complete week of flying was lost 5596 hours and 30 minutes flying were completed; while the hours flown per accident was 1866 – the best in the Command. In total flying hours, the Unit had, in October, achieved third place among the eighteen Stations in the Command. It was now made known that in November it had risen to second place. This, in view of the Unit’s special difficulties in Maintenance and comparative penalty of aircraft was felt to be a legitimate cause for self congratulation and a strong incentive to even

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Carberry.

• 13.12.41 (cont’d.) greater effort.
  In keeping with the Unit’s mood there was a jollification in the evening when the Airmen’s Rink was declared open. In addition to the general skating, there was a Hockey match, an exhibition of Dancing, a Broomball set-to between Officers and Senior N.C.O’s with a galloping commentary on the microphone, and races for both sexes. It was an interesting side-light on the growth of artificial rinks at Home that the dancing exhibition was given by a Flight-Sergeant and his wife from Walthamstow. But this partial reflection on Canada was cancelled out by the aberration of an English Flying-Officer barrister (normally noteworthy for the purity and precision of his speech) who, in answer to a question as to whether he proposed to skate, said “Yup”.
• 14.12.41. The entry of 7.12.41, as touching the voluntary Service, was justified by the fact that on this Sabbath there was a Chapel-full for Choral Communion, and an increased Choir: and both the Commanding Officer and the Station Chaplain seemed slightly shaken by the successful result of their faith.
  In the evening a comparatively unholy alliance of a Sports’ Officer, and Equipment Officer, and a Chief Instructor’s Adjutant, was responsible for a Celebrity Concert of profound dignity and not a little beauty. Evening dress was worn by the performers, and the theme running through song, pianoforte, musical dialogue, spoken verse, and the recording of the “White Cliffs of Dover”, was England.
• 15.12.41. Pay-Day could never be described as a day of gloom – apart from income tax considerations. On this day the Parade was embellished by the appearance of a new number of the ‘R.A.F. R.A.G.’, and by the issue of five hundred pairs of socks kindly sent to the Unit by the Canadian Red Cross Society. These were but a few of the comforts this Society had sent to the Unit.
• 16.12.41. The Small Bore Rifle Club was still on the crest of the wave of popularity and its representative Team of two Officers, a Warrant Officer, a Corporal, and a Leading Aircraftman secured a satisfactory position – 29th – in the 127 Clubs entered for the Dominion Marksmen Team Championship.
  In Ice-Hockey the various Barrack Blocks, Officers’ Mess and Sergeants’ Mess embarked on a Station Tournament.
• 17.12.41. A goodly portion of Daily Routine Orders was devoted to transport arrangements for Christmas. In addition to details of the Special Train which was to be provided for personnel visiting Winnipeg, the times of suitable trains westward-bound for Vancouver

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Carberry.

• 17.12.41 (cont’d) and eastward-bound for Montreal and Halifax were noted.
  The evening provided fair opportunities for various interests, with Basket-ball and Ice-hockey matches, a Whist Drive, a Musical Programme, and some trigonometry and graphs for those who still nursed a strong hope that some day they might be remustered for Air-Crews.
• 18.12.41. It was natural that the approaching periods of festive relaxation should be occupying a good deal of attention – with instructions in behaviour while on leave, warnings of the heinous nature of the act of producing a bottle of intoxicating liquor to make long journeys by rail or road appear to pass more quickly, and the sectional arrangements for liberating fifty per cent of the strength for each holiday. But the main issue was not for a moment relegated to the background, and flying hours continued to mount in the most inspiring fashion. This excellent activity had dangers of its own, despite every effort of aerodrome control; and an accident that might easily have been fatal occurred when a landing Anson mounted another Anson that had just touched down. Beyond a few minor bruises and some shock due to the narrowness of the escape the two Pupil-Pilots involved were not hurt. The offensive Anson was damaged to the extent of category B, and the victim Anson B also.
• 19.12.41 With trouble in the Pacific as well as in the Atlantic, and with a new belligerent Ally at its back, the Dominion felt closer to the shock of war and the necessity of securing the safety of its valuable Air Force Training Schools seemed even more pressing. The efficiency and vigilance of the Security Guard and Fire Section were increased, and more vigorous regulations about photography enforced. At the same time, and in lighter vein, furlough rates to the United States were published.
  The Unit settled down to a little relaxation in the evening, intent on enjoying its own civil war in the boxing ring where the Station Championships were fought with all the observances and arrangements traditional to Royal Air Force Boxing. So keenly were the bouts contested, and so aggressive were the losers, that the Station Commander

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Carberry.

• 19.12.41 (cont’d.) announced in an address of congratulation that prizes would be presented to all the losers, and that the value of those to be presented to the Winners and Best Loser would be doubled.
• 20.12.41. Personnel had, in the main, been so long in Canada that they had no difficulty at all in deciding where, how, and with whom, to spend their holiday. It was therefore necessary to refuse the great majority of the kindly offers of hospitality that were arriving with every post. From a hamlet named Treherne came a communal invitation to no less than forty Airmen for Christmas. From Stony Mountain came an offer to put up thirty-eight Airmen for five days over the New Year. And from families in cities, towns, villages and isolated farms came the same large-hearted desire to share their lavish or modest preparations with “the boys from Home.”
• 21.12.41. A Christmas Dance given by the Officers to many guests whose hospitality they had enjoyed was so successful that it was equally an entry for 20.12.41 and 21.12.41 and a similarly happy dilemma existed with a similar function in the Sergeants’ Mess.
  Yet, on this Sabbath morning, when the chimes of Adeste Fideles had ceased to sound from the Camp’s loud-speakers, it was useless to go to the Station Chapel. It was already full. It was even impossible to gratify a Wing-Commander’s humble request for somewhere to stand. It was necessary for the Padre to announce the ecclesiastical equivalent of a ‘Repeat Performance’.
  At night, in the Station Theatre (nee Recreation Hall), the civilian organiser of the Camp Cinema
  presented his third Concert Party of professional vaudeville artists from the Beacon Theatre, Winnipeg. In the hope that it might be not less than half as good as its predecessors, eight hundred Officers, Airmen and Wives were present. For the benefit of those who were turned away or were prevented by duties or ill-health from attending, the Camp electricians picked up the performance on microphones and broadcast it through the Station with admirable clarity. It was a first-class show, once again – and a first-class audience. The only visitor was the at-all-times welcome Group Captain Bonham Carter.
• 22.12.41. A special Christmas Pay-Parade was held, and in the same place there was an issue of ‘Christmas Grant’ Passes. Personnel were now equipped financially for festivity. The Senior Medical Officer, abreast with the Senior Accountant Officer in his plans, chose the same day for ensuring once again that all personnel were fully alive to the perils of promiscuity. And the Adjutant also dead-heated by publishing a cogent analysis of the Liquor Laws of the Province of Manitoba.

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Carberry.

• 23.12.41 Flying and Lectures proceeded normally, but fifty per cent of the members of the Unit looked specially spruce in readiness for the moment in the late afternoon when, their labours temporarily over, they could board the special train, or disperse to the various points of the compass by coach, bus, private car or taxi. The remainder philosophically awaited the moment when they would begin doing two men’s work.
• 24.12.41 The capacity to do this was made more urgent by an inspiring signal received via Command from the Secretary of State for Air, who, after wishing the Commanding Officer and all personnel the compliments of the Season, and appreciating the efforts made during the present year, concluded by calling upon the Unit to redouble those efforts during 1942. The following reply was sent:- “The Commanding Officer and Personnel of No. 33 S.F.T.S. are encouraged by the good wishes of the Secretary of State for Air and will certainly endeavour to redouble their efforts during the year 1942.”
• 25.12.41 Until darkness flying training continued in a quite normal way – but at 18.30 hours the Airmen sat down to an excellent Christmas Dinner at which, in the traditional way, the waiting was performed by the Officers and Senior N.C.O’s. The Airmen had been given a sufficient opportunity of changing uniforms and having a wash and brush-up and a more cheerful and healthy body of men it would have been difficult to imagine. A meal of soup, turkey and Christmas-pudding with various adjuncts had been skilfully prepared by the cooks, a generous gift of several cases of beer had been contributed by a firm of Brewers, the Mess was well decorated and the Airmen showed no signs of being severe with the waiters.
  In fact, there was nothing to mar the feast. If the Commanding Officer suffered from writers’ cramp as a result of signing a great number of menu cards, he managed to conceal it.
  Subsequently, in good order, the Airmen repaired to the Canteens, the Reading and Writing Room or to the cinematograph performance and the Sergeants and Officers to their respective Messes.

IMAGE 1576

Carberry.

• 25.12.41 (cont’d.) During the afternoon the Commanding Officer had attended a pleasant party in the Station Hospital where a Christmas Tree with plenty of gifts on it had been placed near the only patient confined to bed – a young Canadian. And, when this affair was over, he had just sufficient time to motor over to Petrel to wish the compliments of the Season to the half-dozen Airmen stationed there, and to ensure that a good dinner had been prepared for them.
• 26.12.41. Although Course No. 30 (due to graduate on the second day of the New Year) was nearly five-hundred hours behind schedule, it was safe to say that each Pupil would exceed the minimum of seventy-five hours and attain ten hours’ night flying. Course No.32’s deficiency was now reduced by one hundred hours. And Course No. 34 was picking up gallantly after its poor start due to inclement weather. Aircraft Maintenance was considerably handicapped by the shortage of engine replacements and spares, and the difficulty of starting engines in temperatures below zero. The aircraft situation was acute, since of a total strength of one hundred and four Ansons, thirty-seven were permanently unserviceable through lack of Cheetah cylinder replacements, and the remaining sixty-seven constituted the total available for service for the entire flying training of the Station.
• 27.12.41. Running on fifty per cent of its strength appeared to make little difference to the Station. True, the roadways seemed more deserted and the atmosphere in offices more calm. Everywhere, there were redoubled efforts in actual practice – making for less noise and greater intensity. And Flying continued unabated in beautiful weather by day and by night. A glance through the records showed that the Station had now turned out five hundred and thirty-seven graduate Pilots during the year out of five hundred and eighty-eight pupil Pilots who had attempted the Course. Fifty-one pupils had failed to complete their Course successfully – due to fatal accident, ill-health or failure to make satisfactory progress. And this number would have been much reduced had it not been for the weakness of Course 15 early in the year.
• 28.12.41. A further examination of the year’s records revealed that of these fifty-one pupils eight had lost their lives in crashes, two had failed to pass their written tests, twenty-two had showed inadequate progress, one was removed for disciplinary reasons, three had been found temperamentally unsuitable, and fifteen had suffered from ill-health.
  With fifty-per cent of personnel still on Christmas Grant, this was a wonderfully peaceful Sunday in many ways. But the air was alive with Ansons, and a great deal of valuable Training was going on.

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Carberry.

• 28.12.41 (cont’d) In the evening there was an impromptu programme of items in the Station Theatre. The 16 m.m. projector was set up, and four excellent documentary films were exhibited. As the Station had become expert in these impromptu affairs it was easy to preface the cinematograph show with military music, seize each interval between films for Chaliapin, Lotte Lehmann and Paul Robeson, and to wind up with John Gielguds rendering of excerpts from “Richard II” and “King John” fanfares and Elgar’s arrangement of the National Anthem.
• 29.12.41. The Station was now at full strength again for two days, and those whose turn it was to take advantage (over the New Year) of Christmas Grant were in a very happy position. All they had to do, when leaving the Station, was to refer those left behind – with provocative dignity – to a Notice which appeared in Daily Routine Orders of this day. It read; “During the period of the Christmas Grant 1096 hours’ flying were completed. All Ranks concerned are heartily congratulated on this outstanding achievement.”
• 30.12.41 Few failed to do this – because nothing could be more pleasant on their return from their holiday than to hear that their effort had been excelled. The outstanding event of this day took place in the House of Commons in Ottawa. Every opportunity was given to all Ranks to hear the address of their own Prime Minister speaking in the Dominion to which it had pleased Authority to send them. In that address came the final answer to all those misgivings which personnel had felt about their distance from the fields of action.
• 31.12.41. The way was thus clear for a New Year Resolution to carry out whole-heartedly the reply (recorded under 24.12.41) made by the Unit to the Secretary of State for Air’s exhortation to redouble its efforts.
  It embarked on this ambitious voyage with the following strength: –

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Carberry.

• 31.12.41. STRENGTH: Personnel.

	Officers	Other Ranks	Civilians
RAF	80	1041	–
Service Personnel other Than RAF
RCAF	7	97	–
RCASC	1	4	–
CDC	1	2	–
Civilians	–	–	9
Trainees
RAF	–	196	–

• STRENGTH: Aircraft.

	Serviceable	Unserviceable
Ansons	39	33

• Wing Commander, Commanding,
  No.33 S.F.T.S., R .A .F .
  Carberry – Manitoba.