RCAF Station Aylmer
General Information
Location/Base: Aylmer
Province: Ontario
Years in Use: 3 July 1941 – 30 Sept 1961
Units:
- No 14 Service Flying Training School
- Established via Formation order issued 19 May 1941
- School opened 3 July 1941
- Ordered to move to Kingston, Ontario by movement order dated 10 August 1944
- started move to Kingston, Ont, 15 August ’44 small det remained at Aylmer to complete training courses 106, 107 and 108
- Ordered disbanded 24 August 1945.
- School disbanded effective 7 September 1945
- No 1 Flight Engineers’ School- 1 Jul ’44- 31 Mar ’45- moved from Arnprior, Ontario
- No 103 Aircraft Holding Unit- 22 Sep ’44- 15 Nov ’44
- Technical and Engineering School – End Mar ’45- 1 Mar ’46
- No 1 Technical Training School- 1 Mar ’46- end ’48, reformed 2 April ’51, renamed Technical Officers Training School, later relocated to Centralia, Ontario
- No 2 Manning Depot- 1 May ’49
- No 2 Composite Training School (No2 KTS) Apr ’51- June ’54 [absorbed into No1 TTS]
- No 11 Examination Unit Oct ’51- ’51
- Academic Training School May ’49-Oct ’50
- Education centre to provide academic training to bring recruits up to RCAF standards
- School of English-’49
- No1 Personnel Selection Unit (Airmen) ’49 – March ’51 (moved to St Johns, Quebec)
- Aeronautical Engineering School May ’51-Jan ’54 became No1 TTS’s No1 Training Sqn
- Support Services School-’60-
- Relief Landing Field – St Thomas (Yarmouth Center)
- Relief Landing Field – Tillsonburg
Image from the
RCAF Pilots Manual of Aerodromes and Seaplane Bases
circa 1942.
Aircraft Types:
- No 14 SFTS-
- Anson MkII,
- Harvard MkII, MkIIB, MkIIA,
- Yale
- Walrus for air-sea rescue,
- Lysanders to tow targets
- No 1 FES-
- Halifax,
- Beauforts,
- Hampdens,
- Hurricanes,
- Ansons,
- Battles,
- Finches,
- Harvards,
- Kittyhawks,
- Moths
- Bermudas,
- Tomahawks,
- Hudson
Commanding Officers:
- Wing Commander G.N. Irwin
- 3 July 1941 – 9 July 1943
- Squadron Leader Lew Ingram
- 9 July 1943 – 6 January 1944
- 22 June 1944 – 15 August 1944
- Group Captain G.E. Nash
- 6 January 1944 – 22 June 1944
- Wing Commander A. James
- remained w/ small SFTS detachment after 15 August 1944
- Squadron Leader Adams
- Oofficer Commanding, Flight Engineer School
Financial Impact:
Date/Reason for Closure/Current Status: 1961- transferred to Ont Government,
- used mainly as Ontario Police College
- hangers have been used as agricultural storage by
- Ont Flue Cured Tobacco Board,
- Elgin Co-operative and
- Canadian Canners
Site Plan – 1944
Source – 1 Canadian Air Division, RCAF
Please click on image to download a PDF copy.
Site Plan – 1952
Source – 1 Canadian Air Division, RCAF
Please click on image to download a PDF copy.
Location – Google Map
Photo Gallery
Thank you to Mike Anglin for sharing this photo with me (National Defence Image)
(LAC Joseph M. Scherrer, RCAF)
(LAC Joseph M. Scherrer, RCAF)
Station Magazine
“Aylmer Airman”
Daily Diary – Links – No. 14 Service Flying Training School
Fatalities
This list was compiled from the entries in the Daily diaries of No. 14 Service Flying Training School and other sources. The list likely does not include all fatalities of personnel who died while stationed at RCAF Station Aylmer, and likely includes some errors. Currently this list contains 35 personnel.
9 October 1941
5 December 1941
20 January 1942
24 February 1942
1 April 1942
10 April 1942
28 April 1942
4 June 1942
13 July 1942
26 August 1942
1 October 1942
5 December 1942
6 January 1943
5 February 1943
21 June 1943
24 June 1943
19 July 1943
28 July 1943
4 January 1944
19 January 1944
13 March 1944
14 March 1944
21 April 1944
4 May 1944
Aircraft List
Course List
No 14 Service Flying Training School
For More information – External Links
- Wikipedia
- MilitaryBruce.com – Canadian Military History by Bruce Forsyth
Thank you for this website. My father Geoffrey Ellwood Hawthorn graduated May 15, 1943 (perhaps one day or so earlier). In my collection, I have a newspaper article from May 15. The article contains a photo of Billy Bishop who attended. The article also mentioned my father as a graduate.
My father served at Skipton-on-Swale 424 Squadron where he flew about 35 missions from July 1944 to early January 1945, all in Halifax bombers. His entire crew survived with nothing more than a bit of flack damage on one flight. He made a single flight (July 1944) in Halifax LW170 that, in 1945 ditched on a very calm Irish Sea after running out of fuel. A pefect landing and all survived.
Gary, Thank you for your comment. I have checked the daily diary for No 14 SFTS, Aylmer. It appears that based on your information your father graduated, Course 73 on 14 May 1943. The daily diary mentions Air Marshal Bishop presenting the wings, I am sure your father was awed receiving his wings from such a revered flying ace. I will add a page for your fathers course to this page and maybe we will find other members families as this project moves forward. Thank you again for reaching out.
Thanks for the info on the airbase. My father, LAC Joseph M. Scherrer, served November 1942 to May 1945 at Aylmer and Kingston.
I have many pictures of the aircraft and other airmen that were on the base while he served, dress uniform, discharge papers, etc. He passed away March 2018 and was very passionate of his time service.
I don’t know if any of this will be of any interest to anybody.
Eric, There are many people looking to find information. I would recommend joining the BCATP in Canada group on facebook if you are a facebook member. I would could also post the information on the site if you are interested and it is relevant. If you want to donate the items, and if you are not interested in keeping them I could provide locations to donate to. If you want to keep them please keep them in your family.
Eric, I sent you an email.
Nathan
Hi Eric:
Thanks for your post and offer to share info about Aylmer. I am looking for a photo of Joseph Hankey Herron who was killed in a flying accident in May 1944. Would be very interested in seeing the photos you have of the base and personnel. What else do you have. Best regards, Phil
Hi Eric:
I would be very interested in knowing which photos you have of the air force personnel on base. Thanks and best regards, Phil
Hello: I am a distant relative of Joseph Hankey Herron who died in a training accident at the Aylmer Service Flying Training School on the 4 May 1944. He is buried in the Commonwealth War Graves in Aylmer. I do not have a photo of Joseph. Does anyone have records or documents from the Aylmer School which may contain a photo of Joseph? Many thanks. Phil Brown
Hello Phil. I am a volunteer at the Aylmer-Malahide Museum. I am preparing a book honouring those who gave their lives in World War 2 from Aylmer-Malahide. I am including the fatalities at No. 14 S.F.T.S. Aylmer. I have gathered what information I could on Joseph Hankey Herron, but unfortunately, am also looking for a picture. If you find one, let me know and I will do the same! Jim McCallum.
Hi,
I am trying to research the time my late father-in-law E. Hemming within the BCATP (he was a UK National from Birmingham about 20 years of age at the time)
Family lore has it that he trained at Goderich and later Aylmer
We have a few scraps of paper, amongst which is a ‘Leave or Day Pass Form” for him dated 23 April 1944, issued at F.A.A 14 SFTS Aylmer.
My problem is in finding any comprehensive lists of recruits or graduates of the BCATP.
Any help or direction would be greatly appreciated
I found this very interesting as I grew up only a couple of miles away. I now currently work at this site which is now Ontario Police College
thank you for the positive feedback.
Hi Nathan.
RCAF Flight Engineer School, Aylmer. Reel C-12368
Start Image 312
July 1944 319; … January 1945 379; February 1945 388; March 1945 397…. ends at Image 406.
Related school No. 1 Flight Engineer’s School, Arnprior. Reel C-12368
Start Image 407
February 1944 421; then each following month 429, 436, 443, 459, July 470, 477, 485, 489… ends at Image 492.
Arnprior school disbanded October 14, 1944.
Steve
Good morning. Query reads, Australian FS Howarth age 21 LAC flying accident either 4 february military record or reported in newspaper 14 february 1942. Harvard fell out of formation to ice below in lake simcoe in poor weather.lost to bottom of lake no survivors.Martin was the flight officer instructor.More information, photo appreciated. Ps I have just now attained medals from defence canberra australia 1939 -1945 which were unissued. Thanks if there is further information regards Ian.
Hello,
I am trying to find ANY information on my grandfather, Reginald George Gibson. I know he was an instructor at Alymer during WW2. He was born in 1920, and died March 1985 (3 months before I was born). All of his war time belongings were donated to a private collector by my aunt, and the collector sold it all on ebay. I haven’t been able to find anything to try and piece his life together. His medals, uniform, journals, etv everything is gone. Any help about his ranking, positions, duties… would be greatly appreciated.