RCAF.Info » RCAF Stations » Ontario RCAF Stations » RCAF Station Fingal

RCAF Station Fingal

Location/Base: Fingal

Province: Ontario

Years in Use:

  • – 1965

Units: 

  • No 4 Bombing and Gunnery School- 25 Nov ’40 to 17 Feb ’45
  • No 9 Surplus Equipment Holding Unit -Apr ’45-Apr ’46
  • storage facility post war RCAF until ‘ 65
  • Also see
    • land bombing ranges Dutton, Melbourne, Frome and Tempo
    • 200 yard turret firing range on the Lake Road near Port Stanley
    • Marine section at Port Stanely
    • lake bombing and gunnery ranges that occupied approx 112 square miles of Lake Eire

Aircraft Types:

  • No 4 B&GS
    • Anson,
    • Battle,
    • Nomad,
    • Bolingbroke,
    • Lysander

Commanding Officers:

  • Wing Commander W.D. Van Vliet Nov ’40-Oct ’41
  • Wing Commander A.J. Kennedy Oct ’41-May ’42
  • Wing Commander D.D. Findlay May ’42-Jan ’43
  • Group Captain J.G. Kerr Jan ’43-May ’44
  • Wing Commander W.H. Swetman DSO, DFC; May ’44-Nov ’44
  • Wing Commander R.E. Morrow DFC; Nov ’44-Feb ’45
RCAF Aerodrome Fingal, Ontario.
Image from the
RCAF Pilots Manual of Aerodromes and Seaplane Bases
circa 1942.
Photo courtesy of Matt Heintz.

Financial Impact:

Date/Reason for Closure:

  • 1965 -transferred admin and control of site to Province of Ontario

Current Status:

  • now known as Fingal Wildlife Management Area
Commemorative Plaque at the site of RCAF Station Fingal, Ontario – Photo by Bill Bean posted on Facebook
Commemorative Plaque – List of Fatalities at the site of RCAF Station Fingal, Ontario – Photo by Bill Bean posted on Facebook

Site Plan – 1941

Site Plan, No 4 Bombing & Gunnery School, Fingal, Ontario
(Circa 1941) (Source 1 Canadian Air Division)
If you would like a PDF Copy Please Click to Download.

Bombing Range Map – No 4 Bombing & Gunnery School

Bombing Range Map – No 4 Bombing & Gunnery School, Fingal, Ontario. Source Canadiana.ca

Flying Operations Area Map – No 4 Bombing & Gunnery School

Bombing Range Map – No 4 Bombing & Gunnery School, Fingal, Ontario. Source Canadiana.ca

Location – Google Map

Station Magazine
“Fingal Observer”

The Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum, Brandon, Manitoba has created a transcription of this Daily Diary.
Their web site is AirMuseum.ca


Fatalities

This list was compiled from the entries in the Daily diaries of No. 4 Bombing & Gunnery School and other sources.  The list likely does not include all fatalities of personnel who died while stationed at RCAF Station Fingal, and likely includes some errors. Currently this list contains 20 personnel.

Aircraft List


Course List
No 4 Bombing & Gunnery School


Leave a Reply