Global InformationRCAF Station Aylmer information
| RCAF Station Aylmer | |
|---|---|
| Malahide, Ontario Near Aylmer, Ontario in Canada | |
 Control Tower in 1941 | |
  RCAF Station Aylmer | |
| Coordinates | 42°48′23″N 80°56′39″W / 42.806358°N 80.944262°W |
| Site information | |
| Operator | Royal Canadian Air Force |
| Controlled by | No. 1 Training Command |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1940-1941 |
| In use | 1941–1961 |
| Fate | Closed, now operated as the Ontario Police College |
| Garrison information | |
| Past commanders | G/C Norman Irwin - 1941 W/C Lew Ingram - 1943 |
| Garrison | No. 14 Service Flying Training School No. 1 Flight Engineers School Women's Division Service Police School |
| RCAF Station Aylmer | |
|---|---|
| Role | British Commonwealth Air Training Plan Aircrew and groundcrew training |
| Station Magazine | The Aylmer Airman |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Trainer | North American Harvard North American Yale Handley Page Halifax Bristol Beaufort Handley Page Hampden |
RCAF Station Aylmer was a Royal Canadian Air Force airfield that was built between late 1940 and June 1941 northeast of Aylmer, Ontario.[1][2][3] It was one of many built across Canada under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan during World War II.
The first school at the airfield was No. 14 Service Flying Training School (SFTS). RCAF staff began arriving at the station before construction was finished. First to arrive was a 17-man security party under Sgt. Les Oliver in late March. Squadron Leader T. Moreton, the first officer, arrived on 2 June 1941 to manage the new station's equipment. Wing Commander Norman Irwin arrived at Aylmer on 18 June 1941 on "Temporary Duty" and was appointed C.O. when the station was activated on 3 July 1941.
Opening ceremonies were held on 2 August 1941 with the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Albert Matthews and the Premier of Ontario Mitchell Hepburn on hand. The new station was open to the public that afternoon and guests were treated to an aerobatic display by the instructors.
Relief airfields were R1—Yarmouth Centre, Ontario and R2—Tillsonburg, Ontario. Pilots used North American Harvards as their advanced trainer. Some North American Yales arrived on 23 January 1942 and were mainly used for navigation exercises.[3] No. 14 SFTS moved to Kingston in August 1944.
Other schools located at Aylmer include:
- Women's Division Service Police School (1942)
- No. 1 Flight Engineers' School (1 July 1944 – 31 March 1945).
- ^ Hatch, F. J. (1983).The Aerodrome of Democracy: Canada and the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, 1939-1945. Ottawa: Directorate of History, Department of National Defence. ISBN 0660114437>
- ^ Military Bruce Historical Writings by Bruce Forsyth Archived 2013-10-23 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b McIntyre, M. (1979).I'll Never Forget...Canadian Aviation In The Second World War:The Aylmer Story 14 S.F.T.S. Willowdale:Canadian Aviation Historical Society. ISBN 0-920610-00-5