HomeMy WebLinkAboutLakeshore Advance, 2013-11-06, Page 1918 Lakeshore Advance • Wednesday, November 6, 2013
The war years
Lest we forget
Lynda Hillman-Rapley
"If ye break faith with us who die We
shall not sleep, though poppies grow In
Flanders fields:" - John McCrae
The second- world war was a global
war that touched man, woman and
child across the nation. In our home
communities, building began to house
those who were being trained to fight
for freedom. 'Ihe air bases in Centralia,
Clinton and Grand Bend and the range
and training area at Ipperwash brought
the war closer to home.
The construction of the Centralia
base on land, which had formerly been
used to grow sugar beets, drastically
changed the face of Stephen Township.
In 1941 as WW 11 entered its third year,
there was sound of some unusual activ-
ity on a 600 -acre parcel of land just west
of the village of Centralia. The sound
was the pounding of hammers as hun-
dreds of workmen worked around the
clock building what would become the
Royal Canadian Air Force base. 'Ihe vil-
lage, which had been bypassed by 1 Figh-
way 4 many years before was suddenly
given a nqw lease on life. Between 400
and 600 craftsmen and labourers rush-
ing to complete 40 large frame build-
ings, hangars and runways before win-
ter They were constructing the new $1,5
million Service Hying Training School
on the farm fields where pilots from
British Cotnmonwealth countries
would be trained for wartime service.
The new base was to be one of the larg-
est stations of its kind in Canada. Con-
struction was to be completed by Feb-
ruary 1942 so the fist class of trained
pilots was'be ready for overseas flying
duties by late spring. In spite of good
lntensions, personnel from Summer -
side base did not arrive until lune 1942.
The first trainees reported to the new
base on August 2, 1942 as workers were
still rushing to put the final touches to
runways, hangers and barracks. More
than 7,000 guests came to the
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September 23rd 1942 opening. By the
end of 1944, the Centralia training
school had produced such a reserve of
trained aircrew that rapid reduction of
the base training establishment was
possible. The last wings parade was
held March 29th, 1945 when 112 pilots
graduated. In 1945 with the surrender
of Germany, the training school role of
the Centralia base was officially
over. RCAF Station Centralia was reacti-
vated in January 1947 to provide accom-
modation and training facilities for No.
1 Radar and Communications School
(No. 1 R&CS) that was based in nearby
RCAF Station Clinton. No. 1 instrument
Hying School (IFS) was relocated to
Centralia from RCAF Station Trenton in
the spring of 1947. 'this school gave stu-
dents an opportunity to obtain their
instrument rating qualifications.
In April 1948, the RCAF's School of
Flying Control was formed at Centralia.
'Ihe school trained Hying Control Offic-
ers and Aircraft Control Assistants for
deployment in control towers and oper-
ations rooms in I1(:AF stations. Training
was undertaken at Centralia's Grand
Bend Detachment from 1951-1957.
Centralia was actively involved with
the NA'T'O Air Training Plan.'Ihe NATO
Training & Induction School, originally
located at RCAF Station London, re -lo-
cated to RCAF Station Centralia in 1954.
'Ihe school's purpose was to inform per-
sonnel about various aspects of work-
ing with NATO.
On October 31, 1952, the I lonourable
John Alexander Douglas McCurdy, who
made Canada's first successful airplane
flight in 1909 visited Centralia to open
the new public school name In his
honour.
In October 1954, the Pre -Flight
School was formed at Centralia. This
school provided ground instruction to
students before they began flight train-
ing. In 1956 Centralia began hosting the
Primary Flying Training School using
the Chipmunk. Graduate pilots were
sent to western Canada for more
advanced training o11 1larvards.
No.2 Personnel Selection Unit (PSIJ),
which was responsible for officer selec-
tion for aircrew, moved to Centralia
after the closure of RCAF Station Lon-
don in 1958.
In the early to mid 1960s, a reorgani-
zation and consolidation occurred
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S'ERLING
Conslnate,n of RCAF Station Centralia, which begun in 1941, Jra.-lknUV al-
tnrd the noel Ian4. aIY o/ this part of Stephen Township. ( Wier ht,ildings tree
lying tgYMd at the wnte time for the RCAF a,rjr'rt near (:raid Rend (Landon
Flee Pres C-oUrttion of 1'holt;'rnphic Negutttrs, 1),11 Weldon ijharv, UW(1)
Camp Ipperwash and the building of Centralia base
within the Canadian Military. Several Army, Navy
and RCAF bases were downsized, merged or
closed. As a result, RCAF Station Centralia closed
again on 31 March 1967, but this time for good.
ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE DETACI [MENT
GRAND BEND
'Phis base opened in 1942 as a Relief Landing
Fields for No. 9 Service Hying Training School at
RCAF Station Centralia.
RCAF Detachment Grand Bend remained open
after World War 11 as Centralia's relief field. With
the reformation of the Flying Control Branch in
early 1951, RCAF Detachment Grand Bend also
served as the home to No. 1 Flying Control School
from 1951-1957.
In 1961, the Detachment was briefly handed to
the Canadian Army for their use, but by 1962, it
was back in RCAI' hands. RCAF Detachment
Grand Bend closed in 1963.
Today, very little remains from the RCAF Days.
'ihe Grand Bend Motorplex uses one of the three
runways and the taxi area as a drag racing track.
The remainder of the airfield operates as the
Grand Bend Airport, utilized by the Grand Bend
Sport Parachuting (:enter. 'Ihe only building that
remains is the hangar, with the control tower
perched on top.
Royal canad[an air force station clinton
The Royal Air Force established this Kase in
1941, as the home to the No. 31 Radio Direction
Finding School (No. :II IMF), a part of the British
Commonwealth Air 'Training Plan. As RADAR was
a strictly guarded secret at that time, RCAF Station
Clinton was listed as a communication training
facility.
In July 1943, No. 31 IMF closed and the Royal
Canadian Air Force formed No. 5 Radio School in
its place. "ihe station was re -named RCAF Station
Clinton.
In lune 1944, No 5 Radio School was transferred
to the RCAF's I tonne War Operations 'Training
command.
RCAF Station Clinton remained open at the end
of the Second World War, becoming part of the
post-war RCAF. In November 1945, Clinton
became home to the No. 1 Radar and Communi-
cations School (No. 1 R&CS), which maintained a
detachment at nearby RCAF Station Centralia.
RCAF Station Clinton was also home to other
units, including No. 12 Examination Unit, No. 1 Air
Lynda Hillman-Rapley collection and London Free Press archives
Radio Officer School, School of Food Services, and
the Aerospace Engineering Officer School.
As a result of the Unification, RCAF Station Clin-
ton was re -named Canadian Forces Base Clinton.
In the early to mid 1960s, a reorganization and
consolidation occurred within the Canadian Mili-
tary. Several Army, Navy and RCAF bases were
downsized, merged or closed. CPB Clinton was
one that was marked for closure.
CFB Clinton closed on 30 August 1971. The
Canadian Forces Radar and Communications
School re -located to CFB Kingston.
Today, the former base is known as the Village
of Vanastra.
Ipperwash range and training area
Originally opened on 28 January 1942 on the
shore of Lake Iluron adjacent to Ipperwash Pro-
vincial Park as A29 Canadian Infantry Training
Centre. In a contentious move, the Department of
National Defence from the Chippewas of Stoney
Point First Nation expropriated the land. Barracks,
messes, drill halls and administrative buildings
and a firing range were constructed at the camp.
When A29 CITC ceased operations in 1945,
UNI) indicated it was willing to return the major-
ity of the expropriated land, leasing back parts of
the camp still required for training, but this Ileal
fell through. As a result, Camp Ipperwash
remained open as a training centre for the Regular
Force, Reserves, as well as the summer home of
the Central Command Cadet Camp, established in
1948.
During the Korean War, Camp Ipperwash served
as the 1 [ohne station for the 2nd Canadian Rifle
Battalion, later re -named "Ihe Queens Own Rifles
of Canada. The 4th Battalion, Canadian Guards,
was posted to 1pperwash from 1954 until dis-
banded in 1957.
The Unification of the Forces in 1968 saw Camp
Ipperwash retain its name, unlike many other
bases that were re -named Canadian Forces Base
or Canadian Forces Station (CFS). During the
1970s, activity at Camp Ipperwash was greatly
reduced and was re -designated the 1pperwash
Range and Training Area. The Army Cadet Sum-
mer Training Centre re -located to CFB Borden in
August 1993.
With files from Muriel Mack -The I listory of
Stephen 'Township and Bruce Forsyth Military
Bases