British Commonwealth Air Training Plan Schools - Canada

The majority of crews in Bomber Command's squadrons went through the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, the exception being those already in the service during the outbreak of the Second World War. Canada played a huge role in the plan and operated over 100 schools in a five year period, graduating a total of 131 553 airmen.

(click on hyperlinks to see images related to the various schools)

Manning Depots
Name	Location
No. 1 MD	Toronto, Ontario
No. 2 MD	Brandon, Manitoba
No. 3 MD	Edmonton, Alberta
No. 4 MD	Quebec City, Quebec
No. 5 MD	Lachine, Quebec
Initial Training Schools
No. 1 ITS	Toronto, Ontario
No. 2 ITS	Regina, Saskatchewan
No. 3 ITS	Victoriaville, Quebec
No. 4 ITS	Edmonton, Alberta
No. 5 ITS	Belleville, Ontario
No. 6 ITS	Toronto, Ontario
No. 7 ITS	Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Elementary Flying Training Schools
Name	Location	Dates of Operation	Aircraft
No. 1 EFTS	Malton, Ontario	06/24/40 - 07/03/42	Fleet Finch, Tiger Moth
No. 2 EFTS	Thunder Bay, Ontario	06/24/40 - 05/31/44	Tiger Moth
No. 3 EFTS	London, Ontario	06/24/40 - 07/03/42	Fleet Finch, Tiger Moth
No. 4 EFTS	Windsor Mills, Quebec	06/24/40 - 08/25/44	Fleet Finch, Tiger Moth
No. 5 EFTS	Lethbridge, Alberta	07/22/40 - 06/01/41	Cornell, Tiger Moth
No. 5 EFTS	High River, Alberta	06/01/41 - 11/15/44	Cornell, Tiger Moth
No. 6 EFTS	Prince Albert, Saskatchewan	07/22/40 - 11/15/44	Cornell, Tiger Moth
No. 7 EFTS	Windsor, Ontario	07/22/40 - 12/15/44	Fleet Finch
No. 8 EFTS	Vancouver, B.C	07/22/40 - 12/01/41	Tiger Moth
No. 8 EFTS	Boundary Bay, B.C	12/02/41 - 01/02/42	Tiger Moth
No. 9 EFTS	St. Catharines, Ontario	10/14/40 - 01/14/44	Tiger Moth
No. 10 EFTS	Mount Hope, Ontario	10/14/40 - 08/01/42	Fleet Finch, Tiger Moth
No. 10 EFTS	Pendleton, Ontario	08/01/42 - 09/15/44	Fleet Finch, Tiger Moth
No. 11 EFTS	Cap de la Madelaine, Quebec	10/14/40 - 02/11/44	Fleet Finch, Cornell
No. 12 EFTS	Goderich, Ontario	10/14/40 - 02/11/44	Fleet Finch
No. 13 EFTS	St. Eugene, Ontario	10/28/40 - 06/19/45	Fleet Finch
No. 14 EFTS	Portage la Prarie, Manitoba	10/28/40 - 07/03/42	Fleet Finch, Tiger Moth
No. 15 EFTS	Regina, Saskatchewan	11/11/40 - 08/11/44	Cornell, Tiger Moth
No. 16 EFTS	Edmonton, Alberta	11/11/40 - 07/12/42	Fleet Finch, Tiger Moth
No. 17 EFTS	Stanley, Nova Scotia	03/17/41 - 01/14/44	Fleet Finch, Tiger Moth
No. 18 EFTS	Boundary Bay, B.C	04/10/41 - 05/25/42	Tiger Moth
No. 19 EFTS	Virden, Manitoba	05/16/41 - 12/15/44	Cornell, Tiger Moth
No. 20 EFTS	Oshawa, Ontario	06/21/41 - 12/15/44	Tiger Moth
No. 21 EFTS	Chatham, New Brunswick	07/03/41 - 08/14/42	Fleet Finch
No. 22 EFTS	Ancienne Lorette, Quebec	09/29/41 - 07/03/42	Fleet Finch
No. 23 EFTS	Davidson, Saskatchewan	11/09/42 - 01/02/45	Cornell
No. 23 EFTS	Yorkton, Saskatchewan	01/02/45 - 09/15/45	Cornell
No. 24 EFTS	Abbotsford, B.C	09/06/43 - 08/15/44	Cornell
No. 25 EFTS	Assiniboia, Saskatchewan	01/30/44 - 07/28/44	Cornell
No. 26 EFTS	Neepawa, Manitoba	01/30/44 - 08/24/44	Tiger Moth
No. 31 EFTS	De Winton, Alberta	06/18/41 - 09/25/44	Stearman, Cornell, Tiger Moth
No. 32 EFTS	Bowden, Alberta	07/12/41 - 09/08/44	Stearman, Tiger Moth, Cornell
No. 33 EFTS	Caron, Saskatchewan	01/05/42 - 01/14/44	Tiger Moth, Cornell
No. 34 EFTS	Assiniboia, Saskatchewan	02/11/42 - 01/30/44	Tiger Moth
No. 35 EFTS	Neepawa, Manitoba	03/30/42 - 01/30/44	Tiger Moth
No. 36 EFTS	Pearce, Alberta	03/30/42 - 08/14/42	Stearman, Tiger Moth
Service Flying Training Schools
Name	Location	Dates of Operation	Aircraft
No. 1 SFTS	Camp Borden, Ontario	11/01/39 - 03/31/46	Harvard, Yale
No. 2 SFTS	Ottawa, Ontario	08/05/41 - 04/14/45	Harvard, Yale
No. 3 SFTS	Calgary, Alberta (Currie Airfield)	10/28/40 - 09/28/45	Anson, Crane
No. 4 SFTS	Saskatoon, Saskatchewan	09/16/40 - 03/30/45	Anson, Crane
No. 5 SFTS	Brantford, Ontario	11/11/40 - 11/03/44	Anson
No. 6 SFTS	Dunnville, Ontario	11/05/40 - 12/01/44	Harvard, Yale, Anson
No. 7 SFTS	Fort Macleod, Alberta	12/09/40 - 11/17/44	Anson
No. 8 SFTS	Moncton, New Brunswick	12/23/40 - 01/02/44	Harvard, Anson
No. 8 SFTS	Weyburn, Saskatchewan	01/02/44 - 06/30/44	Harvard, Anson
No. 9 SFTS	Summerside, PEI	01/06/41 - 07/01/42	Harvard, Anson
No. 9 SFTS	Centralia, Ontario	07/01/42 - 03/30/45	Harvard, Anson
No. 10 SFTS	Dauphin, Manitoba	03/05/41 - 04/14/45	Harvard, Crane
No. 11 SFTS	Yorkton, Saskatchewan	04/10/41 - 12/01/44	Harvard, Crane, Anson
No. 12 SFTS	Brandon, Manitoba	05/16/41 - 03/30/45	Crane, Anson
No. 13 SFTS	St. Hubert, Quebec	09/01/41 - 02/01/44	Harvard, Anson
No. 13 SFTS	North Battleford, Saskatchewan	02/01/44 - 03/30/45	Harvard, Anson
No. 14 SFTS	Aylmer, Ontario	10/03/41 - 08/01/44	Harvard, Yale, Anson
No. 14 SFTS	Kingston, Ontario	08/01/44 - 09/07/45	Harvard, Yale, Anson
No. 15 SFTS	Claresholm, Alberta	06/09/41 - 03/30/45	Crane, Anson
No. 16 SFTS	Hagersville, Ontario	08/08/41 - 03/03/45	Harvard, Anson
No. 17 SFTS	Souris, Manitoba	03/08/43 - 03/30/45	Harvard, Anson
No. 18 SFTS	Gimli, Manitoba	09/06/43 - 03/30/45	Anson
No. 19 SFTS	Vulcan, Alberta	05/03/43 - 04/14/45	Anson
No. 31 SFTS	Kingston, Ontario	10/07/40 - 08/14/44	Battle, Harvard
No. 32 SFTS	Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan	12/09/40 - 10/17/44	Oxford
No. 33 SFTS	Carberry, Manitoba	12/26/40 - 11/17/44	Crane, Anson
No. 34 SFTS	Medicine Hat, Alberta	04/18/41 - 11/17/44	Harvard, Oxford
No. 35 SFTS	North Battleford, Saskatchewan	09/04/41 - 02/25/44	Oxford
No. 36 SFTS	Penhold, Alberta	09/28/41 - 02/25/44	Oxford
No. 37 SFTS	Calgary, Alberta	10/22/41 - 03/10/44	Harvard, Oxford, Anson
No. 38 SFTS	Estevan, Saskatchewan	04/27/42 - 02/11/44	Anson
No. 39 SFTS	Swift Current, Saskatchewan	12/15/41 - 03/24/44	Oxford
No. 41 SFTS	Weyburn, Saskatchewan	01/05/42 - 01/22/44	Harvard, Anson
Air Navigation Schools
Name	Location	Dates of Operation	Aircraft
No. 1 ANS	Trenton, Ontario	02/01/40 - 05/11/42	Anson
No. 2 ANS	Pennfield Ridge, New Brunswick	07/21/41 - 04/30/42	Anson
No. 2 ANS	Charlottetown, PEI	02/01/44 - 07/07/45	Anson
No. 31 ANS	Port Albert, Ontario	11/18/40 - 02/17/45	Anson
No. 32 ANS	Charlottetown, PEI	08/18/41 -09/11/42	Anson
No. 33 ANS	Mount Hope, Ontario	06/09/41 - 10/06/44	Anson
Air Observer Schools
Name	Location	Dates of Operation	Aircraft
No. 1 AOS	Malton, Ontario	05/27/40 - 04/30/45	Anson
No. 2 AOS	Edmonton, Alberta	08/05/40 - 07/14/44	Anson
No. 3 AOS	Regina, Saskatchewan	09/16/40 - 09/01/42	Anson
No. 3 AOS	Pearce, Alberta	09/01/42 - 06/06/43	Anson
No. 4 AOS	London, Ontario	11/25/40 - 12/31/44	Anson
No. 5 AOS	Winnipeg, Manitoba	01/06/41 - 04/30/45	Anson
No. 6 AOS	Prince Albert, Saskatchewan	03/17/41 - 11/11/42	Anson
No. 7 AOS	Portage la Prairie, Manitoba	04/28/41 - 03/31/45	Anson
No. 8 AOS	Ancienne Lorette, Quebec	09/29/41 - 04/30/45	Anson
No. 9 AOS	St. Jean, Quebec	07/07/41 - 04/30/45	Anson
No. 10 AOS	Chatham, New Brunswick	07/21/41 - 04/30/45	Anson
Wireless Schools
Name	Location	Dates of Operation	Aircraft
No. 1 WS	Montreal, Quebec	02/16/40 - 09/01/44	Norseman, Tiger Moth, Stinson 105
No. 1 WS	Mount Hope, Ontario	09/01/44 - 10/31/45	Norseman, Tiger Moth, Stinson 105
No. 2 WS	Calgary, Alberta	09/16/40 - 04/14/45	Harvard, Fort
No. 3 WS	Winnipeg, Manitoba	02/17/41 - 01/20/45	Norseman, Tiger Moth, Fort, Finch, Yale
No. 4 WS	Guelph, Ontario	07/07/41 - 01/20/45	Norseman, Tiger Moth
Bombing and Gunnery Schools
Name	Location	Dates of Operation	Aircraft
No. 1 B&GS	Jarvis, Ontario	08/19/40 - 02/17/45	Anson, Lysander, Battle, Bolingbroke
No. 2 B&GS	Mossbank, Saskatchewan	10/28/40 - 12/15/44	Anson, Lysander, Battle, Bolingbroke
No. 3 B&GS	MacDonald, Manitoba	03/10/41 - 02/17/45	Anson, Lysander, Battle, Bolingbroke
No. 4 B&GS	Fingal, Ontario	11/25/40 - 02/17/45	Anson, Lysander, Battle, Bolingbroke, Nomad
No. 5 B&GS	Dafoe, Saskatchewan	04/26/41 - 02/17/45	Anson, Lysander, Battle, Bolingbroke
No. 6 B&GS	Mountainview, Ontario	06/23/41 - Post war	Anson, Lysander, Battle, Bolingbroke, Nomad, Harvard
No. 7 B&GS	Paulson, Manitoba	06/23/41 - 02/02/45	Anson, Lysander, Battle, Bolingbroke
No. 8 B&GS	Lethbridge, Alberta	10/13/41 - 12/15/44	Anson, Lysander, Battle, Bolingbroke, Nomad
No. 9 B&GS	Mont Joli, Quebec	12/15/41 - 04/14/45	Anson, Lysander, Battle, Bolingbroke, Norseman, Hurricane
No. 10 B&GS	Mount Pleasant, PEI	09/20/43 - 06/06/45	Anson, Lysander, Battle, Bolingbroke, Norseman, Hurricane
No. 31 B&GS	Picton, Ontario	04/28/41 - 11/17/44	Anson, Lysander, Battle, Bolingbroke
Naval Air Gunner Schools
No. 1 NAGS	Yarmouth, Nova Scotia	01/01/43 - 03/30/45	Swordfish, Seamew, Anson, Lysander, Walrus, Hurricane
Flight Engineer Schools
No. 1 FES	Aylmer, Ontario	10/01/44 - 03/31/45
Flying Instructor Schools
No. 1 FIS	Trenton, Ontario		Fawn, Finch, Tiger Moth, Harvard, Cornell, Crane, Anson
No. 2 FIS	Claresholm, Alberta	04/42 - 09/42	Crane, Anson, Cornell, Fawn, Finch, Harvard, Oxford, Tiger Moth
No. 2 FIS	Vulcan, Alberta	10/42 - 04/43	Crane, Anson, Cornell, Fawn, Finch, Harvard, Oxford, Tiger Moth
No. 2 FIS	Pearce, Alberta	05/43 - 01/45	Crane, Anson, Cornell, Fawn, Finch, Harvard, Oxford, Tiger Moth
No. 3 FIS	Arnprior, Ontario	08/42 - 01/44	Crane, Anson, Cornell, Fawn, Finch, Harvard, Tiger Moth
Operational Training Units
No. 1 OTU	Bagotville, Quebec	07/20/42 - 01/31/45	Harvard, Lsyander, Bolingbroke, Hurricane
No. 3 OTU	Patricia Bay, British Columbia	04/01/42 - 08/08/45	Stranraer, Canso, Lysander
No. 5 OTU	Boundary Bay and Abbotsford, B.C	04/01/42 - 10/31/45	Liberator, Bolingbroke, Mitchell, Kittyhawk
No. 31 OTU (later No. 7)	Debert, Nova Scotia	06/3/41 - 07/20/45	Hudson, Bolingbroke
No. 32 OTU (later No. 6)	Patricia Bay, Comox, British Columbia, Greenwood, Nova Scotia	06/01/44 - postwar	Anson, Beaufort, Hampden, Oxford, Lysander, Dakota, Expeditor
No. 34 OTU	Pennfield Ridge, New Brunswick	06/01/42 - 05/19/44	Bolingbroke, Anson, Hudson, Ventura
No. 36 OTU (later No. 8)	Greenwood, Nova Scotia	05/12/42 - 11/01/44	Bolingbroke, Harvard, Hudson, Mosquito, Oxford
Specialty Schools
No. 1 Central Flying School	Trenton, Ontario	02/01/40 - postwar	Fawn, Finch, Tiger Moth, Harvard, Cornell, Crane, Anson, Bolingbroke, Hudson, Ventura, Oxford, Hurricane, Lockheed 10, Battle
No. 1 Central Navigation School	Rivers, Manitoba	05/11/42 - 09/15/45	Anson
No. 1 Instrument Flying School	Deseronto, Ontario	04/02/43 - postwar	Oxford, Cornell
Radio Direction Finding Schools
No. 1	Leaside, Ontario
No.31 (later No.5)	Clinton, Ontario
Other Schools
Air Armament School	Mountainview, Ontario
AID Inspector School	Malton, Ontario
No.1 Composite Training School	Trenton, Ontario
No.2 Composite Training School	Toronto, Ontario
School of Aeronautical Engineering	Montreal, Quebec
School of Aviation Medicine	Toronto, Ontario
School of Cookery	Guelph, Ontario
Training Commands
No.1 Training Command	Toronto, Ontario
No.2 Training Command	Winnipeg, Manitoba
No.3 Training Command	Montreal, Quebec
No.4 Training Command	Regina, Saskatchewan then Calgary, Alberta (10/41)