2005 CAHS Conference in Regina –

A Centennial Celebration

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Legislature Building in Regina, capital city of Saskatchewan

The 42nd annual conference of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society, held in Regina on Friday and Saturday, May 13 and 14, was hosted by the Roland Groome Chapter of the CAHS. With tours and formal presentations, the program treated delegates to nostalgia, history and research in civilian and military history, including the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.

The theme of the conference, “One to One Hundred: Aviation in Saskatchewan,” alluded to famed Regina aviator Roland J. Groome, who received Canada’s No. 1 commercial pilot’s license in 1920, and the 100^th anniversary of the province in 2005.

Aviation Tours

On Friday morning, delegates boarded buses for the farm of Frank Thompson in the Readlyn area, south of Regina and 60 kilometers north of the U.S. border. For 50 years Frank has been collecting cars, trucks, farm implements and memorabilia, and the boneyard on his property contains remnants of BCATP aircraft. Several buildings housed a few aircraft and many early automobiles. One of the rarest is a 1914 Moose Jaw Standard, a touring car that went out of production after only six were made in the city that gave the car its name. With treasures indoors and relics outdoors, Frank’s collection intrigued the visitors. The accumulation of half a century provided a challenge as participants tried to identify the vehicles and the parts of aircraft still bearing BCATP yellow paint. But it was easier to recognize the Link Trainer, the Harvard or the Bolingbroke.

Left: Bolingbroke nose at Frank Thompson’s. At right, Harry Whereatt welcomes Clark Seaborn, centre, of Calgary and Ron Bell of Red Lake, Ontario far right, to his property and aircraft collection. In the background is Harry’s Westland Lysander.

The tour continued on to the farm of Harry Whereatt, across the road from the former No. 34 Elementary Flying Training School near Assiniboia. The wartime buildings are gone, but a windsock in the field indicates the strip is still in use. In fact, all three runways in the familiar triangle pattern remain, with the main strip repaved. Fliers can still land on the field that saw 2,096 pilots trained there during the war. Aircraft at Whereatt’s include a Harvard, a Westland Lysander and a Tiger Moth as BCATP birds. Parked outside are nose sections from an Anson and a T-33. Harry’s collection includes his restored Hawker Hurricane, a Link Trainer and a small homebuilt biplane under construction.

At Mossbank, the visit to the local museum saw a large mural painted by Paul Geraghty in 1996, based on an aerial photo of Mossbank No. 2 Bombing and Gunnery School. One detail of the painting shows a Lysander towing a target drogue for gunnery practice, but the real-life drogue is on display in the museum. Leaving Mossbank, the two highway coaches carrying convention-goers made a quick side trip down the aging runways of No. 2 BGS. The most visible remaining feature of the base is the gun butt, and part of the land once used as a training base is now a golf course.

A stop in the station museum at 15 Wing Moose Jaw provided a look at the displays and a presentation by military personnel on the history of the base. Moose Jaw trains air crew from other countries and is the home of the 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, better known as the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, which flies Canada CT-114 Tutor jet aircraft. The Moose Jaw base, established in 1940 with the BCATP, has been home to the aerobatic team since its inception in the early 1970s.

At left: Bristol Bolingbroke in flight over No. 2 Bombing and Gunnery School, at Mossbank, Saskatchewan, in detail from mural at Mossbank Museum, painted by Paul Geraghty in 1996. At right, the Snowbirds performing at the Westlock, Alberta air show in August 2005.

Final stop was the Western Development Museum at Moose Jaw, one of four such museums in Saskatchewan (www.wdm.ca/mj.html). This one features History of Transportation as the theme, with a large collection of automobiles, an operating steam train and the only gallery anywhere devoted to the Snowbirds. Of special interest was the aircraft collection.

It’s hard to think of the Anson – “Faithful Annie” – as a warbird, but the beautifully restored Avro Anson Mark I is on display in combat colors, complete with nose armament and a replica Lewis gun in the mid-upper turret. Built in 1933-34, it was the last Anson in service at the Moose Jaw base at the end of the Second World War. Its restoration took seven years of volunteer work by members of the volunteer group, Vintage Aircraft Restorers, which is dedicated to refurbishing the vintage aircraft displayed in the museum.

“I cut my teeth on the Anson,” says 89-year old Don O’Hearne, leader of the Vintage Aircraft Restorers, a volunteer group that restored many aircraft in the museum’s collection. Don signed up with the RCAF in 1939 before the war, spent 27 years in the force in ground crew aircraft maintenance and retired as a Warrant Officer. After working with Manpower and Immigration, Don retired again and has worked at the museum since 1982. In 2000, he was inducted into the Saskatchewan Aviation Hall of Fame. Don’s type of dedication is seen in many Canadian aircraft museums where volunteer support is vital to their operation. (See www.wdm.ca/projects/cornell/index.html)

Other BCATP aircraft on display are a De Havilland Tiger Moth, a North America Harvard, a Cessna Crane and a Fairchild Cornell. Included in the collection are a 1927 H-10 Red Pheasant, a 1936 DeHavilland DH60M Gypsy Moth, a 1937 Aeronca K, a Noorduyn Norseman and a Stinson 108. Recently finished is a Piper J-3 Cub on floats, which will be suspended as if coming in to land, at a diorama to be built. The complete display is part of a Saskatchewan 2005 Centennial project. Under construction is an Airspeed Oxford and when finished, will be the only Oxford in Canada.

Remembrances of Roland Groome

The Saturday program began with a presentation about one of Regina’s favourite sons, Roland J. Groome. His niece, Dr. Ruth Groome Kurtz of Toronto, presented an account of the famous flyer’s life, illustrated with many of Roland’s own photos. He was fascinated by aircraft from the time he was a boy making model airplanes, and Louis Blériot’s solo flight across the English Channel on July 25, 1909 marked the beginning of Roland Groome’s interest in aviation. Born in England on July 10, 1897, he came Canada to settle in Regina with his parents at the age of 10.

Roland enlisted in with the Royal Flying Corps in Toronto on April 9, 1917. He trained first as a mechanic, then transferred to air crew. Promoted to Lieutenant in 1918, he continued his service with the RFC as a flying instructor in Canada earning a reputation as a top-notch pilot.

Following the war, Groome worked as a flying instructor and started an aviation business in Regina. With his wartime buddies, Edward Clarke and his wife and Jack Wight, they established the Aerial Service Co. Ltd. in 1919 with two Curtiss JN-4 Canucks. One of them, G-CAAA, was the first licensed commercial aircraft in Canada. Groome’s mechanic, Bob McCombie, became the first licensed aviation engineer. In 1920, the company’s aerodrome became the first licensed airfield in Canada. When the Regina Flying Club was incorporated in 1927, Groome became the club’s first chief flying instructor.

“The greatest single danger in aviation is starvation,” said “Rollie” Groome, as he learned early in the Depression how difficult business could be. Ironically, it wasn’t starvation, but mechanical problems that proved to be his greatest danger. Along with one of his students, A.J. Sims of Strasbourg, Saskatchewan, Roland was killed in a fatal crash on September 30, 1935 at Regina in their Avro Avian biplane. It is possible that a missing cotter pin resulted in loss of elevator control, leading to the accident.

In 2005, the Regina Airport Authority will honour a well-loved aviator and re-name the airfield as Roland J. Groome Airfield at the Regina International Airport. In his short life of only 38 years, this pioneer aviator wrote a permanent chapter in Canada’s aviation history. Groome Avenue in Regina was named for him, and his name lives on also in the Roland Groome Award, given yearly by Transport Canada to an organization that shows excellence in the field of aircraft maintenance.

Two well-preserved and restored Curtiss JN-4 aircraft. At left, flying at the Westlock air show in August 2005, is the one owned and flown by Jack Johnson of Edmonton. At right is the restored JN-4 once owned by May Aircraft Co. of Edmonton and flown by First World War pilot and famed bush pilot, Capt. Wop May. It is on display in the Reynolds-Alberta Museum at Wetaskiwin, Alberta.

Above, Fred McCall of Calgary poses with the Curtiss JN-4 he is building, which is a replica of the 1918 model flown by his famous father, First World War ace, Capt. Freddie McCall, whose name is remembered on the airfield location of the Calgary International Airport. When complete, this aircraft, built from original plans and completely authentic, will become part of a special long-term exhibit at the Glenbow Museum in Calgary.

Prairie Air Mail

Bruce Gowans of Calgary, author of Wings Over Calgary 1906-1940 and Wings Over Lethbridge 1911-1940, spoke on the topic of Prairie Air Mail that served Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta for two years in 1930-32.

“Lindbergh’s solo flight across the Atlantic in May 1927 changed everything,” said Bruce Gowans. “After that you could raise money for anything associated with aviation. Pilots became heroes and Royal Flying Corps pilots dusted off their old uniforms and began flying again. Everyone was interested in aviation.” As well, new developments in engines, such as the radial engine, helped make new aviation accomplishments possible.

With the Depression, things took a downturn, then began picking up after 1933, said Bruce. Meanwhile, an effort was made to speed up prairie mail delivery by 24 hours, and aircraft provided the means to do it. Trial flights of airmail over the prairies were flown in 1928 but it was March 3, 1930, before airmail began serving the west, flown by Western Canada Airways, owned by James Richardson of Winnipeg. “Canada was 10 years behind the United States in air mail delivery, but people supported aviation. They wanted it to be a success,” says Bruce Gowans.

Before night flying could be accomplished, it was first necessary to build a string of beacons. Both politics and economics were involved in the installation of beacons required to make the service possible. However, by 1931, Winnipeg, Regina, Moose Jaw, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, Calgary, Saskatoon, North Battleford and Edmonton were served by Prairie Air Mail.

Although North Battleford and Saskatoon were dropped from the routes, mail continued to fly from Winnipeg to Calgary and north from there to Edmonton. By 1931 with connections to other routes, it was possible for letters to fly from Moncton to Calgary. Aircraft such as Fokker F-14s were flying 2,500 miles per day from Winnipeg to Edmonton via Calgary, and return. But on March 31, 1932 all Prairie Air Mail contracts were cancelled by the Post Office, ending the service. So 75 years ago, even though the Prairie Air Mail had a short life, it helped put down the roots of the air service we know today.

The first air mail in western Canada was flown in Alberta, by famed American aviatrix Katherine Stinson on July 9, 1918 in a flight from Calgary to Edmonton. She carried a bag containing 259 letters. A replica of her one-of-a-kind Curtiss Special biplane, shown above left, has been built by volunteers at the Alberta Aviation Museum in Edmonton. At right, the fabric covering of the wing is being tied down. In a modern light aircraft On July 9, 2006, the flight will be re-enacted as a joint undertaking of the museum and the Canadian Aerophilatelic Society and the Curtiss Special will make its official debut.

Your Loving Son – Letters from overseas

Dr. Stephen King of Regina addressed the conference about an uncle he never knew, an aviator who was lost, but whose life has been researched and documented. Stephen’s presentation showed how letters describing the daily life of an airman can take on new importance 60 years later. “Your Loving Son” was the topic of Stephen’s presentation, the same title as that of his book based on letters sent home by George McCowan King to Summerberry, Saskatchewan.

George was an RCAF Flight Sergeant Observer, serving with RAF 218 Squadron flying Short Stirling bombers. Once on operations, George flew nine operations, starting on August 24, 1943. A month later, on September 23, he and all crew were lost when shot down over Germany, and their remains are buried in Hanover.

Your Loving Son: Letters of an RCAF Navigator was published by Canadian Plains Research Center at the University of Regina. The letters by F/Sgt. King and related correspondence were published in 2002 and now comprise part of the written record of nearly 4,000 Saskatchewan casualties of the Second World War, all remembered in the names of geographic features such as lakes and islands of the province.

Saskatchewan Regional Air Carriers

Jim Glass, general manager of Transwest Air, a charter service with both fixed wing aircraft and helicopters and a 50-year history in Saskatchewan, spoke on the topic of Saskatchewan Regional Air Carriers. In 1955, his late father, Floyd, started Athabasca Airways with a single Cessna 180. In 1960, La Ronge Aviation was formed by Pat Campling Sr. with his wife, Shirley, and prospector Russ Aronec. It also began operations with just one Cessna 180. In 2000 the two companies merged to form Transwest Air and its fleet of aircraft now numbers 44.

Aside from outlining charter service for passengers and goods in Saskatchewan, Jim also spoke of the impact on small airlines of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States. Ripples through the industry were felt immediately, and the costs incurred by higher security fees and insurance have placed heavy demands on companies such as his. For more info, check the internet at www.transwestair.com.

Today, from bush planes on floats to modern turboprops and scheduled flights, regional airlines continue a tradition in the province’s aviation history.

BCATP in Saskatchewan

Gordon Elmer, an aviation historian and a member of the Regina CAHS chapter, spoke about the BCATP in Saskatchewan. He has done extensive research into all wartime bases in the province, summarizing the number of personnel trained, the operations of the bases, and even itemizing what is left today of those now historic locations in air force history.

Gordon cited a number of conditions that made Saskatchewan well suited to air crew training. These included good weather, lack of congestion in the air, flat geography and long days that made it possible for trainees to get in many hours of flying time.

He outlined how Saskatchewan supported the war effort with labour and military personnel, and pointed out that most women from Saskatchewan who enlisted in the armed forces signed up with the RCAF. However, for some reason, men joined the navy and the army in greater numbers than the air force. Nevertheless, the province’s contribution to the BCATP was considerable. For example, seven Elementary Flying Training Schools were in Saskatchewan. In total, the province trained 19% of pilots, 34% of navigators, and 28% of air bombers in the Plan. In addition to compiling facts based on his research, Gord has amassed a collection of 7,000 photos related to wartime air training.

Fairchild Cornell at the Western Development Museum in Moose Jaw, restored by Vintage Aircraft Restorers

BCATP Training Accidents

A presentation by Rachel Lea Heide, now working on her doctorate in the Department of History at Carleton University in Ottawa, dealt with BCATP Training Accidents. Although over 131,000 airmen from the Commonwealth were trained in the BCATP, a tragic aspect is that many young men in the Plan were killed in training accidents. In Saskatchewan alone, over 300 died in accidents.

Rachel stated that with over 100 training schools in Canada, analysis of training accidents should avoid broad generalizations. Her study dealt with fatal accidents at No. 5 Bombing and Gunnery School at Dafoe, Saskatchewan, 150 kilometers east and south of Saskatoon. Aircraft quality and pilot quality were two areas studied. As this base was staffed with experienced pilots and BCATP graduates, student pilot accident rate was not a consideration.

At Dafoe, 56% of accidents were due to mechanical problems. Obsolete or cast-off aircraft from Britain had increased usage put upon them with the demands of training. A shortage of aircraft early in the war necessitated the use of operational aircraft not built for short and frequent training flights. This resulted in problems such as engine difficulties due to idling too long before takeoff with consequent overheating, undercarriage problems due to heavy use, glycol leaks during flight, split fuel tanks, brake failure and stress on engine mounts.

A climate that was hot in summer and cold in winter subjected aircraft to conditions not faced in Britain. One aircraft particularly subject to such problems was the obsolete Fairey Battle, which was involved in half the accidents due to mechanical difficulties at Dafoe. The Bristol Bolingbroke, was also subject to mechanical problems. The Avro Anson, although not invulnerable, was more forgiving and generally dependable. While some Canadian-built Ansons experienced mechanical problems, not one British-built Anson at No. 5 BGS was involved in an accident attributed to mechanical difficulties.

But 44% of accidents at the base were due to “human failure,” a term used in accident reports. Sometimes error was due to mechanical difficulties that had not been previously experienced during flight. While that could result in erroneous response to the situation, other causes could be attributed directly to the pilot. These included errors in judgment, pilot disobedience, carelessness, dangerous flying and misuse of undercarriage. Rachel’s presentation helped provide a human perspective and explanation of unfortunate incidents that claimed the lives of young airmen.

Her master’s degree thesis is on the politics of BCATP base selection in western Canada. Rachel’s Ph.D. study examines air force policy and the government's foreign policy surrounding the Second World War.

See www.vac-acc.gc.ca/general/sub.cfm?source=history/secondWar/bcatp/page9 for suggested reading on the BCATP.

Today, like most training bases, only ghostly remains are evidence of the activity once seen at Dafoe, where over 5,600 airmen in all trades from the RCAF, RAF, RAAF and RNZAF were trained from 1941 to 1945. A memorial cairn at the site dedicated by the 600 (Regina) Wing RCAF marks the location of No. 5 Bombing and Gunnery School.

This roadside monument, west of Cochrane, Alberta, is dedicated to two fliers, lost in a BCATP fatal accident nearby on February 17, 1941. One was the pilot, RCAF Sgt. Alfred Reginbal from Saskatchewan, and the other was LAC Quentin Chace of Kansas.

At left, abandoned hangars at the Vulcan, Alberta site of RCAF No. 19 Service Flying Training School. At right is writer/photographer John J. Chalmers with the monument commemorating No. 19 SFTS and No. 2 Flying Instructor School, also located at the Vulcan Aerodrome. John’s father trained as a navigator at this location, one of a hundred BCATP bases erected across Canada during the Second World War.

Historic Films

Two silent 8mm color archival films provided special treats. One was 10 minutes of rare color film from the Saskatchewan Archives Board. The footage was shot in 1943 at No. 6 Elementary Flying Training School in Prince Albert, showing Tiger Moths in action. From ground activity to airborne shots of formation flying and aerobatics of the famous biplane, the footage provided a nostalgic glimpse into the past of aviation training in Canada.

The other film provided a unique backdrop for closing banquet speaker Larry Symes. During his entire talk about training and fighting fires with the Saskatchewan Smoke Jumpers in the early 1960s, the audience was treated to silent film footage for 45 minutes of those young men in action. The Smoke Jumpers were Canada’s first aerial firefighting team, operating from 1949 to 1967.

In perfect timing with his talk, Larry spoke of the time his main chute failed to open and he released his reserve chute almost by reflex as a result of training procedures drummed into him. After the reserve chute opened, the main chute did as well. As Larry recounted the incident, the big screen showed Larry descending with two fully-opened white circular ‘chutes blossomed above him!

At http://archives.cbc.ca/IDC-1-75-849-4919/science_technology/forest_fires/clip3 on the internet, you can see CBC footage from “Diary of a Smokejumper,” broadcast on TV in the 20/20 series in 1964. Additional video clips also can be seen at that site.

The venerable Tiger Moth, flown by so many BCATP pilot trainees. At left is the one on display at the Toronto Aero Space Museum. At right is the Tiger Moth at the Aero Space Museum in Calgary, Alberta.

Keeping History Alive

Gregory Putz of the conference committee said, “The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan left its impact on the people and on the land.” His panel presentation included two distinguished veterans from Regina, Dr. Howard Leyton-Brown and Justice Tom Wakeling.

Born in 1918 in Melbourne, Australia, Howard Leyton-Brown enlisted in 1940, served as an instructor at No. 38 EFTS Estevan, was posted overseas in 1944, flew 37 operations as a Lancaster pilot with RAF 576 Squadron, and was awarded the DFC. He is an accomplished violinist, served as director of the Regina Symphony Orchestra from 1960 to 1971 and was named as a member of the Order of Canada in 1987.

Tom Wakeling signed up with the RCAF in 1943, trained on Cornells at No. 15 EFTS Regina in 1943, graduated on Cranes at No. 11 SFTS Yorkton in 1944 and served as an instructor in both Alberta and Saskatchewan. He retired in 1999 after 15 years as a judge with the Supreme Court of Saskatchewan and a distinguished career in law and community service.

Reminiscences of these two gentlemen entertained the audience with well-told stories of their training days and prompted audience members to respond with tales of their own.

At the Saturday wrap-up banquet, a silent auction of aviation-related books, art and other items proved popular as a fund-raiser and several displays added to the interest. Of particular note was a photo display and model of No. 2 Bombing and Gunnery School created by Grade 5 student Lane Hodnefield, of Pilot Butte School near Regina. His interest in BCATP history of the area illustrated the conference’s opening remarks by CAHS president Tony Soulis: “We are still an organization that is vibrant, preserving Canadian aviation history and passing it on to younger generations.”

The Canadian Aviation Historical Society is interested in all aspects of our aviation heritage. For more information about the Society and membership, check the CAHS web site at www.cahs.com.

A few more photos from the conference tour…

Anson nose, left, and cockpit remains, right, at Frank Thompson’s property near Readlyn, Saskatchewan

Harry Whereatt’s North American Harvard, left, and his Hawker Hurricane at right, near Assiniboia, Saskatchewan

Cessna Crane at Western Development Museum, Moose Jaw

Two monuments in downtown Regina, across the street from the conference hotel.

At left is a detail of the statue of Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald.

At right is a detail of a memorial dedicated to citizens of Regina who were lost in war.

For links to Canadian aviation museums, visit http://www.canadianflight.org/links/canada.htm