| At the start of the Second
World War, the British Government looked to the Empire and Dominions for
air training help because the United Kingdom did not have the space to
accommodate training and operational facilities, and because aerodromes
in the United Kingdom were vulnerable to enemy attack. The Agreement was
signed by Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand on 17
December 1939, it listed the percentage of trainees each country would
send, the percentage of costs each would take on, the training schedule,
and the aerodrome opening schedule.
Between 1940 and 1945, some 151
schools had been established across Canada with a ground organization of
104,113 men and women. By the end of the Second World War, the BCATP
(Canada) and the EATS (Australia/NZ) had produced 131,553 aircrew,
including pilots, wireless operators, air gunners, and navigators for
the Air Forces of Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
During the early war years the RAAF
& RNZAF's primary task was to train aircrew for the RAF under the
Empire Air Training Scheme, however when Japan entered the War both the
RAAF and RNZAF turned their attentions increasingly to the protection of
the Pacific and their own shores.
When the BCATP and EATS came to a
close on 31 March 1945, the four participating governments had spent CAN
$2.2 billion on the training plan, CAN $1.6 billion of which was
Canada's proportion.
Elementary training took approximately
eight weeks, which included at least 50 hours of flying. Aircraft
commonly used at Elementary Flying Training Schools were de Havilland
Tiger Moths, Fleet Finches, and Fairchild Cornells.
Successful trainees then progressed to Service Flying Training Schools
for more advanced instruction. the course length varied from 10 to 16
weeks, and flying time varied from 75 to 100 hours. Potential fighter
pilots trained on single-engine North American Harvards while pilots
selected for bomber, coastal, and transport operations received training
on twin-engine Avro Ansons, Cessna Cranes, or Airspeed Oxfords.
Nationality of BCATP Graduates (19401945)
________________________________
Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm (FAA)
________________________________
Royal Australian Air
Force (RAAF)
________________________________
Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF)
________________________________
Royal New Zealand
Air Force (RNZAF)
________________________________
|
5,296
_______
9,606
_______
72,835
_______
7,002
_______
|
Royal Air Force (RAF),
including:
- 448 Poles
- 677 Norwegians
- 800 Belgian and Dutch
- 900 Czechs
- 2,600 Free French
|
42,110 |
|
