General Archives
Depot to Dieppe
Freddy Clarke was born into a Barbadian family of colonial politicians of parents whose health and careers would have a profound influence on his life. In 1929, at the age of twelve he arrived in Calgary with his family who returned to live in Crescent Heights on the north hill where they had originally settled in 1911. It was there his father had...
The Red Knight
A solo, aerobatics performer of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Training Command from 1958 through 1969, the role of the Red Knight was actually shared by seventeen different pilots over a period of twelve seasons. Although originally authorized to perform only three shows, the Red Knight went on to make over six hundred appearances, all over North...
Origins of a Fighter
Need for a new fighter aircraft (NFA) for the Canadian Armed Forces to replace first the McDonnell CF-101 Voodoo and later the Lockheed / Canadair CF-104 Starfighter stems from Canada's withdrawal from the "multi-role combat aircraft for 1975" (MRCA-75) that became the Panavia Tornado, now serving with the British, German and Italian air forces.
The Mid-Canada Line
The Mid-Canada Line, an Air Defence Early Warning Line stretching across Canada's 55th parallel of latitude from Labrador to British Columbia, became operational in January 1958. Built in one of the world's most difficult areas for construction and transportation, the rocky, rugged bushland, the thousands of lakes, the sub-Arctic tundra, the treacherous...
High Flight
The sonnet HIGH FLIGHT is known through out the English-speaking world, epitomizing, as it does, the poetry and emotion of flight. It was written by a 19- year old American fighter pilot of the Royal Canadian Air Force a few months before his death.
We Bought A Lemon!
The first direct attempt to interest Canada's military men in aircraft had been a dismal failure. In August 1909 Baldwin and J.A.D. McCurdy had attempted to demonstrate the capabilities of their two biplanes, Silver Dart and Baddeck No. 1, to a picked group of officers at Petawawa. A few successful flights had indeed been made, but both aircraft were...
The RCAF in Alaska
Canadian airmen went to the Aleutian Islands in June 1942, just after a Japanese task force had tried to capture Dutch Harbour, the big United States naval base on Unalaska Island. Had the Japs succeeded in taking it they could have based here a battle fleet to cover progressive invasions that might have taken them as far as California. And their plan,...
MacKenzie King and No. 6 AOS
Like so many places on the Canadian prairies, both large and small, the city of Prince Albert made a distinctive contribution to Canada's effort in the Second World War by training pilots and navigators under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Two air training schools were established there, an elementary flying training school where pilots...
No. 418 City of Edmonton Squadron
The term "Intruder" generally described our squadron's activities. Our role was to penetrate deep into enemy territory with single aircraft at night and occasionally, in daylight in pairs. Our job was to disrupt airfield activities, by shooting down enemy night fighters as they took off or landed while attempting to intercept our own bombers who were...
History of 143 (RCAF) Wing
The formation of Second Tactical Air Force (2nd T.A.F.) on June 1 1943, gave birth to 143 Wing, R.C.A.F. on 10th January 1944. Like all wings in T.A.F. its role was to support the army in the field. The Squadrons forming the wing arrived overseas individually: 438 Squadron, 439 Squadron and 440 Squadron embarking 2nd November 1943, 15th December 1943...
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