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Commanding Officers | Photos & Coordinates | Fatalities | Sources
This site southeast of Carberry, in the Municipality of North Cypress-Langford, was used for training of pilots during the Commonwealth Air Training Plan of the Second World War. Unlike facilities that were formed as part of the Royal Canadian Air Force, this facility began as part the Royal Air Force, organized at Winslow, England in November 1940 and transferred to Canada later that month.
The school consisted of administrative, instructional, and dormitory buildings, and several large aircraft hangars, constructed at a cost of $850,000 by the Winnipeg firm of Carter-Halls-Aldinger. Six paved runways were supplemented by two relief fields, No. 1 at Petrel and No. 2 at Oberon, where aircraft could be diverted if they could not land at the main field.
The first group of British personnel arrived at Winnipeg in December 1940 and immediately moved on to Carberry. Construction of the site had preceded arrival of military personnel but it was not fully operational until early 1941. The first cohort of trainees arrived in January 1941 before training aircraft were available. By April 1943, the school had 100 Harvard and Anson training aircraft, and over 200 students, with a support staff of 95 officers, 984 other ranks, and 65 civilians. Among those who trained at the facility was actor Richard Burton (1925-1984), who later found fame in Hollywood.
The final training class graduated in November 1944 and the facility was gradually closed. After the war, the site was used as a storage park for military vehicles. It later came under the control of a community development corporation, which sold it in May 1961 to an American firm for establishment of a potato-processing plant.
Period
Commanding Officer
1940-1941
Wing Commander T. C. Dickens (Acting)
1941
Group Captain H. C. Walker
1941
Group Captain C. H. Brill
1941-1942
Wing Commander Joseph Cox
Aerial view of the No. 33 Service Flying Training School during the Second World War (no date)
Source: Carberry Plains Archives (McCain Foods)
The former No. 33 Service Flying Training School, now a potato-processing plant, with a few of the original buildings in the centre background (July 2015)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Maintenance building, one of few structures remaining from No. 33 Service Flying Training School (July 2015)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Supply depot building, one of few structures remaining from the No. 33 Service Flying Training School (July 2015)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
The three runways of No. 33 Service Flying Training School have mostly reverted to agricultural land (July 2015)
Source: Gordon GoldsboroughSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.85015, W99.34058
denoted by symbol on the map above
Canadians and Americans killed while training at the No. 33 Service Flying Training School were returned to their home communities for burial. Australian, New Zealand, and British fatalities were buried in the military cemetery at Brandon.
Name
Service
Rank
Birth Date
Death Date
Cause
Burial Location
Alastair Farquhar Blue
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Leading Aircraftman
22 December 1921
3 December 1943
Flight accident
John Harold Bolsworth
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Leading Aircraftman
6 August 1924
3 December 1943
Flight accident
John Arthur Camp
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Leading Aircraftman
7 April 1922
19 April 1941
Flight accident
William Davis
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Leading Aircraftman
27 June 1911
16 August 1944
?
Wallaceburg, Ontario
David Docherty
Royal Air Force
Leading Aircraftman
1 September 1920
19 August 1941
Drowning
Joseph Horace Giles
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Leading Aircraftman
17 October 1920
19 April 1941
Flight accident
Edward Charles Helmer
Royal Canadian Air Force
Leading Aircraftman
18 July 1915
29 June 1941
Flight accident
Swan Valley Cemetery, Alberta
Antony William Ingram
Royal Air Force
Sergeant
6 January 1920
25 August 1943
Flight accident
Herbert James Killner
Royal Air Force
Leading Aircraftman
1 September 1918
20 July 1941
Drowning
Alan Ernest King
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Leading Aircraftman
27 October 1924
20 May 1944
Flight accident
John Francis Lee
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Flying Officer
28 September 1910
3 December 1943
Flight accident
Lawrence Walter Hugh Lloyd
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Leading Aircraftman
26 December 1921
12 April 1941
Flight accident
William Burt Naylor
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Leading Aircraftman
5 January 1923
13 September 1944
?
John George Permuth
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Leading Aircraftman
29 December 1920
27 April 1941
Flight accident
Robin Arthur Percival Pott
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Leading Aircraftman
4 March 1923
17 February 1944
Natural causes
Leslie Richard Reader
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Leading Aircraftman
12 April 1912
16 August 1941
Flight accident
Donald Hugh Ross
Royal Canadian Air Force
Leading Aircraftman
10 August 1918
29 June 1941
Flight accident
St. Joachim Cemetery, Alberta
Paul Ernest Sayer
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Leading Aircraftman
31 December 1922
19 October 1942
Flight accident
Frank Robert Shorney
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Leading Aircraftman
3 May 1912
25 August 1943
Flight accident
Kenneth Mark Townsend
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Aircraftman First Class
17 September 1920
1 March 1942
Training accident
Dennis Malcolm Watson
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Leading Aircraftman
22 February 1923
19 October 1942
Flight accident
Desmond Pelham Watson
Royal Air Force
Flying Officer
28 May 1918
19 February 1942
Flight accident
Godfrey Neil Weightman
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Leading Aircraftman
10 April 1923
29 May 1944
Flight accident
Geoffrey Charles Wellings
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Leading Aircraftman
10 October 1916
19 February 1942
Flight accident
David Millis Wesley
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Leading Aircraftman
12 March 1914
4 April 1941
Flight accident
Timothy Gurney Whiteland
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Leading Aircraftman
1 December 1923
3 December 1943
Flight accident
John Arthur Woods
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Leading Aircraftman
23 January 1921
19 October 1942
Flight accident
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Wings of War Monument (Fourth Avenue, Carberry)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 1 Air Navigation School (Wheatland, Municipality of Riverdale)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 1 Air Navigation School Monument (Municipality of Riverdale)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 5 Air Observers School (Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 3 Bombing and Gunnery School (Macdonald, RM of Portage la Prairie)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 7 Bombing and Gunnery School (Paulson, RM of Dauphin)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 14 Elementary Flying Training School / No. 7 Air Observers School / Southport Aerospace Centre (Southport, RM of Portage la Prairie)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 19 Elementary Flying Training School (RM of Wallace-Woodworth)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 26 Elementary Flying Training School (Municipality of North Cypress-Langford)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 26 Elementary Flying Training School, Eden Relief Field / Eden Airport (RM of Rosedale)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 10 Service Flying Training School / Barker Airport (RM of Dauphin)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 10 Service Flying Training School, North Junction Relief Field (RM of Dauphin)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 10 Service Flying Training School, Valley River Relief Field (RM of Dauphin)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 12 Service Flying Training School / Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum (Brandon)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 12 Service Flying Training School, Chater Relief Field / Chater Aerodrome (RM of Elton)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 12 Service Flying Training School, Douglas Relief Field (Municipality of North Cypress-Langford)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 17 Service Flying Training School (Municipality of Souris-Glenwood)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 17 Service Flying Training School, Hartney Relief Field / Hartney Aerodrome (Municipality of Grassland)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 18 Service Flying Training School / No. 2 Flying Training School / Canadian Forces Base Gimli / Gimli Industrial Park Airport (Municipality of Gimli)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 18 Service Flying Training School, Netley Relief Field / Netley Field (RM of St. Andrews)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 33 Service Flying Training School (Municipality of North Cypress-Langford)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 33 Service Flying Training School, Oberon Relief Field / Oberon Aerodrome (Municipality of North Cypress-Langford)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 33 Service Flying Training School, Petrel Relief Field / Petrel Aerodrome (Municipality of North Cypress-Langford)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 3 Wireless School (500 Shaftesbury Boulevard, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Brandon Winter Fair Building / Brandon Arena / No. 2 Manning Depot (Eleventh Street, Brandon)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 5 Release Centre / Jameswood Place South (Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 8 Repair Depot / Jameswood Place (Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 2 Equipment Depot / No. 7 Equipment Depot / Carpiquet Barracks (Notre Dame Avenue, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: First Flight Monument (Memorial Park, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Cardale Air Crash Monument (RM of Oakview)
“Manitoba Air Training jobs cost $1,730,000,” Winnipeg Tribune, 8 August 1940, page 13.
“Air contracts now total $11,000,000,” Winnipeg Free Press, 27 August 1940, page 1.
“Three air schools cost $1,280,000,” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 August 1940, page 3.
“Big contract for Carberry,” Winnipeg Tribune, 7 October 1940, page 2.
“Seven hundred British fliers now in Carberry,” Brandon Sun, 9 December 1940, page 18.
“Men of R.A.F. taking wing - on ice,” Winnipeg Tribune, 10 December 1940, page 1.
“Off to Carberry,” Winnipeg Tribune, 10 December 1940, page 5.
“No limits on Carberry hospitality to its 700 Royal Air Force guests,” Winnipeg Tribune, 12 December 1940, page 26.
“A gift with imagination,” Winnipeg Tribune, 27 January 1941, page 6.
“Reunion in Winnipeg,” Winnipeg Tribune, 5 February 1941, page 11.
“Student pilot dies after training crash,” Winnipeg Tribune, 5 April 1941.
“Teachers’ meet,” Winnipeg Tribune, 20 May 1941, page 13.
“Airman buried with honors,” Winnipeg Tribune, 23 July 1941, page 18.
“Airman drowned when canoe upsets at Clear Lake,” Brandon Sun, 20 August 1941, page 1.
“Youth and courage combined,” Winnipeg Tribune, 4 November 1941, page 1.
“King gives special badge to Carberry Air School,” Winnipeg Tribune, 5 January 1942, page 11.
“Cox posted to Picton,” Winnipeg Tribune, 21 March 1942, page 3.
Wartime Souvenir of Carberry published by the Carberry News-Express, August 1942. [reprint]
“Casualty list [Robin Arthur Percival Pott],” Winnipeg Tribune, 3 March 1944, page 7.
Obituary [William Davis], Brandon Sun, 18 August 1944, page 10.
Obituary [William Davis], Brandon Sun, 21 August 1944, page 10.
RCAF Station Carberry, RCAF.info.
We thank McCain Foods (Carberry) and Nathan Kramer for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 30 September 2024
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