Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 33 Service Flying Training School (Municipality of North Cypress-Langford)

Link to:
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.

Commanding Officers

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

Photos & Coordinates

Aerial view of the No. 33 Service Flying Training School during the Second World War

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

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

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

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

The three runways of No. 33 Service Flying Training School have mostly reverted to agricultural land (July 2015)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough

Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.85015, W99.34058
denoted by symbol on the map above

Training Fatalities

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

Brandon Cemetery

John Harold Bolsworth

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Leading Aircraftman

6 August 1924

3 December 1943

Flight accident

Brandon Cemetery

John Arthur Camp

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Leading Aircraftman

7 April 1922

19 April 1941

Flight accident

Brandon Cemetery

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

Brandon Cemetery

Joseph Horace Giles

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Leading Aircraftman

17 October 1920

19 April 1941

Flight accident

Brandon Cemetery

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

Brandon Cemetery

Herbert James Killner

Royal Air Force

Leading Aircraftman

1 September 1918

20 July 1941

Drowning

Elmwood Cemetery

Alan Ernest King

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Leading Aircraftman

27 October 1924

20 May 1944

Flight accident

Brandon Cemetery

John Francis Lee

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Flying Officer

28 September 1910

3 December 1943

Flight accident

Brandon Cemetery

Lawrence Walter Hugh Lloyd

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Leading Aircraftman

26 December 1921

12 April 1941

Flight accident

Brandon Cemetery

William Burt Naylor

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Leading Aircraftman

5 January 1923

13 September 1944

?

Brandon Cemetery

John George Permuth

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Leading Aircraftman

29 December 1920

27 April 1941

Flight accident

Brandon Cemetery

Robin Arthur Percival Pott

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Leading Aircraftman

4 March 1923

17 February 1944

Natural causes

Brandon Cemetery

Leslie Richard Reader

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Leading Aircraftman

12 April 1912

16 August 1941

Flight accident

Brandon Cemetery

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

Brandon Cemetery

Frank Robert Shorney

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Leading Aircraftman

3 May 1912

25 August 1943

Flight accident

Brandon Cemetery

Kenneth Mark Townsend

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Aircraftman First Class

17 September 1920

1 March 1942

Training accident

Brandon Cemetery

Dennis Malcolm Watson

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Leading Aircraftman

22 February 1923

19 October 1942

Flight accident

Brandon Cemetery

Desmond Pelham Watson

Royal Air Force

Flying Officer

28 May 1918

19 February 1942

Flight accident

Brandon Cemetery

Godfrey Neil Weightman

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Leading Aircraftman

10 April 1923

29 May 1944

Flight accident

Brandon Cemetery

Geoffrey Charles Wellings

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Leading Aircraftman

10 October 1916

19 February 1942

Flight accident

Brandon Cemetery

David Millis Wesley

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Leading Aircraftman

12 March 1914

4 April 1941

Flight accident

Brandon Cemetery

Timothy Gurney Whiteland

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Leading Aircraftman

1 December 1923

3 December 1943

Flight accident

Brandon Cemetery

John Arthur Woods

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Leading Aircraftman

23 January 1921

19 October 1942

Flight accident

Brandon Cemetery

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, 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)

Sources:

“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

Historic Sites of Manitoba

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