NARHFThe Royal Canadian Air Force in World War II
The Royal Canadian Air Force (R.C.A.F.) was 
formed in 1919 in England, shortly after the First World War when aircraft were first used in military operations. During the Second World War, Canada was the primary focal point of the British Commonwealth Air Training plan
(B.C.A.T.P.). The Plan trained pilots, navigators, gunners, bomb aimers, flight engineers, other aircrew, groundcrew and support staff for Commonwealth Air Forces.
Elgin County, was home to three training facilities: No. 1 Technical Training School (No. 1 T.T.S.) at St. Thomas, No. 4 Bombing and Gunnery School (No. 4 B&G at Fingal, and No. 14 Service Flying Training School (No. 14 S.F.T.S.) at Aylmer (now the site of the Ontario Police College).
No. 1 T.T.S. was the largest single establishment in the plan with over 5000 students and instructors. It was housed at the recently completed ( 1939 ) Ontario Hospital, which was one of the first sites offered for use to the B.C.A.T.P. Over 40 000 students graduated from this school during the War.
No. 14 Service Flying Training School at Aylmer provided advanced training on single engine aircraft, while No. 4 Bomber and Gunnery School at Fingal trained bomb aimers and air gunners. Currently also on exhibit at the museum is a Training Gun Camera, which was used at Fingal to 'shoot' (take pictures) of targets out of a lens below the barrel of the "gun."
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