RCAF Aviation History: Classic Canadian Aviation Photos, 1939 to 1955

Classic RCAF Aviation Photos, 1939 to 1955

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3545907)

Grumman Goose Mk. II, RCAF (Serial No. 917), 1939.  

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, 3199160)

Canadian Vickers Stranraer, RCAF (Serial No. 948), No. 6 (BR) Squadron, at its base at Alliford Bay, British Columbia.   948 was flown by No. 6 (Bomber Reconnaissane) Squadron, from RCAF Station Alliford Bay from 1941 to 1943.  It suffered Category C damage at Patricia Bay, British Columbia on 28 April 1942.   Struck off strength on 29 Nov 1944, on 5 Jan 1945 it went to the civil register as CF-BYB, registered to W.C. Stiple of Montreal.  It was later exported to Aero Transport Corporation of Tampa, Florida, Reg. No. NR45326.

04 Mar 1936. No. 6 (Torpedo Bomber) Squadron was authorized at Trenton, Ontario.  It was mobilized on 10 Sep 1939.  On 31 Oct 1939 it was redesignated No. 6 (Bomber Reconnaissance) Squadron at Jericho Beach, British Columbia.  The squadron was disbanded at Coal Harbour, British Columbia on 7 Aug 1945.  The squadron flew the Canadian Vickers Vedette, Blackburn Shark Mk. II and II, Supermarine Stranraer, Consolidated Canso A, Consolidated Catalina Mk. IB and Mk. IIIA and Noorduyn Norseman

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3642468)

Avro 621 Tutor, (Serial No. 188), flown by No. 110 (AC) Squadron, Ottawa, Ontario, 19 Sep 1939.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3383403)

Unloading of airmail from Lockheed 14-H2 Super Electra, Reg, No, CF-TCK of Trans-Canada Air Lines, Winnipeg, Manitoba, April 1940.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3199197)

Hawker Hurricanes on the tarmac, No. 135 Squadron, Boundary Bay, British Columbia, 1 July 1943. The Hurricane Mk. XII in the forefront appears to be 5407 which was taken on strength with the RCAF on 20 July, 1942. It went to No. 135 (F) Squadron at RCAF Station Mossbank, Saskatchewan, from the Canadian Car & Foundry (CCF) factory at Fort William, Ontario.. All the aircraft look like they just came off the assembly line. Check out the white inscription on the cowling of the third Hurricane in from the right. (Chris Charland)

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3203451)

Handley Page HP 54 Harrow Mk. I , RCAF (Serial No. 794), on the ramp at Gander, Newfoundland, 19 August 1941.

This Harrow Mk. I originally carried the United Kingdom civilian aircraft registration G-AFRG. It was first used by the RCAF's Test & Development Flight and later served with Eastern Air Command, Halifax's Communications Flight and with Station Flight at Dartmouth.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, PB-1406, MIKAN No. 3225024)

Bristol Beaufort Mk. I (Serial No. N1030), coded N, No. 149 (Torpedo Bomber) Squadron, RCAF, on patrol over Patricia bay, British Columbia, 18 June 1943.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 5131009)

Vickers Wellington Mk. II (Serial No. W5515), RCAF No. 405 Squadron.  W5515 was initially coded LQ*M.  It later became also LQ*R and finally LQ*Y, and nicknamed "Moonshine" and later, "Berlin or Bust".  The flight flight crew is in northern England.   Left to right: F/Sgt. C.W. Higgins, pilot, F/Sgt. H. Wigley, pilot, Sgt. Lawrence J. Nadeau, wireless-operator air-gunner, Sgt. F.H.J. Farrell, navigator, Sgt. A. Smith, air gunner and Sgt. I Watters, second wireless-operator air-gunner.  Each member of the crew wears a tiny figure as that depicted on their plane as a mascot.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4359665)

Vickers Wellington Mk. IA with RCAF flight crew, Sergeant McGillvray, Sergeant J. Holsch, Sergeant Spackman and Sergeant R.H. Gervin, plus one, c 1943.

(DND Photo via Gary Cook)

Canadian Vickers Canso A, RCAF, possibly (Serial No. 11010), No. 3 Operational Training Unit at RCAF Station Patricia Bay, BC.  11010 was taken on strength on 6 Nov 1943.  It was delivered directly to No. 3 Operational Training Unit at RCAF Station Patricia Bay, British Columbia.  To No. 2 Air Command for storage on 26 Jul 1945.  Stored post war at No. 10 Repair Depot, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.  It was struck off, to War Assets Corporation for sale on 7 May 1947.  R.W.R. Walker.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3586797)

Boeing Canada Canso A, RCAF (Serial No. 9751), 24 Apr 1943.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4564727)

RCAF Flying Officer John West (left) and F/O Dave Bruce stand before their No. 159 Squadron, RAF, Consolidated B-24 Liberator Mk. VI (Serial No. BZ980), 'Goofy' just before taking off from Digri, India to attack Maymyo, an important Burma rail yard and supply route for Japanese troops, 12 May 1944.

The loss of one aircraft usually entailed multiple casualties. Four missing Liberators in No. 99 Squadron took the lives of 10 Canadians - seven of them in a single aircraft - between 3 Dec 1944, and 5 June 1945. From 23 July 1942, to 22 March 1945, 24 Canadians serving in No. 159 Squadron were killed in 11 Liberators; these included six lost in a single aircraft on 9 Feb 1945, and seven on 15 March 1945, again in a single Liberator. In No. 356 Squadron 21 members of the RCAF were killed between 28 Oct 1944, and 18 Aug 1945, in six Liberators.

Historian Terry Copp has declared that Canadian military history is not so much “unwritten” as “unread.” For those who would pursue more fully the history of RCAF Liberator aircrew in the Far East, there are several works, from privately printed memoirs, including Peace Persuader, published anonymously about 1995 to an extensive two-volume narrative titled Burma Liberators: RCAF in SEAC by John R.W. Gwynne-Timothy.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3197979)

Workmen assembling the nose of a Curtiss SB2C1 "Helldiver" aircraft on the production floor of the Canadian Car & Foundry Company Ltd., c1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 5129634, and PL29380)

Handley Page Halifax B. Mk. III (Serial No. MZ808), coded BM-P, "Pride of the Porcupines".  Aircrew and groundcrew members of No. 433 (Porcupine) Squadron, RCAF, No. 6 Bomber Group, gang up on the miniature English automobile owned by one of the aircrew members.  Left to Right: LAC D.W. Higgins, LAC Tom Collins, AC "Duke" Ducarme, Sgt. Sandy Grant, air gunner; Sgt. Bill Keen, bomb aimer; F/Sgt. Bob Thomas, navigator; LAC Gordon Austin, Sgt. Bill Mackay, flight engineer; Warrant Officer Jack McNaughton, pilot.  MZ808 crashed on Fynn Island, Denmark after being shot down by a 1./ NJG 3 night-fighter flown by Oberleutnant Herbert Koch while returning from a Gardening mission in Kiel Bay on 17 August, 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3226555)

Handley Page Halifax A. Mk. VII's from No. 644 Squadron based at RAF Station Tarrant Rushton, Dorset, preparing to tow General Aircraft Hamilcar gliders of the 6th Airborne Division to Germany, 22 March 1945.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3199397)

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. IX, No. 414 Squadron, RCAF, 1 Feb 1945.

(RCAF Photo)

Canadian Car & Foundry Harvard Mk. 4s from No. 1 Flying Instructor School based at RCAF Station Trenton, Ontario.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3584128)

Sikorsky H-5 Dragonfly, RCAF (Serial No. 9603), 12 Feb 1948.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3390887)

Republic Seabee aircraft CF-EJI, c1950s.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3388273)

Consolidated PBY Canso, Reg. No. CF-EZX of Central British Columbia Airways at Vancouver Airport, BC, c 1950s.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3390573)

Russ Baker (standing) and Jack Crosby with a Grumman 'Mallard' aircraft of Pacific Western Airlines at Vancouver, Airport, 1952.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4448523)

Noorduyn Norseman Mk. IVM, RCAF (Serial No. 2476), coded GC-C, from the Central Flying School at RCAF Station Trenton, Ontario, anchored on Wabamun Lake, Alberta, 10 Aug 1952.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4950181)

RCAF High Altitude Indoctrination (HAI) training, 1951.

(RCAF Photo)

de Havilland DH.100 Vampire Mk. III (Serial No. 17021), Central Flying School, RCAF Station Trenton, Ontario.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4948820)

Canadair CL-13 Mk. 6 formation, RCAF Sky Lancers, 1955.

(RCAF Photo)

Canadair CL-13 Sabre Mk. 2 (Serial No. 19187), No. 439 Squadron, ca 1952.

(DND Photo)

Canadair CL-13 Sabre Mk. 5 (Serial No. 23360).