R.C.A.F. STATION WINNIPEG
A Key Base In R.C.A.F. Training
(Republished from the 22 July 1961 issue of The Voxair)
This establishment is located in the City of St. James, but the mailing address is Westwin. The single quarters are located in the electoral division of St. James, but only some of the residents of the married quarters vote in St. James, as the others live in Assiniboia riding. This Air Force station has no runways of its own, but its aircraft fly 4,100 hours in a typical month, and some of these aircraft provide search and rescue facilities for sixty-six percent of Canada’s land area, plus all the Canadian portion of the Arctic Ocean.
This is RCAF Station Winnipeg, one of Canada’s largest Air Force installations. It provides all of the Radio Navigator training for the RCAF, and is the home of Training Command Headquarters, 111 Composite Unit, several auxiliary units, and many smaller “lodger units.”
Post-war Station Winnipeg was established in March, 1947, when No. 11 Group Headquarters was formed there. At first it consisted only of 111 Composite Flight and No. 402 (City of Winnipeg Squadron (Auxiliary), using the site formerly occupied by 5 AOS. The station expanded rapidly in keeping with the general post-war expansion of the RCAF, and many permanent buildings were constructed on the west side of the airfield. Many of the new units had training functions, and Winnipeg was transferred from control of North-West Air Command to Training Command in 1951.
Station Winnipeg now controls or provides administrative services for 111 Composite Unit, Air Navigation School, Central Navigation School, 10 Technical Services Unit, 3 Communications Unit, Western Special Investigation Detachment, 51 Ground Observer Corps Detachment, 2 Movements Detachment (Air), a Recruiting Unit in downtown Winnipeg, the University of Manitoba Squadron (PR), many Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadrons in western Canada, and five Auxiliary Units — 17 Wing Headquarters, as Auxiliary Recruiting) Unit, 4003 Medical Unit (Auxiliary), 3052 Technical Training Unit and 402 (City of Winnipeg Squadron (Auxiliary). Of these 402 and 3052 units are located at the RCAF Station.
Since September of 1959, Winnipeg has also been the home of Training Command Headquarters. With a service and civilian personnel total of approximately 2700, RCAF Station Winnipeg is one of the largest defence organizations in Canada. The monthly payroll is in the vicinity of one million dollars a significant economic factor in the area. The five auxiliary units Winnipeg have a total enrolment of approximately 425.
Three different types of married quarters are provided for Winnipeg personnel, 647 units in all. In addition to the normal PMQ units, Winnipeg has several Multi-Dual Purpose Row (MDPR) house units, which can be converted to barrack blocks if required. Station Winnipeg is the first unit in Canada to acquire Rental Unit housing. Located adjacent to the fashionable Silver Heights residential area of St. James, 430 rental units have been built. These are single unit houses, of many different designs. Ownership of these rental units is held by a contractor, who provides them to the Department of National Defence on a bulk lease. The present lease is of ten years’ duration, and the government has an option to renew the lease for further periods.
Of the many RCAF (Regular) units located at Station Winnipeg, 111 Composite Unit, Air Navigation School, and Central Navigation School are probably best known and are covered in separate articles in this edition of “Voxair.” Two of the Auxiliary Units, 402 Squadron and 3052 Technical Training Unit, are also well known in the local area,
402 Squadron (Aux.)
Having served from 1932 to 1940 as an army co-operation squadron, then as a wartime fighter squadron equipped with Hurricanes and, later, Spitfires, 402 (City of Winnipeg) Squadron was re-organized in May, 1946, as an Auxiliary Squadron. Flying training was conducted in Harvard aircraft, in preparation for the Vampires which arrived in 1948. Another change occurred in 1950, when the squadron was equipped with Mustangs, and squadron personnel found themselves back in the army co-operation role, which continued until July, 1956.
World conditions had changed, and there was now a need for trained auxiliary units to help stricken communities if Canada were attacked. The squadron would have to change. The Mustangs were regretfully placed in storage, and 402 Squadron commenced the training of pilots, co-pilots, and navigators for their new role. The use of crews is a new experience for this squadron, but much teamwork is now evident in the operation of the Expeditor aircraft. The aircraft maintenance is all done by Auxiliary personnel, and 402 is now an efficient emergency and rescue squadron.
The most startling change of role concerns wartime operations with the civil authority, the Metropolitan Civil Defence Organization. In this role, 402 will give authorities confirmation of ground zero, and assessments of damage in the bomb area. They will also report the extent of the fire zone, and determine the radiation intensities within the fall-out pattern. Finally, there will be evacuation route reconnaissance; and provision of transportation for relief columns and communications.
The people of Winnipeg are most familiar with one of the facets of 402 Squadron activity. An excellent pipe band has performed in all major parades, and other functions, for several years. In their kilts of RCAF tartan, the band presents a striking appearance on parade.
3052 Technical Training Unit
Training for ground tradesmen of the Auxiliary and Reserve is provided by 3052 Technical Training Unit (Auxiliary). Located at RCAF Station Winnipeg, the TTU provides summer training each year for 125 to 150 high school-age members of the Reserve Technical Tradesmen Plan (RTTP). During the winter months, technical training is provided to tradesmen of Auxiliary units detailed by 17 Wing Headquarters.
The summer RTTP training course provides training to the Group 1 level in the aero engine, airframe, safety equipment, clerk typist, clerk accounts, supply, instrument, electrical, and fighter control trades. RTTP personnel are examined by a trade board in August, and those who subsequently enlist in the Regular are granted an outright Group 1 trade category.
The RTTP training is very popular with high school students, as evidenced by the fact that no recruiting activity was required to fill the quota of trainees in 1959. The training is divided into two phases. In Phase I, which commences after Easter, the trainees receive indoctrination training one night each week, and every second Sunday. Commencing on the first working day in July, the full-time Phase II program provides formal trades training.
Many RITP graduates of 3052 TTU have enlisted in the RCAF (Regular).
Recreation Unlimited
Being stationed in a large, cosmopolitan city, the personnel enjoy the advantages of many recreational, cultural, and sports facilities. Several fine holiday resorts are within 150 miles of the station. These include Kenora and the Lake of the Woods area; the Whiteshell Forrest Reserve with the Falcon Beach resort and many fine bathing and fishing sites; Winnipeg, Victoria, and Grand Beaches on Lake Winnipeg; and Detroit Lakes in Minnesota. Other popular resorts within a one-day drive are Clear Lake (Wasagaming) in northern Manitoba, and Bemidji, in Minnesota.
A large portion of the personnel of RCAF Station Winnipeg have camping gear or travel trailers, and there is a mass exodus on weekends during the summer months. Many of the trailer owners establish themselves for the summer on fully serviced trailer lots in the Whiteshell area.
The cosmopolitan nature of Greater Winnipeg provides many opportunities for the enjoyment of unusual meals and ethnic entertainment. Winnipeg has many fine restaurants and night clubs, all of which have effected major improvements in the past year, made possible by the added revenue they have received since being licensed to serve wine and spirits. A large variety of European-style food-stuffs can be obtained in the many bake-shops, delicatessens, and food stores in Greater Winnipeg.
Personnel who enjoy classical music, ballet, and the legitimate theatre are well entertained in Winnipeg. In addition to the many events scheduled throughout the year, two summer theatres, one a “Theatre Under the Stars”, provide excellent productions of well-known musicals and dramas.
Facilities are provided for virtually all sports in Winnipeg, which has many fine golf, tennis, and boating clubs, and several “community centres”, which provide for many sports. The Blue Bombers, Warriors, and Goldeyes provide excellent football, hockey, and baseball for spectators.
RCAF Station Winnipeg joins forces with the Blue Bombers Football Club for an “Air Force Football Day” each year. The fans, including 1,000 to 1,500 personnel in Air Force uniform from all of the Manitoba units, are treated to fly-pasts, ceremonial drill, band music, and other attractions provided by the RCAF, in addition to a regular professional football game.
RCAF Station Winnipeg itself has many varied recreational facilities. In addition to the amenities available in Greater Winnipeg, the station possesses one of the post-war recreation centres, which houses a modern air-conditioned theatre, a large, completely equipped gymnasium, swimming pool, bowling alleys, and a modern snack bar and dining room. A war-time drill hall is also used for sports, and an active curling club has its own four-sheet rink with artificial ice.
The curling club has more than 400 members, and operates four leagues — “regular”, inter-section, mixed, and ladies. The teenaged dependents are given the use of the ice every Saturday morning during the winter. The Station Winnipeg Curling Club entered 17 rinks in the Manitoba Bonspiel in 1959, and several of these acquitted themselves very well against the “name” rinks for which Manitoba is justly famous.
Other team sports are not neglected, and RCAF Station Winnipeg has won many service and inter-service titles in hockey and basketball. Softball, soccer, baseball, and cricket are other games in which Station Winnipeg has league representation, and there are strong inter-section softball, volleyball, bowling, flag-football, and hockey leagues.
In all, there are 40 sports activities for Winnipeg personnel. Individual sports include golf, tennis, badminton, archery, fencing, judo, boxing, and skiing.
Other recreational facilities include a Drama Club, which produces four major three-act presentations each year, a glee club, an auto club with repair facilities, and a large hobby shop with facilities for building any type of article from a small change purse to a large cabin cruiser. Hobby clubs have been established for model aircraft, model railroad, and philately enthusiasts. A volunteer station band has been established for many years, and has appeared at many events throughout Manitoba.
Winnipeg is well equipped with mess facilities. A modern combined mess building provides lounge facilities for aircraftsmen and houses a Corporals’ Club, in addition to the normal messing facilities. The officers have a large post-war mess building, now being extensively re-decorated, and an identical building is provided for the flight cadet trainees. The NCO’s and women personnel have separate wartime mess buildings for their use, which have been attractively renovated since the re-opening of the station.
Located as it is near the centre of the east-west air route, Station Winnipeg is host to many transient RCAF personnel from eastern and western Canada. It is probable that at least one-half of the aircrew personnel in Canada pass through Winnipeg each year, many staying only long enough to refuel, others making an overnight stop during long-range flights.
RCAF Station Winnipeg enjoys excellent public relations with the residents of Greater Winnipeg. More than thirty thousand civilians attend the Air Force Day observance each year. Many charitable and other committees in Greater Winnipeg, and St. James ‘in particular, have RCAF members among their personnel.
In all the things which contribute to the satisfaction and enjoyment of service life, including good working conditions, recreation facilities of all types, excellent relationship with the civilian community, Station Winnipeg rates very high among RCAF units.