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RCAF Station Bowden

General Information

Base / Station: Bowden

Province: Alberta

Dates of Operation or Period of Information: 1941-44

Unit Duties / Information: No.32 EFTS opened by RAF 12 July 1941, taken over by Edmonton Flying Club 13 July 1942.

Remote Unit:

Relief Landing Field Netook

Aircraft Flown:

Tiger Moths
Stearman
Cornell

Buildings:

H1 – Hanger –
H2 – Hanger –
1 – Headquarters & GIS
2 – Officers Quarters
3 – Officers Mess
4 – NCO Quarters
5 – NCO Mess
6 – Other Ranks Quarters
7 – Civilian NCO Quarters
8 – Other Ranks Mess
9 – Canteen
10 – Drill Hall
11 – Workshop
12 – Stores, Tech & Quartermaster
13 – Guard House and Post Office
14 – Maintenance and Transport Section
- A – 4 Bay Garage
- B – 3 Bay Garage
- C – 4 Bay Garage
- D – Repair Shop
15 – __ Maintenance Section
16 – Link Trainer (Qty 6)
17 – 25 Yard Range & Stop Butt
18 – Coal Storage Compound
19 – Sick Quarters (15 Bed)
20 – Control Tower (Hanger 2)
21 – Recreation Hall
22 – Gas Storage Tanks (30,000 Gal)
23 – Fire Hall
24 – Oil and Paint Storage
25 – Reservoir & Pump House
Incinerator

Commanding Officers:

Financial Impact:

Date / Reason for Closure: 25 September 1944, decreased requirement for aircrew.

Current Status: Bowden Institution – Federal Penitentiary, aerodrome abandoned.

RCAF Aerodrome Bowden, Alberta.
Image from the
RCAF Pilots Manual of Aerodromes and Seaplane Bases
circa 1942.

Site Plan – 1941

Site Plan, Bowden, Alberta, Circa 1941 – Source Canadiana

Location – Google Map

Photo Gallery

Barracks Construction (1941) Bowden, Alberta. (Photo Courtesy of the Bowden Museum Archives and Dale Lenting)

Hanger Construction (1941) Bowden, Alberta. (Photo Courtesy of the Bowden Museum Archives and Dale Lenting)

Bowden, Alberta, Arial Photo (2009) (Photo Courtesy of Ken Meintzer)

Former Drill Hall from No 32 Elementary Flying Training School.
Now in the community of Bowden, Alberta (2022)
(Photo Courtesy of Dale Lenting)

Station Magazine
“Three Corners”

Station Pupil’s Guide

No 32 Elementary Flying Training School
Pupil’s Guide

Daily Diary – Links – No. 32 Elementary Flying Training School

The Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum, Brandon, Manitoba has created a transcription of this Daily Diary.
Their web site is AirMuseum.ca

Download Transcription

Fatalities

This list was compiled from the entries in the Daily diaries of No. 32 Elementary Flying Training School; and other sources. The list may not include all fatalities of personnel who died while stationed at RCAF Station Bowden. With input from various sources, so far there were 17 deaths of service personnel that were stationed at Bowden.

11 August 1941