RCAF Station Medicine Hat
General Information
Base / Station: Medicine Hat
Province: Alberta
Dates of Operation or Period of Information: 1941-44
Units:
- No 34 Service Flying Training School
- No 10 Surplus Equipment Holding Unit
- No 102 REMS
- Primary Relief Landing Field – Holsom (R1)
- Secondary Relief Landing Field – Whitla (R2)
Aircraft Flown:
- Harvard,
- Lysander,
- Oxford,
- Tiger Moth
Commanding Officers:
- Group Captain A. ap Ellis, OBE at station opening
Financial Impact:
Date / Reason for Closure: 17 November 1944, reduced need for aircrew
Image from the
RCAF Pilots Manual of Aerodromes and Seaplane Bases
circa 1942.
Site Evolution
- The Publication On Track…the Pilot’s Air Travel Guide (First Annual Edition – 1978) lists the Aerodrome as “Medicine Hat” – See photos on this page.
Current Status: civilian airfield, 2 runways still active, others exist, some taxiways and ramp, some hangar foundations and 1 base building
Site Plan – 1942
On Track – 1978
Location – Google Map
Photo Gallery
Facebook Photo from David Gale
Facebook Photo from David Gale
Station Magazine
“”
Daily Diary – Links – No. 34 Service Flying Training School
Fatalities
This list was compiled from the entries in the Daily diaries of No. 34 Service Flying Training School and other sources. The list likely does not include all fatalities of personnel who died while stationed at RCAF Station Medicine Hat, and likely includes some errors. Currently this list contains 48 personnel.
28 April 1941
16 May 1941
23 May 1941
3 July 1941
16 July 1941
- Leading Aircraftman Donald Leslie Kennedy
- Flight Lieutenant Phineas John Lea
- Flying Officer Allen Alexander Purkiss-Ginn
16 September 1941
8 December 1941
8 January 1942
22 January 1942
13 February 1942
15 May 1942
31 May 1942
15 November 1942
11 or 12 March 1943
23 March 1943
24 March 1943
29 March 1943
27 April 1943
12 June 1943
26 June 1943
6 July 1943
11 September 1943
19 October 1943
3 November 1943
3 December 1943
12 December 1943
9 January 1944
17 January 1944
2 March 1944
12 June 1944
20 June 1944
1 July 1944
Aircraft List
Courts Martial
The following personnel were recommended for courts martial and a file was created on the Charged Offence, not all Offences were tried. This list is not complete but I will be working my way through the reels in the upcoming months.
- Aircraftman 1st Class Howard Ernest Reginald Gardiner (RAF-906527)
- Charged with 1 count of Absented Himself Without Leave
- Trial Date – 7 September 1943
- File is 39 pages
- Plead Guilty
- Sentenced to 56 days detention
Course List
No 34 Service Flying Training School
For More information – External Links
- Wikipedia
- MilitaryBruce.com – Canadian Military History by Bruce Forsyth
- https://www.bombercommandmuseum.ca/bcatp/bcatp-station-medicine-hat/
- Site Plan:
- Aerodrome Disposal File: