RCAF.Info » RCAF Stations » Manitoba RCAF Stations » RCAF Station Paulson

RCAF Station Paulson

Base / Station: Paulson

Province: Manitoba

Dates of Operation: 1941 – 1945

Units:

No. 7 Bombing and Gunnery School
No.5 Personnel Holding Unit (-1942-04-05)

Unit Duties / Information:

On June 23, 1941, No. 7 Bombing and Gunnery School was opened at Paulson. This schools was responsible for training Air Observers (navigators/ bomb aimers and wireless operators) in the art of air to air firing. The navigator/ bombaimer would also train in bomb aiming and release procedures. Although considered obsolete by the outset of the war, the Farey Battle was used for all aspects of training for the first year of operations. Finally, in 1942, these aircraft were replaced by the Anson, Bolingbroke, and Lysander. The Anson was used for bombing training, the Bolingbroke for gunnery training, and the Lysander was used to tow the drogues used in the air to air training.

Womens Division personel were posted to the station efective 29 Jun 1942.

Station Newspaper/Magazine:

The Paulson Post

Station Concert Troop:

Paulson on Parade

Courses:

1941-07-21 – – 65 Graduates – Wireless Air Gunner (WAG)
1941-08-17 – Course 12 – 63 Graduates – Wireless Air Gunner (WAG)
1941-08-30 – Course 13 – 28 Graduates – Wireless Operator/Air Gunner(WOAG)
1941-08-30 – Course 23 – 39 Graduates – Air Observer (AO)
1941-09-13 – Course 14 – 33 Graduates – Wireless Air Gunner (WAG)
1941-09-27 – Course 15 – 54 Graduates – Wireless Operator/Air Gunner(WOAG)
1941-09-27 – Course 25 – 39 Graduates – Air Observer (AO)
1941-10-11 – Course 16 – 31 Graduates – Wireless Air Gunner (WAG)
1941-10-25 – No numbers
1941-11-08 – Course 18 – 36 Graduates – Wireless Air Gunner (WAG)
1941-11-22 – Course 29 – 38 Graduates – Air Observer (AO)
1941-11-22 – Course 19 – 19 Graduates – Wireless Air Gunner (WAG)
1941-12-20 – Course 31 – 26 Graduates – Air Observer (AO)
1941-12-20 – Course 21 – 42 Graduates – Wireless Air Gunner (WAG)
1941-12-30 – Course 22 – 13 Graduates – Wireless Air Gunner (WAG)
1942-01-17 – Course 23 – 24 Graduates – Wireless Air Gunner (WAG)
1942-01-17 – Course 32A – 22 Graduates – Air Observer (AO)
1942-01-31 – Course 24 – 36 Graduates – Air Gunner (AG)
1942-01-31 – Course 24 – 1 Graduates – Wireless Operator/Air Gunner(WOAG)
1942-01-31 – Course 33 – 18 Graduates – Air Observer (AO)
1942-02-14 – Course 34 – 20 Graduates – Air Observer (AO)
1942-02-14 – Course 25 – 32 Graduates – Air Gunner (AG)
1942-02-28 – Course 35 – 17 Graduates – Air Observer (AO)
1942-02-28 – Course 26 – 29 Graduates – Air Gunner (AG)
1942-03-14 – Course 27 – 39 Graduates – Air Gunner (AG)
1942-03-14 – Course 36 – 25 Graduates – Air Observer (AO)
1942-03-28 – Course – 29 Graduates – Air Gunner (AG)
1942-03-28 – Course – 24 Graduates – Air Observer (AO)
1942-04-11 – Course 27 – 34 Graduates – Wireless Air Gunner (WAG)
1942-04-11 – Course 38 – 25 Graduates – Air Observer (AO)
1942-04-25 – Course 28 – 33 Graduates – Air Gunner (AG)
1942-04-25 – Course 28 – 3 Graduates – Wireless Air Gunner (WAG)
1942-04-25 – Course 39 – 22 Graduates – Air Observer (AO)
1942-05-09 – Course 29 – 36 Graduates – Wireless Air Gunner (WAG)
1942-05-09 – Course 40 – 24 Graduates – Air Observer (AO)

Aircraft Flown:

Farey Battle (41-42),
Anson (42-45),
Bolingbroke (42- 45), and
Lysander (42-45)

Financial Impact:

$2,061,256 (total cost of BCATP construction to 15 Mar 1942)

Commanding Officers: –

Wing Commander R.A. Cameron ( – 1941-08-16 –
Wing Commander W.I. Riddell (1941-08-16 -) –
Wing Commander R.F. Gibb (1941-12-31 -) –
Group Captain W.E. Dipple (1942-01-06 -)

Date / Reason for closure:

February 2, 1945 No. 7 Bombing and Gunnery School was closed due to the surplus of trained air observers and the nearing of the end to the war. Also influencing the decision to close Paulson was the fact that the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan agreement was to expire at the end of March 1945 and the RCAF was going through an accelerated phase-out of bases in the Plan.

Current Status:

abandoned airfield, condition unknown

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