RCAF Station Souris
General Information
Base / Station:
- Souris
Province:
Dates of Operation:
- 1943 – 1945
Units:
- No. 8 “M” Depot
- No. 17 Service Flying Training School
- No. 18 Service Flying Training School, moved from Gimli, Manitoba
- Primary Relief Landing Field (R1) – Hartney
- Secondary Relief Landing Field (R2) – Elgin
Unit Duties / Information:
- No. 8 Manning Depot (Temporary) was established at the Station on 7 January 1943. The original plan detailed in the formation order of 19 November 1942 was that the Temporary Manning depot was being established to provide training to RCAF Womens Division members in Western Canada. There were a number of amendments throughout December of 1942 and the Manning Depots purpose was changed from training Womens Division to training of Airmen. The opening date was moved from 7 January to 4 January 1943. Approximately 1000 untrained airmen were trained at the Manning Depot prior to it’s phased disbandment between 1 March and 1 June 1943. The Disbandment order was issued on 3 Febuary 1943. It was amended on 12 Febuary 1943.
Image from the
RCAF Pilots Manual of Aerodromes and Seaplane Bases
c.1942
- No. 17 Service Flying Training School was opened at Souris March 8, 1943 in order to provide a site for advanced pilot training. Originally it hosted the remaining courses of No. 8 Manning Depot as that school was being phased out. The formation order establishing the school was issued 3 February 1943. Ammendments to the formation order were issued on 10 February and 25 February. It was at Service Flying Schools that pilots received specialized training on high performance single engine aircraft or multi-engine aircraft moving them toward flying either fighters or bombers. The school was reformed as a reserve training school on 31 March 1945, on orders issued on 14 March 1945. No. 17 SFTS was disbanded effective 31 May 1945. This was done to allow No. 18 SFTS to re-form at RCAF Station Souris. The disbandment order was issued on 7 June 1945.
- No. 18 Service Flying Training School was opened September 6, 1943 and was responsible for advanced pilot training before they were sent on to their respective operational training unit (OTU) for further training. The school was created via Formation Order 24 June 1943. The original opening date was supposed to be 9 August 1943 but was amended to be 6 September on 14 July 1943. The school in Gimli was disbanded on 31 May 1945, by air force order issued on 7 June 1945 (not sure how the school was retroactively disbanded). The school was then re-formed in Souris, Manitoba the next day. The reformation order was also issued apparently retroactively on the 7th of June 1945. The school was then finally disbanded in Souris on 5 September 1945, the disbandment order was issued on the 23rd of August 1945.
Aircraft Flown:
- Anson and
- Harvard
Station Infrastructure:
- 7 x Aircraft Hangars
- Drill Hall
- Hospital
- CP Rail siding accessing the Station from the south east corner of the property
Financial Impact:
Commanding Officers:
- Group Captain W.W. Brown
- 8 March 1943
- Wing Commander J.C. Mirabelli
- CO due to Illness of Group Captain W.W. Brown
- September 1943
- Group Captain W.W. Brown
- – 24 January 1945
- Wing Commander E.A. Weaver, AFC
- 24 January 1945 –
- Squadron Leader J.S. Howden
- 15 April 1945 – 31 May 1945
- Wing Commander E.A. Weaver
- 1 June 1945 – 5 September 1945
Date / Reason for closure:
- The school was closed March 30, 1945, the end of the BCATP agreement. Pilot training requirements had reduced dramatically and it was felt by all members of the BCATP agreement that there was no need to continue on with its operation.
Current Status:
- civilian airfield, two runways active, rest overgrown, no base buildings exist
Site Plan – 1941
Source – 1 Canadian Air Division, RCAF
If you would like to download a PDF of this Plan, Please click the image above.
Training Area Map – No 17 Service Flying Training School
Location – Google Map
Station Magazine
“Out of the Scramble”
School Daily Diary – Links – No. 17 Service Flying Training School
School Daily Diary – Links – No. 18 Service Flying Training School
1945
No 18 Service Flying Training School moved from Gimli, Manitoba effective 4 June 1945. For the Daily Diary of No 18 Service Flying Training School prior to 4 June 1945 please see RCAF Station Gimli, Manitoba.
Fatalities
This list was compiled from the entries in the Daily diaries of No. 17 Service Flying Training School and No. 18 Service Flying Training School. The list may not include all fatalities of personnel who died while stationed at RCAF Station Souris. From my reading there were 16 deaths of service personnel that were stationed at Souris.
22 June 1943
12 August 1943
6 November 1943
- Pilot Officer Wasley Pasmore Harris
- Leading Aircraftman Peter Jack Nicholls
- Leading Aircraftman Duncan Cameron MacKenzie
10 April 1944
11 April 1944
12 August 1944
1 November 1944
4 December 1944
19 April 1945
2 August 1945
Aircraft List
2128 – Battle
4869 – Moth
7111 – Anson
7150 – Anson
7154 – Anson
7367 – Anson
7376 – Anson
7676 – Crane
7749 – Crane
7752 – Crane
7765 – Crane
7773 – Crane
7784 – Crane
7812 – Crane
8413 – Anson
8436 – Anson
8437 – Anson
8447 – Anson
8456 – Anson
8558 – Anson
8559 – Anson
8560 – Anson
8563 – Anson
11254
11280
11315
11324
11330
11335
11340
11352
11376
11378
11379
11380
11462
11465
11470
11498
Course List
No 17 Service Flying Training School
Course List
No 18 Service Flying Training School
For More information – External Links
- Wikipedia
- MilitaryBruce.com – Canadian Military History by Bruce Forsyth
- Manitoba Historical Society
- Aerodrome Disposal File:
- Catalog of Buildings:
- Site Plan: