RCAF Station Fingal
General Information
Location/Base: Fingal
Province: Ontario
Years in Use:
- – 1965
Units:
- No 4 Bombing and Gunnery School- 25 Nov ’40 to 17 Feb ’45
- No 9 Surplus Equipment Holding Unit -Apr ’45-Apr ’46
- storage facility post war RCAF until ‘ 65
- Also see
- land bombing ranges Dutton, Melbourne, Frome and Tempo
- 200 yard turret firing range on the Lake Road near Port Stanley
- Marine section at Port Stanely
- lake bombing and gunnery ranges that occupied approx 112 square miles of Lake Eire
Aircraft Types:
- No 4 B&GS
- Anson,
- Battle,
- Nomad,
- Bolingbroke,
- Lysander
Commanding Officers:
- Wing Commander W.D. Van Vliet Nov ’40-Oct ’41
- Wing Commander A.J. Kennedy Oct ’41-May ’42
- Wing Commander D.D. Findlay May ’42-Jan ’43
- Group Captain J.G. Kerr Jan ’43-May ’44
- Wing Commander W.H. Swetman DSO, DFC; May ’44-Nov ’44
- Wing Commander R.E. Morrow DFC; Nov ’44-Feb ’45
Image from the
RCAF Pilots Manual of Aerodromes and Seaplane Bases
circa 1942.
Photo courtesy of Matt Heintz.
Financial Impact:
Date/Reason for Closure:
- 1965 -transferred admin and control of site to Province of Ontario
Current Status:
- now known as Fingal Wildlife Management Area
Site Plan – 1941
(Circa 1941) (Source 1 Canadian Air Division)
If you would like a PDF Copy Please Click to Download.
Bombing Range Map – No 4 Bombing & Gunnery School
Flying Operations Area Map – No 4 Bombing & Gunnery School
Location – Google Map
Station Magazine
“Fingal Observer”
Daily Diary – Links – No. 4 Bombing & Gunnery School
The Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum, Brandon, Manitoba has created a transcription of this Daily Diary.
Their web site is AirMuseum.ca
Fatalities
This list was compiled from the entries in the Daily diaries of No. 4 Bombing & Gunnery School and other sources. The list likely does not include all fatalities of personnel who died while stationed at RCAF Station Fingal, and likely includes some errors. Currently this list contains 20 personnel.
8 December 1940
23 November 1942
6 January 1943
28 July 1943
19 October 1943
2 December 1943
1 August 1944
12 August 1944
20 January 1945
Aircraft List
Course List
No 4 Bombing & Gunnery School
For More information – External Links
- Wikipedia
- MilitaryBruce.com – Canadian Military History by Bruce Forsyth
- http://rcaffingal.blogspot.ca/