RCAF.Info » RCAF Stations » Ontario RCAF Stations » RCAF Station Jarvis

RCAF Station Jarvis

General Information

Location/Base: Jarvis

Province: Ontario

Years in Use:

Units:           

  • No 1 Bombing and Gunnery School
    • Formed – 19 August 1940
    • Disbanded – 17 February 1945
    • Aircraft Types:
      • Anson,
      • Battle,
      • Bolingbroke,
      • Lysander

Commanding Officers:

  • Group Captain George Wait
    • 19 August 1940 – 20 March 1942
  • Wing Commander W.F. Hanna
    • April 1942 – 31 July 1942
  • Group Captain A.D. Bell-Irving
    • 31 Jul 1942 –

Financial Impact: 

Date/Reason for Closure/Current Status: Site was taken over by Imperial Oil and is now an Oil Refinery.

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

Land Acquisition Plan – Jarvis

Land Acquisition Plan – No 1 Bombing & Gunnery School, Jarvis, Ontario
Source Library and Archives of Canada (Thank you to Mike Anglin for providing this image)

Site Plan – 1943

Jarvis, Ontario Building Index circa 1943
Jarvis, Ontario Building Index circa 1943

Air Bombing and Firing Range Plan – Jarvis

Training Area Map – No 1 Bombing & Gunnery School, Jarvis, Ontario
Source Library and Archives of Canada (Thank you to Mike Anglin for providing this image)

Commemoration

Memorial Plaque at the Site of the Former Jarvis Aerodrome.
Photo by John Bond.
Memorial Plaque at the Site of the Former Jarvis Aerodrome.
Photo by John Bond.

Location – Google Map

Photo Gallery

PL-4034 – 27 January 1941 Barracks Sign, No 1 Bombing & Gunnery School, Jarvis, Ontario. (National Defense Image)
PL-4033 – Barracks at No 1 Bombing & Gunnery School, Jarvis, Ontario. (National Defense Image)
PL-4032 – Barracks at No 1 Bombing & Gunnery School, Jarvis, Ontario. (National Defense Image)
PL-3620 – (I think this description is incorrect) 05 JUNE 1941 W.A.G. COURSE AT No 1 Bombing & Gunnery School, Jarvis, Ontario. Barracks in Background (National Defense Image)
PL-4021 – 27 January 1941 – No 1 Bombing & Gunnery School, Jarvis, Ontario. (National Defense Image)
PL-4031 – 27 January 1941 – Barracks, No 1 Bombing & Gunnery School, Jarvis, Ontario. (National Defense Image)
PL-4030 – 27 January 1941 – Barracks, No 1 Bombing & Gunnery School, Jarvis, Ontario. (National Defense Image)
PL-4029 – 27 January 1941 – Barracks, No 1 Bombing & Gunnery School, Jarvis, Ontario. (National Defense Image)
PL-3624A – Aircraft machine gun turret in the classroom. No 1 Bombing & Gunnery School, Jarvis, Ontario. (National Defense Image)
PL-8758 – 11 May 1942 – Airwomen’s lounge, No 1 Bombing & Gunnery School, Jarvis, Ontario. (National Defense Image)
PL-8757 – 11 May 1942 – Airwomen’s Canteen, Airwomen’s Recreation room with Cpl. Pound, M.B., Winnipeg, AW2 Spring, D.I.M, Hamilton, Ont., AW2 Cowie, O.E. of Beaverton and A/S/0 Bennett of Winnipeg. No 1 Bombing & Gunnery School, Jarvis, Ontario. (National Defense Image)
PL-8754 – 11 May 1942 – Airmen’s Canteen, No 1 Bombing & Gunnery School, Jarvis, Ontario. (National Defense Image)
PL-8755 – 11 May 1942 – Airmen’s Canteen, AC1 Wright, W.D. of Peterborough, LAC Whitnock, G.A. of Woodstock, N.B., LAC Speers, W.M., of Toronto, AC1 Buhnerkenper, C.H. of Alton, Ill, AC1 Hollinshead, K.L. of Santa Monica in airmen’s lounge, No 1 Bombing & Gunnery School, Jarvis, Ontario. (National Defense Image)
PL-8756 – 11 May 1942 – Airmen’s Canteen, No 1 Bombing & Gunnery School, Jarvis, Ontario. (National Defense Image)

Station Magazine
“Fly Paper”

Operational Record Book – Links – No. 1 Bombing & Gunnery School

1940

August

September

October

November

December

1941

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

1942

January

February

March

April

May

June

July 

August

September

October

November

December

1943

January

February

March

April

May

June

July 

August

September

October

November

December

1944

January

February

March

April

May

June

July 

August

September – seems to be missing

October

November

December

1945

January

February

Fatalities

This list was compiled from the entries in the Daily diaries of No. 1 Bombing & Gunnery School and other sources.  The list likely does not include all fatalities of personnel who died while stationed at RCAF Station Jarvis, and likely includes some errors. Currently this list contains 41 personnel.

8 November 1940

19 November 1940

7 May 1941

  • Mr Harry Bullock

6 July 1941

  • LAC Ray McNabb
  • LAC Charles Taggart

17 September 1941

30 October 1941

9 December 1941

31 May 1942

23 July 1942

18 August 1942

9 September 1942

22 October 1942

9 November 1942

3 January 1943

4 January 1943

15 June 1943

18 June 1943

3 July 1944

31 July 1944

7 January 1945

Aircraft List

Fairey Battle

1803

Course List
No 1 Bombing & Gunnery School

Click to Access the Course List

For More information – External Links

For More information – Published References

Book Cover, Sights on Jarvis: No. 1 Bombing and Gunnery School, 1940-1945 by Robert Schweyer
Sights on Jarvis: No. 1 Bombing and Gunnery School, 1940-1945 by Robert Schweyer

This Post Has 6 Comments

  1. PAUL MCMILLAN June 23, 2022 Reply

    Mr Harry Bullock a Civilian Cook at RCAF Station Jarvis was killed 7th May 1941 when he was struck by an Air Force Station Wagon while he was walking on a Country Road about 3 miles from Jarvis and died immediately of head injuries – Location is given as Walpole, Haldimand, Ontario, Canada. He was 48 and was a WW1 veteran serving with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps

    He as born in 1893 in England

    1. Nathan Kachur June 23, 2022 Reply

      Thank you for the information, greatly appreciated.

  2. Claudia October 26, 2022 Reply

    Can anyone tell me the source of this quote attributed to Capt. G.E. Wait in October 1940? Does anyone know if it’s from Sights on Jarvis?

    “You are now passing a big and important milestone in your Air Force careers. From now on, you are entering a world of grim reality. You are on your own. I am sure each and every one of you will conduct himself in line with the best traditions of the force.”

    1. Nathan Kachur October 27, 2022 Reply

      I will have to look, I have a copy of the book waiting for me to read. I will try to take a look this weekend.

      I have taken a look and no mention of this quote appears in the book. I

      1. Claudia November 2, 2022 Reply

        That would be great, Nathan. Thanks so much!

      2. Claudia November 16, 2022 Reply

        Thank you for checking for me, Nathan. It remains a mystery. The quote is on the website https://rcafjarvis.blogspot.com/, but no source is given, and I have tried everything to get in contact with the site owner, to no avail. I believe he may be deceased, unfortunately.

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