RCAF Station Picton
General Information
Location/Base: Picton
Province: Ontario
Years in Use:
Units:
- No 1A Manning Depot
- Formed 16 November 1940
- Disbanded 21 March 1941
- No 31 Bombing and Gunnery School
- Formed 28 April 1941
- Disbanded 17 November 1944
Aircraft Types:
- No 31 B&GS
- Anson,
- Bolingbroke,
- Lysander
Commanding Officers:
Financial Impact:
Date/Reason for Closure:
Site Evolution
The Publication On Track…the Pilot’s Air Travel Guide (First Annual Edition – 1978) lists the Aerodrome as “Picton” – See photos on this page.
Current Status:
Image from the
RCAF Pilots Manual of Aerodromes and Seaplane Bases
circa 1942.
On Track – 1978
Picton Aerodrome (Part 1)
Picton Aerodrome (Part 2)
Location – Google Map
Station Magazine
“Wings”
Station Magazine
“Hill Topics”
Daily Diary – Links – No 1A Manning Depot
Daily Diary – Links – No. 31 Bombing & Gunnery School
The Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum, Brandon, Manitoba has created a transcription of this Daily Diary.
Their website is AirMuseum.ca
Fatalities
This list was compiled from the entries in the Daily diaries of No. 31 Bombing & Gunnery School and other sources. The list likely does not include all fatalities of personnel who died while stationed at RCAF Station Picton, and likely includes some errors. Currently this list contains 10 personnel.
8 April 1941
12 June 1941
14 August 1942
30 December 1942
28 June 1943
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.
- Sergeant Francis Hubert Bloomer (RAF-569457)
- Charged for flying offences
- Trial Date – 7 July 1942
- File is 187 pages
- Found Guilty of 1 Charge, sentenced to reduction in Rank and 60 days detention.
Course List
No 31 Bombing & Gunnery School
For More information – External Links
- Wikipedia
- MilitaryBruce.com – Canadian Military History by Bruce Forsyth
For More information – Published References
by Ian S. Robertson