A concrete monument with a bronze plaque is all that it visible to the public of the short-lived but important military training camp situated near Pearce, Alberta. The monument is placed where the guardhouse for the camp once sat.
The camp was constructed during 1942 (or possibly during the previous year) and went into use that same year as No. 36 R.A.F. Elementary Flying Training School
"RCAF Aerodrome Pearce began operations on March 17, 1942 when twelve CPR coaches filled with 32 officers, 304 airmen staff plus students, all Royal Air Force personnel, arrived at the railway siding at Pearce." source: www.bombercommandmuseum.ca/bcatppearce.html
It's use as an beginner school was short lived, however. The strong prairie winds may have been partly, or largely, responsible for this as those wind may have contributed to several flying accidents during the school's short tenure.
The facility was subsequently used for training air observers and later air trainers. The end of the hostilities in 1945 lead to the closure of the schools at Pearce. The facility was used to store wartime aircraft including the Lancaster bombers. With time the facility fell into disrepair, buildings were demolished or striped for materials. Building foundations and runways were still present when the site was visited in 1980 by retired Captain Leslie Gosling, who trained at Pearce in 1943 (you can read that account at www.bombercommandmuseum.ca/s,pearceaerodrome.html (
visit link) ). The runways and presumably some of the foundations are visible on current-day satellite imagery of the site (
visit link) .
The plaque at reads:
PEARCE AERODROME
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan established 110 Air Training Schools in Canada during WWII to train Commonwealth Airmen and Airwomen. Canada was the leader for this plan.
Located here, 6 km North of Pearce, Alberta was the home of the:
#36 Elementary Flying Training School (RAF)
March 30, 1942 to August 14, 1942
#3 Air Observer School (RCAF)
September 12, 1942 to June 6, 1943
#2 Flying Instructor School (RCAF)
May 3, 1943 to January 20, 1945
Pearce Aerodrome data:
49°50'20" North Latitude,
113°15'10" West of Greenwich,
3,132 feet (954.7 m) above sea level
On Section 19, Township 10, Range 24,
West of the 4th Meridian,
Hard surfaced runways were:
3113 feet (949 in) long
150 feet (45.1 in) wide
Thousands of Commonwealth airmen recieved advanced training skills here before being posted as instructors to other schools or to Theatres of War.
From the end of war in 1945 until the early 1960's, this airfield was left to decay. Used only as a holding area, many war time bomber aircraft were stored and ultimately dismantled for scrap. The buildings were moved to new locations or were dismantled for materials used in construction of civilian structure's in this areas.
Today there is little to remind us of the glory days when #2 Flying Instructor School was mentioned in official militan reports as "The Western University of the Air"
This marker is dedicated to the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of their countries and of our freedom, and honours all those who served or trained at the Pearce Aerodrome
Erected in 1999 by the LETHBRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY with assistance from 78 Calgary Wing RCAFA and the General Stewart Branch #4 Royal Canadian Legion