Signs of History - Royal Flying Corps School of Aerial Fighting, Beamsville ON
N 43° 09.830 W 079° 27.335
17T E 625548 N 4780166
Located on Sann Rd in what is now a farming area, there was once a large sized flight school used during the first World War.
Waymark Code: WM806Z
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 01/01/2010
Views: 9
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Local tale says that Sann Rd. is very straight because it once was a runway used at this former airfield. Whether that is true or not is left to your imagination. Twenty-five years ago one could scarcely tell that this last remaining building was actually a hanger. But inside was believed to be military supplies left over from an earlier war which Canada had been involved with. Or so it was said.
In 1991, the Town of Lincoln erected a plaque on site to outline the historic significance of this location. Looking around at the only original building it is hard to imagine three squadrons of combat planes, one observation squadron and 1400 men training for aerial combat back in 1918. Little would they know that the war would soon end and the location would serve no further purpose just over a year later. It would then be permanently closed, the 60 wooden structures no longer needed, but always this place would be a reminder of how the small town of Beamsville contributed to the war effort. Today the remaining hanger has been converted into a local business, and the rest of the land around has been made into farm land. |
Of further interest is this article found at the Niagara Greenbelt Website which further cites its source as "History of Canadian Airports" by T. M. McGrath, information supplied by Global Horticultural Inc. (http://www.globalhort.com) in 2005, and Bruce Forsyth's Military History Page (http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/2529/) (2005). An excerpt is provided below but the entire article should be referenced.
Beamsville Aerodrome was an important airfield in World War I. In 1917 the Royal Flying Corps was faced with a difficult decision; the Corps would train in Texas during the winter of 1917 and 1918 and should the war last longer the Corps would have no place to train their men in the States. The Corps decided to locate near the village of Beamsville, which was chosen as the last aerodrome to be built by the Royal Flying Corps in Canada.
A search of Google Search Engine Results will yield many more articles for further information.
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