Arcadia Oak Ridge Cemetery - Arcadia, Florida, USA - UK Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

Located in Arcadia, Florida is the Oak Ridge Cemetery. Within the cemetery is a special section for British Royal Air Force cadets who perished while training in Florida to be pilots. It was a practice to send Royal Air Force cadets to train to be pilots in a non-combat zone. Florida boasted several fields that were used with two of them being in the Arcadia area and another in the Clewiston, Florida area. This historical marker gives information about the final resting place for these brave cadets.

Historical marker text:

Arcadia Oak Ridge Cemetery

During the second World War, the Arnold Plan established six British Flying Training Schools in the United States where Royal Air Force cadets could receive primary flight training under civilian instruction. Many of the thousands of cadets who passed through these schools graduated as pilots and went on to see operational duties in Europe.

No 5 BFTS was established at Carlstrom and Clewiston in Florida, where 23 cadets lost their lives during training. Their graves in this cemetery are cared for by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The Commission is responsible for the maintenance of graves and memorials for 1,700,000 members of the Commonwealth forces who died in the two world wars in some 150 countries. The war dead commemorated here and elsewhere are of several faiths and of none.

Type of Historic Marker: Bronze plaques mounted in marble Historical Marker Issuing Authority: unknown Related Website: [Web Link] Give your Rating: Age/Event Date: Not listed

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Date Logged Log   04/04/2020 BoomersOTR visited it