Remembering Wings & Wheels 2, June 20 & 21, 2009!
Dedicated to the Memory of Kaitlin Vanderhoek!
RCAF Stn London
The new airport was opened in August of 1940 to house two training schools. The Elementary Flying Training School where potential pilots were given flying training after several weeks of theoretical study at an Initial Flying School. The course at Crumlin included engine and airframe theory, navigation, instrumentation and 50 hours of actual flight.
At the Air Observers School, students were taught the navigational skills necessary for bomber and transport operations. These included map-reading, plotting, aircraft identity and meteorology.
In September of 1948, Crumlin became home to 420 Fighter Squadron (Auxiliary), flying first Harvards and then Mustang fighters until they were disbanded 1 September 1956. On 1 July 1956 RCAF Air Defense Command reformed 2420 Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron (Auxiliary), training Fighter Control Operators. It was disbanded on 31 May 1961.
Renamed RCAF Stn London, Crumlin became The Officers Selection Centre. Trainees underwent airforce indoctrination prior to undertaking flying training elsewhere. In 1950 NATO trainees were added and airmen from France, Norway, Italy, Holland, Denmark, Belgium, Portugal and Turkey arrived for three month courses. English language training for up to 12 weeks was added. Later, London became the home for Officers School and Selection Unit and a centre training Nursing Sisters.
After being abandoned by the RCAF, various uses were made of the building complex. For a time, they housed a Veterans Hospital, a morgue and the hangars were used to store military aircraft. All that remains is the Royal Canadian Air Force Association 427 Wing Building which began life in 1940 as an Airman's Canteen.
Copyright Paul Ozorak
(from the Spooner Memorial at 427
Wing, Air
Force Association of Canada)
T6 Canadian Harvard WWII trainer and P51 Mustang
