RCAF Station Davidson

RCAF Station Davidson
	Davidson, Saskatchewan; Near Davidson, Saskatchewan in Canada
	RCAF Station Davidson
Coordinates	51°15′N105°53′W / 51.250°N 105.883°W Coordinates: 51°15′N105°53′W / 51.250°N 105.883°W
Site information
Operator	Formerly Royal Canadian Air Force
Airfield information
Identifiers	IATA: none, ICAO: none
Elevation	1,985 ft (605 m) AMSL
Runways
13/31	2,800 ft (850 m) Hard Surfaced
7/25	2,700 ft (820 m) Hard Surfaced
1/19	2,900 ft (880 m) Hard Surfaced
	Airfields

Last updated August 27, 2019

RCAF Station Davidson was a Second World War air training station located near Davidson, Saskatchewan, Canada.

World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. A state of total war emerged, directly involving more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. The major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 70 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease, and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.

Davidson is a town in south central Saskatchewan, Canada. It is located 104 kilometres (65 mi) southeast of Saskatoon beside provincial highway 11, in the rural municipality of Arm River. It is located approximately halfway between Saskatoon and Regina, is a popular stopping-off with many restaurants and gas stations located adjacent to the highway

Canada is a country in the northern part of North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering 9.98 million square kilometres, making it the world's second-largest country by total area. Its southern border with the United States, stretching some 8,891 kilometres (5,525 mi), is the world's longest bi-national land border. Canada's capital is Ottawa, and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

History

World War II

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), opened No. 23 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) at RCAF Station Davidson on 9 November,1942. The school and station were a component of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. The school was relocated to RCAF Station Yorkton 19 January 1945 and the station was decommissioned shortly thereafter.^[1] No. 23 EFTS was the only RCAF operated EFTS in Canada, and was twice the size of all but 2 EFTS. The school produced 1,513 pilots of whom 973 were RCAF and 540 Royal Air Force.^[2]

The Royal Canadian Air Force is the air force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2013, the Royal Canadian Air Force consists of 14,500 Regular Force and 2,600 Primary Reserve personnel, supported by 2,500 civilians, and operates 258 manned aircraft and 9 unmanned aerial vehicles. Lieutenant-General Al Meinzinger is the current Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force and Chief of the Air Force Staff.

The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), or Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) often referred to as simply "The Plan", was a massive, joint military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, during the Second World War. BCATP remains as one of the single largest aviation training programs in history and was responsible for training nearly half the pilots, navigators, bomb aimers, air gunners, wireless operators and flight engineers who served with the Royal Air Force (RAF), Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm (FAA), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) during the war.

Yorkton Municipal Airport airport in Saskatchewan, Canada

Yorkton Municipal Airport,, is located 2.8 nautical miles north of Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Aerodrome information

The airfield was constructed in the typical BCATP wartime pattern, with three runways formed in a triangle. In approximately 1942 the aerodrome was listed as RCAF Aerodrome - Davidson, Saskatchewan at 51°15′N105°53′W / 51.250°N 105.883°W / 51.250; -105.883 with a variation of 19 degrees east and elevation of 1,985 ft (605 m). Three runways were under construction (servicable) and listed as follows: ^[3]

Runway Name	Length	Width	Surface
13/31	2,800 ft (850 m)	100 ft (30 m)	Hard surfaced
7/25	2,700 ft (820 m)	100 ft (30 m)	Hard surfaced
1/19	2,900 ft (880 m)	100 ft (30 m)	Hard surfaced

Relief landing field – Davidson West

The only relief landing field for RCAF Station Davidson was located west of the community of Davidson, Saskatchewan. The relief field was constructed in the typical triangular pattern but was listed on decommissioning of the facility as a turf all way field. The cost to develop the aerodrome was $60,673.39. The aerodrome was located on approximately 78 acres of the south west quarter of section 36 in township 26 in range 1, west of the 3rd meridian. Using tools on the Saskatchewan Land titles web page this land description was able to be cross referenced to 51°15′53″N106°01′07″W / 51.264599°N 106.018625°W / 51.264599; -106.018625 . The aerodrome was declared surplus on 15 June 1945 and was officially turned over to the Department of Transportation on 31 October 1945.^[4]

Other occupants

The RCAF Women's Division arrived at the school on 17 May 1943.

No. 205 Reserve Equipment Maintenance Satellite was established at the Station on 1 April 1945.^[2]

Postwar

Current status

All that remains are cement foundations and the gun butt. ^[2] From a survey of the location on google maps on 8 Jun 2018 it appears that two of the three runways are badly deteriorated with the last in better condition. several buildings appear to have been built on the old runways.

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References

↑ Hatch, F. J. (1983). The Aerodrome of Democracy: Canada and the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, 1939-1945. Ottawa: Directorate of History, Department of National Defence. ISBN 0660114437.
1 2 3 Elmer, Gordon (Dec 2016). "75 years ago in Saskatchewan". Windsock. Vol. 29 no. 4. Regina, SK, Canada: Roland Groome (Regina) Chapter -- Canadian Aviation Historical Society.
↑ Staff writer (c. 1942). Pilots Handbook of Aerodromes and Seaplane Bases Vol. 2. Royal Canadian Air Force. p. 40.
↑ "Royal Canadian Air Force Second Central Registry and File Classification System:C-5878 images 1494-1555". Heritage Canada. Gov't of Canada. Retrieved 31 March 2019.

External links

Bruce Forsyth's Canadian Military History Page

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[hatch-1] Hatch, F. J. (1983). The Aerodrome of Democracy: Canada and the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, 1939-1945. Ottawa: Directorate of History, Department of National Defence. ISBN 0660114437.

[Elmer-2] 1 2 3 Elmer, Gordon (Dec 2016). "75 years ago in Saskatchewan". Windsock. Vol. 29 no. 4. Regina, SK, Canada: Roland Groome (Regina) Chapter -- Canadian Aviation Historical Society.

[Handbook-3] Staff writer (c. 1942). Pilots Handbook of Aerodromes and Seaplane Bases Vol. 2. Royal Canadian Air Force. p. 40.

[heritage-4] "Royal Canadian Air Force Second Central Registry and File Classification System:C-5878 images 1494-1555". Heritage Canada. Gov't of Canada. Retrieved 31 March 2019.