Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 33 Service Flying Training School (Municipality of North Cypress-Langford)

Link to:
Commanding Officers | Photos & Maps | Training Fatalities | Sources

This site southeast of Carberry, in the Municipality of North Cypress-Langford, was used for training of pilots during the Commonwealth Air Training Plan of the Second World War. Unlike facilities that were formed as part of the Royal Canadian Air Force, this facility began as part the Royal Air Force, organized at Winslow, England in November 1940 and transferred to Canada later that month.

The school consisted of administrative, instructional, and dormitory buildings, and several large aircraft hangars, constructed at a cost of $850,000 by the Winnipeg firm of Carter-Halls-Aldinger. Six paved runways were supplemented by two relief fields, No. 1 at Petrel and No. 2 at Oberon, where aircraft could be diverted if they could not land at the main field.

The first group of British personnel arrived at Winnipeg in December 1940 and immediately moved on to Carberry. Construction of the site had preceded arrival of military personnel but it was not fully operational until early 1941. The first cohort of trainees arrived in January 1941 before training aircraft were available. By April 1943, the school had 100 Harvard and Anson training aircraft, and over 200 students, with a support staff of 95 officers, 984 other ranks, and 65 civilians. Among those who trained at the facility was actor Richard Burton (1925-1984), who later found fame in Hollywood.

The final training class graduated in November 1944 and the facility was gradually closed. After the war, the site was used as a storage park for military vehicles. It later came under the control of a community development corporation, which sold it in May 1961 to an American firm for establishment of a potato-processing plant.

Commanding Officers

Period	Commanding Officer
1940-1941	Wing Commander T. C. Dickens (Acting)
1941	Group Captain H. C. Walker
1941	Group Captain C. H. Brill
1941-1942	Wing Commander Joseph Cox

Photos & Coordinates

Aerial view of the No. 33 Service Flying Training School during the Second World War (no date) Source: Carberry Plains Archives (McCain Foods) The former No. 33 Service Flying Training School, now a potato-processing plant, with a few of the original buildings in the centre background (July 2015) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Maintenance building, one of few structures remaining from No. 33 Service Flying Training School (July 2015) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Supply depot building, one of few structures remaining from the No. 33 Service Flying Training School (July 2015) Source: Gordon Goldsborough The three runways of No. 33 Service Flying Training School have mostly reverted to agricultural land (July 2015) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.85015, W99.34058 denoted by symbol on the map above

Training Fatalities

Canadians and Americans killed while training at the Service Flying Training School No. 33 where returned to their home communities for burial. Australian, New Zealand, and British fatalities were buried in the military cemetery at Brandon.

Name	Service	Rank	Age / Birth Date	Death Date	Cause
Alastair Farquahar Blue	Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve	Leading Aircraftman	21	3 December 1943	Flight accident
John Harold Bolsworth	Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve	Leading Aircraftman	19	3 December 1943	Flight accident
John Arthur Camp	Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve	Leading Aircraftman	19	19 April 1941	Flight accident
Joseph Horace Giles	Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve	Leading Aircraftman	20	19 April 1941	Flight accident
Edward Charles Helmer	Royal Canadian Air Force	Leading Aircraftman	18 July 1915	29 June 1941	Flight accident
Antony William Ingram	Royal Air Force	Sergeant	23	25 August 1943	Flight accident
Alan Ernest King	Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve	Leading Aircraftman	19	20 May 1944	Flight accident
John Francis Lee	Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve	Flying Officer	33	3 December 1943	Flight accident
D. M. Livingstone	Royal Air Force	Leading Aircraftman	?	2 April 1941	Flight accident
Lawrence Walter Hugh Lloyd	Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve	Leading Aircraftman	20	12 April 1941	Flight accident
Stephen Octaviius Nethercut	Royal Air Force	Leading Aircraftman	20	28 April 1943	Flight accident
John George Permuth	Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve	Leading Aircraftman	20	27 April 1941	Flight accident
Leslie Richard Reader	Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve	Leading Aircraftman	28	16 August 1941	Flight accident
Donald Hugh Ross	Royal Canadian Air Force	Leading Aircraftman	10 August 1918	29 June 1941	Flight accident
Paul Ernest Sayer	Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve	Leading Aircraftman	20	19 October 1942	Flight accident
Frank Robert Shorney	Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve	Leading Aircraftman	31	25 August 1943	Flight accident
Kenneth Mark Townsend	Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve	Aircraftman First Class	21	1 March 1942	Non-training accident
Dennis Malcolm Watson	Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve	Leading Aircraftman	19	19 October 1942	Flight accident
Desmond Pelham Watson	Royal Air Force	Flying Officer	23	19 February 1942	Flight accident
David Millis Wesley	Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve	Leading Aircraftman	27	4 April 1941	Flight accident
Godfrey Neil Weightman	Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve	Leading Aircraftman	21	29 May 1944	Flight accident
Geoffrey Charles Wellings	Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve	Leading Aircraftman	?	19 February 1942	Flight accident
Timothy Gurney Whiteland	Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve	Leading Aircraftman	20	3 December 1943	Flight accident
John Arthur Woods	Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve	Leading Aircraftman	21	19 October 1942	Flight accident

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Wings of War Monument (Fourth Avenue, Carberry)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 1 Air Navigation School (Wheatland, Municipality of Riverdale)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 1 Air Navigation School Monument (Municipality of Riverdale)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 5 Air Observers School (Winnipeg)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 3 Bombing and Gunnery School (Macdonald, RM of Portage la Prairie)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 7 Bombing and Gunnery School (Paulson, RM of Dauphin)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 14 Elementary Flying Training School / No. 7 Air Observers School (Southport, RM of Portage la Prairie)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 19 Elementary Flying Training School (RM of Wallace-Woodworth)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 26 Elementary Flying Training School (Municipality of North Cypress-Langford)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 26 Elementary Flying Training School, Eden Relief Field / Eden Airport (RM of Rosedale)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 10 Service Flying Training School / Barker Airport (RM of Dauphin)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 10 Service Flying Training School, North Junction Relief Field (RM of Dauphin)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 10 Service Flying Training School, Valley River Relief Field (RM of Dauphin)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 12 Service Flying Training School / Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum (Brandon)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 12 Service Flying Training School, Chater Relief Field / Chater Aerodrome (RM of Elton)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 12 Service Flying Training School, Douglas Relief Field (Municipality of North Cypress-Langford)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 17 Service Flying Training School (Municipality of Souris-Glenwood)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 17 Service Flying Training School, Hartney Relief Field / Hartney Aerodrome (Municipality of Grassland)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 18 Service Flying Training School / No. 2 Flying Training School / Canadian Forces Base Gimli / Gimli Industrial Park Airport (Municipality of Gimli)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 18 Service Flying Training School, Netley Relief Field / Netley Field (RM of St. Andrews)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 33 Service Flying Training School (Municipality of North Cypress-Langford)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 33 Service Flying Training School, Oberon Relief Field / Oberon Aerodrome (Municipality of North Cypress-Langford)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 33 Service Flying Training School, Petrel Relief Field / Petrel Aerodrome (Municipality of North Cypress-Langford)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 3 Wireless School (500 Shaftesbury Boulevard, Winnipeg)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Brandon Winter Fair Building / Brandon Arena / No. 2 Manning Depot (Eleventh Street, Brandon)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 5 Release Centre / Jameswood Place South (Winnipeg)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 8 Repair Depot / Jameswood Place (Winnipeg)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: No. 2 Equipment Depot / No. 7 Equipment Depot / Carpiquet Barracks (Notre Dame Avenue, Winnipeg)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: First Flight Monument (Memorial Park, Winnipeg)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Cardale Air Crash Monument (RM of Oakview)

Sources:

“Manitoba Air Training jobs cost $1,730,000,” Winnipeg Tribune, 8 August 1940, page 13.

“Air contracts now total $11,000,000,” Winnipeg Free Press, 27 August 1940, page 1.

“Three air schools cost $1,280,000,” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 August 1940, page 3.

“Big contract for Carberry,” Winnipeg Tribune, 7 October 1940, page 2.

“Seven hundred British fliers now in Carberry,” Brandon Sun, 9 December 1940, page 18.

“Men of R.A.F. taking wing - on ice,” Winnipeg Tribune, 10 December 1940, page 1.

“Off to Carberry,” Winnipeg Tribune, 10 December 1940, page 5.

“No limits on Carberry hospitality to its 700 Royal Air Force guests,” Winnipeg Tribune, 12 December 1940, page 26.

“A gift with imagination,” Winnipeg Tribune, 27 January 1941, page 6.

“Reunion in Winnipeg,” Winnipeg Tribune, 5 February 1941, page 11.

“Student pilot dies after training crash,” Winnipeg Tribune, 5 April 1941.

“Teachers’ meet,” Winnipeg Tribune, 20 May 1941, page 13.

“Youth and courage combined,” Winnipeg Tribune, 4 November 1941, page 1.

“King gives special badge to Carberry Air School,” Winnipeg Tribune, 5 January 1942, page 11.

“Cox posted to Picton,” Winnipeg Tribune, 21 March 1942, page 3.

Wartime Souvenir of Carberry published by the Carberry News-Express, August 1942. [reprint]

We thank McCain Foods (Carberry) and Nathan Kramer for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 24 June 2023

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