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

Link to:
Commanding Officers | Chief Supervisory Officers | Photos & Maps | Sources

Opened in December 1940, this facility south of the City of Portage la Prairie, in the Rural Municipality of Portage la Prairie, was used for training of pilots during the Commonwealth Air Training Plan (CATP) of the Second World War. The site was home to two CATP schools: No. 14 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) and the No. 7 Air Observers School (AOS). Both schools operated side by side for a time, separated by a narrow road. They shared a 15-bed hospital on the AOS side of the base. The entire facility was built at a cost of $450,000 by the Claydon Construction Company, with Assistant Engineer E. H. Fleishman in charge of construction.

The EFTS base consisted of eight larger buildings including a hangar, ground-instruction school, officers mess and quarters, non-commissioned officers mess and quarters, airmens quarters, airmens mess, stores, and garage. The base also had a 25-yard machine gun range with a 28-foot-high concrete wall. From 28 October to 5 December 1940, it was based at the No. 5 Air Observers School in Winnipeg, under the control of the Central Manitoba Flying School Limited. Training was done with a fleet of 25 Tiger Moths supplied by the Winnipeg Flying Club. In the summer of 1942, the school transferred to Assiniboia, Saskatchewan and the entire site was taken over by the AOS.

The AOS had 12 buildings including a double-hangar (224 x 160 feet), standard hangar, headquarters, officers quarters, officers’ mess, airmen’s quarters, airmen’s mess, combined mess and quarters for non-commissioned officers, workshop, wireless building, direction-finding equipment building, motor garage, and stores. Beginning on 28 April 1941, pupils were given a 12-week regimen of training in air navigation, aerial photography, reconnaissance, observation, mapping, and description. Trainees were flown in aircraft operated by civilian-owned commercial flying companies, under Air Force supervision and instruction.

Closed after the war, the site was reopened in the early 1950s and used for training Royal Canadian Air Force and NATO pilots. It became CFB Portage la Prairie in 1966 and was closed, due to military cutbacks, in September 1992. The site is still used for civilian aviation.

Commanding Officers (Elementary Flying Training School)

Period	Commanding Officer
1941	Flight Lieutenant D. D. Rogers
1941-?	Flight Lieutenant G. H. Newsome
?-1942	?

Chief Supervisory Officers (Air Observers School)

Period	Chief Supervisory Officer
1940	Flying Officer D. J. Thomson
1941	Flight Lieutenant K. G. McDonald
1942	Squadron Leader Laurie Ellis
1942-1944	Wing Commander Henry Geoffrey Malcolmson
1944-?	Squadron Leader R. H. Batty
?-1945	Squadron Leader M. S. Layton

Photos & Coordinates

Aerial view of the No. 14 Elementary Flying Training School & No. 7 Air Observers School (c1941) by Charles J. Gingras Source: Archives of Manitoba, Charles J. Gingras collection #122 Aerial view of the No. 14 Elementary Flying Training School & No. 7 Air Observers School (1944) by Charles J. Gingras Source: Archives of Manitoba, Charles J. Gingras collection #131 Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.91132, W98.27286 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Manitoba Business: Claydon Brothers Construction Company / Claydon Construction Limited

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)

Sources:

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

“Portage Air School will open Oct. 28,” Winnipeg Tribune, 17 October 1940, page 13.

“Portage race,” Winnipeg Free Press, 19 October 1940, page 3.

“Portage Elementary Flying School receives finishing touches,” Winnipeg Free Press, 19 October 1940, page 3.

“Flying School opens Monday in Winnipeg,” Winnipeg Free Press, 25 October 1940, page 4.

“Off to Portage,” Winnipeg Tribune, 5 December 1940, page 13.

“Air School to open soon at Portage,” Winnipeg Free Press, 18 April 1941, page 3.

“Portage Air School will open Monday,” Winnipeg Free Press, 24 April 1941, page 3.

“New Air School at Portage loses no time in starting,” Winnipeg Tribune, 28 April 1941, page 11.

“Busy Portage,” Winnipeg Free Press, 29 April 1941, page 3.

“Portage Air School contract awarded,” Winnipeg Free Press, 3 May 1941, page 22.

“War contracts for Winnipeg,” Winnipeg Tribune, 9 September 1941, page 16.

“Portage Flying School holds anniversary,” Winnipeg Free Press, 8 November 1941, page 3.

“Mediterranean pilot takes Portage post,” Winnipeg Free Press, 4 June 1942, page 3.

“Portage Air School moves,” Winnipeg Tribune, 22 June 1942, page 11.

“City briefs [Squadron Leader H. Geoffrey Malcolmson], Winnipeg Free Press, 18 November 1942, page 2.

“Portage Air School Club holds annual banquet,” Winnipeg Free Press, 3 May 1943, page 4.

“Malcolmson given Brandon Command,” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 July 1944, page 3.

“Last Portage Air class graduates,” Winnipeg Free Press, 30 March 1945, page 7.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Nathan Kramer.

Page revised: 20 May 2022

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