| The Canadian Aviation Historical Society |
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January 2024 e–Newsletter |
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From the Desk of the Executive |
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CAHS Convention 2024 The Canadian Aviation Historical Society is pleased to invite you to our annual convention in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Wednesday 19 June to Saturday 22 June 2024, held in partnership with the RCAF History and Heritage in recognition of the RCAF's 100th anniversary. Registration will open soon. Registration will include the Wednesday reception, lunch for three days, our annual banquet, two days of speaker sessions, and the tours. Registration for online attendance will include access to all convention sessions via Zoom, but not the tours. Recordings will be made for sessions where the presenter grants permission, and these recordings will be available to all attendees after the convention, subject to technical limitations. In the meantime, we ask that you complete this attendance survey, even if you plan not to attend the convention. Your responses will help us make the convention better. We are seeking speakers to make presentations to our convention. If you're interested in speaking, please see the call for presentations below. Known as the "City of Bridges" due to its numerous river crossings, Saskatoon boasts stunning panoramic views and picturesque landscapes. Visitors can explore the vibrant Meewasin Valley, home to lush parks, walking trails, and the Meewasin Valley Authority. The city's cultural scene is thriving with a diverse range of art galleries, theatres, and music festivals. History enthusiasts can delve into the past at the Western Development Museum or the Ukrainian Museum of Canada. Baseball fans can watch the Saskatoon Berries in their inaugural season in the Western Canadian Baseball League. Saskatoon offers a warm and inviting atmosphere for tourists seeking a memorable and enriching getaway. Reconnect with your friends and meet aviation enthusiasts from across Canada at this informal evening. Updates will be provided in the newsletter and on our website, cahs.com. Call for presentations 2024 National Convention of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society Background The Canadian Aviation Historical Society (CAHS) is holding its Convention and Annual General Meeting in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 19 - 22 June 2024. The conference will include wide ranging coverage of Canadian aviation history, including sessions exploring civilian, industrial, and military topics. Since 2024 is the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Royal Canadian Air Force, additional consideration will be given to air force subjects. Focus The convention is open to all: university students, aerospace industry professionals, academics, professionals in aviation or heritage associations, and aviation enthusiasts of every kind. Our focus will be on history, but we welcome proposals addressing current aviation or aerospace issues. Call for Presentations The CAHS invites proposals for papers to be presented at the convention. Individuals or groups should provide the following digital submission: • Topic (title) and subject • Short précis outlining the proposal, maximum 200 words • Presenter biography, maximum 200 words Submit your proposal using this form: Call for Presentations If you aren’t ready to submit your proposal, please complete this Expression of Interest form so that we will know to expect your submission. If you have any problems or questions, please contact the convention chairperson. Information to note • Presentations can utilize multi-disciplinary approaches, and may be formal academic papers or informal talks. All presentations should be in Powerpoint or Google Slides format. Presentations should be a maximum of 45 minutes in length but longer proposals can be considered. • Note that the CAHS is a volunteer, non-profit corporation. Presenters will be expected to register for at least one day of the convention, and no re-imbursement can be offered for travel or other expenses. • Submissions must be received by 15 March 2024. • You will be notified by 31 March whether your submission has been accepted for presentation. • Convention updates can be found at www.cahs.com. Contact Please feel free to forward and post this message widely. For more information, please contact us at the address or phone below. We hope to see you in Saskatoon. Jim Bell 2024 Convention Chairperson Email 204-293-5402 |
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Jim Bell, 2024 Convention Chairperson, Canadian Aviation Historical Society |
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From the Desk of the Journal Editor
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Two regular and one special edition works-in-progress.
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Work continues on the three currently in-progress Journals while new article queries – including some that have become actual submissions – continue to keep things lively. I was saddened to learn that long-time member and occasional CAHS author William "Bill" Cameron passed away late last year (see Will Chabun's "In Memoriam" below). Bill was a font of knowledge on the subject of Canadian Pacific Air Lines (CPAL) and its roots in particular. It was always an edifying experience to work with him on the handful of related articles he penned for us since my early days here. You can find each one as an individual article (downloadable PDF) or within the Journal numbers they were originally published in (PDF and print editions are available). Just enter "Cameron," "William Cameron," or Canadian Pacific" in the search bar on CAHS.com to learn more. It occurs to me that there should be more left for us to document (especially) on CPAL's later history. And while we're at it, why not hope for similar coverage of Air Canada and its roots? Surely, these histories are out there waiting to be collated and written. It would be nice to have historical summaries of all of the larger Canadian airlines between our covers in due course. If anyone out there is working on or considering working on something of that sort, we'd love to hear from you – please contact me here. Corrigenda 1 Before signing off, I need to mention a correction to "Sidney Cotton: An Adventure in Newfoundland, Part 2" sent in by author Thomas Singfield. The error, found in "Table 1" on page 80, transposes the construction numbers for the two Bristol Tourer aircraft. G-EAWB should be c/n 6123, while the unregistered example should be 6123. I'll me these corrections in the digital edition and post the revised version to our website's repository soon. I'll also note it in the "From the Editor" section of one of the current work-in-progress editions. Corrigenda 2 While on the subject of corrigenda, I would also like to thank Clark Seaborn for pointing out a silly error in the caption for the upper righthand photo of page 146 of Volume 57, Number 2. The photo is part of Carl Vincent's "The British Air Ministry Winter Trials in Canada1: The Armstrong Whitworth Siskin" and refers to the aircraft's engine as a "Jupiter." Silly? Well, we (the editorial team) should have known better – the type's production engine was the Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar. This is referenced numerous times in Carl's text. My apologies to Carl and the readership for introducing the obvious error. I'm still not entirely sure how that happened! Thanks once again, Clark, for both your reading and your writing. We'll get this one corrected in a revised digital edition as well. Until next time… |
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Terry Higgins, Creative Director, Website Administrator, CAHS Journal Managing Editor and Graphics Director, Canadian Aviation Historical Society |
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From the Desk of the Treasurer |
The CAHS hopes that you had a wonderful Christmas holiday with friends and family and that Santa treated you well. If you didn't get your favourite aviation gift this year, you can still spoil yourself! Check out the books for sale, as well as aviation art still available. The CAHS aviation artists' 2024 calendar is still available as well. The CAHS would like to thank all the aviation artists (many of who are members of the Canadian Aerospace Artists Association and the CAAA Chapter). The following individuals have donated their art to our calendar fundraising initiative over the past number of years: Avi Barzel; Allan Botting; Colin Bowley; Sam Cole; James (Jake) Fowell; Hélène Girard; Ernest Harrison; Layne Larsen; Wes Lowe; Martin Myers; Priscilla Patterson; Bob Poole; Cher Pruys; Peter J. Robichaud; Harold Skaaru; Jeff Stephenson; Rick Stojak; Virginie Tanguay; Charles Thompson; John Ukrainec; Ronald Wong. Thanks so much for your generosity. We do so enjoy sharing your talent with our members, readers, and customers. We look forward to compiling the 2025 calendar soon, with the intention of it being available and for sale at the convention this year. |
Cordially, Dr. Rachel Lea Heide, National Treasurer, Canadian Aviation Historical Society |
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CAHS 2024 Aviation Art Calendar |
| The annual aviation art calendar is available ($15 a copy plus $5 shipping in Canada). This bilingual calendar includes 13 full-colour images featuring a collection of civilian and military aviation aircraft |
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Freddie the Flyer by Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail
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| Aviation historian, and former President of the CAHS, Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail, has published a gorgeous picture book that pays homage to aviator Freddie Carmichael — the first Indigenous commercial pilot in the Arctic — with each month of the year highlighting moments from his life, the beauty of the North and the power of dreams. The CAHS discount rate is $19 (plus $6 shipping in Canada). Danielle also has a number of upcoming events to promote and discuss her books, including Freddie The Flyer. For information on where you can see her or how to schedule an event with her, please visit her website. |
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Christopher Weicht Flat Rate Box Set: The Defenders & Red Star Over Canada
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Author Chris Weicht is offering a special where buyers can get one copy of The Defenders and one copy of Red Star Over Canada in a Canada Post FLAT RATE BOX for $85.00 ($65 for the books and $20 for shipping).
See the description for The Defenders in the next book offering below.
Get yours for just $65.00 (GST included) plus $20.00 shipping per copy in Canada.
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| Leonard John Dyte, the RCAF's First Sergeant Major |
Mathias Joost looks at the service career of Sergeant Major Leonard John Dyte, the Royal Canadian Air Force's highly respected first Sergeant Major and a long-time fixture at Camp Borden during the inter-war period. This presentation was given to the Ottawa Chapter of the CAHS on September 29, 2022. Via Kyle Huth
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The Ottawa Chapter secretary, Mathias Joost, is currently researching the RCAF and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Unfortunately, there is very little information on many aspects of RCAF operations during the Crisis. The RCAF appears to have destroyed most of the records as very few of the bi-annual historical reports for the period 1 June to 30 November 1962 exist. This is highly irregular. The nature of the Argus squadrons’ activities is covered to some extent by RCN documents; however, there is almost nothing on what 1 Air Division, Air Defence Command and Air Transport Command did. What can be determined is through inference and not actual statements of the activities. This includes the nature of DEFCON 3 / Ready State activities or planning for potential Air Transport Command support of American activities. Mathias is requesting that anyone who was serving during the Cuban Missile Crisis to contact him, by email here. |
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With sadness, we note the passing on October 1st of expat Reginan Bill Cameron of Okotoks, AB. Bill was bitten by an aviation bug as a boy in rural Saskatchewan and Regina. He learned to fly in Air Cadets right after the Second World War and parlayed his skill with Morse code into a radio operator's job with Canadian Pacific Airlines; initially in northern Ontario, but later in managerial posts in Prince Albert, Prince Rupert, Montreal, Rome, Mexico City, Tokyo and CPA’s head office in Vancouver. A look through the CAHS Journal index shows his articles on Prairie Airways, life as an air cadet in the 1940s, CPA’s Saskatchewan service in the 1950s and the airline’s long battle to get the legal right to fly east-west across Canada, as well as CPA’s little-known Canso airliner on the west coast. He spoke to our chapter on the Japanese balloon bomb offensive against North America in 1945, CPA’s commercial evolution and the strange story of how the Prince Albert airport had two wartime flying training schools — but no concrete or even asphalt runways. If you would like to learn more about Bill’s life, you can access the obituary here, while an example of his work published in our Journal – "The Saskatchewan Feeder Line: 1938 to 1957” has been posted to our website here. Will Chabun,
long time CAHS Member, and Editor of the Regina Chapter’s Windsock Newsletter |
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| We also note the passing on December 31st of Reginan Frank Flegel, who spoke several times to our chapter and often showed up for meetings. Like Bill Cameron, Frank was a member of the air cadet squadron at Campion College. He received his wings in 1952 and a year later was chosen for a special exchange trip to Britain, the Netherlands and France. Back home in Canada, he flew with Prairie Flying Service on a freelance basis. He also did crop dusting for Prairie and rival Canadian Aircraft until 1960, when his aircraft’s wingtip caught a powerline. He came out of that with several broken vertebrae. Your editor remembers how, in the late 1960s, when Frank was working at CKRM Radio, he would do a daily update on things making news in aviation, local or national — never missed it! Will Chabun,
long time CAHS Member, and Editor of the Regina Chapter’s Windsock Newsletter |
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Canadian Aviation Moments |
Here are the questions and answers to this month's Canadian Aviation Moments: |
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| Question 1: How did William Barker, a Canadian pilot in the First World War, get himself transferred to France with a fighting squadron?
Source: Canada’s Fighting Airmen, pg. 126 (Drew) |
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| Question 2: What was the status of the aerial protection in early 1939 for the Maritime provinces and the West Coast? Source: Wings For Victory, pg. 43 (Dunmore) |
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| Question 3: Why was the RAF Bomber Command seconded to the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) under General Dwight D. Eisenhower in April 1944? Source: No Prouder Place, pg. 312 (Bashow) |
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Spoiler alert - the answers to this month's questions follow. Skip the rest of this section and come back later if you wish to guess/research the answers first. Good luck and have fun! |
ANSWER 1: “He had only been in England a few weeks before he decided that he would very much prefer to be back in France with a fighting squadron, and asked to be transferred. He then adopted another course. He continually “stunted” his machine in the most conspicuous manner, and made life miserable for the headquarters staff by zooming over their huts at all hours of the day. Finally, after a particularly daring stunt which very much disturbed some visiting senior officers, he was hauled before the camp commandant and told in no uncertain way that this could not continue. Barker replied that there was a very simple way out of the difficulty as all he wanted was to be sent back to France. This was something new. Men did at times devise various ingenious methods to get away from the front, but here was an officer frankly insubordinate for the purpose of getting back into action. Major Smith saw the humour of the situation and agreed to his transfer. In a few days he received word that he could join the 56th in France with which Major McCudden was already making himself famous, or the 28th which had just been formed and was still in England, but would be leaving for France in a few days.”
Source: Canada’s Fighting Airmen, pg. 126 (Drew) |
ANSWER 2: “Early in 1939, members of the House of Commons demanded to know what the government was doing about the alleged moves by the Germans to establish seaplane bases in Iceland and, according to some rumours, in Hudson Bay. The Government had to admit that at that time the maritime provinces’ aerial protection was in the hands of two Stranraers ands two Fairchilds; that of the West Coast depended upon five single-engined Sharks and eight other assorted types. New aircraft were on order but they hadn’t arrived yet; these things took time, it was explained.” Source: Wings For Victory, pg. 43 (Dunmore) |
ANSWER 3: “During the last year of the European war, from April 1944 until May 1945, Bomber Command achieved its productive/destructive apex. The punishing losses experienced during the winter of 1943-44, particularly those associated with the Berlin raids, almost destroyed the fighting spirit and resolve of the Command. However, with the spring Sir Arthur Harris, somewhat against his will, tasked his forces for the most part against less-distant targets, which helped bring the loss rates back down to less damaging proportions. Longer-term relief would be acquired in April when the Command was seconded to Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces (SHAEF) under General Dwight D. Eisenhower, in support of the impending June invasion of northwest Europe through the Normandy beaches. For the following five months, Bomber Command devoted the bulk of its resources to nearer transportation targets, and to a lesser extent, to attacking the enemy’s oil production and storage resources.” Source: No Prouder Place, pg. 312 (Bashow) |
Select a chapter to discover what they have been up to since the last newsletter. Many of our Chapters remain very active on Zoom with presentations every bit as good as they would be if we did not have pandemic restrictions to deal with! |
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Special Thanks To Our Supporters |
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In addition to its members, contributors, and newsletter subscribers, the CAHS is thankful for the ongoing support of its Corporate Members, Museum Members, and Partner Organizations, as well as the many individuals and organizations whose financial donations are so generously given. If you would like to become a Corporate Member or Museum Member - or if you know an organization that might like to join - we are always happy to receive new applications. Please use the hyperlinks above to learn more about our corporate members and partner organizations. Corporate Members: |
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If you have changed your mailing or e-mail address, please get in touch to keep us up to date. Contact the Membership Administrator here. To enquire about membership payment records, contact the Treasurer here. Click here to renew immediately online, or to join as a new member. If you would like to register or renew by mail, printable forms are also available in the bottom area of this page on our site. If you have any aviation history-related news or events to share, please contact our newsletter editor here. Please feel free to forward to friends and family members, or encourage them to sign up on our website to receive the newsletter directly for FREE. We hope that you enjoy receiving this monthly newsletter and find the contents informative and enjoyable. If you no longer wish to receive it for any reason, please use the unsubscribe option below to have your email address removed immediately from the mailing list. |
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The Canadian Aviation Historical Society (CAHS) P.O. Box 2700 • Station D • Ottawa • Ontario • K1P 5W7 visit us at www.cahs.com The CAHS is incorporated as a Canadian Registered Charity under a Federal Charter with the business registration number 118829589 RR001 |
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