Bombing and Gunnery Schools were critical training facilities under the Second World War British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) . Across Canada, 11 of these schools taught non-pilot aircrew—like bomb aimers and air gunners—to aim, shoot, and navigate for Bomber Command overseas.
History & Purpose
Canada was chosen for these schools because it had clear skies and was far away from active war zones. Students from Canada, Australia, Great Britain, New Zealand, and other Allied nations learned to use machine gun turrets and practiced dropping bombs on land and water targets.
Key Locations in Canada
There were 11 schools across the country. Notable examples include:
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No. 4 Bombing and Gunnery School (Fingal, Ontario): Located near Port Stanley, this station opened on 724 acres of land on November 25, 1940. This Air Station was a large facility comprised of some 50 structures, 6 of which were double-sized hangars each measuring 224 x 160 feet. As there was a shortage of steel at the time, the hangars, including the roof trusses, were made entirely of wood. The prefabricated sections were shipped directly from the producers of heavy timber in western Canada. Pre-cut Douglas Fir was the preferred timber measuring 4'x12', 4'x18' and 4'x20'. These strong wooden pieces were then bolted together.
The facility closed on February 17, 1945 after having graduated 6,000 non-pilot aircrew members. Aircraft types used to train included Northrop Nomads, Avro Anson’s, Westland Lysander’s, Fairey Battle’s and Bristol Bolingbroke’s.
Nineteen military personnel lost their lives during the four plus years this facility was operational.
It is now a wildlife management area with interpretive trails.
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No. 2 Bombing and Gunnery School (Mossbank, Saskatchewan): Trained over 6,200 air bombers and air gunners.
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No. 5 Bombing and Gunnery School (Dafoe, Saskatchewan): Nicknamed "WAGS" (Wireless Air Gunners), this base trained thousands of students.
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No. 1 Bombing and Gunnery School (Jarvis, Ontario): Specialized in training bomb aimers and navigators.
How the Training Worked
Students spent months mastering their trades. They practiced firing at towed targets from planes or shooting from ground-based turrets on ranges. The schools relied on aircraft like the Fairey Battle, Avro Anson, and Bristol Bolingbroke to get the job done.
What Remains Today
Most of the BCATP stations were dismantled following the war. Today, the history of these sites is kept alive by organizations like the Bomber Command Museum of Canada Archives.
📸 Photo
At the posted coordinates take a photo giving a thumbs-up (you do not need to show your face) -- or showing a personal item or something geocaching-related with the sculpture in the background and include the picture in your log.
✔️ Logging Requirements
To log this Virtual Cache as Found, in addition to the posted picture, send me a message with the answers to the following questions. Please do not include the answers in your log.
- I give them _______ life and they shall never ______. What are the missing words?
- What trophy was awarded a direct hit on target?
- What were the incinerators lined with?
- What type of aircraft is pictured here?
References:
RCAF Fingal Blog
Fingal Observer
Virtual Rewards 5.0 - 2026-2027
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