West Coast aerodromes: the impact of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan on Delta and Abbotsford, British Columbia.
Date
2012-04-16
Authors
Richdale, Ryan
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Abstract
The plan to train Commonwealth pilots and aircrew on Canadian soil from 1939-1945 was a critical component to the Allied victory in the Second World War. As part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), Canada graduated 131,553 men from training stations across the country. This thesis examines the experience of two British Columbia communities, Delta and Abbotsford, as hosts to BCATP stations. It concludes that both sites experienced a profound social and economic impact as a result of their role in training pilots and aircrew. Hosting a training station meant an immediate influx of jobs, infrastructure, money and excitement. In addition, the airfields left behind after the war ended still exist today as viable economic entities in their communities and as valuable hubs in Canada’s aviation network.
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Keywords
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, British Columbia Airports, Canadian Military History, Delta, B.C., Abbotsford, B.C.