The Birth of the RCAF

Despite the newly formed CAF, Canada was war-weary and its government leery about making investments in air defence. It was a widely held view at the time that “Canada would never need an air service.” But the Secretary of the Air Board, John Armistead Wilson, had other ideas. At the core of his “airmindedness” was the belief that in a sparsely populated and vast country like Canada, the Air Force would only survive if it were tied to civilian aviation and the aerospace industry. Considered by many to be the father of civil aviation in Canada, Wilson argued that, in order to remain relevant during peacetime, the CAF needed to perform civilian functions. And so, the “bush pilots in uniform” flew on forest fire and maritime patrols, delivered mail, medical, and other supplies, and contributed to geological surveys and the aerial mapping of Canada.

At its inception, the CAF was given 1,340 officers and 3,905 Non-Commissioned Members (NCMs) and operated out of Camp Borden, Ontario. Named after Sir Frederick William Borden, Canada’s former Minister of Militia, Camp Borden is considered to be the birthplace of the RCAF. The site was selected for a military aerodrome by the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) during the First World War. Camp Borden became the CAF’s training centre in 1920, with the Air Board offering a 28-day flying course to any officer who had served in the RFC or Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) during the war. The British government donated 114 aircraft, required equipment, and even hangars to the base. Taking over seaplane docks at Dartmouth and Sydney, the Air Board established new CAF bases in Vancouver, British Columbia, Morely, Alberta, and Roberval, Quebec, with 24 Curtiss Flying Boats donated by the United States.

In 1923, the Department of Militia and Defence, the Department of Naval Service, and the Air Board merged to form the Department of National Defence (DND) in Canada. The CAF, which had mostly been small and non-permanent, became responsible for all flying operations in Canada. The prefix “Royal” was added on approval from King George V and its organization made official on April 1, 1924. The RCAF continued to oversee civil flying until a Civil Aviation Branch of the DND was created in 1927, later becoming the Department of Transport.

The newly established RCAF was to be led by a director who reported to the Chief of the General Staff. It consisted of three parts: a permanent Active Air Force, an Auxiliary (part-time) Air Force, and a Reserve (non-active). On the day of its inception, a modest Active Air Force was 68 officers and 307 NCMs strong. The RCAF modelled its organization on the RAF, having a similar insignia, ensign, and badges, and adopting the Latin motto: Per Ardua Ad Astra which translates to “through adversity to the stars.”

Another champion of air power in Canada was A.G.L. McNaughton, Chief of the General Staff of the Canadian Army in 1929. Notably, McNaughton was also an electrical engineer who served as President of the National Research Council of Canada from 1935 to 1939 and later became Canada’s Minister of National Defence in 1944. McNaughton was aware of the importance of air defence, especially at home with its response to threats on Canadian coasts. In 1932, he launched a draft plan for the RCAF with its primary role as coastal defence and its secondary as an expeditionary force overseas. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King echoed McNaughton’s approach in his 1937 admission of protection “in a mad world” on the sea and in the air. That same year, the RCAF was given primary responsibility for the defence of Canada. With this came new investments for the RCAF, namely a tripled share of the defence budget.

In 1938, the Second World War was looming and Canada’s air power was about be thrust into action. Having established a peacetime professionalism and permanency, the RCAF would have to transform itself into a modern military power. This required building up its air strength quickly —a daunting task for some 4,061 personnel and 270 military aircraft, many of which were obsolete. All available resources were about to be called on to step up to the colossal task that lay ahead.