Membership

Airforce Magazine Archives

Forty years* of Airforce Magazine have been or will soon be archived in a database listing major feature stories by keyword, author, title and subject, among other things. This new database includes the means by which more items can be added for reference purposes. The database is accessible through your RCAF Association website, at this link here. (Under the "Magazine" Menu item)

*Four more years of data will be added in 2017.

The RCAF Association website is designed as a web-log (blog) so any member who wishes to do so may volunteer as a webmaster/designer. If you would like to volunteer, and help add important data, simply write to the director@airforce.ca.

Barr, Earl Howard

The CAHS Toronto Chapter was saddened to hear of the passing of long time member Earl Howard Barr (CAHS # 3097). Earl passed away peacefully at Scarborough General Hospital on March 31, 2016. Earl was a former Air Cadet, an Air Force veteran and a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force Association. Earl is survived by his wife Joyce, daughter Susan Coulas and son-in-law, Scott Coulas. Earl was employed by Bell Canada for many years and was also a member of the Toronto Anglers and Hunters (Sportsman Association). Visitation was held at the Jerrett Funeral Home at 660 Kennedy Road, Scarborough on Thursday, April 7th followed by a Memorial service in the Chapel. In lieu of flowers, the family requested that donations be made to Heart & Stroke or the The War Amps.

TOWNSEND, (Joseph) Gordon

Long-time CAHS Ottawa Chapter member Gordon Townsend has passed away.

Gordon died on Monday, November 7, 2016 after a brief illness, aged 95. He is survived by daughters Martha Townsend and her son Gabriel Townsend Darriau, Madeleine Townsend, Andrea Matyszczyk and her husband Romek, son-in-law Ted Friesen and his children Meghan, Genevieve and Ariane Friesen, and his sisters Madeleine Cranston and Joan Marando. Brother-in-law of Irma and Everett Hogan. He was predeceased by his wife Ida (nee Hogan), daughters Elizabeth and Jo Anna Townsend, brother John, sisters Marion Reding, Sr Jean Townsend, Rhona Christie, Mary Smithbower, Betty Lawlor, Margaret McNamara, Lorna Hallett, and Isobel Stoddard. Proud former Vice-President of the Eastern Ontario Burma Star Association. Friends will be received at the GORDON F. TOMPKINS FUNERAL HOME, 435 Davis Drive, Kingston, on Friday, November 25 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. Funeral Mass in Blessed Sacrament Church, 3 Briscoe Street, Amherstview on Saturday, November 26 at 1:00 p.m. Cremation will follow. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to a charity of your choice. May God rest his soul. Online condolences with Sharing Memories at www.gftompkinstownship.ca.

To view the notice, click here.

The CAHS Needs Your Financial Support:

The CAHS is working hard to end the year with a balanced budget and would appreciate your help financially. Donations are greatly appreciated and can be made online through Paypal or can be mailed in by downloading and mailing this form.

Did you know that Canada Revenue Agency is offering a first time donors' super credit? If you or your spouse have not claimed a charitable tax credit after the year 2007, CRA is offering an incentive to give to charities by supplementing the value of the charitable donation tax credit by 25% for first time donors. If you have never made a charitable donation before to any charity, why not take advantage of the extra tax credit offer this year by donating to the CAHS' great cause? For more details, see CRA's website.

Do you have past or current business contacts from within aviation/aerospace industries? Have you ever thought of approaching these contacts about becoming a corporate sponsor of the CAHS? Managers of corporations are more likely to be interested if people they already know professionally make the suggestion and explain how sponsorship helps both the company (by providing exposure and a donation tax receipt) and the mandate of the CAHS (by covering costs of publishing aviation history in the Journal and on the website). Please download the Corporate Membership form and talk to your contacts about helping the CAHS preserve and disseminate Canada's aviation history.

This is a research request from Lukas Wagner:

My name is Lukas Wagner, I'm a journalist from Germany. Currently I'm working on a story about the town of Gander, Newfoundland. I've been visiting Gander last year to get some impressions and find protagonists for a documentary. Click here for a link to my first trailer.

At the moment, I'm looking for experts and scholars who did some research about the history of the international airport in Gander and its role throughout history. Especially the role of Gander during the Cold War – as a place where West and East met – is my focus. I hope that you can help me with some good sources or experts in this field.

You can reach me via e-mail or phone.
Looking forward to hear from you!

All the Best,

Lukas Wagner
editor NZZ
lukas.wagner@nzz.at
Bräunerstrasse 11/3
1010 Vienna, Austria
+43 680 3163509

Book Offers

This is a fundraiser for the CAHS, and part of the proceeds from the sales are being generously donated to the CAHS by the publisher.

For our customers outside of North America, please contact the CAHS at treasurer@cahs.ca with your address for international shipping quotes.

Camp Borden: A Century of Service

The CAHS is proud to present a special book offer, Camp Borden: A Century of Service at a discounted rate of $24.99 CAD (plus shipping) from the publisher's suggested retail price of $29.99.

Camp Borden: A Century of Service is an overview of the history of this iconic institution. For over ten decades, Borden has been a temporary posting, as either instructor or trainee, for countless thousands of military men and women who have served Canada in peace and war. For generations, it has been a home to military families. And for a century, it has been a part of the local community fabric of Ontario. This book, in a small way, pays tribute to Camp Borden as a unique part of Canada’s history and heritage. It is not the complete story of Camp Borden, but hopefully it will inspire the reader to dig deeper into the layered history of a Canadian military treasure. The book is profusely illustrated with colour and B&W photos, many never before published.

For more information, or to place an order, please click here.

Early Canadian Military Aircraft Vol.1

The CAHS is proud to present a special book offer, Early Canadian Military Aircraft Vol.1 at a discounted rate of $24.99 CAD (plus shipping) from the  publisher's suggested retail price of $59.00.

In the two decades between the World Wars, Canada developed greatly, building upon the sense of solidarity gained in the first of these conflicts. Much of this was facilitated by the development of technology, of which aviation was a major part. Oddly enough, for such a laissez-faire society it was the Canadian government that played a leading role in this, and the RCAF and its predecessors were its instruments. Not only did the bush pilots in uniform pioneer myriad aspects of aviation in all parts of Canada, but despite a minuscule budget and a suspicious Parliament and populace they maintained the nucleus of a military air arm which slowly developed into the framework of the wartime RCAF. But, whatever honour is due to the men (and it is great), it is the aircraft that provide the visual impact and the structure of the narrative. An incredible number of types, suitable and unsuitable, were flown and maintained under all manner of conditions and a knowledge of them is essential for the appreciation of both the impact and the substance of the subject. When this knowledge is presented in such a totality of detail and sequentiality as here, no more is required. The same can be said for the massive coverage of paint schemes and markings. This merits more than the usual patronizing reference to its value for the modeling fraternity as well as to artists and illustrators. Its development and evolution is part and parcel of the story and a visual description of the conflicting forces of official standards and small groups of men and machines in which the former must interpret those standards as best they might. Numerous useful appendices. Fully indexed. 

For more information, or to place an order, please click here.

Canadian Aircraft of WWII

The CAHS is proud to present a special book offer, Canadian Aircraft of WWII at a discounted rate of $22.00 CAD (plus shipping) from the publisher's suggested retail price of $29.99.

Drawing on an immense range of archival records, memoirs, and photographs collected over decades of diligent research, author Carl Vincent provides a unique insight into some of the men and machines covered under the broad title Canadian Aircraft of WWII. Each entry's narrative is loaded with history, much of it previously unpublished and is illustrated by rare and relevant photos plus deeply researched large-format color profiles, all complemented by highly informative captions. Discover how the oddball little Fleet Fort came into its new role, why the Bolingbroke was much more than "just a Canadian Blenheim", when chewing gum could prove vital for a Sunderland crew, who was one of the Allies' premier train-busters, and much more. 2 useful appendices. Fully indexed.

For more information, or to place an order, please click here.

Dragons on Bird Wings, Volume 1

The CAHS is proud to present a special book offer, Dragons on Bird Wings, Volume 1 at a discounted rate of $15.00 CAD (plus shipping) from the publisher's suggested retail price of $19.00.

Follow the 3rd Fighter Aviation Corps along its Combat Path during the Liberation of the Motherland through the experiences of one of its units - the 812th Fighter Aviation Regiment. Drawing on a comprehensive range of archives, memoirs, and photographs, the authors describe this unit's daily combat activities in detail from its formative Rzhev - Vyazma days on the doorstep of Moscow, into the pivotal Stalingrad battles, and on through the hard-won victories along the shores of the Sea of Azov - Kuban, Myskhako, Molochnaya - and beyond. In this volume, part one of the 812th regiment's combat history reaches its climax with the ejection of the Luftwaffe from its remaining bases near the besieged fortress city of Sevastopol, while the Red Army liberates the Crimea from the grip of the Wehrmacht. We leave the 812th - General Savitskiy's "Dragons on Bird Wings" - as it regroups and prepares for the great drive through Europe where it will end the war in Berlin itself. This is the one of the first primary source derived, and by some accounts foremost, English-language histories of an operational regiment-sized VVS (Soviet Air Force) unit during the Great Patriotic War. Foreward by Von Hardesty. Expert translation from an original Russian manuscript by James Gebhardt in consultation with Dr. Ilya Grinberg. Useful appendices and comprehensively indexed.

For more information, or to place an order, please click here.

CAHS Convention 2017

The call for presentations will be posted soon. For sponsorship opportunities and more information, please check our webpage at www.cahs.ca.

Time to renew your membership!

This is the time of year to renew your CAHS membership, or buy a membership as a gift for a friend or family member. We welcome all renewing members and new individual members who comprise our CAHS family. Welcome also are new and renewing Museum Members who support our organization. Keep in mind our June 2017 convention in London, Ontario, especially if you have never attended one before. It is always informative, stimulating and a chance to meet with fellow members from across Canada. Mark your calendars now! We hope 2017 will see new members and museums join our ranks.

Our CAHS Journal, included with your membership, remains Canada's premier publication of Canadian aviation history. Our online newsletter provides a means of sharing information from your CAHS chapters and museums. Your contributions of news, articles and photographs are always welcome. Let’s keep in touch!

A new home for the Edmunston Lancaster

Plans to re-locate RCAF Lancaster KB882 from Edmunston NB to the Alberta Aviation Museum in Edmonton have collapsed. Had the relocation and restoration occurred as originally planned, Alberta would have had a Lancaster bomber at aviation museums in Edmonton, Calgary and Nanton. (Photo via internet)

Good news is that the Lancaster has found a new home where it will be saved and restored. It will now be moved to the National Air Force Museum of Canada at Trenton, Ontario. There it will be company for the restored Halifax bomber that is the showpiece of the museum. Shown below in a photo from the Trenton museum web site is the restored Halifax. To learn more, click here.

First Female Captain Honoured Again

Story and photos by John Chalmers
CAHS Membership Secretary

On November 5 at the Alberta Aviation Museum in Edmonton, Rosella Bjornson was honoured as the first female airline captain in Canada. A large crowd at the event heard tributes from three levels of government and members of the aviation community. The City of Edmonton proclaimed the day as Rosella Bjornson Day. She was inducted as Member of Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame in 1997, and afterwards carried out work as a volunteer for the Hall for many years.

Wearing her captain's uniform, when Rosella was given the opportunity to respond to the tributes, she had her audience in her hands when she began with a perfect beginning to her enjoyable talk: "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking!"

Rosella still flies, in the Cessna 170 once owned by her father. She and her husband, Bill Pratt, also a retired airline captain, have five aircraft at their acreage near Edmonton, from where they can taxi to a landing strip. Of the five, in various conditions, only the 170 is operational. Their latest acquisition is a 1960 4-place Cessna 210. Rosella says, "The engine is rebuilt and we are restoring it from the propeller to the tailfeathers, to put in flying condition."

A month earlier, on October 1 at ceremonies held at Vaughan, Ontario, Rosella was honoured by receiving the Pioneer Award of the Elsie MacGill Northern Lights Awards. For information on all award recipients, click here. 

At the podium, city councillor Bev Esslinger reads a proclamation declaring the day as Rosella Bjornson Day. Rosella is seated at left, with Kendra Kincade, centre, an organizer of the event who served as M.C.

Responding to her tributes, Rosella recounted her career as a pilot, the only job she ever wanted. To see a story about Rosella by Neil Taylor, as well as other stories about accomplishments in aviation published for In Formation, from the Alberta Aviation Museum, click here.