St. Thomas in Elgin County, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
RCAF Technical Training School
⎯⎯⎯
L’École de Formation de L’Aviation Royale du Canada
Photographed by Tim Boyd, August 23, 2024
1. RCAF Technical Training School Marker
RCAF Technical Training School
The only facility of its kind in Ontario during the Second World War, No. 1 Technical Training School, St. Thomas, was established by the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1939 to produce skilled ground crews for active wartime service. It was housed here in this hospital complex and was operated in compliance with Canada's commitment to establish air training facilities in sites removed from the theatre of war. Equipped to handle more than 2,000 students at a time, the school offered six-month courses for aircraft electricians and aero-engine, airframe and instrument mechanics in addition to specialized training for fabric and sheet metal workers. When the war ended in 1945 the school was closed and the complex was returned to the Ontario Department of Health.
Erected by the Ontario Heritage Foundation, Ministry
of Culture and Communications
Seul établissement du genre en Ontario durant la Seconde guerre mondiale, l'Ecole de formation technique no 1, à St Thomas, est créée en 1939 par l'Aviation royale du Canada afin de former du personnel de piste compétent pour la guerre. L’école occupe cet actuel complexe hospitalier: elle remplit l'engagement du Canada de créer des centres d'entraînement aérien loin des hostilités. Apte à recevoir plus de 2000 élèves à la fois, lécole offre des cours d'un semestre aux électriciens davions ainsi qu'aux mécaniciens de moteurs, de cellules et d'instruments, et aussi une formation spécialisée aux entoileurs et aux tôliers. La fin de la guerre, en 1945, marque la fermeture de l'école; le ministère de la Santé de l’Ontario reprend alors les bâtiments.
Érigée par la Fondation du patrimoine ontarien,
Ministère de la Culture et des Communications
Erected by Ontario
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Education • War, World II. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Ontario Heritage Trust series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1939.
Location. 42° 44.345′ N, 81° 11.519′ W. Marker is in St. Thomas, Ontario, in Elgin County. It is on Sunset Drive (County Road 4) 0.4 kilometers north of John Wise Line, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 450 County Road 4, St Thomas ON N5R 5X7, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Southwest Ontario Area and in Southwestern Ontario. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Rupert’s Land.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Elgin County Courthouse / Palais de Justice Elgin County
Photographed by Tim Boyd, August 23, 2024
2. RCAF Technical Training School / L’École de Formation de L’Aviation Royale du Canada Marker
Also see . . . No. 1 Technical Training School, St. Thomas (elgincounty.ca).
At the beginning of the war, the R.C.A.F. had fewer than 1500 fully trained tradesmen and facilities were needed to train the large numbers of recruits. The No.1 Technical Training School in St. Thomas, Ontario was established in 1939 and was the only facility of its kind in Ontario during the war. It became the(Submitted on August 27, 2024, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario.)main source of ground crew, some fifty thousand in all, who were trained for active wartime service.Photographed by Tim Boyd, August 23, 20243. RCAF Technical Training School / L’École de Formation de L’Aviation Royale du Canada Marker
Photographed by Tim Boyd, August 23, 2024
4. Former RCAF Technical Training School main building
ca 1940
5. RCAF Technical Training School Administration Building, 1940
Source: Elgin County Archives (public domain)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 27, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 27, 2024, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 464 times since then and 73 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 27, 2024, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
