HISTORY OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE — BIG SIZE
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Characteristics
| ISBN-10 | 0-85368-649-1 |
| Book cover finish(es) | Hardcover ( square back binding ) — Dust jacket |
| Condition | Like NEW |
| Author(s) | Christopher Shores |
| Publisher | Bison Books Corp. |
| Number of pages | 128 |
| Published date | 1984 |
| Language(s) | English |
| Size | 24 x 31 x 1.5 cm |
| Categorie(s) | • AVIATION MILITAIRE • BASES AÉRIENNES - ESCADRILLES • PREMIÈRE GUERRE MONDIALE • SECONDE GUERRE MONDIALE |
Description
The first Canadian military airmen took to the skies in World War I, flying for the Royal Naval Air Service, the Royal Flying Corps and later the Royal Air Force. No fewer than 152 Canadian pilots became “aces” (with five or more victories), and three VCs and more than 200 DFCs were won.
The first Canadian Air Force unit was formed by the renumbering of 81 Squadron RAF into 1 Squadron in November 1918 — just too late to see service in the Great War. Among the Canadian flyers were some of the greatest aces, including Major W. A. “Billy” Bishop VC, DSO, MC, DFC, whose 72 victories made him the third-highest scorer of the war, and Major Raymond Collishaw DSO, DFC, who scored 62 victories to gain equal fifth place.
The postwar period saw the disbandment of the Canadian Air Force, followed by the establishment of the Royal Canadian Air Force on 1 April 1924. The new service continued in fairly modest fashion until an increase in defence expenditure followed the Munich Crisis of 1938.
At the outbreak of World War II, the RCAF had 19 squadrons, some of them without aircraft and the majority equipped with obsolescent types. Only 1 (Fighter) Squadron was equipped with Hawker Hurricanes. However, the situation was soon to change. The wide open spaces of Canada provided a peaceful location for the training of aircrew, and by April 1945 some 131,553 airmen — 80 per cent of them Canadians — had been trained.
At home, RCAF B-24 Liberators and PBY Catalina flying boats waged war against the U-boats that threatened the Atlantic convoys, while other aircraft types provided home air defence. The first RCAF unit to reach Europe was 110 Squadron, which fought with gallantry in the Battle of Britain.
The year 1941 saw a steady influx of RCAF bomber and fighter crews into the United Kingdom as the training scheme began to produce graduates in increasing numbers. During World War II, RCAF bombers flew more than 40,000 sorties over Nazi-occupied Europe and Germany. Aircraft and aircrew also served in North Africa, Italy and the Far East.
In the post-1945 period, the RCAF, like all other air forces, contracted to a fraction of its wartime size. However, the Air Force soon began to take delivery of new jet aircraft such as the F-86 Sabre, and Canadian pilots fought with the UN forces in Korea with considerable success.
The RCAF also served with NATO forces in Europe and played a major role in North American air defence and maritime aviation. In 1960 the RCAF began to acquire CF-101 Voodoo and CF-104 Starfighter aircraft, which served as frontline fighters until 1982, when the first CF-18 Hornets were delivered. In 1968, all three branches of Canada’s armed forces were amalgamated into the Canadian Armed Forces, but the worthy traditions of the Royal Canadian Air Force continue to this day.
This book tells the proud history of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Black-and-white and colour photographs show the aircraft and airmen, making this a welcome addition to the bookshelves of any Canadian aviation enthusiast.
