Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion www.ns.legion.ca 59 continued ... No.1 Initial Training School, Toronto, Ontario Before being taken over by the Air Force, No.1 Initial Training School had been the Eglinton Hunt Club. This is where our training began in earnest and we were continuously evaluated for potential aircrew duty. The training consisted of strict discipline, ground school class room subjects, and lots of drill. The strict discipline was applied to everything we did from wakeup time to bedtime. As soon as we were up, washed, shaved and dressed we made up our bunk beds as we had been instructed. Every piece of bedding and every piece of kit was laid out and exhibited for inspection. The pattern was compulsory and shown identically on every bed. Next we cleaned and polished the floor under and around our bunk area and waited for the daily inspection of our area, our personal dress, and dismissal allowing us to march to breakfast. After breakfast we marched to class rooms or to the parade square, always marching, arms swinging. It was here, at the Initial Training School, where some aircrew aspirants were “washed out in training”, and sent elsewhere to train for non aircrew duties. Those of us who had been successful were promoted to LeadingAircraftman rank (LAC) and given a “propeller” badge which we had sewn on the sleeves of our tunics. Our pay was increased to $2.00 a day. We were also given another Badge of Honour. This was a white insert which fitted into the front of our wedge caps denoting that we were aircrew trainees. My class was posted to guard duty at RCAF Station Trenton, Ontario. RCAF Station Trenton, Ontario Our guard duty consisted of patrolling specified beats (routes) mostly on the perimeters of the airbase. We were issued with rifles and one clip of ammunition. The guard duty shifts rotated between eight hours on and eight hours off, and twenty-four hours on and twenty-four hours off. It was now wintertime. Unfortunately, there was a shortage in the supply of winter clothing and we were subjected to extreme cold and the wind often blowing off the Bay of Quinte as some of our clothing was summer issue. To overcome the cold we would take advantage of the underground steam heating system which was connected to various buildings on the base. When guard beats came together we would plan our timing so as to meet a fellow guardsman. We would take turns climbing down and into the manholes, where pipes joined, to warm ourselves while the other would watch for the approach of a Senior Non Commissioned Officer out inspecting and making sure that we were properly carrying out our guard duty. Our accommodation while on patrol on the main base was the standard barrack room with bunk beds, adjacent communal showers and latrines. While on the twenty-four hour shifts we were transported to the maintenance side of the base. There was no barrack accommodation available there for us and we took cover and slept in empty aircraft crates. These were crates in which Fairey Battle aircraft had been shipped from England to Canada, each heated with a stove which we had to tend. It was not the best accommodation but it was temporary and we were able to keep warm. As a reward, when the beat was finished we were off duty for twenty-four hours. I learned some important things while at Trenton. Even though we knew that we would be split up and sent to different flying training schools when our guard duty came to an end, our group had formed a close comradeship. There is always an exception but most of us had respect and empathy for each other, even though perhaps, we didn’t understand the full meaning of empathy. Two happenings while I was at the base emphasize this. When a station parade was held and all duty personnel were formed up on the parade square and standing rigidly at attention, sometimes a lone airman would march out and take a reserved position. He would be saluted by the senior office in charge of the parade. continued ...
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