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The increasing gravity of the European situation resulted in sharply increased appropriations and activity, and by 1937â€"38 approâ€" priations had risen to more than 11%% million dollars, New stations were constructed, more modern airâ€" craft were obtained, and in 1938 three Air Commands were set upâ€" Western, Eastern and Training. In 1938, too, the RCAF for the first In 1932 authorizations was given for formation of the: first three units of the Auxiliary Air Force, known initially as the Nonâ€"Permanâ€" ent Active Air Force, and squadâ€" rons were formed the next year in Toronto, Winnipeg, and Vancouver. Two more were formed in 1934, at Montreal, and in 1985 an additional two were added, at Hamilton and Regina. The depression had its effects, however, and in 1932 approximateâ€" ly oneâ€"fifth of the Air Force‘s perâ€" sonnel were released. Appropriaâ€" tions for 1932â€"33 dropped by mote than 2 million dollars, and the next year were still further cut down to 1% million. This was the low point of the RCAF. Appropriations gradually increased, however, and the Service was relieved of many civil commitments, and allowed to concentrate *« more upon straight service training and operations. _~ From 1924 to 1931 activities inâ€" creased. New bases were estabâ€" lished, and military training grew in scope, as did operations of a civil nature, Experimental air mail runs were flown, and new types of aircraft were obtained, replacing the wartime planes with which the Force has been originally equipped by the British government. Total strength rose from 323 to 906, and appropriations from 1% million dollars to nearly 7% million. 7 The infant force grew slowly but steadily, and in addition to normal training, was given numâ€" erous civil flying commitments previously carried out by the Air Board. These included photoâ€" graphic survey work, preventive patrols for suppression of smuggâ€" ling, trc. .ty money flights, fisheries patrols, and forest fire patrols. Masseyâ€"Harris Farm Implements In all, in the First World War, about 22,000 Canadians served in the RFC, RNAS, and BAF and 1568 gave their lives. Over 800 were decorated, three receiving the Victoria Cross. Canadian Air Force, consisting of mn. e J wing and two con training overâ€" seas until February, 1920,. Meanâ€" while, in the summer of 1918, the Candiian government had formed a Royal Canadian Naval Air Serâ€" vice, in Canada for antiâ€"submarine work, Its personnel were still under training when the war ended,. and the RCNAS was disbanded,> LY. 8044 SALES SERVICE PARTS a‘s Junior WESTON ROOFING MATERIALS LIMTED BSouth Station St. | W ZONE 4â€"577 DODGE DESOTO DEALER LA WRENCE and MAIN JACK ALLAN . J. BARTER CONSLDER TIMBERIBâ€"the glued laminated arched rafter, especially designed to simplify the construction of your sheds and barns. Whether you want a lowâ€"cost machine shed or an elaborate twoâ€"story barn, the apgwer is Timberib Reftersâ€"manufactured from durable West Coast woods Readyâ€"cut for the job. Rdaptabiere any reet oo to any covering. Good nailing surface. Avsilable in clest spans of 12‘ to 60. per :qu.}i foot of floor area and per cuble foot of storage space of any type of récognized construction. Timberibs give you the lowest cost | Meanwhile, the BCATP began operating in Canada in April, 1940, and following the fall of France, training went into high gear, The first graduates of the BCATP took their place beside the veterans in 1941, and the initial trickle of RCAF men to the United Kingdom soon became a substantial and inâ€" creasing flow. Canadian Fighter, Bomber, and Coastal Command | First RCAF member to take the ‘air against the enemy was S/L W. I. Clements, who flew a Blenheim [on a reconnoissance trip from France over Germany on Sept, 29, ‘1935., S/L Clements was at the time attached to a RAF squadron, having been in the United Kingâ€" dom on duty when war broke out. | _ At outbreak of the war it was ’reaiized that majority of the perâ€" ‘maneht RCAF were needed for instructional work in the proposed British Commonwealth Air Trainâ€" ing Plan. However, one Army coâ€" operation Squadron No. 110 (City of Toronto) Squadron, arrived in iEngland on February 25, 1940, ;under command of S/L W. D. Van Vliet, Four months later two more squadrons arrived in the United Kingdom, No. 1 Canadian Fighter Squadron and No, 112 »(City of Winnipeg) Squadron, No. 1 Squadâ€" ron, which arrived with its own Hurricanes, took part in the Battle of Britain, under S/L E. A. McNab. No one could, in 1939, forecast the tremendous contribution to the Allied cause that Canada was to make in the air. Canada‘s air force had been small, ang it had been concerned greatly with operations of a civil nature, immensely valuâ€" able to developments of Canada, ‘but of secondary importance from ‘a strictly militery point of view. The RCAF, at outbreak of war, was a force that merited scant aiâ€" tention from world strategists, Few could have forseen that by. Januâ€" ary, 1944, it would be 215,000 strong, and a major factor in the aerial war against the enemy. On September 1, 1939, the RCAF was placed on active service, on which it remained until October, 1947. Outbreak of war found the RCAF with 4000 officérs and men, and with 10 squadrons, although some were in process of formation, Another 12, some aiso in formation, were listed in the Auxiliary Air Force. a ltime became an independant Berâ€" vice directly under the Minister, with its own Chief of Air Staff. Previously, the Service had been under the Army Chief of General Staff. Weston ZONE 4â€"525 __Planners for the pescetime RCAF realized the impossibility of Canada maintaining an Air Force approachâ€" terceptor Wing, (two squadrons), one Communication Squadron, one Air Observation Post Squadron, in addition to special flights at variâ€" ous points. Mont of these units are already in operation. _ % Operational flying units already formed or planned for the near futâ€" ure include one Maritime Squadron, two Transport Squadrons, one inâ€" is not linked to the previously announced ‘ maximum, _ Présent strength is over 14,000. The peacetime organization of the RCAF as originally announced, called for 16,100 officers and men, and authorization was provided for 1npproximatnly 2,000 more required ‘to look affer extraneous commitâ€" ments, considered to involve duties over and above normal military resâ€" ponsibilities, These include operaâ€" tion of an extensive Search and Rescue organization, and performâ€" ance of certain of the photo survey operations â€" being _ carried _ out. Establishment ceilings for personâ€" nel now have been lifted, however, and present recruiting (Feb., 1949), | _ More than 8,600 decorations and |medals were awarded to RCAF members in the Second World War, and two members won the Victoria |Cross, Flight Lieutenant David [Hornefl and Pilot Officer Andrew ‘Mynarski. Each gave his life in the action that won him the award. ‘Four other members of the Force jwon the coveted George Cross, The war‘s end found the RCAF faced with the many problems surâ€" rounding â€" repatriation â€" and â€" deâ€" mobilization, together with the task of organizing & permanent peaceâ€" time Air Force for Canada, necesâ€" sarily much smaller than during ‘wartime. The 25th anniversary of the RCAF finds it approaching the final stages of a postâ€"war proâ€" gramme of building its trained manpower, its aircraft, and its equipment up to the organization planned as a peacetime force. | _ Canada‘s contribution through the famed BCATP must be regardâ€" ‘ed as a major factor in itself. Organized and operated by the ‘RCAF, the training plan produced more than 131,000 trained air crew for the air forces of the Commonâ€" wealth, over half of them Canaâ€" dian. It terminated March 31, 1945. Canada‘s women took their place ‘beside their men, and the RCAF Women‘s Division has a proud reâ€" cord. The first of the women‘s branches of the three Canadian Armed Forces, it was created July 2, 1941, and it was the last of the three to disband, on Dec. 31, 1946. Its members served with distincâ€" tion at home and overseas, In addition, RCAF personnel were flying with almost every RAF |squadron. In the defence of Malta, RCAF fighter pilot strength never fell below 25 per cent of the total number of pilots, Canadians flew in Russia in 1941, and with the Desert Air Force from the Nile to the Po. They brought Allied agents into the heart of enemy territory, and flew supplies to the relief of Warsaw. They dropped bombs on the Tirpitz and flew with Gibson on the Mohne dam‘ attack. They fought over the jungles of Burma and the mountains of Greece, Canâ€" ada may have gone into the war with pinfeathers, but before it was over her wings covered: the globe. ’ Canadian Coastal Command squadrons were continually harassâ€" ‘ing enemy shipping in the North Sea as well as flying out of bases in Canada, Newfoundland, Iceland, and Northern Ireland, on convoy patrols and antiâ€"submarine activiâ€" ties. Other coastal squadrons operated over the Bay of Biscay, and the far reaches of the Indian Ocean. _ The Canadian fighter sqadrons, that fought so magnificently over Dieppe, helped form the spearhead for the invasion by the Allies. They were merged into Allâ€"Canadian wings, and rolled up a terriffic record. squadrons were organized that same year, to fly, alongside the RAF against the enémy. Canadian squadrons in Bomber Command inâ€" creased in number wntil, in Januâ€" ary, 1943, a completely Canadian Group, organized, commanded and staffed by members of the RCAF, took its place against the enemy. ’ln the first year of its operation 6 Group, as it was called, dropped i13,000 tons of bombs on enemy tarâ€" gets. During 1944 it increased the tonnage dropped to over 85,000. In fact, in that yéar the Canadian Bomber Group was more powerful than the entire bomber forces of the British Empire had been in 1941, and was capable of indeâ€" pendent operations. on the ground, where the staunchâ€" hearted men and women laboured to keep the planes up, and maintain the war in the skies, Today it flies over Canada, from the southern border to the Far Arctic, as Canada \«rflu on in the skies, building a new Air Force, with new concepts and new planes, drawing the veil the Battle of Britain, and in the Wellingtons and Hampdens with which the RCAF began its offenâ€" sive bombing operations against the enemy. It flew in the Lancasters and Halifaxes as Canada‘s aerial offensive grew in weight, It flew in all aircraft wherever men of the RCAF flew . against the enemy, And i_t burned as brightly }in the 20‘s and early 30‘s, and in Avro biplane trainers of the same period. It flew in the Hurticanes over Lo..don in the frantic days of a triâ€"Service basis, with increased efficiency and economy. The Service has changed greatly in many ways since its birth 25 years ago, Its present size would have been considered mammoth beâ€" fore the last war, and.the flimsy aircraft that its pilots flew in the early days would amaze today‘s airmen. The Service never stands still, it is always reaching for perâ€" fection, But the fine spirit that was the keynote of the RGAF in thosé early days, born even before the RCAF as such existed, over the fields of France, remains unâ€" changed. It flew in the photo Vedettes ovér the muskeg country in a closer liaison with the Air Force‘s sister Services, and with the perf9r_mance of many functions on ’ Since 1940 the RCAF had opâ€" erated under a separate Minister, and in the latter part of 1946 the Service was merged with Navy and Army under a single Minister of National Defence. This has resulted Efficiency has ’en the keynote in building the postâ€"war Force, but special attention has been given to making the Service one offering a sound career and a normal life to its members. Career planning proâ€" vides opportunity for airmen to ‘nchieve commissioned rank, a scheme that is working well. Proâ€" visfbn of suitable married quarters for Servicemen and their families has been pushed hard, and the end of 1948 saw 1,833 such quarters in being, with 800 additional ones under costruction, and many more being planned. An extensive postâ€"war Search ‘and Rescue organization has saved numerous lives since the war and has carried out hazardous operaâ€" tions into the Far Arctic that have brought world wide attention. Equipped with vastly superior aircraft, and working on a greatly expanded programme, the photo survey squadrons have carried on the aerial‘ photo work begunâ€"in 1921, All records for coverage were smashed in 1948, when more than 911,000 square miles were photographed in a single season. _ New aircraft include the Vampire jet fighter, the fourâ€"engine Canadiâ€" ‘nnâ€"bui]t North Star transport, and the Sikorsky Sâ€"51 helicopter, which has already won its spurs in Search and Rscue work, At present, (Febâ€" ruary 1949) negotiations are under way for procurement of the Ameriâ€" can Fâ€"86 jet fighter, holder of the world speed record. Work on an allâ€"Canadian, twoâ€"seater long range jet fighter is progressing well. Postâ€"war recruits, fresh from civilian life have been flowing from Service training schools, providing new blood for both aircrew and groundcrew trades, and the general training programme is still expandâ€" ing. Latest major training estabâ€" lishment opened in the Operational Training Unit at St. Hubert, near Montreal, to provide operational inâ€" struction for pilots of the two interâ€" ceptor squadrons of the Regular Force, An important factor in this posâ€" sible expansion is the Auxiliary Air Force, which stands as a firstâ€"line reâ€"inforcement for the Regular Force in event of war, and which played such a great part in the expansion of the Regular Force in the last war, Ten squadrons now are in existence, located at Montreal ‘(2), Toronto, Hamilton, London, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver, Recently commenced was a programme for traitiing of radar and signals exâ€" berts on a basis similar to the Auxiliary flying squadrons. ing in size that of the wartime years. The present RCAF, thereâ€" fore, is designed to serve as a relatively small but highly trained nucleus, capable of providing imâ€" mediate interceptor defence, and able to expand rapidly in event of emergency, to carry out general air operations on a large scale. from our great lands in the north, ’Aiding ii. making Canada a mightier mation, working for Canada‘s secâ€" urity, _ $ The history of the RCAF might be contained in a single sentence: ' _(MARCH 31 â€" APRIL 7) Thu. 6.45 p.m.â€"4th Cubsâ€"St, John‘s Church. 7.30 p.m.~â€"Chessâ€"Town Hall, Fri. 2.00 p.m.â€"Leathercraftâ€"Legion Rooms. 7.00 p.m.â€"Badmintonâ€"RCSC Illustrious. 7.30 p.m.â€"Jr. Chessâ€"Senior School. . Mon. 6.30 p.m.â€"54th Browniesâ€"St..John‘s Church, 7.00 p.m.â€"106th Guidesâ€"King Street School. 7.30 p.m.â€"Badmintonâ€"Humber Hts. School. 8.00 p.m.â€"Drama Guildâ€"Town Hall, Tues. 2.00 p.m.â€"Leathercraftâ€"Legion Rooms.: 6.30 p.m.â€"106th Browniesâ€"Westminster Church. 6.45 p.m.â€"54th Guidesâ€"St. John‘s Church. 7.30 p.m.â€"Girls Nautical Trg, Associationâ€"Senfor School. 8.00 p.m.â€"Orchestra Rehearsalâ€"King Street School. Wed. 7.00 p.m.â€"Globe Cycle Clubâ€"Town Hall. 7.00 p.m.â€"Badmintonâ€"RCSC Illustrious. . 7.15 p.m.â€"4th Scoutsâ€"St, John‘s Church. . Thu. 6.45 p.m.â€"4th Cubsâ€"St. John‘s Church. s 7.30 p.m.â€"Chessâ€"Town Hall, 7.30 p.m.â€"Camera Clubâ€"King Street School (Final Mtg.) Coming Events: 4 April 8, 9, 10â€"Ontario Recreation Conference, Kitchener. Aprilâ€"Model Aircraft Meet. ZONE 4â€"328 LORNE and LORRAINE Wool Beehive â€" We are retailers for the Gordon McKay Comp any, Ltd., whose lines of clothing are famous for their quality. g Tlids Xveek we are featuring "Cherub" Sweaters, Socks, Underwear and Pajamas â€" Made in ngland, .. ' TOT TO TEEN SHOP THIS WEEK Kroy â€" So much in so short a time. Its history, stretching over 25 brief years, is part of Canada‘s history, and forms a big part of Canada‘s proud, heritage. store. We will keep a complete record for you. There is no charge for this service. all purchases when paid for with a Children‘s Allowance Cheque! Keep a close check on your baby‘s healith ; h'ave your baby regularly and accurately weighed at our Buy British and Help Increase England‘s Exports APRIL 1st & 2nd Special Friday & Saturday 104 MAIN STREET, NORTH (Next To Weston Theatre) Zone 4 â€" 328 10% OFF 10% Nylon, unshrinkable, in popular colors. Regular 406 BaH._SDBCINLE mss :00 un0mmmeimmsmmimeemesntrrrmmn fovattmenmnrmmenmens In baby colors. Regular 48¢ ball. Special.. "Outgrown Before Outworn" Owned and Operated by the beauty rlor? What was wrong ? Conkfi:'z you get waited The best way to ruin your wife‘s evening when she‘s all prettied up is to say: "I thought you went to the beauty parlor? What was 2841 Dundas St. W. JV. 2653 Junction Automatic Laundry Our Specialty â€" â€" â€" CcCOMPLETELY FINISHED LAUNDRY SERVICE Shirtsâ€"16¢ Each NINE POUNDS FOR 35 CENTS Your Weekly Wash FORTY MINUTES Wool * *Roo Smail" * We supply the material and install your job complete, ZONE 4â€"404 WESTON 994w3 l SWIRLA BROS. GENUINE _ GLAZED AND CERAMIC TILE MASTIC TILE â€" RUBBER TILE FOR EVERY PURPOSE SPECIAL SPECIAL a0