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Royal Canadian Naval Air Service (RCNAS)
Collection · 1915-1920
The Documents within the RCNAS Collection have been produced by various authors, who were primarily responsible for the development and creation of the Naval Air Stations; notably, Prime Minister Borden, C.C. Ballantyne, Director, Dept. of Naval Service, and G.J. Desbarats, Deputy Minister, Dept. of Naval Service. These documents are primarily in the form of official correspondence, Telegrams and Cablegrams, which highlight the urgency to protect the Atlantic Coastline following attacks from German U-boats, such as the Dornfontaine schooner, off the coast of St. John, in July, 1918. The documents highlight the partnership which was formed between the U.S. Navy and the Canadian government, in which the US agreed to loan planes and servicemen to the Naval Air Stations, to aid with coastal surveillance. Also present in the correspondence is the role played by the Royal Air Force (R.A.F) in the loan of its Officers and Cadets. The collection follows the creation, running of and subsequent dismantling of the Naval Air Stations in Eastern Passage and Cape Breton. It also gives an overview of aircraft maintenance and patrol in Wartime and Post-War. Details of flights are included within Maintenance Reports, Flight Reports and various other correspondence. The challenges of installing, constructing, and maintaining infrastructure such as power and phone lines in somewhat remote areas in 1918 are prevalent throughout. Following Armistice, the material relates to the shift in the Air Station’s role from enemy surveillance to forest fire prevention. Prevalent names included in correspondence include Ellwood Wilson, President of Laurentide Company Ltd,. in conjunction with the Canadian government, and the St. Maurice Forest Protection Association Ltd. Flight log entries from Lieut. Stuart Graham along with letter communication between Maj. C. MacLaurin, The Department of Marine and Fisheries, and The Department of the Interior, all serve to highlight the burgeoning technology of aerial topography and cartography, as well as aerial surveillance utilized as a means of forest fire prevention.
Baker Point Collection 1917-1924
Collection · 1917
Comprised of textual material including DHH government documents (ca. 2004); documents discovered within the museum files which comprised of reports, memos and letters, articles, journal entries, speeches and presentations; personal letters; research email inquiries; Curtiss Flying Boat plans and Curtis Flying Boat Handbook; photographs. In 2023, textual materials were discovered within the vertical files of the Museum pertaining to Baker Point, the RCNAS, and the Naval Air Station. They included 8 x 14 government-generated─some original copies─reports, research papers, and correspondence. A selection of documents was created between 1950-late 1960s, by The Air Historians E.C. Russell and J.D.F. Kealy, Directorate of History, Ottawa, to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Powered Flight in Canada, 1958-1967. Russell and Kealy also conducted oral histories with personnel of the RCNAS and Baker Point Naval Air Station, and notes from these interviews are included in the collection. The collection also includes original newspaper clippings and chapters from research material on Baker Point, 1918. Also carried over from the vertical file are varied types of correspondence between family of the late Admiral Byrd and 12 Wing Shearwater Public Affairs officers, which pertain to invitations and scheduled appearances at events commemorating their father’s time at Baker Point. Two pieces of correspondence from the University of Ohio State Archives related to Admiral Byrd were also discovered in the vertical files, which led to further documents being provided from the Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd Papers (Ohio State University Archives, SPEC.PA.56.0001) including copies of government memos and correspondence, as well as personal correspondence between Lieut. Byrd and his wife, Marie Ames Byrd─written during his command post at Baker Point NAS, in 1918. Other correspondence includes letters regarding Lieut.-Cmdr. Byrd’s exemplary work, written by his commanding officers. Other textual materials were created by Historians of the Shearwater Aviation Museum, including Col. John Orr (Ret’d), Col. Ernest Cable (Ret’d), Col. John Boileau (Ret’d), and the late professor and Historian, Peter Lawson. The documents include research notes and inquiries via emails, published and unpublished articles, and public presentations on Baker Point Naval Air Station.Additional textual materials include NAS administrative papers created by air station personnel such as weekly summaries, reports, and logbook entries. These documents highlight the challenges of managing supplies and deliveries during wartime, maintaining the Flying Boats, and performing aerial patrols despite dangerous weather, and an outbreak of Spanish Influenza. There are also drawn plans of the Curtiss HS-2L and HS-4L Flying Boats, maps, charts, and land surveys of the base and surrounding areas for the purpose of land expropriation.
Diary of Rodrick Orrison Cutler Volume II
Item · 1918-01-16 - 1919-07-15
Roderick Orrison Cutler was born on September 18, 1895, in Burnaby, British Columbia. In December 1916, he joined the military as a Signal Corporal for the 81st Regiment, B.C. Horse. He sailed from Halifax aboard the SS Olymus on April 29, 1917. He was promoted to Sergeant in February 1916. Later, he served as a Gunner for the 68th Battery, Canadian Field Artillery in September 1916. In November 1916, he served in the Signal Company, Canadian Engineers, as a Sapper and was promoted to Corporal in December the same year, and to Sergeant in March 1917. In April 1917, he was sent to England and then to France in July 1917 to serve in the Canadian Corps Signal Company as a Sapper. In January 1918, he joined the Royal Naval Air Service as a Probationary Flight Officer. Unfortunately, he crashed during a flight in Lee-on-Solent on August 22, 1918. He was promoted to Second Lieutenant in October 1918 and joined the 219th Squadron in Yarmouth in November 1918. In January 1919, he joined the 229th Squadron in Westgate-on-Sea. He was discharged from service in Canada in July 1919. Cutler returned to Canada aboard the SS Magentic sailing from Liverpool on June 29, 1919. After his return, Cutler finished his degree at the newly formed University of British Columbia with a degree in Applied Science. He then became a Mechanical Engineer and married Ruby Luella Greggs on April 9, 1920. In Cutler's journal, you can see that he received correspondence from Luella on a regular basis. We know that 2Lt. Cutler was in Skeena, British Columbia in 1931 with his wife and two children. Mr. Cutler passed away in Vancouver, British Columbia on November 25, 1969.This volume details Cutler’s enlistment in the RNAS, which was the Air branch of the Royal Navy until April 1918, when it was merged with the British Royal Flying Corps and created the Royal Air Force. The volume focuses on his daily routine between 1918 and 1919, with entries describing the lectures, tests and drills which were part of his training, flight and weapons training, flying operations and drills, and weather conditions (sporadic). SAM.2005.120.1
Geoff D. Pilborough fonds
Fonds · 1935-1996
Fonds consists of correspondence, photographs, and some published material. The fonds contains records relating to the Royal Canadian Air Force Marine Squadrons which include five files: the George Irwin photo albums, John "Red" N. Dyment correspondence, Canadian Marine Squadrons notes and articles, Canadian Marine Squadrons photographs, and Thomas H. Smith records.
Jane Coffen Fonds
Fonds · 1938-2019
Fonds consists of textual materials and photographs. The photographs are from the 1930's to 1950's and the subject is primarily family, pets, Shearwater air base and mess hall. Textual materials consist of a journal from 1940 when Jane lived in Paris and went through the start of WWII. 201900450001
Midshipman Journal of Robert Clifford Willis RCN
Item · 1939-12-01 - 1941-03-01
Midshipman Robert Clifford Willis was a Royal Canadian Navy officer, As a Midshipman he was holding the most junior rank of a naval officer, an officer by courtesy but not yet commissioned. His logbook contains a handwritten account and pictures of the battle of the Mediterranean, including the sinking of the Italian battleship, the Bartolomeo Colleoni.During the Battle of Calabria, Midshipman Willis was on board the HMS Royal Sovereign. He also wrote in his Journal about the British Navy's attack on neutral French Navy ships stationed at the Mers El Kébir naval base near Oran, on the coast of French Algeria. The attack was part of Operation Catapult, a British plan to prevent neutral French ships from falling into German hands after the Allied defeat in the Battle of France. The British bombardment of the base resulted in the death of 1,297 French servicemen, the sinking of a battleship, and the damaging of five other ships. In contrast, the British suffered a loss of five aircraft and two crewmen. The Royal Navy carried out the attack by air and sea after France had signed armistices with Germany and Italy, which came into effect on 25 June.The British were particularly concerned about the five battleships of the Bretagne and Richelieu classes and the two fast battleships of the Dunkerque class, which were the second largest force of capital ships in Europe after the Royal Navy. The British War Cabinet was worried about these ships falling into Axis hands. Despite repeated assurances from Admiral François Darlan, the commander of the French Navy, that the fleet would remain under French control, even after the French armistices with Germany and Italy, Winston Churchill and the War Cabinet deemed the risk too great. Darlan refused British requests to place the fleet in British custody or move it to the French West Indies, out of German reach. Midshipman Willis was on board for HMS Royal Sovereign and HMS Malaya and was part of other Operations which he recorded in his Journal Midshipman Willis had a long career with the Royal Canadian Navy. Records show that he was a Paymaster Midshipman during World War II in 1940 and a Paymaster Lt. at Cornwallis in 1943/44. He was also found attending the University of Western Ontario in 1959 and was the Commander of the Naval Supply Depot in Halifax in 1965.
Royal Air Force Pilot’s Flying Logbook No 2. of Gibson, G.P W/CMDR
Item · 1940 - 1944
He began his career as a Naval Cadet in the Royal Canadian Navy. He served in Royal Roads (RCNC) as a Cadet Captain. He became a Midshipman RCN with seniority dated 05/07/1945. He underwent training with the Royal Navy in 1945. He was then appointed as an A/Sub-Lieutenant RCN with seniority dated 03/11/1947, and later as a Sub-Lieutenant RCN with the same seniority date. He was promoted to Lieutenant (P) RCN with seniority dated 20/05/1949. He also underwent training at H.M.S. Excellent for the RN Long Gunnery Course in 1954 and served in HMCS Shearwater for Gunnery Duties in 1956. He became a Lieutenant-Commander (P) (G) RCN with seniority dated 20/05/1957 and served in HMCS Bonaventure for VS-880 Squadron in 1959. He also served in HMCS Saskatchewan and HMCS Oriole, where he was in command from 1967-69. He was later released from service. The logbook contains information about the aircraft flown, operations and exercises carried out, flight duration, flight totals, certifications earned, bombing scores of damaged or destroyed targets, locational data, as well as details about the pilot, co-pilot, and passengers. It also includes a breakdown of the types of aircraft flown between 1939-42, distinguishing between bombers and fighters. Additionally, it provides records of flying assessments and yearly totals for 1941, along with an Aiming Point Photo taken during an attack on a V-1 flying bomb at Criel-Sur-Mer in France in July 1944. SAM.1998.15.1
Royal Air Force Pilot's Flying Log Book of Lt. Langman, Victor Michael
Item · 1940-1945
Lieutenant Langman was appointed as a Naval Airman 2/c RNVR on September 16th, 1940. He underwent training in H.M.S. St. Vincent for the #19 Pilot Course in 1940, followed by training in Collins Bay Aerodrome (Kingston ON) for the #31 Service Flying Training School in 1941. In 1942, he served in H.M.S. Grebe for 775 and 815 Squadrons. The following year, he served in H.M.S. Shah for 851 Squadron as Senior Pilot. He then served in H.M.S. Daedalus for 703 Squadron (Naval Air Sea Warfare Development Unit) as Senior Pilot in 1945.Victor Langman was inspired to fly airplanes himself when Alan Cobham brought his flying circus to Chingford and enjoyed a circuit.Langman was educated at Brighton College, where he enjoyed rugby and diving and volunteered for the Fleet Air Arm, joining HMS St Vincent as a Naval Airman 2nd Class in June 1940.Langman was a slow learner and it was 12 hours and 25 minutes before he was allowed his first solo flight in a Miles Magister.In the Spring of 1941 he undertook further training at Kingston, Ontario in the Fairey Battle.After courses and several sea passages, Langman flew as a passenger in a KLM Junkers 52 from Lagos to Cairo to join the Fleet Air Arm squadrons based at Dekheila, five miles west of Alexandria.At first Langman was disappointed to be appointed to 775 Naval Air Squadron employed on communications duties, but he quickly familiarised himself with the Middle East flying several aircraft types and experiencing a variety of emergencies. After flying with 815, Langman spent more time in the USA, learning fly the Grumman Avenger and joined 851 Naval Air Squadron flying from the escort carrier Shah in on operations in the Indian Ocean.Throughout Lieutenant Langman's career, he flew numerous aircraft including the Fairey Barracuda, Avro Anson, Miles M-14 Magister, Fairey Battle, Fairey Swordfish, Fairey Albacore, Junker, Short Stirling, Blackburn B-25 ROC, DE Havilland DH82B Queen Bee, Gloster Gladiator, Fairey Fulmar, and the TBM Turpon. During the first five years of his flying career, he served in multiple theaters of war, including Egypt and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). SAM.2019.0105.002
Observer’s and Air Gunners Flying Log Book of LAC Barclay W.H
Item · 1941
This item is a logbook which was owned by LAC Barclay, who was a wireless operator in the RACF. It contains the details of flights taken between March 1941 and July 1948. The details include whether the flight was a training exercise, operation, or other event; the name of the pilot; aircraft type; and amount of time flying. It is broken down by monthly increments and includes monthly totals for flight time (which is usually broken down between training and operational flights). A total list of operations is included, along with a list of observer units to the training and operations. SAM.2018.0036.005
RCAF Pilot’s Flying Logbook (volume 1) of Hennigar, Maurice F/Lt
Item · 1941 - 1945
This logbook is one of a set of two. It contains an insert that confirms the pilot's understanding of the oxygen equipment, an Air Navigator's Certificate Second class, and a summary of flying assessments for the years 1941 and 1942. The logbook provides details about the aircraft make and model, the hours flown by both pilots and passengers, certification notes, numerical format exercises, operations, bombings, locational data, ASR searches, and a reference to finding survivors of the San Ernesto tanker wreckage. It also includes records of escort operations, a breakdown of hours by location and squadron, and a record of service. SAM.1998.14.1