Early in the war the government in consultation with our Allies established the Commonwealth Air Training Program designed to train aspiring air crews for service in the European war. Scores of young “ groovy” guys descended on southern Alberta and the training establishments near Calgary and Medicine Hat. We got used to the sound of airplanes overhead. The locals in the small towns put on dances and parties to welcome and entertain the visitors.
The local girls were in heaven and had their feet danced off by all the whoop de dos and encounters with these young guys far from home. Rumours of some results of these get togethers circulated when suddenly a farmers daughter went to “visit” auntie in Ontario etc for awhile.
We had a steady stream of these visitors to the farm as a diversion where they were given a meal and a tour. The fresh eggs and butter were a big hit. One interesting guy was a Brit, a squadron leader in the Royal Airforce recently in the Battle of Britain sent to teach air combat tactics. He was a cultured gentleman with a chest full of combat medals. He was keenly interested in the crop growing and admitted that he dreamed of having a farm after the war. I don’t know if he survived when he returned to active duty in Britain.
A close neighbour had two pretty daughters who attracted a lot of attention. Often their farm was “buzzed” by a training plane in transit from training maneuvers and their return to base. In the fall of 1942 an Oxford bomber with a crew of three young Brits flying low over the farm crashed into the field right in front of their farm house. Brother Don was working in our adjacent field and was first on the scene. The plane had ploughed a deep trench in the soft turf and pretty well disintegrated. Remarkably there was no fire. Don could see the two pilots strapped in their seats obviously dead. He got on the farm phone and reported the situation. There was a flurry of military activity and the area blocked off. The third crew member was eventually found under a detached engine.
We youngsters were kept well away. Later, after the wreckage was removed we would go and dig at the crash site to find interesting bits. I found a bent instrument gage marked “boost pres” which I was told it was an indicator of the lifting capability of the plane in flight, something to do with air pressure.
We were all very sad. It brought the real meaning of the war closer. Apparently there were a large number of trainees killed in accidents.