Canada in WWII: "Aerodrome of Democracy"

One cluster of airplanes stands out boldly from all the others in the museum collection. Their bright-yellow colour identifies these machines as training aircraft used in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP).

The plan produced airfields all across Canada and helped create a modern, mass-production aircraft industry in this country. All BCATP trainers in the museum - the Harvard, the Anson, the Tiger Moth, and the Finch - were built in Canada.

As in World War I, however, Canada entered World War II ill prepared to fight an air war. The RCAF had only 270 aircraft on hand, almost all of them outdated. Nevertheless, Canadians responded to the challenge with overwhelming generosity. By the end of the war, Canada had produced over 16,000 operational and training aircraft.

The huge Lancaster bomber is particularly significant to Canadians. It is the most successful heavy night bomber of World War II. The "Lanc" Mk X is one of about 400 built in Canada and ferried to Bomber Command in Britain. After checking out an early Canadian-built Mk X, one British inspector told his staff to look it over if they wanted to see how an aircraft should be built.

Lancasters carried the heaviest bomb loads of the war, including the Grand Slam, also known as Ten-Ton Tessie. Lancasters were flown by the dam-busters in their famous 1943 raid on the Ruhr Valley; of the 133 dam-busters 29 were Canadians. Their story is told in a British movie of the same name.

In the peace and quiet of the museum, the Lancaster looks almost invincible. But night fighters and anti-aircraft fire took a deadly toll, especially when bombers flew their own route to target before the development of bomber streams when up to 1,000 aircraft flew in organized formations.

But Lancasters could take incredible punishment. Many made it back to base riddled with bullets, with gaping holes in their sides and even parts of their wing and tail sections missing.

The Hawker Hurricane was without a doubt the most important aircraft in the Battle of Britain of 1940. Since the war the Spitfire's glory has overshadowed the vital role of the Hurricane in this great strategic air battle; 85 % of the victories where accredited to the Hurricane.

There were far more Hurricanes than Spitfires. Both powered by Merlin engines, the Hurricane was simpler to build, could take more punishment and be repaired more quickly -- of vital importance in the three-and-a-half-month battle when the Royal Air Force would lose 915 aircraft.

Day and night the Luftwaffe attacked following Hitler's instructions to "with all the means in their power and as quickly as possible destroy the English air force." The life expectancy of a British fighter pilot during the Battle in terms of flying time was 87 hours. Exhausted men flew sortie after sortie.

1,400 Hurricanes were built in Canada under the direction of Canadian Car and Foundry's chief engineer Elsie McGill. Seven RCAF squadrons flew Hurricanes beginning in that crucial July of 1940.