RCAF Station Claresholm
{{Short description|Former Royal Canadian Air Force station}}
{{Infobox military installation
| name = RCAF Station Claresholm
| ensign =
| native_name =
| partof =
| location = Claresholm, Alberta
| nearest_town =
| country = Canada
| image = RCAF Stn Claresholm Hangers 2 & 3 Aug 2006.jpg
| alt =
| caption = RCAF Station Claresholm hangars in 2006
| image2 =
| alt2 =
| caption2 =
| type =
| coordinates = {{coord|50|00|17|N|113|37|48|W|region:CA-AB_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| image_map =
| image_mapsize =
| image_map_alt =
| image_map_caption =
| pushpin_map = Canada Alberta
| pushpin_mapsize =
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Alberta
| pushpin_relief =
| pushpin_image =
| pushpin_label =
| pushpin_label_position =
| pushpin_mark =
| pushpin_marksize =
| ownership = Royal Canadian Air Force
| operator =
| controlledby =
| open_to_public =
| site_other_label =
| site_other =
| site_area =
| code =
| built = {{Start date|1941|06|09}}
| used = {{End date|1958}}
| builder =
| materials =
| height =
| length =
| fate = Became Claresholm Industrial Airport
| condition =
| battles =
| events =
| current_commander =
| past_commanders =
| garrison =
| occupants =
| website =
| footnotes =
Airfields
| IATA =
| ICAO =
| FAA =
| TC =
| LID =
| GPS =
| WMO =
| elevation = {{Convert|2950|ft|abbr=on}}
| r1-number = 2/20
| r1-length ={{Convert|3000|ft|abbr=on}}
| r1-surface =Hard Surface
| r2-number = 2/20
| r2-length ={{Convert|2970|ft|abbr=on}}
| r2-surface =Hard Surface
| r3-number = 16/34
| r3-length ={{Convert|2950|ft|abbr=on}}
| r3-surface =Hard Surface
| r4-number = 16/34
| r4-length ={{Convert|3270|ft|abbr=on}}
| r4-surface =Hard Surface
| r5-number = 11/29
| r5-length ={{Convert|3180|ft|abbr=on}}
| r5-surface =Hard Surface
| r6-number = 11/29
| r6-length ={{Convert|2930|ft|abbr=on}}
| r6-surface =Hard Surface
| h1-number =
| h1-length =
| h1-surface =
| airfield_other_label =
| airfield_other =
}}
RCAF Station Claresholm was a British Commonwealth Air Training Plan station that trained pilots for World War II service. The station was located near Claresholm, Alberta, Canada.
History
=World War II=
No. 15 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) opened on 9 June 1941, and closed on 30 March 1945.{{cite book
| last1 = Hatch
| first1 = F. J.
| title = The Aerodrome of Democracy: Canada and the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, 1939-1945
| publisher = Directorate of History, Department of National Defence
| year = 1983
| location = Ottawa
| isbn = 0660114437}}
The school used Anson and Cessna Crane aircraft, and its relief airfields were RCAF Woodhouse, a few kilometers east at {{Coord|49|59|24|N|113|26|51|W|type:airport_region:CA-ON|name=RCAF Woodhouse}}, and RCAF Pulteney, a few kilometers north.
No. 2 Flying Instructor School (FIS) was established as a sub unit of No. 15 SFTS on 27 April 1942 but relocated in September 1942 to Vulcan.{{cite web |url=http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c12350/828?r=0&s=1 |title= RCAF Daily Diary of #15 S.F.T.S., Claresholm, Alta.|author= |date=27 April 1942|website=heritage.canadiana.ca |access-date=15 June 2018 }} Student pilots at No.2 FIS flew Tiger Moths and Cessna Cranes.
==Aerodrome information==
In approximately 1942 the aerodrome was listed at {{coord|50|00|N|113|38|W|region:CA-AB}} with a variation of 23 degrees east and elevation of {{Convert|3325|ft|abbr=on}}. Six runways were listed as follows:{{cite book |author=Staff writer|title= Pilots Handbook of Aerodromes and Seaplane Bases Vol. 2|publisher= Royal Canadian Air Force |page=86 |date= c. 1942}}
| class="wikitable" |
| Runway Name
! Length ! Width ! Surface |
|---|
| 2/20
| {{Convert|3000|ft|abbr=on}} | {{Convert|100|ft|abbr=on}} | Hard surfaced |
| 2/20
| {{Convert|3100|ft|abbr=on}} | {{Convert|100|ft|abbr=on}} | Hard surfaced |
| 14/32
| {{Convert|3100|ft|abbr=on}} | {{Convert|100|ft|abbr=on}} | Hard surfaced |
| 14/32
| {{Convert|3100|ft|abbr=on}} | {{Convert|100|ft|abbr=on}} | Hard surfaced |
| 8/26
| {{Convert|3000|ft|abbr=on}} | {{Convert|100|ft|abbr=on}} | Hard surfaced |
| 8/26
| {{Convert|3200|ft|abbr=on}} | {{Convert|100|ft|abbr=on}} | Hard surfaced |
==Relief landing field – Woodhouse==
The primary Relief Landing Field (R1) for RCAF Station Claresholm was located southeast of the community of Claresholm. In approximately 1942 the aerodrome was listed at {{coord|50|00|N|113|27|W|region:CA-AB}} with a variation of 23 degrees east and elevation of {{Convert|3300|ft|abbr=on}}. Three runways were listed as follows:{{cite book |author=Staff writer|title= Pilots Handbook of Aerodromes and Seaplane Bases Vol. 2|publisher= Royal Canadian Air Force |page=118 |date= c. 1942}}
| class="wikitable" |
| Runway Name
! Length ! Width ! Surface |
|---|
| 2/20
| {{Convert|3020|ft|abbr=on}} | {{Convert|100|ft|abbr=on}} | Hard surfaced |
| 14/32
| {{Convert|3020|ft|abbr=on}} | {{Convert|100|ft|abbr=on}} | Hard surfaced |
| 8/26
| {{Convert|3020|ft|abbr=on}} | {{Convert|100|ft|abbr=on}} | Hard surfaced |
A more accurate set of coordinates can be found at {{Coord|49|59|24|N|113|26|51|W|type:airport_region:CA-AL|name=RCAF Woodhouse}}"Map: Cranbrook-Lethbridge, Air Navigation Edition." Hydrographic and Map Service: Canada Department of Mines and Resources, Surveys and Engineering Branch, July 1941. at this location the outline of the three runways is still visible on Google Earth. The site is presently used for agricultural purposes.
=Postwar=
Claresholm was placed on care and maintenance status until reactivated in 1951 as a NATO training centre run by No. 3 Flying Training School (flying Harvards). The station closed again in 1958 when the school was relocated to Gimli, Manitoba. It is now the Claresholm Industrial Airport. {{As of|2011|08}}, hangars 2 to 4 are derelict and deteriorating.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.bombercommandmuseum.ca/bcatpclaresholm.html Bomber Command Museum of Canada]
- [http://www.claresholmmuseum.com/about/history/ Claresholm Museum]
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Claresholm}}
Category:Former Canadian Forces bases in Canada
Category:Military airbases in Alberta
Category:Defunct airports in Alberta