Ripples in the water – No. 20 E.F.T.S. Oshawa revisited

November 13, 2020 by Pierre Lagacé

The original post has been updated on November 12, 2020 when I learned Flight Lieutenant Ken Williams was taken on strength at No. 20 Elementary Flying Training School on March 7th 1943.

This is the information shared by John Engelsted about Flight Lieutenant Williams a Spitfire pilot with 416 Squadron.

5 ITS December 28th 1942

20 EFTS March 7th 1943

6 SFTS May 1943

1 OTU August 27th 1943

3 PRC February 1st 1944

61 OTU March 21st 1944

3 TEU June 2nd 1944

1690 Flight June 6th 1944

83 GSU December 10th 1944

416 Squadron December 25th 1944

Rodolphe Lafrenière was in the same course as Ken Williams.

This ended the update, but there is more at the end of the original post.

It has been a long time since I have written a post on this blog. I had one on the back burner and I had forgotten to post it.

I only write when I have something to share. I have something that might be of interest to someone who was stationed at No. 20 E.F.T.S., Oshawa or a relative. (broken link)

These are two pages taken from this logbook.

This is Rodolphe Lafrenière, a Handley Page Halifax pilot with 425 Alouette Squadron during WWII.

His son André shared his father’s logbook and several photos with me.

None were taken at No. 20 EFTS Oshawa. These are two I found on the Internet.

Oshawa Public Libraries’ online image collection

These logbook pages are interesting artefacts because we have the name of Rodolphe Lafrenière’s instructor: WO2 J. P. Lumsden.

Maybe someone knew this instructor, and maybe he or she has pictures to share. This is why I am writing this post on this blog about the BCATP.

There were also others names.

Flight Sergeant John Mac Keller, instructor, and Bert Pearson, engineer in charge.

End of the original post

If you have any information, you can contact me using this form.

Searching for George Glen Harrison Cowper

August 19, 2019 by Pierre Lagacé

I had been in contact with someone on Facebook.

Pierre,

Do you have any training record mentions of a George Glen Harrison COWPER from England, who later flew Lancasters with 550 Squadron in Lincolnshire?

I was just sent this photo.

I was not told if he is on the left or on the right. My guess is that he is on the right. These two airmen are in front of a Tiger Moth. George Glen Harrison Cowper’s son told that his father got his training in Canada which would make sense since we see the enclosed cockpit added for flight training during winter.

George Glen Harrison Cowper’s son will be looking for his father’s log book.

This story will be updated.

Updated 2019-08-19 11:30

Flying Officer Cowper DFC was the pilot.

FOCowperCrew TheStump Homage_to_Bader

Source: http://www.550squadronassociation.org.uk/php-library/mysql-utils/reports/rpt_squadron_decorations.php

Now we know he was on the right.

BCATP Tiger Moth

It sounded familiar

September 4, 2016 by Pierre Lagacé

This photograph and the story reminded me of something I had written on another of my blogs about WWII.

This is the translation of the original.

The daughter of Warrant Officer Roland Dallaire sent me several pictures of her father.

Roland Dallaire

Warrant Officer Roland Dallaire was part of 425 Alouette Squadron.

Here are more pictures of Roland Dallaire.

Roland Dallaire is in front. The pilot is sitting behind in the Tiger Moth.

According to the caption Roland Dallaire was posted in Regina in 1940

We would be 11 May 1940.

Here an aerial view of the training school located in Regina.

It was used by No 15 EFTS (Elementary Flying Training School) and No 3 AOS (Air Observer School).

No. 20 E.F.T.S., Oshawa

February 6, 2014 by Pierre Lagacé

Updated 12 November 2020

Flight Lieutenant Ken Williams was taken on strength at No. 20 Elementary Flying Training School on March 7th 1943.