Canadian Forces Station Ladner - History

History

After the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan came into effect in 1939, the Royal Canadian Air Force began looking for locations at which to train pilots for Second World War. Boundary Bay was one location that was selected, and in 1940, land from three farms was appropriated for an airport. Construction proceeded slowly as boggy areas had to be filled with hay and gravel, but gravel roads and runways were in place for the airfield's opening on 10 April 1941. No. 18 Elementary Flight Training School (No. 18 EFTS) was the first unit established at the newly created Royal Canadian Air Force Station Boundary Bay. Flying De Havilland Tiger Moth biplanes, No. 18 EFTS's training was provided by private civilian instructors. The Aerodrome was officially opened by Prime Minister MacKenzie-King on 2 July 1941 with all the pomp and circumstance one might expect to find in a small patriotic community at war. A huge air demonstration was put on by the school instructors to the delight of hundreds of local spectators. This school was sponsored by the Aero Club of B.C and named the Vancouver Air Training Co. Ltd. (VATC). Less than one year before the VATC had established No. 8 EFTS stationed at RCAF Station Sea Island (current site of Vancouver International Airport) On 25 May 1942, No. 18 EFTS was disbanded as a direct result of the attack on the American Naval station at Pearl Harbour. It was felt that the West coast was now vulnerable to attack by the Japanese and Boundary Bay was the most advantages location for a fighter Squadron to protect Vancouver and the surrounding Coast. No. 18's personnel and equipment were transferred to No. 33 RAF EFTS at Caron Saskatchewan where the civilian staff took over operations from the RAF staff.

Between early 1942 and April 1944 there were three operational fighter squadrons rotated through Boundary. No. 133 Squadron which flew Hawker Hurricanes and later No. 132 and No. 14 fighter squadrons (RCAF) both flying P-40 Kittyhawks. On 1 April 1944 No. 5 Operational Training Unit, (OTU), was established at Boundary Bay. No. 5 OTU was created for the purpose of training Commonwealth crews to fly the American built B-24 Liberator. By 1944 the Royal Air Force had decided to increase bombing operations in S.E Asia and the Pacific and the bomber of choice was the B-24. Boundary Bay was chosen because of its close proximity to the mountains and ocean which, it was believed, helped to create similar flying conditions that would be found in the future theater of operations. In addition to the Liberator the B-25 Mitchell was used as a stepping stone to the 4 engined Liberators. Other aircraft used by the unit included the Bolingbroke, for towing targets, the P-40 Kittyhawk, for fighter affiliation exercises and a Norseman for unit hack purposes. Shortly after the first course graduated it was decided that the crews would require additional Air Gunners. Therefore a satellite unit was needed to facilitate the additional staff. On 15 July 1944 No. 5 OTU Abbotsford Detachment was created and the Liberators moved to Abbotsford. Boundary Bay was now responsible for the initial training and the Liberator crews would graduate out of Abbotsford. After the war, the airport was no longer needed. No. 5 OTU left the airfield on 31 October 1945, and the RCAF decommissioned the station in 1946. RCAF Boundary Bay's last official function of the war was to act as a demobilisation centre for the Royal Canadian Air Force.

The site was left unused until it was transferred to Royal Canadian Corps of Signals in 1949. Re-established as the Vancouver Wireless Station, the site operated radio equipment for communication and gathering signals intelligence. When the Canadian Forces were unified in 1968, the site was renamed Canadian Forces Station Ladner. The downsizing associated with unification would soon hit CFS Ladner, and in 1971 it was permanently closed. All that remains of CFS Ladner are the abandoned roadways.