RFC HQ in Toronto

[Croix de Guerre]

Question: 1. When a new RFC cadet would arrive for training; was there a building or buildings that the RFC was useing as offices in downtown Toronto?

2. If so, how far away was the armory or were they one in the same. My pilot states that he arrived in Toronto, took a street car to RFC HQ, reported in, was sent to the armory for his physical, then back to HQ to be sworn in and then spent the night in Burn Hall at Toronto University. At 2 the next afternoon he was sent out to Camp Long Branch.

3. Was all this considered Camp Borden?

[Croix de Guerre]

Originally Posted by Croix de Guerre

Question: 1. When a new RFC cadet would arrive for training; was there a building or buildings that the RFC was useing as offices in downtown Toronto?

2. If so, how far away was the armory or were they one in the same. My pilot states that he arrived in Toronto, took a street car to RFC HQ, reported in, was sent to the armory for his physical, then back to HQ to be sworn in and then spent the night in Burn Hall at Toronto University. At 2 the next afternoon he was sent out to Camp Long Branch.

3. Was all this considered Camp Borden?

Wikipedia lists a Moss Park Armory located at 130 Queen Street East, in Toronto. Is the same site as in WWI?

[Croix de Guerre]

Originally Posted by Croix de Guerre

Wikipedia lists a Moss Park Armory located at 130 Queen Street East, in Toronto. Is the same site as in WWI?

Well, it seems as if I have answered some of my own questions. Either you all are too slow to respond or I am too quick to ask without doing the research myself. I would venture to say it is more of the later than the former.

I found a link to a wonderfully informative book, (that is if you are curious about such things) titled: Aviation in Canada 1917-1918. Aviation in Canada, 1917-1918. Being a brief account of the work of the Royal air force, Canada, the Aviation department of the Imperial munitions board, and the Canadian aeroplanes limited

On page 135 it states; "Recruits Depot; The unit was first stationed in the Givens Street School, Toronto - and later the Crawford Street School was taken over"

"These accomodations proved insufficient and the Depot was moved out to Leaside, under canvas."

[Rod_Filan]

Crawford Street School

Crawford or Crowford? I'll look at my notes tonight to check the spelling...




Cheers

[Rod_Filan]

It's Crawford.
The message on the back of the postcard has it spelt with an O.
Mike Filey of Toronto (attached) is presumably correct with his facts.


Cheers

[Croix de Guerre]

Originally Posted by Rod_Filan

It's Crawford.
The message on the back of the postcard has it spelt with an O.
Mike Filey of Toronto (attached) is presumably correct with his facts.


Cheers

Nice photo Rod and thanks for the information. Any thoughts of my other questions?

[Rod_Filan]

Yes- and thanks for posting the link to that book.

In general - I've cobbled this much together.

The armory your pilot took his physical at was almost certainly University Avenue Armoury. Moss Park Armoury didn't exist back then.

File:Manège militaire de Toronto.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Provincial Law Courts and University Avenue Armouries

Burn Hall I cannot find anywhere downtown at St. George Campus or Victoria University (UofT is seven colleges iirc). I wonder if it was incorrectly remembered by the pilot. Perhaps he wasn't at all familiar with Toronto, and since billeted there only one night got the name wrong. There was a Burwash Hall though.

In the spring of this year [1917] the Royal Flying Corps established a training centre for the Dominion with headquarters at Toronto. As the school grew during the next eighteen months a considerable portion of the University or College grounds and buildings were given over to this Force. These were the back lawns, parts of the Engineering Building, Convocation Hall, and Hart House, Wycliffe College, most of Burwash Hall, and the University Residences. In 1918 the University back lawn and the quadrangle of Burwash Hall were also filled with tents. [..]

http://www.archivecdbooks.ca/Samples/CA0165-Sampler.pdf

Long Branch Aerodrome:

The Long Branch Aerodrome has the distinction of being the first Aerodrome in Canada and home to the first flying training school. The aerodrome, situated on a 100 acre property on Lakeshore Road, just west of Dixie Road in Mississauga, opened on 20 May 1915 by Curtiss Aeroplanes and Motors Company for the Royal Flying Corps. Aircraft such as the Curtiss JN-4 soon became a common sight at the airfield, which included 3 aircraft hangars.

In January 1917, the newly designated Royal Flying Corps, Canada, the forerunner to the Royal Canadian Air Force, opened the RFC Training Centre at Long Branch. The Long Branch training centre also provided instruction on flying boats at nearby Hanlon's Point in Toronto Harbour, the first seaplane base in Canada.

By July 1917, the flight school re-located to the Armour Heights Aerodrome. Long Branch became the Cadet Ground Training School for the Royal Flying Corps. Both the school and the aerodrome closed in 1919.

Not the slightest trace remains of the airfield today. From 1962 - 2005, the property was Ontario Power Generation's Lakeview Generating Station. The only remnants of the aerodrome's facilities are the water tower, a concrete wall (possibly one the backstop for the small arms range) and some wooden walls (possibly part of an obstacle course).

In September 1969, a plaque was erected at the site to commemorate Canada's first Aerodrome.

Source Material: Historical Plaques of Peel Region - Historic Plaques of Peel, information provided by Eric Gibson, The Mississauga Heritage Foundation (2004), the personal recollections of Tim Baetz, resident of Midland area (2004), "History of Canadian Airports" by T. M. McGrath, Ontario Power Generation web site - www.opg.com/ops/lakeviewfinal.pdf & the personal recollections of the author (2004).

In regards to your question about Camp Borden: To my knowledge the camp (now CFB Borden) - some 50 miles NNE of Toronto - was a flying camp unto itself. As you probably already know, there was also Camps Deseronto and Leaside.



Cheers

[Rod_Filan]

Rereading your questions ... seems I missed one.

.. how far away was the armory ..

From the University, not far at all. About a 10 block walk, or trolley car ride down University Avenue would get you there.

The armories [*][*] were north of Queen Street on the east side of University Avenue. Victoria University campus is just north across the street from Queen's Park.
Burwash Hall - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia




Cheers