CFB Picton

History

It was 1940 and the British were fighting for their very lives. It was therefore essential for the British to train thousands of flyers over an extremely short period of time. Quite simply, the British lacked the necessary aerodrome space to do this.

The British therefore turned to their allies in Canada for help. Prince Edward County seemed to be an ideal location for an RAF Bombing and Gunnery School. The coastline was long and the population was sparse. Plus they had the added benefit of being a continent away from prying Nazi eyes. Camp Picton was first used in the fall of 1938.

The Commonwealth Air Training Plan and the start of World War II led to the expansion of Camp Picton. Construction began during the summer of 1940. Consequently, it was essential to erect buildings and runways at lightning speed. In November 1940, the RCAF finally began to test drive the base by providing military training to commercially licensed pilots. In April 1941 the British RAF moved in and by early 1942 had taken over the base.

The camp proved to be an excellent training centre. It had several hangars, 2.500 foot runways, five bombing ranges and facilities to house close to 1,000 officers and airmen.

Compared to modern bases, amenities were primitive. Keep in mind, it was wartime. There were no recreational facilities, gyms, theatres or schools and playgrounds for the kiddies. One small convenience was a postal outlet that operated from 1942 to 1944 so personnel could keep in touch with their loved ones. Corporal Garnett and Sergeant Ferguson both served as postmasters. The village of Picton, located about a five minute drive north of the base, was the airmens’ main entertainment centre and playground.

Relations with Picton’s civilian population got off to a rocky start. The commanding officers were beset with complaints of drunkenness and rowdy behaviour along with an alarming increase in venereal disease. Maintaining peace with the townspeople was essential to the success of the operation. Consequently, that left the shamefaced officers with little choice, except to put an immediate stop to the shenanigans.

Throughout its tenure as a wartime training school, Camp Picton racked up an impressive record. They offered separate courses for navigators and air gunners. A Conversion Training Squadron was available to provide military training to licensed civilian pilots. Each course lasted about six weeks. Classes were large with sizes averaging around 40 participants. With new courses running every month, there seemed to be no end to the frenzied pace. By 1944 the RAF was running five simultaneous bombing courses, each one having from 40 to 60 students.

In late 1944 the British began moving out. They disbanded the bombing and gunnery unit in November and then turned the base over to the RCAF. The RCAF established an equipment maintenance unit that operated until 1946.

Once the war was over, the RCAF continued to maintain the base as a training centre. Expansion in the 1950s, included a large military housing complex known as “Picton Heights,” located about 1 kilometre east of the camp. Designed to accommodate personnel with families, it included 250 homes, a grocery store and a public school. The school served the dual purpose of functioning as a Sunday school. That likely changed with the construction of two chapels in 1954. Another amenity was the meeting place which was available to various groups such as the Cubs, Scouts, Girl Guides, Brownies and also the recreational committee.

By the early 1960s, the population had grown to almost 1,200. Housing for singles was available within the camp. In addition to housing there were a number of amenities that included a canteen, on-site barber and limited postal facilities. The majority of the staff were military personnel, with the exception of the fire hall where the fire-fighters were all civilians. Likewise, there were only a few recreational facilities, limited to theatre and sports. Sports facilities included a skeet range, badminton, basketball, volleyball, boxing, floor hockey and archery. The nearby village of Picton had grown to become a popular summer tourist centre, with no shortage of attractions.

Gender equality was still a thing of the future. There were “ladies rooms” in both the officer’s and sergeant’s messes. However they were only open to women during designated evenings during the week. There is no word on whether the exclusions also applied to women officers.

In 1960 the old aerodrome became officially known as Camp Picton. The next change was to convert the base from training to operational. Following that, it became known as CFB (Canadian Forces Base) Picton in 1966. Military downsizing led to the closure of the base in 1969.

Following closure, the hangars, barracks and other buildings, that were part of the original British training base, passed through several rounds of private ownership. It is now an industrial and business park. Craig Barracks was a later addition, built in the 1950s. The Ontario Government purchased the complex and then converted it to a hospital in Picton. The 851 Royal Canadian Air Squadron Prince Edward made regular use of the facilities for years. It is part of the Air Cadet Program.

When last seen, Camp Picton looked pretty much as it did when it was first built over 80 years ago. The barracks and hangars, covered in wood shake siding, have a style totally uncharacteristic of Canadian built military installations. In 1993, CBC Television produced a controversial television production entitled Dieppe. The base, with its British wartime appearance and feel was a prominent feature as a location backdrop.

Most recently, Camp Picton was sold to a new development company. The base has been rebranded as Base 31, a theme-focused entertainment venue. Information on their exhibits and events is available on their website.

Thanks to the Department of National Defence for providing the background information from Paul Ozorak’s publication, Abandoned Military Installations in Canada

Additional thanks to Sarah Pollock and Ed Soye for the information from the 1960 handbook along with updated information on the cadets’ activities at Camp Picton and the other Camp Picton tenants. You can find out more about the RCAF cadets program by visiting Cadets Canada at http://www.cadets.ca/.