Abandoned Bases - PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

Opened in 1940, the aerodrome near Mount Pleasant was originally a Relief Landing Field for No. 9 SFTS at Summerside. As with all RLFs, the aerodrome had a single hangar and barracks.

On 20 September 1943, the station changed its funciton and became the home of No. 10 B&G School. Two firing ranges were also constructed, one on the base and the other at nearby Higgins Wharf. At its peak, the school had 44 buildings, including 5 hangars, and was home to over 1800 personnel.

No. 10 B&G School closed 6 June 1945. The station served briefly as a storage depot before the RCAF departed in 1947. The airfield was sold as surplus.

Only the runways remain from the war-time school today. Highway #2 runs along the former hangar line.

Today two of the three runways (13-31 & 26-80) remain in use by the Experimental Aircraft Association.

Source Material: Near Forgotten Airfield, No. 10 Bombing & Gunnery School web site - http://www.peicaps.org/ffway/index.htm, "Abandoned Military Installations in Canada Vol III: Atlantic" by Paul Ozorak, information provided by Marilyn Garnett, AirScapes International Inc (2006) & Canada Flight Supplement (1999).

No. 31 General Reconnaissance School & No. 2 Air Navigation School:

The aerodrome near Charlottetown was originally opened on 1 May 1941 by the Royal Air Force as No. 31 General Reconnaissance School, under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. A total of forty-three buildings were constructed, including six hangars. Originally No. 5 Bombing and Gunnery School was supposed to be housed at the aerodrome, but this was changed due to objections from local lobster fishermen as the bombing range would have necessitated closing valuable lobster grounds.

The No. 31 GRS closed 11 February 1944 and was the station was turned over to the RCAF. No. 2 Air Navigation School, disbanded at Pennfield Ridge in 1942, was re-activated at the aerodrome in its place. No. 2 ANS closed on 7 July 1945. In its more than four years, the school had graduated 1200 students.

The aerodrome was used briefly as No. 1 Aircraft Holding Unit, closing before the end of the year. The aerodrome and the sixty-five buildings were turned over to the War Assets Corporation. Many of the buildings were eventually moved to the City of Charlottetown.  The aerodrome was transferred to the Department of transportation on 1 February 1946 and became the Charlottetown Airport and an industrial complex.

Other than the airfield, nothing remains of the war-time station today. The last surviving building, hangar no. 4, which post-war housed the maintenance garage and fire hall for Department of Transport, was demolished in 1979.

A memorial at the airport pays tribute to the airmen and airwomen who served at the wartime school.

Source Material: "Sentinel" magazine from July 1970, PEI Transportation and Public Works web site - http://www.gov.pe.ca/tpwpei/index.php3?number=1001860⟨=E, "Abandoned Military Installations in Canada Vol III: Atlantic" by Paul Ozorak & information supplied by Marilyn Bell, Provincial Archivist, Charlottetown, PEI (2001).

No. 62 Artilliary Training Centre:

OPened 9 Oct 1940 near Charlottetown as No. 62 Non-permanent Active Militia Training Centre. The camp changed to solely an artilliary training centre in Novenber 1943.

The camp closed on 31 January 1945. All that remains is one small building.

Source Material: "Abandoned Military Installations of Canada Volume III: Atlantic" by Paul Ozorak.