1941 TO 1946 ...
To understand why and how the Air Cadet League of Canada came into being, it is necessary to recall the early days of World War II. France had fallen, the Low Countries had been invaded, and Britain was under heavy attack from the air. The critical need was for planes and more planes - and for trained young men to fly them in defence of freedom.
Against this background there grew in Canada the idea of a select corps of teen-aged youths who would devote some of their spare time to preparing for the day when they would take their places as aircrew in the ranks of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
In 1940, Air Minister Power, who was very much aware of the need for this type of Air Cadet training, called in a group of influential civilians and asked them to set up a country-wide voluntary organization to sponsor and develop this growing movement. The response was immediate, and a civilian organization was soon created to work on a partnership basis with the RCAF. As it later developed, this partnership was to be the main reason for the striking success of the Air Cadet Movement in Canada.
On the 11th of November, 1940, Order-in-Council PC 6647 was passed. This order authorized the formation of the Air Cadet League of Canada and set forth the responsibilities of the civilian body and of the RCAF. On April 9, 1941, the Air Cadet League of Canada was granted a Dominion Charter authorizing it to operate as a charitable, non-profit corporation.
An administrative headquarters was established in Ottawa, and the stage was set for a concentrated appeal for sponsors and volunteers throughout the provinces.
In the early part of 1941, a national board of key men was chosen and it met for the first time in Ottawa on June 2nd of that year. One of the first acts of the national directors was to appoint an outstanding Chairman in each of nine provinces. The Provincial Chairmen in turn set up their committees and these gentlemen traveled widely, talking to public-minded citizens and recruiting local sponsorship for the squadrons.
The organization of squadrons proceeded through the fall months of 1941 and by the end of the year there were 79 squadrons affiliated across the country. By May, 1942, there were 135 squadrons and 10,000 cadets; and a year later, 315 squadrons with 23,000 cadets.
The primary purpose of the League during its formative years was a military one, but its founders were also thinking in terms of the long-range benefits of Air Cadet training. They realized that through voluntary study, the cadets could improve their knowledge of aviation and increase their usefulness to the community. Through participation in supervised squadron activities, they would find opportunities to develop those qualities usually associated with good citizenship.
It was the character-building aspect of Air Cadet training which appealed most strongly to the youth leaders of the country. Service Clubs, Educators, Boards of Trade and Veterans Groups offered their services to the League, not only as a contribution to the war effort but also as a means of assisting the youth of the country along the road to good citizenship.
In September of 1944, the Movement reached the peak war strength of 374 squadrons,
over 29,000 cadets, 1,750 officers and instructors and another 2,000 civilians who supplied financial
and other support.
It is unfortunate that during the early years accurate records were not kept of the number of cadets who joined the fighting forces. It has been established, however, that during one brief period, between October, 1943 and June, 1944 over 3,000 Air Cadets graduated into the wartime RCAF and more than a score of them were subsequently decorated for gallantry. This was a proud record and one which provided tangible proof of the value of wartime Air Cadet training.
