RCAF Station Fingal was a Second World War British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) air station located near Fingal, Ontario, Canada. It was operated and administered by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
Fingal hosted No. 4 Bombing and Gunnery School (No. 4 B&GS), which trained bomb aimers and air gunners. The school opened on 25 November 1940 and closed on 17 February 1945. Aircraft used included the Fairey Battle, Northrop Nomad, Westland Lysander, Bristol Bolingbroke and Avro Anson. When No. 4 B&GS closed, its fleet of aircraft consisted of 34 Avro Anson Mark I, 29 Bristol Bolingbroke Mark IVT, and 1 North American Harvard II. Bombing ranges were located near Melbourne, Frome, Tempo, and Dutton. A bombing range was also located on Lake Erie. A marine unit was based in Port Stanley.
The area is now a wildlife preserve called the "Fingal Wildlife Management Area". Wildlife habitat has been restored, and some area has been set aside for agricultural demonstration purposes. Interpretive trails with signage have been installed.
Aerodrome information The airfield was constructed in a typical BCATP wartime pattern, with three runways formed in a triangle. In approximately 1942, the aerodrome was listed at with a Var. 5 degrees W and elevation of . The runway outlines are still clearly visible in aerial photographs. Three runways were listed as follows:
Runway Name Length Width Surface 1/19 Not Listed 14/32 Not Listed 7/25 Not Listed
Fingal scenes
See also St. Thomas Municipal Airport (Ontario) RCAF Station Guelph RCAF Station Jarvis No. 6 Group RCAF Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
References
External links Interview with R. A. J. P. (Tony) Pitt, WAG trainee at No. 4 B&GS Fingal Wildlife Management Area Retrieved 2 March 2014 Operations Record Book, from Library and Archives Canada Elgin Stewardship Council - Fingal Wildlife Management Area