The CP Air - Gander Connection

In 1940, Britain faced critical aircraft shortages. American factories could supply many of the needed airplanes, but normal delivery – by boat – was slow and dangerous.  RAF officers were curiously opposed to the most obvious solution – flying them across. This, they decided, would be impractical, especially in winter.

We often hear mention of Ferry Command but it is not a well known fact that it was ordinary civilians and NOT the military who got the show on the road. It basically involved three parties:

- the British Ministry of Aircraft Production, which was headed in 1940 by Lord Beaverbrook (in fact a Canadian newspaper man and financier, Max Aiken)

-  the Air Department of the Canadian Pacific Railway, which was assembling the elements of what would become Canadian Pacific Airlines

- a former Imperial Airways/BOAC pilot named Donald C.T Bennett.

On the suggestion of the Ministry of Aircraft Production, the Canadian Pacific Railway set up an Air Ferries Department, under Mr. Woods Humphrey, at Montreal.  Four distinguished pilots of the British Overseas Airways Corporation and one of the Royal Canadian Air Force were initially  engaged to prepare the venture.  Bennett scraped together an organization, hired more pilots and radio operators from assorted civilian companies and government departments and trained them for the new mission.

 Four months of intense effort were crowned on 10th November, 1940. That evening the first seven Hudsons, led by Captain Bennett, took off from the snowbound airfield at Gander, Newfoundland. Ten and a half hours later and 2,100 miles farther east all seven put down safely in Northern Ireland. More would follow.

Created informally by a coalition of willing civilians, the Atlantic Ferry Organization (ATFERO) became a full-fledged RAF formation (Ferry Command) on July 20, 1941.

The attached magazine is indicative of the times.

The general contribution of CPR to the wartime affort is underlined The 2nd to last paragraph refers to its role in ferry operations.

This is from an unidentified Canadian magazine from 1943.  From the page size and style, I think it could most likely be "Mcleans"  Any other info would be appreciated.

 

 

The information on this page is the personal property of R G Pelley. No reproduction in any form is permitted without express written permission. 
 Robert Pelley