Point of Interest

RCAF Station Pennfield Ridge

Street Address: 5277 NB-175 Pennfield, NB

The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan developed a total of 151 training schools across Canada and RCAF Station Pennfield was one of three built in New Brunswick. In November 1940, a half million dollar contract was awarded to build a facility at Pennfield Ridge. From mid 1941 to May 1942 the station was home to No 2 Air Navigation School. This school conducted a four week intensive course on astro navigation, designed to qualify students for night navigation. From Pennfield Ridge this school was relocated to Rivers, Manitoba. After the fall of France, it was decided to move four operational training units (OTUs) from Great Britain to Canada. Once airmen had successfully learned their trade, they were sent to an OTU for operational training on a particular aircraft and for a particular task. No 34 Operational Training Unit was sent from Greenoch, Scotland to RCAF Station Pennfield Ridge in April 1942. This station was part of No 3 Training Command of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan and both the RCAF and RAF shared the responsibility for running the base and school. It had Lockheed Venturas, a light bomber, for the training of four man-crews for Bomber Command. The course for pilots and wireless operators was 12 weeks long and for air observers it was 8 weeks. Each group trained separately at first and in the final stage trained as a crew. It was operational from May 1942 to June 1944. Occasional operational missions were flown from this airfield into the Atlantic Ocean. The station experienced a number of difficulties due to serviceability problems with Venturas, persistent fog, and a lack of operationally trained instructors. Pennfield Ridge grew from a community of 188 people in 1939 to approximately 5,000 in 1942, complete with hospital, theatre, dance hall, sport facilities, and restaurants. After the war, most of the station buildings were dismantled and sold.

Pennfield Memorial