Historic Frequencies: The Transformation of No. 3 RCAF Wireless School

Aerial photo showing the site of the No. 3 Wireless School, then and now. // Photo aérienne montrant

Aerial photo showing the site of the No. 3 Wireless School, then and now. // Photo aérienne montrant

Trainees in the creed room, No.3 Wireless School, practicing morse code. // Les stagiaires dans la salle de creed, l’École des radionavigants no 3, pratiquant le code morse.

As part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), the Canadian Mennonite University, as we know it today, served as the No. 3 RCAF Wireless School, training aircrew during the Second World War. Between 1941 and 1945, approximately 12,744 wireless operators were trained in Canada.

Master site plan for RCAF No. 3 Wireless School, Winnipeg // Plan directeur du site de l’École des radionavigants no 3 de l’ARC en Winnipeg.

While specific figures for the number of wireless operators trained at No. 3 Wireless School are not readily available, the school played a crucial role in preparing personnel for the BCATP, which ultimately trained 131,553 Canadian and Allied aircrew, including pilots, navigators, bomb aimers, wireless operators, air gunners, and flight engineers.

Today, it stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of our military past and its continued connection to our future as a post-secondary training institution.

No.3 Wireless School Instructional Building, then and now. // Bâtiment d'instruction de l’École des

No.3 Wireless School Instructional Building, then and now. // Bâtiment d'instruction de l’École des