(1)British Volunteers to Finland (2) Instructor training Canada

My g.uncle claims he was amongst the British volunteers going to Finland's aid (?39/40) and said he was flying with 32 fighter planes from Britain in tight formation but didn't encounter a single German plane. Does this sound likely and is there anywhere a list of who the volunteers were?
He also claims to have been a chief ground instructor at Perth aerodrome in Scotland in 1939 and to have been flown to Canada by Canadian Airways Ltd to join the staff of instructors at No 2 Observer School.
I am interested in trying to verify some of this and if anyone can point me in the right direction, I'd be grateful!!

 

You may want to also look into obtaining his military service record. Are you willing to provide us with his name, in case we can find something specific which refers to him?

Training Plan This is some information on the Observer Schools and the location of No 2 Observer School.

Wings Over Alberta - Homefront This site has the following about No 2 Observer School. Please note that it mentions that Canadian Airways was responsible for the school.:

"Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Station Edmonton, Alberta
Home of No. 2 Air Observer School (AOS)

No. 2 Air Observer School (AOS) was open from August 1940 to July 1944. It was located at what is now known as the Edmonton City Centre Airport. W.R. “Wop” May, a talented and renowned local aviator was quickly appointed the general manager of the school. Canadian Airways were responsible for operations until 1942 when Canadian Pacific Airways took over. It was one of two AOS in Alberta during the BCATP. "

Wop May - Biography of Wop May

EPL.ca: Edmonton's Story - Chapter 6. War and Oil, 1940-1972

Mention is made here of Canadian Airways being owned by Wilfred May.

Wop's WWII Para-rescue Service

Re British Volunteers in Finland, try

British "volunteers" in Russo-Finnish war ? and suggestions of "plausible deniability" - World War 2 Talk

And it looks like this topic was previously discussed on this forum, so you might do a search here for British volunteers Finland World War II (which is how I searched for information)

Foreign volunteers of Winter War - World War II Forums As you can see at this link, Kai Petri, may be a good resource on this question.

Yay! found a great link with a post with a list of Volunteers for the Winter War who enlisted in London British Winter War volunteers [Archive] - Military Images Photos Pictures Forums

 

Many thanks Michelle for such a full and quick reply. I had found some of the Canadian links you mentioned but to date no joy. Very likely he was making a lot of it up - I will keep plugging away!!

 

Just recently I found an article by a Finnish pilot on flying a number of Hurricanes to Finland during Winter War. Wonder if this is the same mission you are asking about? I can check it up this weekend.

 

Don't assume that he was making it up, confusia. The basics most likely have truth, as he is talking about something that was little known when it comes to British Volunteers in Finland, as Britain did declare war against Finland when they allied with Germany against Russia. Also, his reference to Canadian Airways also suggests accuracy as he didn't generalize in saying the Army or Air Force flew him to Canada. Until this research, I'd never heard of Canadian Airways in relation to the War, as it was May's personal company. One of the things most of us who do WWII research - or any historical research for that matter - discover, is that individual's real experiences sometimes exceed what we think can be imagined.

Is he still alive? Did he have a service number or service record? If still alive, you could ask if he would be willing to request his record. Alternately, if he is not, you could have the relative who is next of kin make the request if he has been gone the requisite number of years to allow this. In this part of the Forum if you look at the sticky's at the top, you will see threads about how to request service records.

 

Thank you. I do know that he flew a fighter plane briefly in the Spanish Civil War, and also a bomber - he was definitely a pilot. However, the picture I have built up of him since researching makes me have to look very obectively. For instance there is a report that a warrant was placed in Montreal for his arrest for posing in an RAF uniform - and he pops up in Australia on the same charge!! We do know he enlisted in the RFC at the age of 17 but he did not last more than nine months or so, though he kept re-enlisting and deserting. It is however possible he did volunteer for Finland - it would be typical of him.
If you do manage to have a quick look at that mission, it would help. Thank you!

 

Got the article. It seems that there might have been an earlier plane transfer in January 1940, as Finns were allowed to buy Gladiators (20 planes ) and was presented as gift 10 planes. Have not got info on that mission though.

The Finns were allowed to buy 12 Hurricanes and the final deal was done 1st Feb 1940. To take care of these planes RAF released 12 HC- and five GL- and GT-mechanics who were turned into civil workers for Gloster.

To move these planes Finnish pilots were sent to England to train 10-15 flying hours with the Hurricane before the transfer mission. This was done at St Athan´s No 11 Air Fighting School. The commander of the Air Fighting School was Squadron Leader P.C.Pinkham.A-flight was led by Flying Officer Adye and other instructors were S/L P.C. "Tom" Pinkham and F/O Tackman. B-flight was led by Flight Lieutenant Robinson and the other instructor was F/O Bayne. C-Flight was led by F/L A.N.Cox with instructors P/O Dawbarn,P/O Wahalmut and P/O Smallwood.

The first planes and crews were ready to go by 22-23.February. The first six planes left on 25th Feb, The planes were followed by a Short Sunderland, with a Blenheim bomber leading the formation to its destination. The planes were flown from St Athan to Wick, and then over the sea to Stavanger. Two Coastal Command Lockheed Hudson´s also escorted the planes over the sea. From Stavanger the planes continued to Sweden and Västerås, and later on to Finland. The rest of theplanes left St Athans on 29th February.

So for the Hurricane planes the plane pilots were Finns, but there was also the escort planes along at least until Norway. There were also , it seems, other plane transfer flights for Gladiators and some Lysander, and probably some Blenheims.

 

Thank you very much Kai-Petri for writing this all. It will help a lot.

 

Get yourself a copy of Britain at war magazine describing Blenheim RAF service in Finland. The magazine later did an in depth report on RAF in Finland and the secretive mechanisms involved along the way. LOTS of pics included. The editor is extremely approachable..or was..i have not brought it in a while.