On April 8, 1942 the M/S Batory, with approx. 55 officers and 700 airmen, sailed from Gourock, Scotland to establish No.34 Operational Training Unit (OTU) at Yarmouth, Nova Scotia (Canada), one of the four OTUs established in Canada during World War II. Sailing into Halifax Harbour on the evening of April 16th one airman, recalling their arrival in this new strange land, remarked: “We saw, for the first time since September, 1939, a city with lights on and no black out. We berthed at dockside, disembarked to board a train, had our first Canadian meal, and what a meal after RAF fare! I will always remember the canned peaches, a luxury beyond all dreams.”
The Unit, after a long and bumpy train ride down the south shore, arrived the following morning at Arcadia Crossing around 0800 hours. They then marched the remaining 4-5kms. into the camp which was still incomplete – no plumbing, no heat, no water and muddy roads. So for the next three or four weeks was to be a time of roll calls, fatigues and route marches, as they had no aircrafts and nothing constructive to do.
It was then decided to move the Unit to Pennfield Ridge on temporary bases – a decision which was to forever impact the history of Charlotte County. The movement of the Unit commenced on May 18th and concluded May 27th– train from Yarmouth to Digby, ferry SS Princess Helene across the Bay of Fundy to Saint John and then another train to Pennfield Ridge.
The move from Yarmouth to Pennfield Ridge was not without its own trial & tribulations as No.2 Air Navigation School, with strength of over 1,300 airmen, was still in full operation with its last course graduating May 25th and the station officially closing May 30th. Also, the Royal Canadian Air Force was attempting to establish No.2 Operational Training Unit designed to operate Mitchell aircraft in an operational setting. This Unit never officially came to fruition (disbanded July 20, 1942) and the several hundred airmen posted here to establish the Unit were then posted to Bagottville & St John’s, Quebec and elsewhere.
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan trainees and aircraft, the Lockheed-Vega Venutra, began arriving on June 1st. Course No. 1 commenced on June 8th with 62 trainees and No.34 OTU began to do the job it was organized for. However, it was determined the aerodrome was not large enough to accommodate an Operational Training Unit so in late August No.34 Operational Training Unit Detachment, Yarmouth, NS was created – trainees would commence their respective courses at “the Ridge”, then detached to Yarmouth for their armament training portion of the course and then back to Pennfield Ridge for graduation. Upon graduation they were mostly posted to No.1 “Y” Depot, Halifax await transportation overseas to a battle squadron.
From August 1942 until April 1943 Pennfield Ridge underwent rapid expansion – 40 structures to 69 which included a large Hanger with douglas fir beams (the largest in the Maritime provinces at the time), a new Drill Hall, three large H-Huts on the south side of the highway, etc.
On August 27, 1942, Pennfield Ridge became the permanent home of No.34 Operational Training Unit was to remain a Royal Air Force (RAF) Unit until May 19, 1944.
G. Christian Larsen
G. Christian Larsen currently serves as President of Pennfield Parish Military Historical Society. He has been actively involved in researching the genealogical & military history of Pennfield Parish for nearly four decades. From 2009 until 2017 he hosted the annual Pennfield Ridge War Memorial Services. Recognized at the provincial & federal levels for his work with Veterans having been awarded the Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012); Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal (2023) and Minister of Veteran Affairs Commendation (2024).