Sutherland, Wilf: my armed forces experiences (November 25, 2009)

ABSTRACT: Flight Lieutenant Wilf Sutherland Wilf Sutherland was born in 1920. Upon graduating high school in 1938, Sutherland took a job with the Royal Bank of Canada. In 1940 he enlisted with the air force, both because of a childhood fascination with flight and a fear of being conscripted into the army. Upon joining the air force, Sutherland was sent to manning pool in Edmonton, Alberta; Guard Duty in Penhold, Alberta; Initial Training School; Elementary Flying School in High River, Alberta; and Service Flying School in Fort Macleod, Alberta. Sutherland describes each stage of his training in detail, including: daily routines, food, living conditions, types of aircraft, first solo flight, officers, instructors, testing, etc. Upon graduating, Sutherland was selected to remain in Canada as an instructor—something he, like many others, was upset about. He received his instructors training in Vulcan, Alberta, and was stationed to Dauphin, Manitoba. He remained there until 1943 whereupon he was transferred to Vulcan. Sutherland provides a detailed description of training techniques for teaching new pilots, the living conditions of an instructor, and the social life, including holidays and leave. Sutherland also describes the discrimination that instructors encountered at the close of the war; one example was in 1945 when Sutherland realised that he was going to finish his air force career as an instructor, and inquired about pilot positions with Trans-Canada Airways, only to find out those jobs had been reserved for pilots returning from overseas—some of which he had undoubtedly helped train.

Rank: Flight Lieutenant.

Interviewer: Rosberg, Tyson

An interview/narrative of Wilf Sutherland's experiences during World War II. Interview took place on November 25, 2009.

Interviewee: Sutherland, Wilf

In Collection:

• Canadian Military Oral Histories

Contributor

• Rosberg, Tyson
• Sutherland, Wilf

Subject

• World War (1939-1945)
• Canada. Royal Canadian Air Force
• Military history

Language

• eng

Keyword

• Airplanes, Military--Piloting
• Canada--RCAF Station (Penhold, Alta.)
• Fleet aircraft
• Canada--Royal Canadian Air Force--Military life
• Cornell (Training plane)
• Airspeed Oxford (Training plane)
• Flight schools
• Canada--RCAF Station (Edmonton, Alta.)--Manning Depot, 3
• Flight training
• Sutherland, Wilfred (Wilf)--Interviews
• Canada--Royal Canadian Air Force--Leaves and furloughs
• Fleet Finch (Biplane)
• Crane (Training plane)
• Fairchild aircraft
• T-6 (Training plane)
• World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Canadian
• Avro Anson (Training plane)
• Canada--RCAF Station (High River, Alta.)--Elementary Flying Training School, 5
• Canada--Royal Canadian Air Force--Officers
• Tiger Moth (Training plane)
• Canada--RCAF Station (Edmonton, Alta.)--Initial Training School, 4
• Fawn(Training plane)
• Link trainers
• British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
• Canada--RCAF Station (Vulcan, Alta.)--Flying Instructor School, 2
• Canada--RCAF Station (Dauphin, Man.)--Service Flying Training School, 10
• Canada--RCAF Station (Fort Macleod, Alta.)--Service Flying Training School, 7

Date created

• November 25, 2009

Relation

• Part of the Military Oral History Class collection of interviews.
• Title of paper: "God’s Gift to the Empire: Canadian Veterans and the Memory of the British Commonwealth Air Training Program". Link:  http://rusiviccda.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Gods_Gift_to_the_Empire-Canadian_Veterans_and_the_Memory_of_the_British_Commonwealth_Air_Training_Program.pdf

Resource type

• Sound

Rights statement

• In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Extent

• 1 sound recording (MP3)

Geographic coverage

• Canada

Coordinates

• 60.10867, -113.64258

Additional physical characteristics

• Original sound recording (WMA) also available.

Physical repository

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Collection

• Canadian Military Oral History Collection

Provider

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Genre

• oral histories (literary genre)
• interviews
• sound recordings
• reminiscences

Archival item identifier

• SW_611

Fonds title

• Military oral history collection

Fonds identifier

• SC141

Is referenced by

• Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/military-oral-history-collection

Date digitized

• February 18, 2007

Technical note

• Digital sound recording in .mp3 format at 192 kbps and 44 kHz. Recorded in digital format by interviewer, technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF and JP. Interview recorded in digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2007. Migration metadata by KD and MT.

Rights

• This interview has been posted with the understanding that it may be used for research purposes only. Should the interviewee or their heirs have any objections to this interview being accessible on the Internet, it will be removed promptly. Contact UVic Special Collections for permission if using for other than research purposes: speccoll@uvic.ca

DOI

•  https://doi.org/10.58066/wfsx-tx79

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