THE FIELD OF PLAY: MILITARY AND SPORT IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA COMMUNITIES DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR Jennifer Kabeary Bachelor of Arts Kinesiology, University of Lethbridge, 2009 A Thesis Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies of the University of Lethbridge in Partial Fulfilment of the MASTER OF ARTS Kinesiology and Physical Education University of Lethbridge LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA, CANADA Abstract Prior to the beginning of the Second World War discussions of air force training between Britain and Canada, were ongoing, but never agreed upon. The declarations of war on Germany from Britain and Canada forced these discussions to a resolution as the air force was a crucial component of military operations. On December 17, 1939 the agreement known as the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) was signed. The agreement intended that Canada would train all of the Allied air force throughout the war. The repercussions of the agreement meant that communities across the country became home to training schools and air force personnel. This study employs geographic and relational aspects of community theory in the investigation of the role of sport in the relationship building process between military and civilian communities in Southern Alberta. Sport provided common ties and opportunities for social interaction in the relationship-building process between BCATP schools and Southern Alberta communities. Towns were losing many of the men and women who were playing sport as they joined the services and air force personnel were replacing them; thereby keeping sport at all levels from completely shutting down during the war. This study highlights the changes in the sporting landscape as military sport transitioned from a spectacle to becoming indispensable to local communities. Specific case studies of basketball and lacrosse in Macleod, hockey in Claresholm and Lethbridge, soccer in Medicine Hat and sporting charity events indicate the depth to which schools integrated into towns through sport. Situated within pertinent secondary sources from history, sociology and sport studies this study draws on six Southern Alberta newspapers, town council meeting minutes and archival data from the Nanton Bomber Museum, The Claresholm Museum, The Galt Museum and Archives and the Esplanade Heritage Centre. iii Acknowledgements To all those who have fought for freedom in Canada, we Canadians are ever in your debt. The only reason we are able to do what we do in this country is because of your sacrifices. To those who fought in the Second World War, you have my gratitude. To those who trained in Southern Alberta, thank you taking the time to try and make life better during the war. Carly, I can only begin to imagine some of the headaches you have incurred trying to get my writing to a level that is presentable! I am so grateful for your patience in assisting and mentoring me through this whole process. To my committee, thank you for the time you have taken to support, suggest and advise me so that this project could come to fruition. Mom and dad, thank you for putting up with my stress and reminding me I got myself into this project. Henry, for patiently waiting for me to finish so I can spend more time with you, Jeff, Michele and Kristi. You are all the greatest! To Dave, Trish, Trisha, Kim, Janice, Karen and Teresa, city hall and museum employees working hard to help preserve and protect the history of Southern Alberta. Thank you for taking time to help me track down information and being so interested in what I am doing. Mary, you have my appreciation for putting up with my mess the last two and a half years, I know I have not been easy to live with. iv Table of contents Approval/Signature………………………………………………………… ii Abstract……………………………………………………………………. iii Acknowledgements………………………………………………………… iv Table of Contents…………………………………………………………. v Supplemental Information List of Figures……………………………………………………… vii List of Maps……………………………………………………….. viii List of Abbreviations……………………………………………… ix Body of Thesis Chapter One: The BCATP, Community and Sport in Southern Alberta … 1 Setting the Scene…………………………………………………… 3 Literature Review………………………………………………… 12 Justification………………………………………………………. 24 Purpose…………………………………………………………… 27 Methodology……………………………………………………… 28 Method…………………………………………………………… 30 Limitations……………………………………………………….. 31 Delimitations……………………………………………………… 32 Chapter Outline…………………………………………………… 33 Notes……………………………………………………………… 34 Chapter Two: The Integration: BCATP Schools in Southern Alberta ……. 39 Medicine Hat: No. 34 SFTS………………………………………. 46 Lethbridge: No. 5 EFTS; No. 8 B&G……………………………… 48 Macleod: No. 7 SFTS……………………………………………... 50 Claresholm: No. 15 SFTS…………………………………………. 52 High River: No. 5 EFTS…………………………………………… 53 Pearce: No. 36 EFTS; No. 3 AOS; No. 2 FIS……………………… 55 Vulcan: No. 2 FIS; No. 19 SFTS………………………………….. 56 Canadian Regionalism…………………………………………….. 57 Initial Sport Interaction……………………………………………. 59 Notes……………………………………………………………… 63 Chapter Three: The Amalgamation: Air Force Sports in Southern Alberta Communities………………………………………………………. 68 A historical Narrative of Small Town Sport, 1939-1944………… 71 The CAHA and the Early Seeds of Military Sport, 1939… 72 Learning the Game: The Inclusion of Military Personnel into Civilian Leagues, 1940…………………………….. 73 v Exhibition Games, Military Rules, and the Promotion of British Sports, 1941……………………………… 74 Integration of Civilian and Military Sport, 1942…………. 77 City Leagues, Service Leagues, and Stricter Military Rules, 1943………………………………………………. 82 Saying Goodbye through Sport, 1944-1945……………… 89 Case Studies……………………………………………… 92 Macleod: Basketball……………………………………… 92 Macleod: Lacrosse……………………………………….. 94 Hockey in Canada………………………………………… 95 Claresholm: Hockey……………………………………… 96 Lethbridge: Hockey………………………………………. 100 Medicine Hat: Soccer……………………………………. 103 Notes…………………………………………………….. 107 Chapter Four: The Fundraiser: Raising Money through Sporting Charity Events ………………………………………………………….. 115 Notes…………………………………………………………… 140 Chapter Five: Conclusions and Recommendations…………………….. 144 Recommendations for Further Study…………………………… 148 Notes……………………………………………………………. 151 Coda: A Reflection of the Research Process...………………………… 152 Bibliography…………………………………………………………… 156 vi List of Figures Figure 1 Cartoon from Windy Wings, 1942……………………… 98 Figure 2 Cartoon from Windy Wings, 1942……………………… 97 Figure 3 Cartoon from Windy Wings, 1942……………………… 97 Figure 4 Miss Helen Cantwell, 1941 ……………………………… 128 vii List of Maps Map 1 Alberta BCATP Schools, 1940-1945…………………… 45 viii List of Abbreviations A/V/M or AVM Air Vice Marshall CFI Chief Flying Instructor C/O or CO Commanding Officer F/C or FC Flight Commander F/L or FL Flight Lieutenant F/O or FO Flying Officer P/O or PO Pilot Officer S/L or Sqn. Ldr Squadron Leader S/P or SP Sergeant Pilot W/C Wing Commander WD Women’s Division AOS Air Observer School B & G Bombing and Gunnery School EFTS Elementary Flying Training School FIS Flying Instructor School SFTS Service Flying Training School WAAF Women’s Auxiliary Air Force RAAF Royal Australian Air Force RAF Royal Air Force RCAF Royal Canadian Air Force RNZAF Royal New Zealand Air Force No. 5 EFTS Lethbridge July 22, 1940-June 1941 High River June 1941- December 15, 1944 No. 31 EFTS DeWinton June 18, 1941-September 25, 1944 No. 36 EFTS Pearce March 30, 1942-August 14, 1942 No. 7 SFTS Macleod December 9, 1940-December 1, 1944 June 9, 1941 -March 30 No. 15 SFTS Claresholm 1945 No. 19 SFTS Vulcan May 3, 1943-April 14, 1945 Medicine No. 34 SFTS Hat April 8, 1941-November 17, 1944 Pearce September 1942-June 6, No. 3 A.O.S. (from 1943 Regina) No. 8 B & G Lethbridge October 13, 1941-December 15, 1944 No. 2 FIS Vulcan August 3, 1943-May 1943 Pearce May 1943-January 20, 1945 ix Chapter One: The BCATP, Community and Sport in Southern Alberta In 1944 London, England was host to a football game between the United States Army Central Base Pirates and the Canadian Army Mustangs. The game was held at the White City Stadium, built for the 1908 London Summer Olympics. It was played following American rules in the first half and Canadian Rules for the second half. The Mustangs came out victorious in front of a packed house in a game that went in to the second half scoreless. 1 In Canada, similar games among military personnel were taking place in front of civilian crowds. Towards the end of October 1940 there was strife between the western and eastern football teams, due to variations in rules, the impacts of the war, and loss of players and money, which created a situation that was leading to the cancellation of the Grey Cup game. However, the president of the Sport Service League 2 in Canada saw an opportunity to raise some money for the war effort. He organized for two rugby games, one with western rules and the other under eastern rules, to take place between the East and West championship rugby (football) winners to determine who would be awarded the Grey Cup on November 20 and December 7 in Ontario. All of the surplus earnings from the game went towards the Canadian Soldiers Sports Fund. 3 Sport did not die during the war, but it did change. During the Second World War, Canada had the opportunity and responsibility of training the Allied air force under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) agreement established between Canada and Britain in 1939. The plan brought air force training schools to all parts of Canada. Seven Southern Alberta communities, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, Claresholm, Macleod, High River, Pearce, and Vulcan,