Canadian Military History Volume 10 Issue 1 Article 3 2001 A Military Engima: The Canadian Air Service Company, 1948-1949 Bernd Horn Royal Military College of Canada Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh Part of the Military History Commons Recommended Citation Horn, Bernd "A Military Engima: The Canadian Air Service Company, 1948-1949." Canadian Military History 10, 1 (2001) This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Canadian Military History by an authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Horn: A Military Engima A Military Enigma The Canadian Special Air Service Company, 1948-1949 Bernd Horn he Canadian Special Air Service (SAS) of all arms of the service. Second, it was to T Company is truly a military enigma. Very few provide a small but highly trained and skilled people are aware of its short-lived existence. professional force which, in time of conflict, could Those who are normally have a misunder­ expand and train citizen soldiers who would fight standing of its origins and role, a misconception that war. 1 Within this framework paratroopers largely reinforced by the sparse and largely had limited relevance. Not surprisingly, few inaccurate material that has been written on the showed concern for the potential loss of Canada's subject. For example, most believe that it was hard-earned airborne experience. raised specifically to provide a commando capability within the Canadian Army immediately In the austere postwar climate of"minimum after the Second World War. peace-time obligations," the fate of Canada's airborne soldiers was dubious at best. 2 The The story of the Canadian SAS Company is training of new paratroopers at the Canadian actually surreptitious. The army originally Parachute Training Centre in Shilo had ceased packaged the sub-unit as a very benevolent as early as May 1945.3 The school itself faced a organization, centred on aid to the civil authority tenuous future. Its survival hung in the air and assistance to the general public. Once pending the final decision on the structure of the established, however, a fundamental and post-war army. contentious shift in its orientation became evident -one that was never fully resolved prior to the Nevertheless, the parachute school, largely sub-unit's demise. With time, myths, often on its own initiative, worked to keep abreast of enough repeated, took on the essence of fact. airborne developments and attempted to perpetuate the links with American and British The cessation of hostilities in the spring of airborne units which had been forged in the 1945, not only brought the Second World War to Second World War. The efforts of individuals such an end, but also closed the chapter on Canada's as Major George Flint, the Commanding Officer premiere airborne unit, the First Canadian of the airborne training centre, became Parachute Battalion. The paratroop unit was instrumental in maintaining a degree of airborne formally disbanded on 30 September 1945, and expertise. He selectively culled the ranks of the no immediate plans were made for its disbanding 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion and replacement. The long costly global struggle had chose the best from the pool of personnel who taken its toll and a debt-ridden and war-weary had decided to remain in the Active Force to act government was intent on a post-war army which as instructors and staff for his training was anything but extravagant. establishment. "No one knew what we were supposed to do," recalled Lieutenant Bob Firlotte, Notwithstanding the military's achievements one of the individuals hand-picked to serve at during the war, the Canadian government had the training centre, "and we received absolutely but two requirements for its peacetime army. no direction from Army Headquarters. "4 First, it was to consist of a representative group However, Flint and his staff filled the vacuum. ©Canadian Military History, Volume 10. Number l, Winter 2001, pp.2l-30. 21 Published by Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 2001 1 Canadian Military History, Vol. 10 [2001], Iss. 1, Art. 3 Paratroopers exiting a C-47 Dakota. into cold weather conditions. Canada seemed to be the ideal intermediary for both needs. 7 It was not lost on the Canadians that cooperation with its closest defence partners would allow Canada to benefit from an exchange of information on the latest defence developments and doctrine. For the airborne advocates, a test facility was not a parachute unit, but it would allow the Canadian military to stay in the game. During the interim period, NDHQ considered various configurations for an airborne research and development centre and/or parachute training school. In the end, for the sake of efficiency of manpower and resources, National Defence Headquarters decided that both entities should be incorporated into a single Canadian Joint Army I Air Training Centre. As a result, on 15 August 1947, military headquarters authorized the formation of the Joint Air School (JAS), in Rivers, Manitoba.8 For the airborne advocates the JAS became the "foot in the door." The military command now entrusted the Joint Air School with the retention of skills required for airborne operations, for both the Army and the RCAF. Its specific mandate Lieutenant Ken Arril, the Officer Commanding included: the Technical Tactical Investigation Section (TTIS) in 1945-1946, stated that he was a. Research in Airportability of Army primarily focussed on making contacts and personnel and equipment. keeping up-to-date with the latest airborne b. User Trials of equipment, especially under developments.5 These prescient efforts were soon cold weather conditions. to be rewarded. c. Limited Development and Assessment of Airborne equipment. The perpetuation of links with Canada's d. Training of Paratroop volunteers; training closest allies, as well as the importance of staying in Airportability of personnel and abreast of the latest tactical developments in equipment; training in maintenance of air; advanced training of Glider pilots in modern warfare, specifically air-transportability, exercises with troops; training in some of provided the breath of life that Flint and other the uses of light aircraft.9 airborne advocates were looking for. A 194 7 National Defence Headquarters (NDHQ) study More important, the JAS, which was later revealed that British peacetime policy was based officially renamed the Canadian Joint Air on training and equipping all infantry formations Training Centre (CJATC), provided the seed from to be air-transportable. 6 Furthermore, closer which airborne organizations could grow. 10 discussions ascertained that both the Americans and the British would welcome an Airborne Once the permanent structure of the army Establishment in Canada that would be capable was established in 194 7, the impetus for of"filling in the gaps in their knowledge." These expanding the airborne capability began to stir "gaps" included the problem of standardization within the Joint Air School. The growth of equipment between Britain and the United manifested itself in a proposal supported by States, and the need for experimental research Army Headquarters in Ottawa, in May 194 7, for 22 https://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh/vol10/iss1/3 2 Horn: A Military Engima a Canadian Special Air Service (SAS) Company. 11 In September 194 7, the Director of Weapons This organization was to be an integral sub-unit and Development forwarded the request for the of the Army component of the JAS. Its purpose new organization to the Deputy Chief of the was defined in June of the same year as filling a General Staff. This submission affixed two need to perform Army, inter-service, and public additional roles to the SAS Company. One was duties such as Army I Air tactical research and "public service in the event of a national development; demonstrations to assist with catastrophe." The other was the "provision of a Army I Air training; Airborne Firefighting; Search nucleus for expansion into parachute battalions." and Rescue; and Aid to the Civil PowerY~ Its Despite the additional duties, the memorandum development, however, proved to be very reinforced that "This [SAS] Company is required surreptitious. immediately for training as it is these troops who will provide the manpower for the large The initial proposal prescribed a clearly programme of test and development that must defined role. The Army, which sponsored the be carried out by the Tactical Research and establishment of the fledgling organization, Development Wing." It further outlined the portrayed the SAS Company's inherent mobility requirement for the SAS Company to "provide as a definite asset to the public at large for the demonstration team for all demonstrations domestic operations. A military appreciation within and outside the School."17 Once again there eloquently expressed the benefit of the unique was no emphasis on a special forces or war­ sub-unit in terms of its potential benefit to the fighting orientation. country. It explained that the specially trained company would provide an "efficient life and However, "mission creep" began to appear in property saving organization capable of moving late October 194 7. Embedded in an assessment from its base to any point in Canada in ten to of potential benefits that the proposed Canadian fifteen hours. "13 The official DND Report for 1948, SAS Company could provide to the army was an reinforced this sentiment. Its rationale for the entirely new idea hitherto unmentioned. "The establishment of the SAS Company was the formation of a SAS Company," the report cooperation "with the R.C.A.F. in the air search­ explained, "is in line with British Army Air Group rescue duties required by the International Civil post war plans; whereby the SAS is being retained Aviation Organization agreement."14 as a small group integrated within the Airborne Division.