By the end of the Second World War, the BCATP had produced 131,553 aircrew, including pilots, wireless operators, air gunners, and navigators for the Air Forces of
Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
The final agreement- signed by Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand on 17 December 1939 - listed the percentage of trainees each country would send, the percentage of costs each would take on, the training schedule, and the aerodrome opening schedule. When the BCATP came to a close on 31 March 1945, the four participating govenments had spent $2.2 billion on the training plan, $1.6 billion of which was Canada's share. After the war, the Canadian government calculated that the UK owed Canada over $425 million - By March 1946, the Canadian government canceled Britain's debt, absobing the cost itself.
In Canada, an army of experst were assembled, airfields developed and equipment, including airplanes, had to be obtained. Between 1940 and 1945, some 151 schools had been established across Canada with a ground organization of 104,113 men and women.
Nationality of BCATP Graduates (1940 - 1945)
Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) 72,8355; Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) 9,606;
Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) 7,002; Royal Air Force (RAF) 42,110 - which included Poles (448), Norwegians (677), Belgian and Dutch (800), Czechs (900), Free French (2,600), and Naval Fleet Air Arm 5,296.
As an extra, by the end of the war, more than 3,750 RAF, RAAF, and RNZAF members found Canadian wives.
More reading at
Veterans Affairs Canada - Anciens Combattants Canada or
List of British Commonwealth Air Training Plan facilities in Canada - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
To you, Mike!