The Cadet Wing, like its younger and larger brother the School of Aeronautics, found shelter at its birth in buildings most kindly loaned by the University of Toronto. This was at the beginning of March, 1917.

Prior to this, all R.F.C. cadets recruited had been equipped, accommodated and generally looked after at Victoria College by the Canadian Officers Training Corps, of the University of Toronto. This unit, together with the School of Infantry of the District, continued for some weeks to ration the cadets, but during hours of parade they came under the Cadet Wing for instruction.

Already there were in existence the Recruits Depot, Stores Depot and “X” Squadron at Long Branch. Up to now there had been no tuition prior to flying, except such as could be given by the much overworked but extremely efficient 2nd Lt. in command at Long Branch.

The strength of the Cadet Wing was, to commence with, some 50 cadets, taken care of in ground instruction by 2 officers, 3 non-commissioned officer instructors and some two or three clerks. Lectures covered artillery observation, organization of troops, military law and such technicalities as rigging, engines, etc. It will, therefore, be seen that the two officers in charge were required to call upon the sum total of their knowledge and experience to discharge their official duties. The wing was fed direct by the recruiting office, since cadets did not at first pass through Recruits Depot.

Gunnery instruction was added shortly, though the wing was woefully deficient in suitable material. Simultaneously courses were organized, and a regular programme set on foot. Through the courtesy of the O.C. School of Musketry Military District No. 2, arrangements were made by which all cadets took a course in machine gunnery at Hart House, including range practice. A Curtiss machine was secured (a peculiarly massive aeroplane, discarded as impractical by the Curtiss Company), and though no mechanical power would have lifted it into the air, its bones served to illustrate the anatomy of the structure of which it was a prototype. There was also one Curtiss and one motor car engine. It will be noted that by now the wing had assumed the threefold function of a Cadet Wing proper, a School of Aeronautics and an Armament School.

As can be understood, the course was not of any set length. The passage of a cadet through the organization depended upon his capacity to learn, and the requirements of the flying units. The first graduates proceeded to Long Branch where, equipped with such tuition as time had afforded, they began flying at once. By the end of April, drafts were sent to Borden, where further ground instruction was now being given.

Further expansion came in May, and with it additional help from the University authorities. The splendid buildings of Burwash Hall were secured from Victoria College, and the commodious East Residence rented from the University of Toronto. It is difficult to say what would have been the progress of this work of the Corps, were it not for the constant consideration received from the President, Governors and Superintendent of the University.

With expansion, arrived also the need for some subdivision of duties. The Cadet Wing was too polyglot. It provided as much as humanly possible of everything, but not enough of anything. Came therefore the first demarcation between the Cadet Wing and the School of Military Aeronautics,—i.e. the junior and senior sections, though for official purposes of administration they were still unified. New instructional equipment arrived, and during May the strength of cadets rose to nearly 150.

Before passing on to later history, it is desired to give sincere and official recognition to the splendid work done at this early stage in spite of meagre facilities and an absurdly small staff. The difficulties encountered were many and serious. The wing was still in the throes of active service organization, but all eyes were turned to the output of cadets as the crux of the situation, and the means by which officers and men alike were to justify the programme then being worked out. The output has never failed, but at no period did it involve greater personal strain and effort than in these first two or three months of this unit’s existence.

On June the 11th, a staff of nine officers and thirty-eight men arrived from England to form officially the School of Aeronautics, and took over general instruction at the Cadet Wing prior to the final subdivision of the latter. This occurred on July 14th when the wing moved out to summer quarters at Long Branch which was then given up by “Y” Squadron as an aerodrome. Work continued with constantly increasing numbers, till the winter of 1917, when, on the departure of the 42nd and 43rd Wings for Texas, the unit divided itself between Borden and Mohawk for some six months. Here instruction continued without interruption till April 4th, 1918, on which date the two sections re-amalgamated at Long Branch, with a strength that now reached a staff of 200 officers and men and 900 cadets.

The formation of the Armament School in the early summer permitted the wing to cease elementary gunnery instruction and devote more time to drill, discipline and wireless, but it should be remembered that the Armament School was the logical expansion of work previously carried out at the Cadet Wing and School of Aeronautics.

In the summer of 1918, the wing was on the lines of an infantry battalion, with four squadrons and a headquarters company. Drill, physical training, wireless, topography and air force law were in the curriculum, but the essential and psychological duty of this unit was to impress on the new recruit those fundamental precepts of military discipline, honour and self respect on which his future career alone could be successfully based.

As to relaxation there was begun on July 18th an excellent monthly magazine, “The Cadet Wing Review,” which is second to none of similar publications. Local talent also conducted a theatre which was a veritable centre of attraction.

Through this summer, the average strength was 200 staff, and 1,100 cadets. To house them for the winter, large barracks had just been completed at the close of hostilities. The output of cadets of the unit will be noted by the graph on page 161.