138:
59:
43:
154:
220:. Wilson hired civilian pilots of widely different backgrounds and nationalities to fly the aircraft to the UK. Because the planes were now being flown on their own, each aircraft required specially trained navigators and radio operators. These crews were then brought back by ships in convoys. "Atfero hired the pilots, planned the routes, selected the airports set up weather and radiocommunication stations."
287:'s main task was the ferrying of U.S. and Canadian built aircraft across the Atlantic. It also administered trans-Atlantic passenger and freight services. The group still retained responsibility for Atlantic aircraft ferrying operations, but Transport Command was a worldwide formation, rather than a single-mission command. Bowhill became the first commander of Transport Command.
262:
This was pioneering work. Before Ferry
Command, only about a hundred aircraft had attempted a North Atlantic crossing in good weather, and only about half had made it. Over the course of the war, more than 9,000 aircraft were individually ferried across the ocean and the aircraft played a significant
317:
In summer 1945, 45 Group included No. 112 (North
Atlantic) Wing at Dorval, with 231 Squadron, 5 Aircraft Preparation Unit, 6 Ferry Unit all at Dorval; 6 APU at Bermuda; 313 Ferry Training Unit at North Bay; and RAF Station Reykjavik with the RAF Hospital there and No. 9 Mechanical Transport Company.
258:
of new aircraft from factory to operational unit. Ferry
Command originally did this over only one northern area of the world, rather than the more general routes that Transport Command later developed, including routes over the jungles of South America and Africa and the deserts of North Africa and
259:
the Middle East. Ferry
Command's operational area was initially the North Atlantic, and its responsibility was to bring the larger aircraft that had the range to do the trip over the ocean, with the addition of extra fuel tanks, from American and Canadian factories to the RAF home commands.
201:, to provide ground facilities and support. MAP would discreetly provide civilian crews and management. Previously, aircraft had been assembled, dismantled and then transported by ship across the Atlantic, and were subject to long delays and frequent attacks by German U-Boats.
235:
for the trans-Atlantic flight. The organization was passed to Air
Ministry administration, though retaining civilian pilots, some of whom were Americans, alongside RAF and RCAF pilots, navigators and radio operators. The crews were briefed by local meteorologists including
338:(CBC) four-hour mini-series, was inspired by the true story of RAF Ferry Command, recounting the delivery of aircraft across the North Atlantic to the Royal Air Force. The film concludes with the departure of Don Bennett and the handover of control to RAF Command. The
212:, led the first test delivery formation flight in November 1940. The mission was so successful that by 1941, MAP took the operation out of the hands of CPR to put it under the Atlantic Ferry Organization ("Atfero") which was set up by
117:
urgently needed aircraft from their place of manufacture in the United States and Canada, to the front line operational units in
Britain, Europe, North Africa and the Middle East during the Second World War.
752:
747:
742:
321:
By the end of the war, crossing the
Atlantic had become an almost routine operation, presaging the inauguration of scheduled commercial air transport services after the war.
310:
as its
British terminal. Other flights were flown with landplanes, using several of the types available to No. 45 Group as required. In September 1945 the squadron moved to
137:
173:
to the rear of photo, which were flown there from United States factories to be tested prior to acceptance by the Air
Ministry and delivery across the Atlantic.
243:
Ferry
Command was formed on 20 July 1941, by the raising of the RAF Atlantic Ferry Service to Command status. Its commander for its whole existence was
711:
679:
641:
477:
405:
737:
660:
335:
263:
role in the outcome of the war. This was accomplished without the use of radar by specially trained navigators who primarily used
355:
198:
712:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/File:Royal_Air_Force_Coastal_Command-_No._247_Group_Operations_in_the_Azores,_1943-1945._CA138.jpg
433:
186:
145:
B Mark VI on arriving at Celone, Italy, after a ferry flight from Canada. Likely in the first months of 1944, as this is when
126:
330:
158:
110:
72:
633:
343:
178:
169:
during World War II. This base was used throughout the war for trans-Atlantic ferrying of flying boats such as the
240:. After completing delivery, crews were eventually flown back to Canada, returning to Dorval for their next run.
170:
385:
587:
232:
544:
722:
342:
is the primary aircraft portrayed in the mini-series, in the form of a real-life example alongside numerous
194:
58:
142:
620:
Atlantic Bridge: the Official Account of RAF Transport Command's Ocean Ferry, HM Stationery Office, 1945
493:
276:
174:
122:
574:
291:
264:
716:
416:
450:
675:
656:
637:
473:
390:
248:
244:
162:
442:
284:
280:
209:
190:
146:
339:
107:
62:
696:
626:
307:
224:
208:, a specialist in long distance flying and later Air Vice Marshal and commander of the
47:
42:
153:
731:
454:
410:
299:
213:
255:
185:
The practice of ferrying aircraft from US manufacturers to the UK was begun by the
114:
92:
82:
523:
205:
446:
237:
228:
700:
431:
Davis, Jeffrey (January 1985). "ATFERO: The Atlantic Ferry Organization".
217:
552:
311:
166:
295:
595:
298:, Canada, from No. 45 Group Communications Squadron. The squadron's
303:
152:
141:
A mixed service and civilian crew of No. 45 Group RAF leave their
136:
717:
https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-2RAF-c13.html
302:
operated between North America, West Africa and the UK, using
251:. Dorval, near Montreal, continued as its base of operations.
545:"Flying the Secret Sky: The Story of the RAF Ferry Command"
701:"Some Aspects of the Royal Air Force Transport Command"
655:. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd.
279:
on 25 March 1943 by being reduced to Group status as
753:
Military units and formations disestablished in 1943
470:
Boeing B-17 Fortress in RAF Coastal Command Service
88:
78:
68:
53:
36:
28:
23:
625:
415:
193:, a Canadian by origin, reached an agreement with
748:Military units and formations established in 1941
743:Ferry units and formations of the Royal Air Force
528:Air of Authority ā A History of RAF Organisation
628:Ocean Bridge: The History of RAF Ferry Command
181:in the foreground) also utilised the airfield.
8:
524:"RAF Home Commands formed between 1939ā1957"
254:The main function of Ferry Command was the
314:, where it disbanded on 15 January 1946.
624:Christie, Carl A.; Hatch, F. J. (1995).
275:Ferry Command was subsumed into the new
539:
537:
406:"World War In the Air: One Way Airline"
372:
380:
378:
376:
20:
517:
515:
513:
511:
125:on 25 March 1943 by being reduced to
16:Former command of the Royal Air Force
7:
674:. Mississauga: Winston Manor Press.
177:flights (such as those flown by the
705:The Empire Club of Canada Addresses
271:Reduction in status to No. 45 Group
223:Aircraft were first transported to
121:It was later subsumed into the new
14:
670:Biss RCAF Ret., F/L E.E. (2005).
592:Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
549:VanDerKloot Film & Television
414:. 20 October 1941. Archived from
336:Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
227:near Montreal, and then flown to
149:was re-equipping with Liberators.
356:List of Royal Air Force commands
199:Canadian Pacific Railway Company
57:
41:
472:. Mushroom Model Publications.
434:Journal of Contemporary History
197:, a friend and chairman of the
187:Ministry of Aircraft Production
1:
504:(1719): eāg. 4 December 1941.
24:Royal Air Force Ferry Command
386:"Ferrying Aircraft Overseas"
281:No 45 (Atlantic Ferry) Group
634:University of Toronto Press
769:
707:. Toronto, Canada: 96ā114.
653:The Source Book of the RAF
447:10.1177/002200948502000104
113:formed on 20 July 1941 to
32:20 July 1941ā25 March 1943
468:Stitt, Robert M. (2010).
738:Royal Air Force commands
575:Ocean Bridge, Appendix C
551:. 2008. Archived from
182:
150:
143:Consolidated Liberator
300:Coronado flying boats
290:On 8 September 1944,
175:RAF Transport Command
156:
140:
588:"Above & Beyond"
565:Halley 1988, p. 299.
292:No. 231 Squadron RAF
699:(4 November 1943).
651:Delve, Ken (1994).
229:RCAF Station Gander
204:Former RAF officer
555:on 12 August 2013.
183:
151:
106:was the secretive
681:978-0-9869660-0-2
643:978-0-8020-8131-5
598:on 12 August 2007
479:978-8-38945-088-3
420:on 5 August 2009.
391:Juno Beach Centre
277:Transport Command
249:Frederick Bowhill
245:Air Chief Marshal
195:Sir Edward Beatty
163:Imperial fortress
123:Transport Command
104:RAF Ferry Command
98:
97:
83:Aircraft delivery
760:
708:
685:
666:
647:
631:
608:
607:
605:
603:
594:. Archived from
584:
578:
572:
566:
563:
557:
556:
541:
532:
531:
519:
506:
505:
494:"Atlantic Ferry"
490:
484:
483:
465:
459:
458:
428:
422:
421:
419:
402:
396:
395:
394:. 31 March 2014.
382:
331:Above and Beyond
285:No. 45 Group RAF
214:Morris W. Wilson
210:Pathfinder force
191:Lord Beaverbrook
189:. Its minister,
159:Darrell's Island
147:31 Squadron SAAF
61:
46:
45:
21:
768:
767:
763:
762:
761:
759:
758:
757:
728:
727:
697:Marix, R. L. G.
695:
692:
682:
672:Yesterday's Sky
669:
663:
650:
644:
623:
617:
612:
611:
601:
599:
586:
585:
581:
573:
569:
564:
560:
543:
542:
535:
522:Barrass, M. B.
521:
520:
509:
492:
491:
487:
480:
467:
466:
462:
430:
429:
425:
404:
403:
399:
384:
383:
374:
369:
364:
352:
340:Lockheed Hudson
327:
273:
135:
108:Royal Air Force
101:
63:Royal Air Force
40:
17:
12:
11:
5:
766:
764:
756:
755:
750:
745:
740:
730:
729:
726:
725:
720:
714:
709:
691:
690:External links
688:
687:
686:
680:
667:
661:
648:
642:
621:
616:
613:
610:
609:
579:
567:
558:
533:
507:
485:
478:
460:
423:
397:
371:
370:
368:
365:
363:
360:
359:
358:
351:
348:
326:
323:
308:Firth of Clyde
272:
269:
225:Dorval Airport
216:, a banker in
134:
131:
99:
96:
95:
90:
86:
85:
80:
76:
75:
70:
66:
65:
55:
51:
50:
48:United Kingdom
38:
34:
33:
30:
26:
25:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
765:
754:
751:
749:
746:
744:
741:
739:
736:
735:
733:
724:
723:Ferry Command
721:
718:
715:
713:
710:
706:
702:
698:
694:
693:
689:
683:
677:
673:
668:
664:
662:1-85310-451-5
658:
654:
649:
645:
639:
635:
630:
629:
622:
619:
618:
614:
597:
593:
589:
583:
580:
576:
571:
568:
562:
559:
554:
550:
546:
540:
538:
534:
529:
525:
518:
516:
514:
512:
508:
503:
499:
495:
489:
486:
481:
475:
471:
464:
461:
456:
452:
448:
444:
440:
436:
435:
427:
424:
418:
413:
412:
407:
401:
398:
393:
392:
387:
381:
379:
377:
373:
366:
361:
357:
354:
353:
349:
347:
345:
341:
337:
333:
332:
324:
322:
319:
315:
313:
309:
305:
301:
297:
293:
288:
286:
282:
278:
270:
268:
266:
260:
257:
252:
250:
246:
241:
239:
234:
230:
226:
221:
219:
215:
211:
207:
202:
200:
196:
192:
188:
180:
176:
172:
168:
164:
160:
155:
148:
144:
139:
132:
130:
128:
124:
119:
116:
112:
109:
105:
100:Military unit
94:
91:
87:
84:
81:
77:
74:
71:
67:
64:
60:
56:
52:
49:
44:
39:
35:
31:
27:
22:
19:
704:
671:
652:
627:
615:Bibliography
600:. Retrieved
596:the original
591:
582:
570:
561:
553:the original
548:
527:
501:
497:
488:
469:
463:
441:(1): 71ā97.
438:
432:
426:
417:the original
409:
400:
389:
329:
328:
320:
316:
294:reformed at
289:
274:
261:
253:
242:
233:Newfoundland
222:
203:
184:
120:
103:
102:
93:World War II
18:
632:. Toronto:
206:Don Bennett
89:Engagements
732:Categories
362:References
334:(2006), a
238:R. E. Munn
455:162187889
346:Hudsons.
267:methods.
265:celestial
179:Coronados
171:Catalinas
719:- NZ ETC
350:See also
325:In media
256:ferrying
218:Montreal
129:status.
602:15 July
312:Bermuda
306:on the
167:Bermuda
161:in the
133:History
111:command
73:Command
37:Country
678:
659:
640:
498:Flight
476:
453:
296:Dorval
54:Branch
29:Active
451:S2CID
367:Notes
304:Largs
127:Group
115:ferry
676:ISBN
657:ISBN
638:ISBN
604:2010
474:ISBN
411:Time
247:Sir
157:RAF
79:Role
69:Type
443:doi
344:CGI
231:in
165:of
734::
703:.
636:.
590:.
547:.
536:^
526:.
510:^
502:XL
500:.
496:.
449:.
439:20
437:.
408:.
388:.
375:^
283:.
684:.
665:.
646:.
606:.
577:.
530:.
482:.
457:.
445::
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
