Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum & RCAF WWII Memorial

A Few of My Favourite Things

This post is by summer student worker Seraphina. This is their third summer with us. Seraphina is a recent Music School graduate (Brandon University) and will soon be heading to Ottawa at the end of summer to do a Masters program at Carleton University.

This is my final summer at the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum after three years of working here and it has been a very eventful period of my life. I have done a variety of different things while here such as working the front desk, archival maintenance and cataloguing, and responding to a large number of research requests. I have also researched and designed an exhibit for the CATP Museum (hopefully to be developed soon) as the final project for one of my senior history courses at Brandon University. I’ve also mowed the lawn — once. They haven’t asked me to do it since, so clearly, lawncare is not my strong suit; I tend to gravitate towards work that keeps me inside and relatively clean. Though, that being said, I have been known to crawl under vehicles and aircraft from time to time. I have done a little bit of everything while here, but there are few things in particular that hold a special place in my heart.

One of my favourite parts of my job is getting to be a tour guide. I enjoy working with and am comfortable touring around any age group; I remember once having to tour a kindergarten class and then turn around and tour a retirement home afterwards. That being said, I’ve always enjoyed touring young kids the most. There’s always a level of excitement and child-like wonder that you can’t find anywhere else. I love answering questions too, and kids, well, they have lots of them. There’s plenty to see in the museum but touring in the hangar is almost always a little bit magical in a way. Kids are absolutely fascinated by the planes and love to learn about the differences between the aircraft. From the Tiger Moth to the Harvard and even to our Hurricane, there is always something exciting to learn about. The best part though, is telling kids that some of our planes still fly. It just completely blows their minds, sometimes they don’t even believe me. It’s always such a joy.

And the fact that the planes still fly, is one of my other favourite parts of the job. Every couple of weeks in the summer the museum offers rides to the public in some of our airworthy aircraft. We have pilots and ground crew who volunteer their precious time to come and work with our planes, simply because they love it. They work together to make an unforgettable experience for those who come to sit in hour planes. During these days, I’ve gotten the opportunity to help with work behind the scenes managing bookings and the schedule, as well as with waivers and other general organization. Typically, I try to do everything in my power to make the crew’s lives easier and to make the day run smoother. It may not come with the same glory as actually flying one of the planes but I’m more than happy to help out where I can. It means a lot to me that I’m able to help get our passengers up in the air. Seeing the joy on their face when they come back through the museum after a flight is more than fulfilling enough for me.

On July 1^st this year, on top of offering rides, a few of our planes also participated in Canada Day fly pasts, both at Winnipeg Beach and here in Brandon. I was doing my usual work until it was mentioned to me that there was an extra seat in our Harvard Mk. II during Brandon’s fly past. I was told that it was taking off in twenty minutes and I had the choice on whether or not I wanted to go. Obviously I said yes. Truthfully, during my time here the Harvard hasn’t interested me all that much. While I do talk about it during my tours, I mainlt use it to discuss the uses of mounted gun cameras during the war, since the Harvard was equipped with the system. While I don’t want to undermine what truly an incredible plane the Harvard is, I’ve just always felt more drawn to some of our other aircraft like the Tiger Moth. Still, I said yes. I’ve never had the opportunity to go in one of our planes before and I absolutely wasn’t going to turn it up.

The CATPM’s Harvard (with Sera aboard) during the July 1 Canada Day Flyover.

The Harvard returns from a flight on July 1, 2026.

After a very quick safety briefing I was strapped into the plane for take off. Immediately I was so captivated by the internal pulley systems moving inside of the plane, that I didn’t even bother to look out through the canopy. I’ve always described these planes as giant marionettes and after finally the plane in action, I was happy to finally know that my descriptor was accurate. I’ve always loved roller-coasters and G-Forces, so I had no issue with the take-off or flight itself. If anything, I actually found the experience somewhat relaxing. Most of the time I was up there, I was completely fixated on the beautiful view around me. I grew up in Rivers and so Brandon was always the “big city” for me growing up. Although I’ve only actually started living here in recent years (and will be moving away soon), Brandon always has and always will hold a special place in my heart. I’ve explored so much of the city by foot on the ground and so it was incredible to get to see a birds eye view of it.

It was a really incredible opportunity for the chance to get out the office for a bit and take a ride in our Harvard. All of our planes are beautiful, and I would’ve been happy to ride in any of them, but I am really happy it worked out the way it did. Prior to getting inside that plane, I didn’t have any connection to it, but when I stepped out of it, that had all changed. It was now the plane that showed me home in a brand new light; it also gave me almost a sense of closure just before I have to move at the end of the summer. I get to see and talk to everyone after they get back from their rides, and I’ve seen the many different emotions and reactions that came from it — most typically excitement and exhilaration. For me, it was just this deep feeling of peace and calm. Then, after we landed, it was right back to work doing exactly what I love to do. Just like that, an aircraft that was once just one of many in our collection to me, became something that I will forever hold close to my heart.

Sera’s view on her special flight in the Harvard!

Ron Mallet & His Accordion

This post, his second for us, was written by Rory M., one of our summer students. Rory is a Music major at Brandon University.

Note: This article was posted originally last year, however, it is being re-posted with a correction.

Musical instruments across the world carry memories of their players, and the history that they have endured. As a musician myself for most of my life I have always been amazed especially by the story of the instruments in my family; including my 1926 Markneukirchen church violin that was used through the war in a German church near the Czechia border, the 1955 King 3B trombone that was produced and later refurbished by the H.N. White Company in Cleveland Ohio, 1964 Fiddle that belonged to my great-grandfather who played in dance bands across Manitoba, and my great-uncle Malcolm’s Manhattan trumpet, that was transported back to my family following his death in the RCAF as a navigator in 1943.

Another instrument that always caught my eye during my time thus far as a summer student was the accordion in the personal item section of the main gallery. The accordion is a beautiful work of art and identifiable of Italian origin, and the only identifying information surrounding the accordion is “Soprani”, and an archival tag for our museum. While some staff had an idea of the origin of the instrument and the story of the gentleman who owned it during the war, there was no clear consensus on the exact owner. Following a search in the archives we were able to obtain a series of letters sent in the span of 1941-1942, by RCAF Pilot Officer Ronald Mallett.

His instrument, an E Soprani Accordion is a brand of accordion founded in 1910 in the central Italian town of Castelfidardo. These instruments quickly gained an excellent reputation before the war for their quality of tone and high standard of workmanship. The same traditional production techniques of these instruments have been handed down through the generations of master instrument makers, and are made largely the same in 2025 as they were in the 30s when Ronald would have purchased his instrument. Today, these instruments are still produced in Castelfidardo.

Ronald Mallett was born on October 8th, 1919 in Elkhorn, Manitoba to parents Fred and Agnes, and had three siblings, Amy, Albert, and Clifford. Following his secondary education at Elkhorn Collegiate, he attended the Chicago School of Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, where he later found employment at the Canada Car and Foundry in Fort William, ON. Ron was working in Fort William until joining the Canadian Army, where he served and trained in Shilo from March to June of 1941. His service in the army then ended when he transferred to the RCAF and began right here in Brandon; attending #2 Manning Depot in Brandon beginning on June 27th, 1941. He is in fact in Jack Taylor’s Barbers Book in the CATPM’s main gallery (see previous blog post on August 30th, 2024), in which he is on page 59 of book 1. Another connection that Ronald has to our museum is that he flew in both the Fairey Battle and Avro Anson, two aircraft that are either in progress or on static display in the CATPM. Following his time in Brandon, Mallett then attended Initial Training School (ITS) in Edmonton where I found a first confirmation of his playing of his accordion, in a letter to his sister Amy.

“Thanks for the sheet of music, It arrived today and I’ll practice it tonight. I have been playing it by ear, but this will help me correct my mistakes. If I continue to get chances to practice at the next station I am going to have a lot of nice pieces to play for you and Joyce to dance to. I bought a book of swell tunes at Saskatoon and have spent quite a little time on them. Yes, I play from taps, also the Boys Good-bye, Apple Blossom Time, Good-bye Dear, I’ll Be Back in a Year, and a few more of the popular ones.”

(Ron Mallet, November 4th, 1941, to sister Amy Forsyth, ITS in Edmonton, AB)

The sheet music for “Apple Blossom Time” by the Andrews Sisters; a popular singing group of the swing era, can be found in the personal items case along with the accordion, and prior to the letters we found, we were not aware that the two items were related to the same man! Following ITS in Edmonton, Mallett attended training in Saskatoon (Secondary Flying Training School), Portage (Air Observer School), and made his final stop in Canadian air training in Canada, at Paulson MB’s Bombing and Gunnery School.

“On the Wed. night of the final week at Portage, we had our Flight Party and it was a huge success. I chorded and led the tunes for the sing-songs and certainly enjoyed myself. The C.O. cracked down and gave us all a surprise by leading much of the singing as well as giving us a few choice English solos.”

(Ron Mallett, February 23rd, 1942, to Family, B&G School in Paulson, MB)

While the extent of Ron’s accordion performance in the RCAF was not formally sponsored, I was able to observe from his letters that his accordion was an avenue for recreation, relaxation, and collective enjoyment among other service members. Ron also had other expertise on other instruments and played both harmonica as well as piano on some of the bases in which he trained. Following the completion of his training, Ron headed overseas to England, where he finished his training in various English sites, including a Personnel Reception Center in Bournemouth, and an Operational Training Unit in Wellesbourne.

In his letters during this period, Mallett speaks of greater free time after his training for recreation and enjoyment. Throughout this time in England, he spent his day meeting new people through various dances (including mentions of meeting a 22-year-old nurse with whom he attended many) as well as watching films in theatres throughout his time in England. One question, however, remained as months in England passed; how come there is no reference to him playing any accordion in dances or his free time on base? Following further reading of letters home for many months, clarification was provided in a letter dated August 7th, 1942, about three months before his passing.

“Sadly I’d like to be home this weekend to spend the day and morrow with you folk, and the night. Just to get my hands on that accordion again, would be quite a thrill in itself especially at this station where we quite have a couple of hours in the evening.”

This provided the way that Ron Mallett’s accordion ended up in the hands of the CATPM; it was sent back to Elkhorn to his family following his training in Canada. While we assumed that similarly to my great-uncle’s trumpet it was shipped home following his passing, it never left Canada. Following this letter, Ron spent the remainder of his time preparing for action in various training units, and passed away in a mission over Wellesbourne along with two other Canadians in a Wellington Mark III, on November 30th, 1942. Mallet was posthumously promoted to Flying Officer and was honoured by his Group Captain Commanding as the “very finest type of young man upon whom we are relying to win the war, and I need hardly tell you that he was extremely popular with everyone here. His keenness on his job and his enthusiasm for everything he took in hand were most marked.”

The most important lesson that I draw from the observation of artifacts in the museum is to remember that while every artifact portrays a part of the larger whole of war, they are additionally remnants of young people who grew up in our communities. As we remember the stories of artifacts like the accordion and young men like Ronald Mallett, it is important to remember just as Romanian-American holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel offered, “When you listen to a witness, you become a witness.” The further that we are removed in time from conflicts that affected our history and the freedoms that we observe today, we must not grow desensitized from the tragedy of war; especially as we see hatred and disregard for human life in many ways across the globe. I am grateful for the opportunity to observe history under the access of the CATPM, additional thanks to mallettfamilyhistory.org, for clarifying certain details of his life.

Mandates and Serial Plates

This post is by our summer student, Seraphina. Sera has been with us 3 summers now and is heading to Ottawa at the end of summer to do a Masters program at Carleton University. She has written several blog posts for us over the past 2 years.

When it comes to museums, the primary focus is often on the artifacts in both the public exhibits and in the archives. What kind of artifacts? How many? How old? The questions go on and on. I know whenever I go to a museum, it’s the artifacts that I look forward to seeing the most (I often also try to get tours of the archives when I can). Every museum is different and their collections are all determined by their mandate — this is the museum’s purpose; it explains why the museum exists and what it collects. Mandates can be broad or specific, or anywhere in between, and here at the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum we have a very explicit mandate. While a full explanation can be found on our website, generally, our mandate can be summed up to the following: We collect and preserve objects with a direct relation to the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan between the years of 1939 and 1945.

We collect and preserve objects with a direct relation to the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan between the years of 1939 and 1945.

Like most museums, what you see in our galleries is only a small fraction of what we’ve actually collected. We have fairly extensive archives and we’re receiving new donations almost daily. Many of these donations are done through direct communication with the museum and through that we’re able to get an understanding of that object’s history. So when we receive these items, we already know that they fit our mandate. Sometimes, however, we receive a few wayward donations — objects mysteriously dropped at our door. When this happens, we have to do some research in order to be sure that they’re related to our museum. If they fit, we take them, if not, we reach out to find a museum or archive that can. Similarly, we find old items from the museum’s early days stashed away in storage and they need to be re-catalogued according to our modern standards. When this occurs, like with our mystery donations, we do some background research in order to determine if it’s something our museum should keep.

Sometimes this process is as simple as looking at the date on a letter, other times the process is much more complicated. It’s especially so when it comes to old machinery and power equipment. Doing the background research on some of the equipment is one of the ways I’ve helped out around the museum. Originally, during my first summer here, I was tasked with doing some research on our ground vehicles in order to make sure that our signage was up to date. This project not only piqued my interest, but it sparked my love of historical research. While doing this work, I started to become very familiar with not only Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs), but with various forms of serial number/identification plates and how to research them. It was a great introductory project, though I would love to go back and have the chance to re-do it with all the new information that I’ve learned since.

The Museum’s 1942 International Fire Truck

It was during my second summer at the museum that I was first tasked with researching one of our mysterious machines — an antique portable generator. Nobody knew anything about the machine, except what it was, and they wanted me to determine if it was related to the BCATP or for that matter, even war era. What’s tricky about researching these old machines, is that there aren’t any manuals or online databases you can use to look up serial numbers like with modern equipment. Another difficult part is that the companies that manufactured these objects often don’t exist anymore, or they’ve been renamed. This makes it so that you have to determine the year of the object, not from the object itself but from the context clues hidden around it. For this portable generator, it was the history of the manufacturer that provided me with the information I needed.

I initially started with the primary identification plate, and while I went down many other unnecessary rabbit holes (it was my first time after all), this plate provided me with all that I needed in the end. For some strange reason, my first instinct was to look into the battery system described on the plate. While I couldn’t find much concrete evidence, I was roughly able to determine that 12 volt battery systems didn’t become commonplace in machines like this until after the war. Though it wasn’t enough information to completely write off the machine as post-war, it did start to raise some flags. After that, the next place I looked was much more logical — the manufacturing information on the bottom of the plate. This generator was manufactured by the Fairbanks-Morse company so that it could be sold by D.W. Onan & Sons, so I began looking for the connection between these two companies. I was able to find a short book on the history of D.W. Onan & Sons and in there it stated that these two companies did not begin collaborating until just after the war. This means it was not possible for the generator to be war-era or related to the BCATP.

From here, it was time to think about the next steps. This generator did not fit our museum, so we couldn’t keep it. It wasn’t functional and it was very unlikely that another museum would be willing to take it. So, I had to make the unfortunate, but surprisingly common suggestion that the generator be scrapped for parts. This side of museums and archives is often very rarely discussed, but sometimes not everything is worth keeping. A large part of archivists’ jobs is to destroy objects that do not have a proper home and no longer provide value. Sometimes the best way to make sure things are properly preserved is to get rid of other objects taking up space. Of course, the destruction of objects is used as a last resort, but that does not change the fact that sometimes it is a necessity; such as with this generator. While it is important to preserve our past, we cannot hoard memories. When it comes to museums, the artifacts and objects they collect are one of the main driving forces. Plenty of work and research goes into the exhibits that our guests see, but almost just as much invisible work happens behind the scenes. This is true for us here at the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum and it’s true for every other museum around the world. These kinds of tasks take both people and time, so if you’re ever interested in volunteering to help with this side of our museum, we would be more than happy to welcome you to our team.

Stephen Hayter Retiring

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum Honours Stephen Hayter Following 27 Years of Leadership

Brandon, Manitoba – After 27 years of dedicated service, Stephen Hayter, Executive Director of the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum (CATPM), will retire at the end of June, concluding an extraordinary career devoted to safeguarding Canada’s aviation heritage.

Since joining the Museum in 1999 as its first full-time Executive Director, Hayter has helped transform CATPM from a volunteer-led organization into a nationally recognized museum while remaining true to its founding mission of sharing and honouring the history and legacy of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.

Under his leadership, the Museum expanded its educational programming, strengthened community partnerships, grew its collections, advanced major fundraising and capital initiatives, and welcomed visitors from across Canada and around the world. Hayter also played a key role in the creation of the RCAF WWII Memorial Wall, ensuring the service and sacrifice of thousands of Canadians and Commonwealth aircrew will continue to be remembered for generations.

“Stephen’s contribution to the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum has been extraordinary,” said Ken Dzogan, President of the Board of Directors at CATPM. “For more than a quarter century, his passion, dedication, and steady leadership have ensured one of Canada’s most important wartime stories continues to be shared with future generations. On behalf of the Board, our volunteers, staff, members, and supporters, I want to thank Stephen for his remarkable service and wish him every happiness in his retirement.”

Stephen Hayter at a desk in his office — Stephen in his Office

Stephen showing the RCAF WWII Memorial Wall

Stephen (left) with the Mayor of Brandon, Jeff Fawcett in front of the Anson.

Reflecting on his career, Hayter said:

“It has been an incredible privilege to serve the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum and to work alongside so many dedicated volunteers, staff, supporters, and community members. The stories preserved here are more than history-they remind us of courage, service, innovation, and the importance of remembering. I know the Museum’s future is bright, and I look forward to watching it continue to grow.”

The Board of Directors, staff, volunteers, and members extend their sincere gratitude to Stephen Hayter for his 27 years of service, vision, and unwavering commitment. His legacy will continue to be reflected not only in the Museum’s aircraft and collections, but in the thousands of visitors, students, volunteers, and supporters whose understanding of Canada’s wartime aviation history has been enriched through his work.

As the Museum enters its next chapter, it remains committed to carrying forward the legacy Stephen helped strengthen-sharing the remarkable story of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan from Canada’s last remaining operational BCATP hangar and ensuring those who served are remembered for generations to come.

Zoe McQuinn, Director General

Trading the Hangar for History Panels: A Student’s Guide to the CHA

Whitney M. Hodgins is a Masters of Arts Student at Athabasca University focusing on Social & Heritage History. Whitney is a student summer worker at the CATPM, this is her third post for us.

Some folks might have noticed my usual spot at the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum was empty during the first week of June. That is because I traded a week of talking about World War II aviation history for stepping inside a modern aircraft myself, taking flight all the way to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. While PEI is famously celebrated as the birthplace of Confederation, it recently served as the backdrop for my own professional milestone: attending the Canadian Historical Association’s (CHA) Annual Meeting. Trading the museum hangar for academic panels was an incredible opportunity, and I am excited to share how this week of professional development gave me a whole new perspective to bring back to our vintage wings in Brandon.

*Whitney Hodgins in the Photograph at the “Lookout”, Charlottetown, PEI.*

*Dr. Edward MacDonald giving his keynote address, June 2026.*

But as any museum buff knows, you cannot visit a historic city without doing a little boots-on-the-ground exploring. I explored downtown one afternoon. When not visiting the markets on cobble stone streets, I was enamoured by visiting St. Dunsten’s Basilica. A towering example of high Victorian Neo-gothic style architecture, St. Dunsten’s Basilica is not just a significant place of worship for many, it is also a National Historic Site! I also visited Province House, where John A. McDonald and company would attend the Charlottetown Conference, this building also happens to be what is now today’s provincial legislature for PEI. This building is also a National Historic Site (NHS) currently under high levels of renovation, so I could only enjoy it from afar. I also got the pleasure of seeing the bay and seeing a swarm of Lion’s Mane jellyfish in their natural habitat as apparently there is a peak time to witness this phenomenon in nature (so I was unsuccessful in touching the bay with my toes). In addition to being a massive tourist of other historical sites and showing off my CAPTM merch, I also attended many panels at the CHA Annual Meeting, where other historians or graduate students like myself presented their current research, thesis’, or collaboration work with other universities. The keynote for the conference was none other than Dr. Edward MacDonald, Professor Emeritus at the University of Prince Edward Island. He gave this year’s keynote titled, “Reckoning with Place: Region and the Role of the Historian in Troubled Times”. There was a lot to unpack in his address, but what took me back and what really got me excited is how he challenged everyone in that room to pick up more local history and to go back to our roots as historians where local and regional history is used to contextualize greater national and transnational narratives. He argued that you cannot do history justice without bringing in the places, people, and local narratives into the consciousness of the time period we are researching but also in a museum context, we have the important job of reiterating and retelling those narratives from that time period.

MacDonald caught me in his web of logic by talking about how as a young historian being frustrated with the fact that PEI back then was viewed as just simply the birthplace of confederation and this narrative, although important for all of Canada’s past, completely neglected the rest of PEI’s immense history. In many regards, Westman gets viewed in a similar light by those not aware of our communal past, that we are boring as an agricultural community is something that both tourists and everyday citizens discuss. This is where theory of place as a discipline within history has become vitally important. As historians, archivists and museum specialists can probably all agree on, we do not simply talk about the past in a way that brings meaning for the everyday person, we also translate that meaning from the past into language that makes sense for everyone. It pulls in the local narratives that are a piece of our more national and transnational narratives. It puts faces to names and brings meaning to a complex topic that now is becoming part of the long ago past for the future generations of people to walk through these doors. At the CAPTM, we are a museum as well as a National Historic Site. While most NHS’ and museums do many different things to contextualize the past of their own mandates, one thing remains clear, museums and NHS’ are providing that foundation to go back to local and regional histories that historians may depend on for research projects.

As the conference continued on, I networked with a lot of individuals at various levels in their academic careers, from undergrads to emeritus professors. Ultimately, trading the hangar for history panels proved to be an invaluable experience. Navigating my first CHA Annual Meeting felt less like a departure from my regular duties and more like an essential expansion of them. Armed with a deeper appreciation for the “theory of place,” a stack of new books purchased from the book fair, and fresh perspectives from across the country, I am eager to apply these insights to our work in Brandon. While this journey served as a fantastic student’s guide to the CHA, it also reminded me that every vintage wing and local story we preserve at the museum plays a vital role in flight-mapping the broader narrative of Canadian history.