After only a one week leave those of us who were posted overseas reported to #3 AGTS (Advanced Ground Training School) at Trois-Rivieres, Quebec where for a few weeks we played soldier while Army Commando officers proceeded to get us in shape. I managed to sprain an ankle quite badly but again limped around so I could stay with my friends. From AGTS we went to #1 Y Depot in Lachine Quebec and after indoctrination and inoculations we soon boarded a train of old colonist railway cars to Halifax where the Empress of Scotland waited. We filed on to the ship with our back packs and kit bags and the next morning at dawn, with about 5600 ship’s crew and service men and women on board, moved quietly down the harbour and out into the grey Atlantic heading for Britain.
Source:
http://www.hillmanweb.com/150/3bcatp.html
William Holowaty was stationed there on April 8, 1944. I have no pictures to show you of William Holowaty being in Trois-Rivières, but I have written something in French about Jacques Morin, another rear gunner who had commando training there…
I will translate some parts of it later.
ORIGINAL POST
You won’t find much on the Internet related to No. 3 Aircrew Graduate Training School where our 425 Alouette squadron rear gunner Coco Morin who liked to pull pranks trained.
Collection Jacques Coco Morin
The truth will now come out and veterans who were at this commandos school in 1944 will finally discover the author of one of the pranks he pulled.
70 years is a long time to finally know the truth…
Coco Morin had a big smile on his face in 2011 when he told me this anecdote. He had not trained to pull pranks at No. 3 Aircrew Graduate Training school, he had already become a master long before.
Before I tell you about it, I will put all the photos I scanned with Jacques Gagnon in 2011. They are new as the anecdote will be.
Before posting the pictures, just to make you languish even more, here is what little I can glean from the Internet when I research this commando school. This information is important to understand what was being done at this commando school.
The following was on a forum that was on the official RAF website and is no longer accessible. I found this archived exchange….
3AGTS
Hello All,
Could someone please tell me where 3AGTS was based in Canada in June 1944 and what type of aircraft it operated?
Also, did the acronym AGTS stand for Air Gunners Training School – or was this possibly just an abbreviated version of AGGTS (Air Gunners Ground Training School – in which case no aircraft involved?).
TIA,
Errol
RE: 3AGTS
G’day Errol
It could be No. 3 Aircrew Graduate Training School at Three Rivers, (Trois Rivieres) Quebec. It operated from January to December 1944.
Cheers…Chris
RE: 3AGTS
Hi Errol
A.G.G.T.S. – Air Gunners Ground Training School
Cheers…Chris
RE: 3AGTS
Kia Ora Chris,
Aircrew Graduate Training School is a new one on me. It would tie in with my query, however, as the chap concerned had just graduated as a pilot on 21 Apr 44 at 9SFTS, Centralia, Ontario. Any idea as to what type of training took place at the AGTS? My man was there from 5 Jun 44 until posted to 1 Y Depot 23 Aug 44 preliminary to crossing the pond for the UK.
Cheers,
Errol
RE: 3AGTS
G’day Errol
The R.C.A.F. organized four Aircrew Graduate Training Schools in 1944. They taught a commando style course that was supposed to toughen the chaps up before they headed overseas. The course lasted three weeks. Various subjects were taught with a strong emphasis on physical training. Of all the exercises conducted at No. 3 A.G.T.S. Three Rivers, Quebec, perhaps the most realistic was the one known as the ‘Dutch Exercise’. This required the students to crawl along while live weapons fire whizzed by above them. Additional physical workouts were carried out at the docks which involved loading ships with grain destined for England.
Cheers…Chris
RE: 3AGTS
Thanks for that, Chris.
One way to take all the fun out of flying!
Cheers,
Errol
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Well, I hope you have now understood what was going on at 3AGTS.
Now the pictures of Coco Morin at that commando school.
L’anecdote n’était pas si drôle que ça finalement, en tout cas pas pour les gars qui montaient en tenant la câble que tenait en haut notre Coco national.
Il l’avait lâché pendant que les gars grimpaient.
Mal lui en prit, car les gars ne l’avaient pas trouvé drôle et lui avaient servi une paire de claques sur la gueule… (une paire de baffes pour mes amis Français qui lisent mon blogue).
Coco m’a-t-il raconté des sornettes (conter une pipe pour mes amis Québécois)?
Aucune chance, je l’aurais facilement démasqué.
Vous avez des anecdotes à partager?
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RCAF 425 Alouettes III 