CFB Wainwright
Encyclopedia
Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, commonly referred to as CFB Wainwright is a Canadian Forces Base
located in Denwood, Alberta
, adjacent to the town of Wainwright
.
was closed in 1940 and the property leased by the Government of Alberta to the Department of National Defence
for the creation of an ammunition storage facility as well as an army training camp. DND owned an adjacent 75 km² (29 sq mi) property and used the facility for live-fire artillery, armoured and infantry training.
Called Wainwright Military Camp, or just Camp Wainwright, after the nearby Canadian National Railway
s division point, the facility saw use from January 29, 1945 to May 24, 1946 as a prisoner of war
internment camp for 523 captured German
officers, soldiers and civilians from its first day of operation to 1,100 POW's at its peak. During the 16 months the POW Camp was in full operation, only two prisoners made a successful escape, although they were recaptured just over a month later, but not until they had reached Gary, Indiana
.
Decommissioned as a POW internment camp in 1946, Camp Wainwright reverted to a Canadian Army
training facility. The Camp staff and Guard company were reduced to nil strength a few weeks later, marking the end of this chapter of CFB/ASU Wainwright's history. Wainwright's infrastructure expanded significantly during the Korean War
as buildings were constructed to house and train soldiers in three Canadian Army battalion
s, as well as units that would form British Commonwealth Forces Korea
such as the 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade
.
and Royal Canadian Air Force
to form the Canadian Forces
was predated by a number of major changes to Canada's military structure. One of these saw Camp Wainwright transferred on January 1, 1967 to become an auxiliary satellite training camp of CFB Calgary
. This was reverted on August 1, 1967 due to command and control problems and Camp Wainwright became Canadian Forces Base Wainwright (CFB Wainwright) as a separate entity within the establishment of CFB Calgary
.
An airfield was opened at CFB Wainwright in October 1967 and at the time of official unification
, CFB Wainwright became a component of Training Command
as the facility was tasked as a training area. CFB Wainwright offered both officer and basic training courses, battalion level unit operations and acted as a host for training foreign detachments. Wainwright also offered administrative support services for 1 Canadian Brigade Group units.
Subsequent changes to the force structure saw Wainwright's role as a training facility evolve, particularly as the garrisons at CFB Calgary and CFB Edmonton
shifted some of their training to the newly-established and much larger CFB Suffield
.
On July 15, 1974, the 1 Combat Group Operational Training Detachment was formed at CFB Wainwright to conduct individual training for two or more units of Mobile Command's 1 Combat Group.
In 1983, CFB Wainwright consisted of the training facilities, the 742 Communication Detachment and a British Army
liaison detachment.
Defence cuts following the end of the Cold War
during the 1990s resulted in the closure of CFB Calgary and consolidation of units at CFB Edmonton. CFB Wainwright was also impacted by defence cuts and was reduced to an Area Support Unit (ASU). ASU Wainwright, as the facility is also called, has 690 military personnel and 300 civilian workers. As part of 1 Area Support Group
(ASG), it hosts the Land Force Western Area
Training Centre (LFWATC) and the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre (CMTC), as well as the following units:
The transient military population averages over 1,000 personnel at any given time, and in the summer it grows significantly when hundreds of primary reservists undertake annual training. As of 2009 it is the main training base of the 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group
, including Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
, and covers an area of 609 km² (235.1 sq mi), which includes 25 weapons ranges. Although primarily a training base for the Canadian Army it is also used by the Royal Canadian Air Force
to train fighter bomber
s and search and rescue
practise. The base also includes Wainwright/Wainwright (Field 21) Airport
(52°49′50"N 111°06′02"W) located 9 NM west of Wainwright, approximately 7 NM west of CFB Wainright, with a 7349 ft (2,240 m) asphalt
runway.
Canadian Forces base
A Canadian Forces Base or CFB is a military installation of the Canadian Forces. For a facility to qualify as a Canadian Forces Base, it must station one or more major units .Minor installations are named Canadian Forces Station or CFS A Canadian Forces Base or CFB (French Base des forces...
located in Denwood, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, adjacent to the town of Wainwright
Wainwright, Alberta
Wainwright is a town on the prairies of east-central Alberta, Canada.It is located on the north side of the Canadian National Railway, with CFB Wainwright located on the southwest side. The town lies south of Vermilion, in the Battle River valley, along Highway 41, called the Buffalo Trail....
.
Military Camp Wainwright
The 583 km² (225.1 sq mi) Buffalo National ParkBuffalo National Park
Buffalo National Park was created near the town of Wainwright in east central Alberta on June 5, 1909, closed in 1940, and delisted in 1947 when the land was transferred to the Department of National Defence. The park land now comprises the majority of Canadian Forces Base Wainwright...
was closed in 1940 and the property leased by the Government of Alberta to the Department of National Defence
Department of National Defence (Canada)
The Department of National Defence , frequently referred to by its acronym DND, is the department within the government of Canada with responsibility for all matters concerning the defence of Canada...
for the creation of an ammunition storage facility as well as an army training camp. DND owned an adjacent 75 km² (29 sq mi) property and used the facility for live-fire artillery, armoured and infantry training.
Called Wainwright Military Camp, or just Camp Wainwright, after the nearby Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
s division point, the facility saw use from January 29, 1945 to May 24, 1946 as a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
internment camp for 523 captured German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
officers, soldiers and civilians from its first day of operation to 1,100 POW's at its peak. During the 16 months the POW Camp was in full operation, only two prisoners made a successful escape, although they were recaptured just over a month later, but not until they had reached Gary, Indiana
Gary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
.
Decommissioned as a POW internment camp in 1946, Camp Wainwright reverted to a Canadian Army
History of the Canadian Army
The Canadian Army as such originally only existed under that name from November 1940 to February 1968. However, the term has been traditionally applied to the ground forces of Canada's military from Confederation in 1867 to the present...
training facility. The Camp staff and Guard company were reduced to nil strength a few weeks later, marking the end of this chapter of CFB/ASU Wainwright's history. Wainwright's infrastructure expanded significantly during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
as buildings were constructed to house and train soldiers in three Canadian Army battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
s, as well as units that would form British Commonwealth Forces Korea
British Commonwealth Forces Korea
British Commonwealth Forces Korea was the formal name, from 1952, of the Commonwealth army, naval and air units serving with the United Nations in the Korean War. Australian, British, Canadian, Indian and New Zealand units were part of BCFK...
such as the 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade
25th Canadian Infantry Brigade
The 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade was Canada's primary combat-formation intending to be sent as part of the British Commonwealth Forces Korea. Originally composed of three infantry battalions and two armoured squadrons, several individual units rotated through the brigade...
.
CFB Wainwright
The February 1, 1968 merger of the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian NavyRoyal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
and Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
to form the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
was predated by a number of major changes to Canada's military structure. One of these saw Camp Wainwright transferred on January 1, 1967 to become an auxiliary satellite training camp of CFB Calgary
CFB Calgary
Canadian Forces Base Calgary, also CFB Calgary, was a Canadian Forces Base located in Calgary, Alberta.-Currie Barracks:The Canadian Army opened what was called the Currie Barracks on the southwestern edge of Calgary in 1933, occupying a property on the level plateau above the south slope of the...
. This was reverted on August 1, 1967 due to command and control problems and Camp Wainwright became Canadian Forces Base Wainwright (CFB Wainwright) as a separate entity within the establishment of CFB Calgary
CFB Calgary
Canadian Forces Base Calgary, also CFB Calgary, was a Canadian Forces Base located in Calgary, Alberta.-Currie Barracks:The Canadian Army opened what was called the Currie Barracks on the southwestern edge of Calgary in 1933, occupying a property on the level plateau above the south slope of the...
.
An airfield was opened at CFB Wainwright in October 1967 and at the time of official unification
Unification of the Canadian Forces
Unification of the Canadian Forces took place in 1968 when the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force were merged to form the Canadian Armed Forces....
, CFB Wainwright became a component of Training Command
Canadian Forces Training Command
Canadian Forces Training Command was an early component of the Canadian Forces after unifications of the military in 1968.This command was charged with training of pilots for the entire Canadian Forces after unification. It was eliminated in the simplification of the CF structure in 1975 and now...
as the facility was tasked as a training area. CFB Wainwright offered both officer and basic training courses, battalion level unit operations and acted as a host for training foreign detachments. Wainwright also offered administrative support services for 1 Canadian Brigade Group units.
Subsequent changes to the force structure saw Wainwright's role as a training facility evolve, particularly as the garrisons at CFB Calgary and CFB Edmonton
CFB Edmonton
CFB Edmonton is a Canadian Forces base located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is also known as Edmonton Garrison or "Steele Barracks".-History:...
shifted some of their training to the newly-established and much larger CFB Suffield
CFB Suffield
Canadian Forces Base Suffield , is the largest Canadian Forces Base and the largest Commonwealth military training base in the world...
.
On July 15, 1974, the 1 Combat Group Operational Training Detachment was formed at CFB Wainwright to conduct individual training for two or more units of Mobile Command's 1 Combat Group.
In 1983, CFB Wainwright consisted of the training facilities, the 742 Communication Detachment and a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
liaison detachment.
Defence cuts following the end of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
during the 1990s resulted in the closure of CFB Calgary and consolidation of units at CFB Edmonton. CFB Wainwright was also impacted by defence cuts and was reduced to an Area Support Unit (ASU). ASU Wainwright, as the facility is also called, has 690 military personnel and 300 civilian workers. As part of 1 Area Support Group
1 Area Support Group
1 Area Support Group is a Canadian Army formation that provides support to other Canadian Army formations and units in western Canada.-Constituent bases and units:1 Area Support Group consists of 12 bases and units:...
(ASG), it hosts the Land Force Western Area
Land Force Western Area
Land Force Western Area is one of four operational commands of the Canadian Army. LFWA is responsible for all Canadian Army administration and operations in western Canada from the Pacific Ocean to Thunder Bay, Ontario...
Training Centre (LFWATC) and the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre (CMTC), as well as the following units:
- 742 Signal Squadron Detachment
- 1 Field Ambulance Detachment
- 1 Dental Detachment
- 1 Garrison Military Police Company detachment
The transient military population averages over 1,000 personnel at any given time, and in the summer it grows significantly when hundreds of primary reservists undertake annual training. As of 2009 it is the main training base of the 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group
1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group
1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group is a Canadian Forces brigade group that is part of Land Forces Western Area of the Canadian army...
, including Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry is one of the three regular force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army. The regiment is composed of four battalions including a primary reserve battalion, for a total of 2,000 soldiers...
, and covers an area of 609 km² (235.1 sq mi), which includes 25 weapons ranges. Although primarily a training base for the Canadian Army it is also used by the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
to train fighter bomber
Strike fighter
In a current military parlance, a strike fighter is a multi-role combat aircraft designed to operate primarily in the air-to-surface attack role while also incorporating certain performance characteristics of a fighter aircraft. As a category, it is distinct from fighter-bombers...
s and search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
practise. The base also includes Wainwright/Wainwright (Field 21) Airport
Wainwright/Wainwright (Field 21) Airport
Wainwright/Wainwright Airport, , is located west of Wainwright, Alberta, Canada. The airfield which is owned by the Department of National Defence forms part of CFB Wainwright....
(52°49′50"N 111°06′02"W) located 9 NM west of Wainwright, approximately 7 NM west of CFB Wainright, with a 7349 ft (2,240 m) asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
runway.