1 Air Division

Memories of Rabat, French Morocco - Assorted Sources

Memories of Rabat, French Morocco

Don Norrie

Soon after the squadrons were in place in the Air Division, it became apparent that an air-to-air live firing range was needed in order to keep the F-86 pilots qualified in air-to-air firing. Some air-ground firing parctice was initially carried out at the USAF base located at Furstenfeldbruck in Germany.

In late 1953 an old French air base which was located in Rabat Sale, French Morrocco was freely given to the RCAF by the French government for squadron use. Flight Lieutenant Omer Levesque worked at Air Division HQ in Metz. It is recorded that while at Metz, he was instrumental in securing the French base at Rabat for the RCAF as a gunnery base. The deal was cooked up over a bottle of beer. The French officer promised that if Levesque got him a check-out on the Canadair Sabre, he would see that a deal for Rabat was taken care of.

There is absolutely NO WAY to determine whether there is any relation to the following detail, but it does tend to leave you wondering. - The following is an extract from official 2 Wing Historical Reports.

24 Sep 53

Commander Lacoole of the French Air Force made his first trip in an F-86 with 421 Squadron.

Rabat would serve as a much-liked place to get away for some sun, and of course live firing for the aircrew. A small part of it was in use by the French Air Force, (which as an aside, was flying German Junkers 52 bombers, WW II Heinkel bombers and Mistrels (Vampire) fighters - a veritable flying circus) so the RCAF contracted use of this field.

The RCAF eventually found that although flying facilities were adequate, it was rather hazardous for Canadians to mix with the Moroccans in Rabat and Casablanca. An extract from 2 Wing Historical Report dated 11 Aug 54 read as follows: "Information received from OC Detachment at Rabat Sale, Morocco that 41182 LAC James Alfred Taylor, M&W Tech with 421 (F) Squadron suffered a severe accident. Details of accident are not known but it is rumoured that he lost the sight of his eye in the accident." A subsequent unconfirmed report indicated that one of our 2 Wing pilots was found almost beaten to death by a band of locals in 1956. It was almost inevitable that a more serious incident would occur, sooner or later.

Negotiations with the German and Italian Air Forces commenced in 1956 and it was decided that the RCAF would pay 25% of the cost to prepare the Italian base at Decimomannu, Sardinia (about 10 miles NW of Cagliari) for air-to-air gunnery. The range at Decimommanu opened in July 1957 with the arrival of 421 (F) Squadron from 2 Wing Grostenquin.

Map of Morocco