Canada, Commonwealth. A Royal Canadian Air Force No. 10 Bombing and Gunnery School Banner, c. 1942

A Royal Canadian Air Force No. 10 Bombing and Gunnery School banner, fabricated from gold-tone rayon, with the insignia of the Royal Canadian Air Force and the two-line inscription “No. 10 B&G School / Mount Pleasant” printed in navy brushed felt on both ends head-to-head, the ends along the width of the banner are decorated with alternating yellow and navy blue fringes, measuring 420 mm (w) x 1,020 mm, free of rips, tears, or soiling of any kind, in mint condition.

Footnote: The Bombing and Gunnery School (B&GS) offered instruction in the techniques of bomb aiming and aerial machine gunnery to Air Observers, Bomb Aimers, and Wireless Air Gunners. These schools required large areas to accommodate their bombing and gunnery ranges, and were often located near water. The Avro Anson, Fairey Battle, Bristol Bolingbroke, and Westland Lysander were the standard aircraft used at B&GS schools. RCAF Station Mount Pleasant was a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) station in Mount Pleasant, Prince Edward Island. The aerodrome opened during the Second World War in 1940, under the auspices of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP). It was intended to serve as a relief landing field for No. 9 Service Flying Training School, which was located at nearby RCAF Station Summerside. In September 1943, RCAF Station Mount Pleasant evolved from a relief field to a full training facility, when it began hosting No. 10 Bombing and Gunnery School (B&GS). Aircraft used for this training include the Avro Anson, Fairey Battle, Bristol Bolingbroke and Westland Lysander. No. 10 B&GS ceased operation in June 1945. The airfield was used as a storage depot for a short time before being decommissioned by the RCAF in 1947. Two of its runways remain in use by members of the Experimental Aircraft Association.