| British officials realized the importance of training aircrews in other locations in the event of war. Drawbacks to flight training in England included the small size of the country, the abysmal weather conditions, and the possibility of enemy attack. During World War II, British aircrews were trained in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Southern Rhodesia, and South Africa. British air crews were also trained in the United States in regular U.S. Army and Navy facilities and under a unique program managed by civilian flight schools known as the British Flying Training Schools or BFTS. The first of these schools, operated by William F. Long, opened in Terrell, Texas, in June 1941. A total of 2,200 British cadets trained in Terrell during the war. Twenty cadets who died during training are buried in Terrell. These British cadets formed a special bond with local citizens which continued after the completion of flight training, during the war, and long after the war. |
