of Norway was the citizenry of Toronto. By the time the camp was fully operational, around Christmas 1940, training flights of blue-and-yellow Cornells and all-green Hawks were a common sight across the Toronto skyline. Although some officials in the city warned of “the risks of aviation over the bay,” on most pleasant, sunny days Torontonians congregated along the waterfront to watch the bombing and strafing manoeuvres. So did many RCAF recruits, newly inducted at the main Toronto Manning Depot nearby. Navigation recruit Al Rutherford remembered several drill parades disintegrating into total chaos as recruits craned their necks to see the Norwegian flyers instead of paying attention to their marching steps. In fact, around Toronto, some air force recruiting posters that read “Join the Royal Canadian Air Force” had been chalked with the addition “and watch the Norwegians fly.”
