Aircraft Identity Corps

Aircraft Identity Corps
Active	1940 - 1943
Country	Canada
Branch	Royal Canadian Air Force
Type	Civil defence organisation.
Role	Aircraft recognition and reporting (1940 - 1943)
Size	1945 - circa 30,000 personnel
Engagements	World War II

The Aircraft Identity Corps was a Canadian civil defence organisation operating between 1940 and 1945. It was formed in 1940 by Air Vice-Marshal George Croil. By war's end it had over 30,000 members.

The corps was to report suspicious aircraft and guard against German, Japanese, and Italian attack. The use of observers was deemed important since Radar was not yet in widespread use.

There was also a Newfoundland Aircraft Detection Corps.

The Commissioner of Defence for Newfoundland was L.E. Emerson. At the Royal Canadian Air Force's behest he amalgamated the Aircraft Detection Corps Newfoundland with the Canadian Aircraft Detection Corps.

In a March 15, 1942, Commissioner Emerson circulated a cummunique stating the "Aircraft Detection Corps Newfoundland" would be organized by the RCAF as a unit of the "Canadian Aircraft Identity Corps". One of the letter's recipients was P.W. Crummey. Attached to the communique was a letter from Flight Lieutenant H.H. Graham, commanding officer of Torbay Airport (No. 1 Group RCAF. St. John's); glosseries of airplanes and ships; an identity card and procedural instructions.

At war's end volunteers received a brass Volunteer Aircraft Observer button and certificate of thanks from Canada's Ministry of Defence. Some Newfoundland Detection Corps volunteers have qualified for the Defence Medal.^[1]

See also

• Aircraft recognition
• Ground Observer Corps (USA)
• Volunteer Air Observers Corps (Australia)
• Royal Observer Corps (United Kingdom)
• The Aircraft Detection Corps Newfoundland

References