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Para Rescue was initiated in 1942 by former World War 1 flying Ace and renowned bush pilot Wilfred Reid (Wop) May, who is considered the grandfather of Canadian Para Rescue. In 1940, as a civilian, he was put in charge of No 2 Air Observer School in Edmonton Alberta, which was part of the northwest staging route between USA and Alaska. With the attack on Pearl Harbour by Japan in 1941 and the USA joining the global conflict, many young inexperienced pilots were called upon to fly planes over this forbidding northern staging route to Alaska. Mechanical difficulties, unpredictable weather and lack of navigational aids caused many forced landings in the northern wilderness. On several occasions, 2AOS had become involved with searches for missing aircraft. Although some of the aircraft were found, their pilots had perished. Wop May found this situation unacceptable as he had participated in many of these northern mercy missions and being the compassionate man that he was decided to do something about it. He recognized the requirement for and set the wheels in motion to organize an air rescue team.

The criteria for the team would be that it must be able to parachute into crash sites and administer first aid to the injured. This turned out to be the first known organized para rescue team in the world. In early 1942 May asked for volunteers from his civilian servicing crew whereupon approximately a dozen volunteers lined up and with the help of a stuttering safety system tech were given brief instructions on how to jump from aircraft and pull the 'D' ring handle of their chest pack parachutes. No reserve chutes were worn and wind drift was calculated by throwing out an Eaton's catalogue. One of the first jumps resulted in a parachutist landing through the cloth wing of a parked aircraft.

It was quite evident that further training was required so in early 1943 May sent two volunteers, Owen Hargreaves and Scotty Thompson to the smoke jumpers school in Missoula Montana to be trained by the US Forestry Service. The training course was 6 weeks in length and included indoctrination to parachutes and their function, physical training, practical problems, letdowns (simulated release from a parachute hung up in a tree), proper body position exiting the plane and landing techniques. After six weeks they returned home with borrowed equipment to train two other volunteers, Wilfred Rivet and Laurie Poulsom.

Although training continued, it was severely hampered due to lack of proper facilities and equipment. Faced with this situation but determined to achieve his objectives, May decided to present his plan to authorities in Ottawa. Persistence paid off and in 1944 Air Vice Marshal T.A. Lawrence, Commander of the North West Air Command in Edmonton, became interested in integrating this civilian rescue unit into the RCAF.

The first military course began in the late autumn of 1944. The training would consist of jump training, bush lore, survival and mountain climbing, and medical training. Training of Pararescue personnel after the war years was mainly conducted from the old North West Air Command site in Edmonton. In 1961, the training was carried out from Trenton, Ont. From 1962 and 1997 the training was conducted from the Survival Training School (STS) in Namao, Alt. In 1998, the Canadian Forces School of Search and Rescue (CFSSAR) was established at CFB Comox located on Vancouver Island, BC.

Competitive search and rescue exercises came into being in 1965 where each rescue unit would select a team, carry out a specific number of jumps and send in the results to Air Command HQ where the scores were tabulated and a winner announced. In 1968 the first SAREX (Search & Rescue Exercise) was held in Trenton where each unit sent a team to compete in various activities like parachuting, supply dropping and best individual performance. The purpose was to exchange ideas, techniques and procedures within the CF Search and Rescue organization. The exercise also provided a forum to promote esprit de corps through competition. In 1972, the USAF Para rescue known as Para Jumpers (PJs) joined in and it became an international exercise. The interaction between the two countries was harmonious and beneficial to both and this harmony is continued today even though the USAF withdrew from the competition in 1987 as their PJ's were undertaking a more combat-oriented role.

In September 1979 Rescue Specialist (RS) became a trade and all former para rescue trained volunteers were offered an opportunity to re-classify. Personnel filling operational and staff positions who met the specific requirements accepted these terms of reference and were remustered into this new trade which would be renamed 'Search and Rescue Technicians' (SAR Tech's). With the trade designated as aircrew a full wing was required and designed. It was authorized in 1982 and issued to all who had remustered to the SAR Tech trade. Course 21 (1983) was the first graduating course presented with the new wings.

Aircraft that were in search and rescue and used by pararescue for training and operations from the beginning in 1944 include: Noorduyn Norseman, Consolidated PBY Canso, CC129 Dakota, CSR123 Otter, H34 Helicopter, H21 Helicopter, CSR110 Albatross, CC108 Caribou, CH 113 Labrador Helicopter, CC115 Buffalo, CC138 Twin Otter, Twin Huey Helicopter, CC130 Hercules, CH146Griffon Helicopter, and the CH149 Cormorant Helicopter. Some aircraft that were exclusively dedicated as specifically search and rescue had search and rescue identifiable RCAF markings. After integration of the armed forces these markings were phased out and some of these particular SAR aircraft were painted yellow.

The need for the SAR resources of the air force continues to grow. Commercial activities such as shipping, offshore oil and gas exploration, fishing, recreational boating and flying are on the increase. They all have inherent risk, placing Canadians in danger. Currently there are approximately 131 serving SAR Techs in Canada’s air force at 5 primary search and rescue locations: 9 Wing Gander, Nfld., 14 Wing Greenwood, N.S., 8 Wing Trenton, Ont., 17 Wing Winnipeg, Man. and 19 Wing Comox, B.C.



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