427 (London) Wing Air Force Association of Canada 2155 Crumlin Side Road  London, Ontario, Canada N5V 3Z9 Phone:  519-455-0430

With the end of the Second World War, airmen returning home to London wanted to continue their interest in aviation both as flyers and friends.  So it was that on April 2, 1947, the London Air Force Association was formed with a Constitution and By-laws. 

Across Canada, other airmen were also thinking of forming clubs and as a result, on September 16, 1948, the fledgling Royal Canadian Air Force Association (RCAFA) held its first meeting in Ottawa, basing its Charter and By-laws on those of the London Air Force Association. On March 15, 1950, 427 (London) Wing received its Charter from the RCAFA and today is one of the leading members of what has now become the Air Force Association of Canada (AFAC), with more than 70 “Wings” across this country. 

One of the more interesting features about 427 Wing is the building that it occupies on the grounds of the London International Airport.  Built in 1939-40 as an Airmen’s Canteen, a place where wartime personnel could be relaxed and refreshed, it is believed to be the last representative and still usable building of its kind in Southwestern Ontario. Post-war, it remained in use throughout the Korean and NATO eras until purchased by 427 Wing on September 1, 1959. 

Subsequently, 427 Wing was incorporated under the laws of the province of Ontario, received its Provincial Charter on June 14, 1962, and its liquor license in the fall of 1963. In 1979, the executive purchased a small church on Brydges Street, moved it to the Wing and fastened it to the west side of the original building.  The plan was to turn it into an RCAF museum, but lack of funds dictated otherwise, and eventually, the new building was leased to the Royal Canadian Naval Association which has occupied that space since March 1, 1991. 

Among the several important events that took place at the Wing in past years was the creation of the Spooner Memorial Garden adjacent to the Wing building. The Garden was dedicated on September 14, 2002.  It consists of a memorial walkway, a curved wall with flags of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan nations, seven plaques giving a brief history of RCAF training units located in and around London during the war years, and a large commemorative stone with information about LAC Gerald Kenneth Spooner. LAC Spooner, a 20-year old navigator trainee at RCAF London, was posthumously awarded the George Cross for his heroic action on May 14, 1943.  The George Cross is given “for conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger… for actions not in the face of the enemy.” 

The Wing has received recognition from the London International Airport Authority for its past military and civil accomplishments.  We will continue to work toward our goal of having the 427 (London) Wing accepted as a heritage site by the City of London and the Province of Ontario.