H. Note: In the writing of this volume the author has been given full access to rele- vant official documents in possession of the Department of National Defence; but the inferences drawn and the opinions expressed are those of the author himself, and the Department is in no way responsible for his reading or presentation of the facts as stated. [...] It was the corner-stone of the Commonwealth Air Train- ing Plan which, in the fullness of time was to contribute more than 130,000 aircrew to the air forces of the allied nations. [...] One of the first to draw the attention of the Air Ministry to the ad- vantage of establishing a flying training school in North America was Group Captain Robert Leckie, DSO, DSC, DFC, a Canadian member of the RAF who was destined to play an important part in the BCATP. [...] The Canadian government was more fully aware of the importance the British attached to air training in their rearmament race with the Germans, while the United King- dom, thanks to King's persistence, understood beyond all doubt that any training in Canada for the RAF would be carried out un- der the command of the RCAF. [...] In answer to a question from Godfrey it was confirmed that the organization would be under the control of the RCAF.40 The plans of the Air Ministry were widened in scope through the intervention of Vincent Massey, the Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, and his Australian counterpart, Stanley M. Bruce both of whom were deeply disturbed by British weakness in the air.