A No.1 Air Observer School Silver Presentation Case to a Dominion Skyways Trophy Winner 1943

Sterling silver, an AVRO Anson aircraft insignia affixed to the front cover, engraved "No 1 AIR OBSERVER SCHOOL MALTON" ine the centre below, inside cover marked "925" (silver), marked "R", hallmarked with the British lion, marked "STERLING" and engraved "PRESENTED TO SGt. J.E. HOUSTON / WINNER OF THE "SKYWAYS" TROPHY / BY DOMINION SKYWAYS TRAINING / JULY 8th 1943", two retaining springs on the inside back cover, gold-coloured gilt washed interior, 83 mm x 106 mm x 12.7 mm, hinged, push release, one spring has weakened, contact marks on the exterior, better than very fine. Footnote: Air Observers were what we could call "Navigators" today. For recruits in this stream, the training path after the Initial Training School (ITS) was eight weeks at an Air Observer School (AOS), one month at a Bombing & Gunnery School (B&GS), and finally one month at a Navigation School. The Air Observer schools were operated by civilians under contract to the RCAF, however the instructors were RCAF. The basic navigation techniques throughout the war years were dead reckoning and visual pilotage, and the tools were the aeronautical chart, magnetic compass, watch, trip log, pencil, Douglas protractor, and Dalton Navigational Computer. Recruits also studied Aerial photography. They trained in the Avro Anson at one of ten schools scattered across Canada. (C:45)