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Botwood: History of an Airport
Botwood Heritage Centre
Botwood , Newfoundland and Labrador

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were scheduled.
   The first act of war on
the North American continent
may have taken place in
Botwood when a German
freighter, the Christoph Van
Doornum, was taken over by
the sheriff with the aid of
some local citizens on the
day war was declared. But

this was not our main claim
to fame regarding WWII.
Because flying facilities
were already in place here
due to the sheltered harbour,
location and being relatively
fog free, Botwood was chosen
to be a reconnaissance base
for PBY Catalina’s. During
the war over ten thousand

troops passed through here as
well as VIP’s such as Winston
Churchill and Bob Hope. By
the time the war was over
nearby Gander had supplanted
Botwood’s role and our
aviation history was
terminated.
   Copyright for records lie
with the Botwood Heritage

Society Archive, in written
consent forms, or are in the
public domain.

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