During World War II thousands of British pilots learned to fly at six civilian training schools in the United States. The first and largest of the schools was in Terrell, Texas. After the United States entered the war, American Aviation Cadets also trained at the school. More than 2,000 Royal Air Force and American Army Air Force pilots earned their wings over North Texas between 1941 and 1945. Terrell’s citizens welcomed the student pilots to their community and many life-long bonds were forged.

The museum celebrates this little known chapter of World War II history. The collection includes hundreds of historical items: log books, training materials, WW II memorabilia and uniforms.The museum’s archives contain the most extensive record of the No. 1 British Flying Training School that exists.

Watch the following video to learn more about World War II airfields and pilot training in Texas. This video was produced for inclusion in the World War II on the Texas Home Front mobile tour found in our Texas Time Travel mobile app. Learn more about the tour and the app on the World War II theme page at the following link: http://texastimetravel.com/travel-themes/main-world-war-ii