THE

?
I

REPORT ON NORAD
 1

T H E

Published on the authority of the Chief of the Air Staff, Royal Canadian Air Force

VOL. 11, No. 5 JUNE 1959

CONTENTS THE ROUNDEL is published ten times each year.

Annual subscription rate is two dollars. Orders should
be_sent_direct to the Queen's Printer, Ottawa, Ont.
Page R.CA.F. Association correspondence should be
mailed to Ass'n Hdqts., 424 Metcalfe St., Ottawa,
1 Ont.
On the Break............. . . . . . . . .
Contributions and all other correspondence should
be addressed to:
ARTICLES
Editor, The Roundel
NORAD: International Guardian . 2 RC.A.F. Victoria Island,
Ottawa, Ont.
Canadians At Colorado Springs. 10
Canada's Pioneer Air Mail.. 18
The Lonely Watch 23
Our First C.A.S. 30

PICTURE STORIES

NORAD Warning and Control Facilities 4

Operation Re-Supply 16

FEATURETTES

"Golden Hawks" Fly On Tour . 14

Headdress for Red Indians 15 THIS MONTH'S COVER

Dambuster Recalls Headline Story . 15 The Combat Operations Centre of the North
American Air Defence Command is going
Flyingest Padre in the R.C.A.F .. 22 underground. Discussing the model of one
plan for its location near Colorado Springs
Wire Bowling Tourney Results. 27 beneath Cheyenne Mountain ore ( l. to r.):
Senior Master Sergeant T. H. Rhone, U.S.A.F.;
M.C.L. Chapels Dedicated 27 Yeoman Chief E. H. McCarthy, U.S.N.; Flight
Sergeant J. L. Wilson, R.C.A.F.; Sergeant First
Oil Boom Sparks Photo Rush.. 31 Class H. F. Shelton, U.S.A.

Stamp Display Depicts Airmail History 32

DEPARTMENTS
Views expressed in THE ROUNDEL are those_c
the writers expressing them. They do not necessar!
The Suggestion Box. 28 reflect the official opinions of the Royal Canadian /
Force.
Letters to the Editor .. 32

Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post Office Department, Ottawa.

 John Griffin Library

FIRST impressions, as everyone knows, are usually

lasting ones. We have recently returned from a week's 7<

visit to North American Air Defence Command Head- . .

quarters at Colorado Springs with our initial im- :·
pression more firmly implanted than ever: here is a
unique example of international, inter-service inte-
gration.
The mission of NORAD is portrayed by heraldry
r~---
~ -
within the two and one quarter inch diameter of a 1:'-;
badge worn by members of the R.C.A.F., U.S.A.F., EL.»·+
9
U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps who serve at
_ &
this headquarters. Worn on the left breast, the shield-
type insignia is centered on a silver disc which re- ©
k
presents a sun-burst. It was approved for wear last
summer. #!s] \\Ii¥< ~~
Blue, turquoise and yellow coloring- not apparent
in the black and white reproduction on the right
indicate the air, sea and land elements dedicated to
the protection and defence of North America. Silver
wings enfold the continent, symbolizing a unified
command. An upright sword points towards the
0 N 14 June 1947 the first R.C.A.F. Day" was
celebrated at stations and units across Canada. Every
northern skies which are the shortest direct approach
year since then our annual open house has been called
of a potential aggressor. Outward from the sword are
Air Force Day and has been observed on the second
two lightning bolts which speak for the instantaneous
Saturday of June.
striking power of NORAD defence forces. This year, however, Air Force Day will be held on
In the pages which follow we have attempted different dates at each R.C.A.F, establishment to give
to enlarge on the symbolism of this badge. Those as many Canadians as possible an opportunity to
who wear it are putting into practise a new concept watch the "Golden Hawks" aerobatic team in action.
on the matter of continental defence. The eight-man team, equipped with Sabre 5 jets,
assembled and trained at R.C.A.F. Station Chatham
FORTY-ONE years ago this month a young First this spring. Their four-month, cross-country tour began
World War veteran took off from Montreal in a flimsy last month.
Check the itinerary on page 14 to see when the
biplane bound for Toronto. Tucked into the rear
"Golden Hawks" will perform in your locality. Their
cockpit was a bag of letters, duly sealed by the post
office. Torontonians allegedly never forgave the show is one you won't want to miss.
Montrealers who thus shattered their dreams of
originating Canada's first airmail. ]5,cn copy of THE ROUNDEL is meant for 10
It seems only proper in this Golden Anniversary readers in the service. Please pass this one on as soon
year even at the risk of stirring up old contro- as possible.
versies that we should recall the details of Captain
Brian Peck's flight. Wing Commander F. H. Hitchins,
R.C.A.F. air historian, has pinpointed this important
milestone in our aviation history on page 18. 3k. Cl
A Family of Weapons

For Defence in Depth

Is the Aim of NORAD: INTERNA

In the shadow of Pike's Peak, two flags fly over North American Air Defence
Command Headquarters at Ent Air Force Base, Colorado Springs.

. \

6
 John Griffin Library

FIRST impressions, as everyone knows, are usually

lasting ones. We have recently returned from a week's 7<

visit to North American Air Defence Command Head- . .

quarters at Colorado Springs with our initial im- :·
pression more firmly implanted than ever: here is a
unique example of international, inter-service inte-
gration.
The mission of NORAD is portrayed by heraldry
r~---
~ -
within the two and one quarter inch diameter of a 1:'-;
badge worn by members of the R.C.A.F., U.S.A.F., EL.»·+
9
U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps who serve at
_ &
this headquarters. Worn on the left breast, the shield-
type insignia is centered on a silver disc which re- ©
k
presents a sun-burst. It was approved for wear last
summer. #!s] \\Ii¥< ~~
Blue, turquoise and yellow coloring- not apparent
in the black and white reproduction on the right
indicate the air, sea and land elements dedicated to
the protection and defence of North America. Silver
wings enfold the continent, symbolizing a unified
command. An upright sword points towards the
0 N 14 June 1947 the first R.C.A.F. Day" was
celebrated at stations and units across Canada. Every
northern skies which are the shortest direct approach
year since then our annual open house has been called
of a potential aggressor. Outward from the sword are
Air Force Day and has been observed on the second
two lightning bolts which speak for the instantaneous
Saturday of June.
striking power of NORAD defence forces. This year, however, Air Force Day will be held on
In the pages which follow we have attempted different dates at each R.C.A.F, establishment to give
to enlarge on the symbolism of this badge. Those as many Canadians as possible an opportunity to
who wear it are putting into practise a new concept watch the "Golden Hawks" aerobatic team in action.
on the matter of continental defence. The eight-man team, equipped with Sabre 5 jets,
assembled and trained at R.C.A.F. Station Chatham
FORTY-ONE years ago this month a young First this spring. Their four-month, cross-country tour began
World War veteran took off from Montreal in a flimsy last month.
Check the itinerary on page 14 to see when the
biplane bound for Toronto. Tucked into the rear
"Golden Hawks" will perform in your locality. Their
cockpit was a bag of letters, duly sealed by the post
office. Torontonians allegedly never forgave the show is one you won't want to miss.
Montrealers who thus shattered their dreams of
originating Canada's first airmail. ]5,cn copy of THE ROUNDEL is meant for 10
It seems only proper in this Golden Anniversary readers in the service. Please pass this one on as soon
year even at the risk of stirring up old contro- as possible.
versies that we should recall the details of Captain
Brian Peck's flight. Wing Commander F. H. Hitchins,
R.C.A.F. air historian, has pinpointed this important
milestone in our aviation history on page 18. 3k. Cl
A Family of Weapons

For Defence in Depth

Is the Aim of NORAD: INTERNA

In the shadow of Pike's Peak, two flags fly over North American Air Defence
Command Headquarters at Ent Air Force Base, Colorado Springs.

. \

6
 By FLI G HT LIEUTEN A N T A. T. PATON, D.F.C.
Editor, The Roundel

TIONAL GUARDIAN

(_sarrow of the North Ameri- The combat forces-interceptor Distant Early Warning (DEW)
can Air Defence Command by the aircraft, missiles and radars-are Line of radar stations. The U.S.
governments of Canada and the provided by the service commands. Navy guards the sea flanks of the
United States was recognition of These include the R.C.A.F. Air continent by continuing this line
the fact that air defence of the con- Defence Command; U.S. Army with radar-equipped destroyer es-
tinent in this era of supersonic A.D.C.; U.S. Naval Forces, corts and Super Constellations,
bombers and missiles is a single, CONAD; and the U.S. Air Force called "Warning Star" radar planes.
common problem. NORAD is a AD.C. The R.C.A.F. component These mid-ocean lines run from
truly integrated, international com- command headquarters is at St. the Aleutians to the mid-Pacific
mand-- responsible directly to Hubert, Que. The three U.S. com- and from Newfoundland to the
both the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff ponent commands have their head- mid-Atlantic.
and the Canadian Chiefs of Staff quarters in Colorado Springs along- Below the DEW Line, some 600
Committee. side that of NORAD. In all, there miles south, lies a second radar
From its Colorado Springs head- are about 200,000 people in the fence, the Mid-Canada Line, built
quarters, soon literally to be lo- NORAD system. and manned by Canada. A third
cated deep in the bowels of the Defending North America is radar net, the Pinetree System,
Rocky Mountains, NORAD will a 24-hour, seven-day-week job. built and manned jointly by the
control in wartime all of Canada's NORAD's efforts are governed by U.S. and Canada, cuts across
and the United States' air defence the knowledge that an attack southern Canada and also runs
forces. Today its mission is to pre- could come at any moment and along the Canadian east coast.
pare plans and procedures for that the first attack could end the Back of these lines is a network
immediate joint action by both war. This is NORAD's basic prob- of radars within the United States.
countries' forces, which maintain lem- to have its far-flung force The U.S. system is extended off-
their separate identities, responsi- ready to react instantly. Instantly shore by U.S.N. picket ships and
bilities and national characteristics. is the important word. The time U.S.AF. Super Constellations. In
It is the single agency responsible available for the defence to carry addition to these, in the Atlantic,
for the air defence of the conti- out its functions of detection, iden- U.S.N. blimps and U.S.AF. radar
nent; the single agency welding tification, interception, and destruc-platforms called Texas Towers are
together all the components. tion is now estimated in minutes. parts of the system.
To manage the vast air defence The NORAD system, thus, is
WARNING AND CONTROL one of early warning plus defence
system, spread north to south from
the polar ice cap to the Mexican The first requirement, therefore, in depth. It provides warning of
border and from east to west far is to get warning of an attack as the approach of the enemy and
out over the oceans, NORAD has soon as possible. To lengthen the also the ability to track him con-
divided the continent into regions, vital interval between the time of tinually along his line of approach
each of which is subdivided into first enemy detection and attack, to target areas in Canada and the
divisions. The latter are further Canada and the U.S. have con- United States.
divided into sectors. Through this structed warning lines as far away This same defence in depth con-
organization, which channels down from the target areas as possible. cept has been carried out in the
to the combat weapons, the Running clear across the north- combat weapons system. This in-
NORAD commander-in-chief exer- ern rim of the continent in the volves the use of R.C.A.F. and
cises operational control of the air Canadian Arctic and extending
defence forces. across Alaska and Greenland is the (continued on page 6)

JUNE 1959 3
 Distant Early Warning Line

Mid-Canada Line

Liberty Ship Pickets

Aircraft Control and Warning Stations

,
a
-
~~-....~-~~-~
4
 Destroy er Escort p·ickets

"Warning Star" A;zrcraft

L
Radar-e quzpped
. Bl.zmps
----·-

-
"ats
sat we
--

il
'1-............
~-:- ~-

5
 F-104 Starfighter

CF-100 Canuck Canada's nine home-based

R.C.A.F. squadrons are deployed
in the vanguard, flying CF--100
Mark 5s armed with "Mighty
Mouse" rockets.
(continued from page 3) still survived, the bomber would The F102A Delta Dagger is one
U.S.A.F. manned interceptors; come within range of the Nike or of the U.S.A.F.'s first-line fighters,
pilotless interceptors of the Hawk. armed with the "Falcon" missile-
Bomarc type; and shorter range a guided aircraft rocket with a
MANNED INTERCEPTORS
missiles of the Nike family, sup- radar control unit that constantly
plemented by the Hawk low alti- The manned interceptor is still recomputes its target's direction of
tude defence system, both of which the mainstay of NORAD's arsenal. flight and which steers it on a colli-
are assigned to the U.S. Army. The There are eight types in current sion course to the predicted point
aim is to subject an invading force service and one slated to become of impact. Soon to join the Dagger
to continuous attack as it ap- operational this summer. Arma- on the flight line is the F106 Delta
proaches a target area. An enemy ment for these planes include four Dart, an all-weather interceptor
bomber would first be attacked by distinct types of missiles and rock- equipped with the most advanced
long-range manned interceptors, ets, with some of the aircraft cap- armament and fire control system
next it would be sought by the able of carrying a variety of the yet produced. Added to the "Fal-
Bomarc missile, and finally, if it types. con" aboard the Dart are the "Su-

F-106 Delta Dart F-102 Delta Dagger

6 THE ROUNDEL
 ~~

<
g

1---
?

F4D Skyray F-101 Voodoo

per Falcon" and the MBl "Genie" assigned U.S.N. all-weather fighter diameter of 35 inches. It weighs
nuclear warhead rocket. is the F4D Skyray, using "Side- about 15,000 pounds and its twin
Two other supersonic intercep- winders" supplemented by "Mighty ram-jet engines carry it higher
tors already in service are the Mouse" rockets. than 60,000 feet at speeds over
Fl0lB Voodoo, armed with the 1800 miles an hour.
"Falcon" and the MBl; and the GROUND-LAUNCHED MISSILES Bomarc employs the latest
F104 Starfighter, equipped with Missiles are the "line-backers" electronic guidance systems, in-
the "Sidewinder" a missile which for the NORAD defensive team. cluding a terminal guidance sys-
homes on the heat generated by its Latest to join the ranks is the tem within the missile itself. It can
target. The Starfighter currently Bomarc. This is the missile that
holds the world speed record of first would be launched against the Falcon (left), air-to-air guided missile,
1404.09 m.p.h. and the altitude invader if he survived a run past and Mighty Mouse, 2.75 in. rocket,
record of over 91,000 feet. piloted interceptors. displayed by interceptor pilot.
Older U.S.A.F. models still play- Bomarc (IM-99) is a super-
ing vital roles in air defence are sonic, rocket-launched ground-to-
the F86D/L Sabrejet; the F89D air missile which will permit
Scorpion, armed with "Mighty engagement and destruction of
Mouse" rockets and F89J which in enemy aircraft far out from the
addition can add externally- intended target. It has a wingspan
mounted MBls. The NORAD- of 18 feet, length 4 7 feet and a

F-89 Scorpion

!II

JUNE 1959 7
carry a nuclear or conventional all types of bomber aircraft re-
warhead. It has been fired on gardless of evasive action. Ajax
orders from a SAGE (Semi- units have been operational in the
automic Ground Environment) continental United States since
control centre nearly 1500 miles 1953. . h
from the launching site, success- The Nike-Hercules IS t e
fully intercepting subsonic and United States' second land-based
supersonic drone targets. Both sin- surface-to-air guided missile system
gle and multiple targets have been to be placed into an active air de-
successfully intercepted by the fence role, and is many times more
Sage-Bomarc system. Later effective than its predecessor. Able
models of Bomarc will have to carry a high explosive or nuclear
increased range, and work is pre- warhead, Nike-Hercules 1s a
sently underway on a solid pro- relatively inexpensive and simple
pellant propulsion system. missile and uses solid propellants.
First of the supersonic anti- The system is capable of operation )

aircraft guided missiles to come in- in an electronic countermeasures

to NORAD's arsenal was the environment and has the ability to
Army's Nike-Ajax. This missile progressively accommodate im- , ''
provements to the system. The
~ , {
is designed to intercept and destroy
Nike-Hercules system 1s Op-
erational now in the United States. . ~
I
Bomarc blasts off.
It will be sited in defence of many
SAC bases and will eventually re-
place the Nike-Ajax around
industrial and metropolitan areas.
One of the newest of NORAD's Nike-Hercules (left) and its predecessor,
air defence weapons is the U.S. Nike Ajax.
Army's Hawk missile. It is capa-
ble of carrying a nuclear warhead North America has no defence
and of destroying attackers flying against this weapon today.
"on the deck". Soon to be placed What is being done about it?
in service, this mobile system will The problem of providing an
complement the defence provided anti-missile defence has been given
by Nike-Ajax and Nike-Hercules the highest priority by the U.S.
wherever extreme low altitude Department of Defence and Ad-
capability is required. The missile vanced Research Projects Agency.
uses a solid fuel propellant and is Canada's Defence Research Board
approximately 17 feet long and 14 is also working on this problem.
inches in diameter. Among the first steps taken to
THE ICBM THREAT
meet the new challenge was the
letting of a contract by the U.S.
To keep pace with that offensive government for the development
threat, NORAD can never stand and construction of Nike-Zeus as
still. NORAD must not only main- an anti-missile missile. Zeus is get-
tain its present system of defence ting the highest priority in its de-
against manned bombers but also velopment.
make plans to block an intercon- Concurrently, the United States
• tinental ballistic missile attack. has been working on the develop-
Under the air defence system ment of a long-range missile de-
now in being it is estimated the tection system known as BMEWS
continent has a warning time (Ballistic Missile Early Warning
against bomber attack of from two System). The US.A.F. is now
to three hours at the most. A long- building two BMEWS stations,
range ICBM with the capability
.%
loon
of stnkmg anywhere on the conti-
nent would reduce warning time
equipped with radars that can give
early warning of enemy missile
launchings some 3,000 miles away.
to a maximum of 30 minutes. BMEWS stations will use in part
8
THE ROUNDEL
som e existing com m unication lines "Triple Nickel's" Trial
of the present ra dar chains includ-
ing the DEW Line.
No field of the physical sciences, Triple Nickel is a radar-packed Super Connie, U.S.A.F. serial number
no positive appro ach to defence 30555, used on the Pacific D.E.W. Line extension patrol. Last winter,
against ICBM attacks that might with a finish that would have done credit to a Hollywood thriller, the
pro vide an answer, is being ne- big Connie limped home after losing an engine (literally) 200 miles out
glected. of Honolulu.
This month near Prince Albert,
Sask., Prime Minister Diefenbaker At 6000 feet, with all instruments reading normally, No. 2 engine
officially opened P ARL, a Defence suddenly tore from its mounts. Before it plummeted into the
Research Board radar research sea, No. 2 sheered the tips from two blades of No. 1 prop. Aircraft
laboratory which will investigate commander Major E. W. Bierer promptly feathered No. 1.
factors influencing the radar de-
tection of aircraft and missiles Sixty percent flap was dropped to cut the buffeting caused by the
entering the auroral zone. The 30-foot hole where No. 2 had been. Full right rudder trim was cranked
PARL programme is an extension in to help compensate for the lost power on the left. The crew began
of the research collaboration that dumping 10,000 pounds of fuel. Triple Nickel continued to lose altitude
has existed between Canada and and threatened to stall, despite full power on the two good engines. At
the U.S. during the past few years 1500 feet power settings were adjusted and altitude barely maintained.
relative to continental ballistic As the flight reached its uncertain final stages, the crew piled into
missile defence. survival gear and prepared for ditching.
When the solution is found, it
will naturally fall into the NORAD Then, with the traditional happy ending. Triple Nickel squeaked
family of weapons for defence in into Hickam and a perfect landing. Saved: 19 men and three million
depth. dollars worth of equipment.

NEW NORAD COMMANDER NEXT MONTH

General L. S. Kuter, U.S.A.F., has hostilities ended he was a per-

been appointed NORAD Com- manent brigadier general. General
mander-in-Chief, effective upon the Partridge became the first com-
retirement of General E. E. mander in chief of the combined
Partridge at the end of July. Gen- Canadian-United States air defence
eral Kuter is at present in com- force when NORAD was formed
mand of the U.S.A.F. Far East Air in September 1957.
Forces. Air Marshal C. R. Siemon,
General Kuter has served with R.C.A.F., will continue in the ap-
distinction in a variety of posts pointment of Deputy Commander,
throughout his 32 years of military NORAD.
service. In addition to military as-
signments he has also been a
member of U.S. delegations to Canadian Appointed
various civil aviation conferences Mr. R. M. Macdonnell, former
and in 1947 was named U.S. rep- deputy under-secretary of the De-
resentative to the Council of partment of External Affairs, this
I.C.A.O. with the personal rank of month assumed his new post as
minister. General L. S. Kuter secretary general of the Interna-
General Partridge's military ca- tional Civil Aviation Organization,
reer dates back to 1918 when he with headquarters in Montreal.
served as an enlisted man in the of air service in the regular army. I.C.A.O. is a specialized agency of
First World War. In 1924 he grad- When the U.S. entered the Second the United Nations whose mem-
uated from West Point and was World War Partridge held the bership consists of 73 sovereign
commissioned a second lieutenant temporary rank of colonel; when states.

JUNE 1959 9
Canadians At Colorado Springs
Hold Important Posts as Equal Partners in NORAD Headquarters

Backward writing is an asset in plotting on the C.O.C. surveillance board [Keo netts blink in the dimly
a plexiglass map measuring 20 x 30 feet. lighted NORAD Combat Opera-
tions Centre. "Hostile" tracks are
posted on the huge plexiglass
plotting board, simulating the pre-
sence of enemy aircraft high over
the North West Territories. Warn-
ing bells sound the alarm, bring-
ing officers and men of several
different services scurrying to their
operational positions.
Another practise alert is under-
way one which may actively
include those on duty at air
defence units throughout North
America, or merely a "paper
scheme" where the "battle" is
fought within the confines of this
concrete blockhouse at Ent Air
Force Base.
Included on every level in the
planning, organization and execu-
tion of these operations at NORAD
Headquarters are R.C.A.F. officers,
working in the closest harmony
with Americans who may be wear-
ing army, navy or air force uni-
forms. Of the 166 officers attached
to this headquarters, only 28 are
Canadians but they take their
places as full partners and some fill
positions of awesome importance,
considering the comparative con-
tributions of the two countries to
this integrated command.
U.S.A.F. Four-Star General E. E.
Partridge, NORAD's Commander-
r in-Chief, emphasizes that he and

I
his deputy, R.C.A.F. Air Marshal
C. R. Siemon, work on a partner-
ship relationship. Except for the
"To be succeeded July 31 by Gen. Kuter.

10 THE ROUNDEL
 Cade. Jat

Wing Cdr. J. F. Edwards, chief of systems branch, environment

division; Mrs. Edwards, Jean, Debra, Dorothy and James, Jr.

'
\ I

•
n, {¥
epas=pgg

Sqn. Ldr. K. J. Hardy, assistant director of protocol; Mrs.

Hardy, Peter and David.

Flt. Lt. J. H. Lowery, intelligence staff officer, military

capabilities division; Mrs. Lowery, Shannon and Kelly.

13
 4

GOLDEN HAWKS
Ip woe»

(' armers-es
·----wow8le

Left to right: F/OW.C.Stewart. FIt. Lt. E. J. Rozdeba, FIt. Lt. J. D. McCombe. Sqn. Ldr. G. F. Villeneuve (team
leader), FIt. Lt. G. J. Kerr, Flt. Lt. R. E. Annis (deputy leader), F/O J. T. Price, F/O J. A. Holt.

"Golden Hawks" Fly On Tour

J's R.C.A.F's "Golden Hawks" Now joining this select group of ances, subject to change, are as
precision aerobatic team will be precision-perfect pilots is the eight- follows.
seen by millions of Canadians man R.C.A.F. team pictured above.
this summer during its four-month Four members of the team com- AIR FORCE DAYS
tour which started last month. bine to form a four-plane forma-
Organized to take part in the tion, while two others perform solo DATE R.C.A.F. STATION
activities celebrating the Golden displays and two spare pilots are 16 May Torbay
Anniversary of Flight in Canada available to fill in any position as 30 May Trenton
and the R.C.A.F.'s 35th Anniver- required. The shows consists of a 30 May Camp Borden
sary, the team in their gold, red 25-minute sequence of loops, rolls, 6 June Rockcliffe
and white Sabre jets will be one cross-overs, born bursts, Cuban 13 June St. Hubert
of the few air force aerobatic teams eights and rhubarbs during each 14 June Bagotville
to perform on a nation-wide basis performance. All these are standard 20 June Sydney
since the famed "Siskins" toured manoeuvres to R.C.A.F. fighter 26 June Chatham
the country in connection with the pilots but will be carried out in 27 June Greenwood
Trans-Canada Air Pageant of 1931. tight formation by the "Golden 1 July Summerside
Formation aerobatics have long Hawks". 2 July Falccnbridge
been a part of military flying. The "Golden Hawks" will per- 4 July North Bay
Teams such as the U.S. Navy's form at 20 Air Force Day and 19 5 July Calgary
"Blue Angels" and the R.A.F.'s other public air shows this year. 12 July Sea Island
"Black Knights" are world famous. Dates of their scheduled appear- 18 July Cold Lake
14
THE ©UHDE!
 Cade. Jat

Wing Cdr. J. F. Edwards, chief of systems branch, environment

division; Mrs. Edwards, Jean, Debra, Dorothy and James, Jr.

'
\ I

•
n, {¥
epas=pgg

Sqn. Ldr. K. J. Hardy, assistant director of protocol; Mrs.

Hardy, Peter and David.

Flt. Lt. J. H. Lowery, intelligence staff officer, military

capabilities division; Mrs. Lowery, Shannon and Kelly.

13
 4

GOLDEN HAWKS
Ip woe»

(' armers-es
·----wow8le

Left to right: F/OW.C.Stewart. FIt. Lt. E. J. Rozdeba, FIt. Lt. J. D. McCombe. Sqn. Ldr. G. F. Villeneuve (team
leader), FIt. Lt. G. J. Kerr, Flt. Lt. R. E. Annis (deputy leader), F/O J. T. Price, F/O J. A. Holt.

"Golden Hawks" Fly On Tour

J's R.C.A.F's "Golden Hawks" Now joining this select group of ances, subject to change, are as
precision aerobatic team will be precision-perfect pilots is the eight- follows.
seen by millions of Canadians man R.C.A.F. team pictured above.
this summer during its four-month Four members of the team com- AIR FORCE DAYS
tour which started last month. bine to form a four-plane forma-
Organized to take part in the tion, while two others perform solo DATE R.C.A.F. STATION
activities celebrating the Golden displays and two spare pilots are 16 May Torbay
Anniversary of Flight in Canada available to fill in any position as 30 May Trenton
and the R.C.A.F.'s 35th Anniver- required. The shows consists of a 30 May Camp Borden
sary, the team in their gold, red 25-minute sequence of loops, rolls, 6 June Rockcliffe
and white Sabre jets will be one cross-overs, born bursts, Cuban 13 June St. Hubert
of the few air force aerobatic teams eights and rhubarbs during each 14 June Bagotville
to perform on a nation-wide basis performance. All these are standard 20 June Sydney
since the famed "Siskins" toured manoeuvres to R.C.A.F. fighter 26 June Chatham
the country in connection with the pilots but will be carried out in 27 June Greenwood
Trans-Canada Air Pageant of 1931. tight formation by the "Golden 1 July Summerside
Formation aerobatics have long Hawks". 2 July Falccnbridge
been a part of military flying. The "Golden Hawks" will per- 4 July North Bay
Teams such as the U.S. Navy's form at 20 Air Force Day and 19 5 July Calgary
"Blue Angels" and the R.A.F.'s other public air shows this year. 12 July Sea Island
"Black Knights" are world famous. Dates of their scheduled appear- 18 July Cold Lake
14
THE ©UHDE!
 8 August Winnipeg
15 August Penhold
Headdress for Red Indians
22 August Comox
1 9 September Centralia No. 421 (Red Indian) Fighter W. N. Love, editor of the Farm and
19 September Clinton Squadron, based at Grostenquin, Ranch Review.
France, now is equipped with tan- Here Mr. Love and Flt. Lt. L. T.
In addition the "Golden Hawks" Legaarden, air movements officer
gible evidence of its emblem. A at Dorval, try the eagle-feathered
will be at the following: full set of Indian regalia made headdress on Flt. Lt. G. B. Cum-
31 May Kingston Air by Indians living in and around ming, A.T.C. public relations officer,
Show Calgary, Alta. was presented re- prior to delivery of the equipment
20 June Halifax Air cently to the squadron by Mr. overseas.
Display
21 June Sydney N.S.
Air Show
2 7 June Moncton Air
Display
28 June Fredericton
Air Display
28 June St. John N.B.
Air Display
" Calgary
Stampede
9 July Moose Jaw
Fair
11 July B.C. Air Show
" Edmonton
Exhibition
" Saskatoon
Fair
26 July Regina Air
Display
2 August Prince Albert
Air Show
7 August Lethbridge
Air Display Dambuster Recalls Headline Story
9 August Lakehead
Air Show Wing Commander J. C. McCarthy, Davis.
23 August Victoria Air D.S.O., D.F.C., was a recent guest Last month six other R.C.A.F.
Display on Front Page Challenge, recalling ex-members of the Dambusters
Pacific the exploits of No. 617 Squadron were present at Scrampton, Eng-
National and the raid on the Germans dams land, when the Queen Mother pre-
Exhibition in May, 1943. He was interviewed sented a new squadron standard
11-12 September Canadian by the C.B.C. TV show's host, Fred to No. 617 R.A.F. Squadron.
National
Exhibition
(C.I.A.S.)
19-20 September Windsor Air
Show
% Exact dates will be announced.
~
CONDUCTING OFFICERS
When the (mess) dinner is off-
cially ove: the FMC and Vice-
FMC will assist, as required, in
conducting the guests from the din-
ing room.
(AFRO 92)

U4£ T59 15
 Ope#his IRSp s

PHOTOSTORY BY CORPORALS G. A. WALKER AND W. M. NOICE ____) I

Anyway you look, it's a long way home. Stand-

ing (}. to r.): Flt. Lt. H. W. Leleu, F/O M. J. Semi-Annual Arctic Airlift Has Become Routine
Gallagher, F/O R. M. Wall, Flt. Lt. R. W.
Flowers. Seated (}. to r.): Cpl. R. G. Clark, For A.T.C.
FIt. Lt. J. Egan.

Are Transport Command has Squadron and a veteran of arctic

again successfully completed spring flying, who was bossing his second
re-supply of the Canadian and U.S. re-supply operation within a year.
weather stations across the top of Goods stored at Resolute from
the world. C119 Flying Boxcars ships which arrived the previous
from Nos. 435 and 436 Squadrons, summer and last minute items
based respectively at Namao, Alta., ferried in from Churchill, a rail-
and Downsview, Ont., carried, in head and jumping off point 965
a little over a week, a total of near- miles south, were sorted and pre-
ly one and a quarter million pounds pared for airlift by Flying Officer
of mixed freight. W. ]. Forbes, officer in charge of
Early in April aircraft and air movements at Namao, and his
ground maintenance crews of the crew of 18 airmen from both 435
two squadrons converged on Reso- and 436 Squadrons.
lute Bay, to set about the 24-hour- Timing reflected the urgency of
a-day task of re-stocking supplies the operation, which had to be
after the long winter at such iso- completed before thawing render-
lated bases as Isachsen, Mould ed frozen landing strips unservice-
Bay, Eureka and Alert. able. The Flying boxcars flew as
In charge was Squadron Leader much as 16 hours a day each. This
D. R. Miller, a member of 435 feat was accomplished through the

16 THE ROUNDEL
 use of two air crews and expert
m aintenance.
Working 12-hour shifts, the
ground crews at Resolute serviced
aircraft in less than an hour re-
fueling, re-oiling, checking minor
defects and re-loading. Flying
Officer W. H. Adams headed
up the ground maintenance crew
of 40 men from the two squad-
rons. At the destination unit,
tractors and sleds were drawn
up awaiting the C119's arrival and
every available man pressed into
the task of unloading as soon as
the clamshell doors were opened
and the ramp in place. Turnaround
time averaged five minutes.
The Canadian Department of
Transport and the United States
Weather Bureau took advantage
Dr. M. Crocklord (left), a Toronto dentist, assisted by Cpl. S. "Doc" Spak, R.C.A.F.
of these flights to change personnel. medical assistant stationed at Resolute, gives treatment to Eskimos durinll Operation
Replacements did not have long Resupply.
to chat with their predecessors be-
fore the aircraft headed back to
Resolute for another load and an-
other station.

L. to r.: Cpl. ]. E. Prowse, Army Sgt.

R. W. Acton, Cpl. R. Seeking and friends
at Alert.

~
--- '

Over one mil1ion pounds of freillht handled in one week is a lot of stevedoring.
. '

.·;) .
';: Cpl. H. W. Jollimore and snowmobile at Mould Bay.

·(~' gllill --®

"" -kigll],-_·1
·',
_:- t· . ·.. · / ~j :'~_· - ·_",; • . g g'
"'i'
,:Qi - ...
· J 4I8 f rye a: t W

±A 4f ? y
Kl? ±tl®)°
. . -
'ii,
MOULD BAY
WEATHER STATION

isl"
U.S.W. B.-A
17

\
 LJ ·6tu

»ss?
=- I

,l

Canada's Pioneer Ar 4.55 on the afternoon of

Monday, 24 June 1918, a Curtiss
JN4 biplane landed on the Royal
Air Force aerodrome at Leaside,

Air Mail north-east of Toronto. To the

casual observer there was nothing
unusual about the arrival of the
aircraft; it was just another in the
dawn-to-dusk round of "circuits
and bumps". Nevertheless the
"Jenny" had just made history, for
nestled at the feet of the mechanic
BY WING COMMANDER F. H. HITCHINS
in the rear cockpit was a brand-new
Air Historian mail bag containing about 150
letters bearing a special cachet
that marked them as Canada's first
officially sanctioned air mail.
(For the photographs which accompany Although no fanfare of trumpets
this article we are indebted to Mrs. heralded his landing, Capt. Brian
Brian Peck of Metis Beach, Que.)
A. Peck, the pilot of the aircraft,
18
THE ROUNDEL
had won for himself a place in Montreal branch, in June 1918 panied by his mechanic, Cpl. E. W.
Canada's aviation hall of fame as arranged with the officials of the Mathers, he took off from Leaside
the Dominion's first air mail pilot. Montreal Polo Club to convert on Curtiss C-203. They broke their
their grounds into an airfield. The journey at Camp Rathbun (Dese-
A NATIVE of. Montreal and a
graduate of Lower Canada College
polo grounds, on the Bois Franc
road at Back River, had been
ronto) to refuel and spend the
night; resuming their flight at 9.30
and McGill University, Brian Peck abandoned as a sports field since the next morning, the two airmen
enlisted in the artillery on the out- the outbreak of war, but had been landed on the Polo Grounds at
break of war in 1914 and, after used on occasion by visiting air- Montreal two hours later. The
almost two years' service with a craft. In announcing their proposal speed with which the flight was
field battery, transferred to the to develop the area as an airfield, arranged makes it reasonable to
Royal Flying Corps in March the League suggested that it might assume that Capt. Peck had some
1916. On completion of training as be used for an air mail service. prior knowledge of the Aerial Lea-
a pilot, he joined an army co- The Royal Air Force at Toronto gue's plans for the airfield at Mont-
operation squadron in France with was informed of the League's plans real, including probably the tenta-
which he flew B.E.2Cs and R.E.7s for the polo grounds and lost no tive project for an air mail service.
over the battle-front for several time in taking advantage of the Nothing was said in Toronto, how-
months. opportunity to use the field. The ever, about this project and if Capt.
Posted back to Canada early very next day Capt. Peck arranged Peck felt it necessary to offer any
in 1917, Capt. Peck was placed to fly home to Montreal for the justification for his flight it was
in charge of the Cadet Wing at weekend and that afternoon probably the possibility of doing
Toronto when the R.F.C. began to (Thursday, 20 June 1918) accom- some exhibition flying while in his
organize its training establishment
in central Ontario. His work with
the Wing, and in particular the Captain Brian Peck
energy and skill which he display-
ed in setting up a School of Mili-
tary Aeronautics before the trained
staff arrived from England, re-
ceived high commendation from
the R.F.C. commander in Canada.
Returning to flying duties, Peck
subsequently commanded training
squadrons at Long Branch and
North Toronto and spent the
winter of 1917-18 with the R.F.C.
at Fort Worth, Texas. When the
R.F.C. units returned to Canada
in the early spring of 1918, Capt.
Peck's No. 83 Canadian Training
Squadron was assigned to Camp
Leaside to give artillery co-opera-
tion training to fledgling pilots.
MONTREAL IDEA

Although the first Canadian air

mail was delivered at Leaside it
was conceived at Montreal in the
minds of some officials of the local
branch of the Aerial League of the
British Empire. For several years
during the war the League had
been active in stimulating interest
in aviation and in raising money
for the donation of aircraft to the
Royal Flying Corps. As a further
step to encourage aviation the of-
ficers of the League, led by Mr.
E. Greenwood, the treasurer of the

JUNE 1959 19
 home-town to stimulate recruiting <36,%
» ®
While the "Jenny" was en route
from Leaside there was much
activity in Montreal. As soon as
the Aerial League learned that
Peck was on his way, Mr. Green-
wood made plans to use the op-
portunity for an experiment in fly-
ing the mail from Montreal to
Toronto. The proposal was sub-
mitted to Dr. R. F. Coulter, the
Deputy Postmaster General at
Ottawa, who gave his hearty con-
currence, and the necessary ar-
rangements were quickly made
with Mr. J. E. Leonard, the Mont-
real postmaster. A new mail bag
was provided for the occasion, Mr.
Greenwood was authorized to act
as "aerial postmaster", and a
special cachet was prepared to
cancel the stamps on the letters.
Impressed on the letters in red ink,
the cachet was a triangle sur-
mounted by the words "Inaugural
Service" and enclosing "by Aerial paw±At Et6EE
2
Mail, Montreal, 23-6-18". With all Aerial !
j, a ##
25
arrangements completed, and nu-
merous special letters written for
d
the inaugural service, the Montreal
newspapers on Saturday pro-
claimed "First Royal Mail by air First airmail bag
tomorrow". But both the cachet
and the newspapers were in error; to witness the historic occasion.
the arrangements had neglected to The letters were cancelled by Mr. and its crew, and at 4.55, six hours
include the meteorological officials Greenwood, the mail bag was and 43 minutes after leaving Mont-
or make allowance for the vagaries sealed, Peck and Mathers climbed real, the "Jenny" touched down at
of the weather. The inaugural into the cockpits of the "Jenny" its Leaside base. Capt. Peck rushed
service was 24 hours late. his mail bag by car to Postmaster
and at 4.35 the aircraft took off W. E. Lemon at the Toronto post
MAIL TAKES WINGS
into the lowering, rain-laden sky. office to have the letters post-
After a few minutes in the air, marked again with the time of ar-
Originally scheduled for 10 however, the pilot decided it was rival. The special delivery letters
o'clock Sunday morning, the return futile to continue the flight and he in the bag were distributed the
flight to Toronto had to be post- returned to the airfield. same evening, about two hours
poned for several hours due to At 10.12 the next morning (24 after the 'plane landed at Leaside;
pouring rain. Then, late in the aft- June) Peck set out again, under the ordinary mail was delivered by
ernoon, although conditions were clearer skies, with his bag of let- the regular carrier service the next
still far from favourable a little ters still bearing the previous day's morning.
group gathered at the Polo Grounds date. A 40-minute stop was made
at Kingston to refuel the aircraft VALUABLE COVERS
A later account of the flight puts Contemporary reports mention only
forward another objective to provide
The first flight covers, about 150
one intermediary stop at Kingston. A
the camp quartermaster at Leaside with later account of the flight states that in number, which Capt. Peck car-
a supply of liquor for his wedding re- Peck landed at Kingston almost out of ried on 24 June 1918 are today
ception. According to this story, the Cur- fuel, and had to accept ordinary automo- valuable collector's items. Most of
tiss on its return trip from Montreal car- bile gas as no aviation spirit was avail-
ried not only the mail bag but also a
the letters were apparently se-
able; he then flew on to the training
case of whisky. Naturally, contemporary camp at Deseronto, drained out the auto lected at random from the outgo-
reports make no mention of any aerial fuel, filled up with aviation gas and con- ing Toronto mail in the Montreal
liquor-running. tinued on his way to Leaside. post office, but the bag also con-
20
THE A£:1JDEL
 joint" in 1918, amends were made
40 years later. In September 1958
the Archaeological and Historic
Sites Board of Ontario erected a
plaque on the site at Leaside where
the first air mail flight in Canada
had terminated. Capt. Peck, unfor-
tunately, did not live to see the
ceremony which paid tribute to his
pioneer effort; he had died at
Montreal two years previously on
6 September 1956.

After Capt. Peck's flight in June

1918 had demonstrated the feasi-
bility of air mail, the Aero Club of
Canada, headed by Col. W. Hamil-
ton Merritt, arranged another se-
ries of flights in co-operation with
the Royal Air Force and the Post
Office Department.
The Aero Club's project was to
institute an experimental weekly
air mail service between Toronto
and Ottawa, and by arrangement
with the postal authorities the
Club issued a special air :uail
sticker which was sold for the
benefit of the Royal Air Force
Fund for Prisoners of War. The
A collector's item
design not too appropriate for
the occasion showed a Zeppelin
being shot down in flames by a
tained about two dozen letters spe- commented that, except for reports biplane; around the design was the
cially written for the occasion, in the Montreal papers, "little was legend "The Aero Club of Can-
carrying messages of greeting from known in Toronto... of the unique ada's first aerial mail service
Montreal officials and business mail service, and no arrangements per Royal Air Force" with the date
men to their "opposite numbers" were made to receive the historic August 1918 and the fee 25 cents.
in Toronto. They included letters mail bag"; indeed there were some In addition to the Aero Club
from the mayor, postmaster and doubts whether the Montreal re- sticker, placed on the back of the
chief postal inspector, the presi- ports had any basis in fact. Ques- envelope, the letters carried the
dent and officers of the Canadian tioned by reporters, the adjutant normal postage rate of 3 cents, plus
Pacific and Canadian Northern at Leaside insisted that there was special delivery if desired.
Railways, the general manager of "nothing official" about the flight;
the Bank of Montreal, the chair- Capt. Peck had merely been given EXPERIMENTAL RUNS
man of the Montreal Stock Ex- permission to "drive" an aeroplane
to Montreal and then had been The first flight in this experi-
change, the chairman of the Red mental service was made on 15
Cross Society, the secretary of the persuaded to fly the mail back as
a good will gesture. The adjutant August 1918 when Lt. Tremper
Aerial League of the British Em- Longman of No. 78 Canadian
pire, and the editors of the local thought the whole affair had been
brought about by the newspapers. Training Squadron carried a small
newspapers. cargo of air mail from Leaside to
Toronto newspapers appeared Despite his protests, the flight had
been officially sanctioned by the Rockcliffe in five hours. Cancelled
to be slightly nettled by the in the Toronto post office at 9 a.m.,
fact that iontreal had stolen a Post Office (if not by the R.A.F.),
and arrangements for it were well the bag of some 60 letters, mostly
march" o the Queen City in that, official correspondence to govern-
although» {he aircraft had originally in hand by the time the Curtiss
.ad its crew arrived in Montreal. ment offices in Ottawa, was rushed
set out fro Toronto, the mail vs to the airfield where Longman
carried 7# one way 'i'z: -L03& {f Toronto's "nose was out of

21
 took off an hour later. After refuel-
ling at Deseronto, he landed on the
rifle range at Rockcliffe at 3 p.m.
Flyingest Padre in the R.C.A.F.
and the mail bag was delivered to
the post office in Ottawa half an
hour later. Some of the letters were
received by officers of the Depart-
To Flight Lieutenant L. Murphy.
R.C. padre at R.C.A.F. Station
Father Murphy has made more
than 250 flights on commercial
ment of Militia and Defence at Holberg. goes the honour of being and air force aircraft. The padre
4.30 the same afternoon. Two the chaplain currently logging the flies to Holberg each Saturday via
days later Longman made the re- most flying time in the service. commercial airline since the R.C,
turn trip to Toronto, leaving Rock- Father Murphy earns this distinc- A.F. "sked" run leaves on Fridays
cliff e at 6.50 a.m. on the 17th and tion by virtue of the fact that, when he is busy teaching school in
landing at Leaside at 12.25, after although he is Station Holberg's Vancouver. However, the return
the customary refuelling stop at padre, he lives 200 miles south in flights each Monday are made on
Deseronto. The mail carried on the Vancouver and must commute by service aircraft.
"Jenny" was delivered in Toronto air between these two points. Out of the first 52 flights to the
an hour later. Since he joined the Air Force isolated unit, situated on the north-
The second flight in the series Auxiliary two and a half years ago ern tip of Vancouver Island, Re-
between the provincial and federal serve Chaplain Murphy missed
capitals was carried out by Lt. only one. It was a last minute can-
Arthur M. Dunstan who made the cellation when he was urgently
eastward trip with 130 letters on needed at his parish. The flight
26 August, and the return trip the
next afternoon. The experimental
service ended on 4 September with
y ended in disaster when the aircraft
crashed, claiming 14 lives.
From Vancouver Father Mur-
a round-trip flight between the phy flies to the airport at Port
two cities by Lt. E. C. G. Burton. Hardy, transfers to a bus for the
Leaving Leaside at 8 a.m., he trip to Coal Harbour where he is
reached Rockcliffe at 12.42, had a picked up by an RC.AF. crash
hurried lunch and took off again boat for a six-mile cruise to a wait-
an hour later. Delayed by head ing G.M.T. which takes him on the
winds on the return flight, he did final lap to the station.
not arrive at Leaside until 7 p.m. Father Murphy's weekly jaunts
with his cargo of 118 ordinary and make it possible for him to admin-
18 special delivery letters. This ister to the needs of his congrega-
small bag was the "heaviest" mail tion at Holberg as well as to attend
carried on the experimental serv- to his parochial duties in Vancou-
ice operated by the Aero Club of ver. They also allow him the op-
Canada between Toronto and portunity of running errands for
Ottawa.
his isolated brethren. This, he
claims, gets embarrassing when
Replies to these official letters, des-
patched by rail that night, reached To-
the errands include shopping for
ronto at 8 a.m. the following morning, diapers.
Jess than 24 hours after the original mail
had closed there. This combined air-rail
service cut ten hours off the 33 hours re-
quired for all-rail transport of the mail.
A Sergeant's Answer to a Request for a Day Off
"A calendar year has 365 days. Of these, each guy in the Air Force
• gets eight hours of sleep, totalling 122 days, leaving 243 days. Also, you
guys get eight hours each day for recreation, which makes another 122
THAT'S LIFE days, leaving 121 days. Less your five Zulu weekends a year you also
get 47 weekends consisting of Saturday and Sunday making 74 days
Life is an everlasting struggle to which leaves 47. 3
keep money coming in and teeth Now the Air Force gives each guy 30 days leave each year, so we
and hair from coming out. only have 17 workmg days left minus ten legal holidays, which leaves
only seven days. Normally, you guys swing the lead at least 30 minutes
There may be a destiny that a day- which makes another six days, leaving one day of our original
shapes our ends-but our middles 365 and I'll be darned if I'll give you that one day off becau» we :till
are of our own chewing. have an Air Force to run."

22
 (Editor's note: Wartime security and post-war oversight have almost
completely obscured the fact that the forerunners of the much-heralded
DEW., Mid-Canada and Pinetree Radar lines were highly operational
on both Canada's east and west coasts 15 years ago. This article is in
tribute to the men who served at these outposts of civilization on
wartime tours unmatched elsewhere for loneliness and boredom.)

]5ex in 1941, when the threat erected, these stations were aban- are historic names, such as Num-
of enemy penetration of our shores doned to the rampages of nature. ber 6 Radar Detachment (R.D.)
was very real, the Canadian gov- Few instances are recorded of Louisburg, located near the fort
ernment decided to build a number any unit sighting an enemy on its which played such a prominent
of radar stations at remote loca- radar, but this in no way detracts role in early Nova Scotian history.
from the fact that for three years Other detachments were given such
tions on both coasts to help guard
the R.C.A.F. maintained this vigil improbable names as Spider
our air and sea approaches. By the
under conditions often hazardous, Island, Fogo Island and Brooklyn.
end of 1942, and with the threat
always trying and sometimes down- Most northerly unit on the west
from Japan on the west coast equal coast was Number 26 R.D. Lan-
to that from Germany on the east, right humorous. The fact that
several of our own and allied air- gara Island, B.C., situated at 54
nearly 40 such stations were in degrees 15 minutes north latitude;
operation most of them built in crews owe their lives to the timely
aid of alert radar controllers more and on the east coast Cape Bauld,
incredibly inaccessible spots under Newfoundland, claimed this du-
the fiercest climatic and topo- than justifies their existence.
The first station to go on the air, bious honour.
graphic conditions. Their antennae
rotated from various lonely van-
on 26 June 1942, was at Preston, LAYING THE GROUNDWORK
N.S. Succeeding stations were built
tage points and their scopes were In considering these outposts and
rapidly, a few located conveniently
scanned y hundreds of homesick the men who manned them, we
close to civilization but the ma-
airmen un:ii after V-! ay, when jority far from its reaches. Some first present a brief history of radar
almost as sretively as they were
23
J\!'E 1959
 in the R.C.A.F., or Range and
Direction Finding (R.D.F.) as it
was known in the early war years.
Dr. J. T. Henderson, a physicist
with the National Research Coun- e
cil, and Squadron Leader F. V.
Heakes went to England in 1939
on the invitation of the Air Ministry
to view demonstrations of radar
equipment and acquire technical
.1
information. They were recalled
early in September, a few days after
the outbreak of war.
During the next year there was
little interest shown in radar by
Mana
-
the R.C.A.F. Then, in November
1940 Flight Lieutenant G. M. Faw-
cett (Group Captain), Flt. Lt. C. J.
Campbell (Group Capt., ret.) and
St. Brides, Newfoundland.
Flying Officer G. H. L. Norman
( Sqn. Ldr. ret.) were sent to the
United Kingdom to study and ob-
serve radar operations. They school at Clinton, Ont., at which R.D.F. stations; the name Radar
studied at Yatesbury and Prest- R.C.A.F., RAF. and U.S.A.F. air- became standardized later. Secret
wick, visited factories and flew with men were trained. At about the documents were kept in a safe to
Coastal Command. When they same time a scheme for the ab be quickly destroyed if necessary.
returned to Canada in May 1941 initio training of radar mechanics Demolition equipment to destroy
they brought back two ground was placed in operation at several the radar equipment was installed.
radar equipments, one of which was Canadian universities. Intake at Machine gun emplacements were
installed by Research Enterprises Clinton was mainly from these constructed at all units and men
Ltd. (R.E.L.), a crown corporation graduates and the school turned sent to guard them. Outgoing mail
formed in 1941 to produce radar out about 90 officers and other was censored. As the months wore
equipment, as a prototype for the ranks every two weeks. on, however, it became obvious
manufacture of Canadian built Selecting a radar site and that monotony and boredom were
Chain Home Low (C.H.L.) equip- placing a unit in operation often the real enemies.
ment. The other, used for the de- proved a long and arduous task. To combat this boredom person-
tection of high flying aircraft, was The tremendous distances in- nel engaged in various forms of
set up at Preston for the protection volved, and lack of communications recreation. As could be expected,
of the Halifax area. and roads presented great ob- hunting and fishing were the most
Early in 1941 the radar staff stacles. Locations were selected for popular past-times. Softball and
establishment under Wing Com- their topography and geographical baseball were played at units bless-
mander R. E. Mc Burney ( Air Vice position, which meant that radar ed with a forest clearing. At a few
Marshal, ret.) consisted of two beams with their normal range of western detachments off-duty per-
ground officers and two airborne 20 to 150 miles must overlap. sonnel found fun, but seldom for-
officers, Flt. Lts. Campbell, Fawcett Siting was carried out by Flt. Lts. tune, panning for gold. Several
and Flying Officer Norman and Flt. Fawcett, Campbell and Limbrick. units managed to produce news-
Lt. C. B. Limbrick (Group Capt, Living quarters had to be establish- papers such as the Cape St. James
ret.), who had served as a radar ed and placed where they could THE ISOLATIONIST and the
officer with the RAF. best cope with vigorous weather Cape Bauld EXPLORER.
conditions. Building these quarters Personnel, equipment and sup-
TRAINING
was the headache of the Construc- plies were brought to the radar sites
While radar organization was tion Maintenance Units. by the airforce's own marine sec-
proceeding in Canada, R.C.A.F. tion in coastal-type freighters, fish-
THE REAL ENEMIES
officers and airmen as well as other ing boats and converted gasoline
Canadians were being trained in As rapidly as plans were formed tenders. Their crews were a colour-
the U.K. and many of them later to build the radar detachments, ful cross-section of sea-farers- in-
served with the RAF. in Europe, elaborate safety precautions were cluding pre-war R.CM.P. members
Africa and Asia. In the summer of drawn up to hide their existence. of the preventive servi », rum-
1942 the RAF. established a radar The bases were first known as runners and fishermen, ·retinues

24
they deposited their passengers and mantling the unit, Flt. Lt. C. E. Hill, The staff of a unit usually consisted
cargoes on land and sometimes the reasoning that the pilot could re- of one or two officers and approxi-
in-going tide was the only means of ceive but not transmit, gave the mately 70 other ranks.
conveyance. Personnel reporting for command "make cockrell crow". A
a tour of duty of Marble Island, few anxious moments later a "pip" CAPE BAULD
B.C, were brought to about one appeared on the rim of the radar No. 30 R.D. Cape Bauld, on
mile from shore. Then, clad in suits screen. The pilot had received the Quirpon Island at the extreme end
of rubber overalls they would slip message and turned on his I.F.F. of Newfoundland, was a typical
over the side and, combining their If contact had not been established radar station in a remote area.
swimming ability with the force of for another five minutes the lost Situated on a barren rock with
the tide, they headed for land. On aircraft would have passed beyond practically no harbour facilities,
other occasions supplies and per- the radar range and beyond all the unit came into operation late
sonnel were floated ashore on large help. in 1942 after a three-month con-
rafts. But the situation was still criti- struction period during which
cal. Headings to Gander were trans- equipment was floated ashore on
EAST COAST
mitted blind and the aircraft turn- rafts.
During the war 40 radar units ed for home. The "pip" was ob- In the years that followed un-
were established in Canada, of served moving slowly across the loading supplies was always a pro-
which 30 were located on the east screen when it suddenly dropped blem. Drums of oil could only be
coast. Several ground interception from view. Over Botwood fuel had hoisted ashore by a winch at a
detachments were set up, including run out, forcing the pilot to "hit the nearby lighthouse. At first these
No. 19 R.D. Gander, which vector- silk". The "pip" went off the screen were carried one-quarter mile
ed aircraft during interceptions as as the Hurricane plunged to the through muskeg and rock to the
well as performing its normal plot- ground. The plotted track gave the radar site. Later a make-shift road
ting duties. A squadron of Hurri- approximate position and the pilot was constructed so that men could
canes was based at Gander airport was soon rescued. roll or push the drums to the de-
for this purpose. The majority of the units on the tachment. In winter the oil was
One night a single Hurricane east coast were located in Nova brought in by dog sled.
was sent out on a high flight and Scotia and Newfoundland. There Summer was the best season at
the control tower lost contact with were several detachments in Lab- Cape Bauld. At least twice a month
the aircraft. The detachment was rador, four in Quebec and one each visits were arranged to the nearest
asked for help but was unable to in Prince Edward Island, New town St. Anthony, 25 miles to the
reach the pilot through the normal Brunswick and Ontario. The latter south. Personnel travelled back and
radio channels. The officer com- was a ground experimental station. forth by supply boats. A feature of
these visits were the softball games
between the Air Force and St.
At No. 30 R.D., Cape Bauld, Nfld.
Anthony's. Fielding conditions left
. . a lot to be desired and boulders
se=
presented unusual obstacles on the
~- --···· I
diamond.
Occasionally personnel would
seek time off and obtain a five-day
leave. This meant a walk to the
south end of Quirpon Island and a
ride in a passing fishing boat to the
Fr- ' mainland. The airmen would walk
5-I. ggR

Z-p J.
along the shore until they reached
a hamlet where they would be
housed for the night. Many warm
friendships were formed between
air force personnel and the people

k of Newfoundland. They provide

some of the better memories to

f>'
come out of that bleak and desolate
land.
Mail delivery was improved in
®s ) the summer months but in winter
mail arrived about once every five
weeks by dog team from Deer

25
JUNE 1955
 Bringing supplies to Cape Bauld in summer... and in winter.

Lake 200 miles and a ten-day trip Scott. En route he promoted him- state of rations at the mercy of the
away. After the ice cleared supply self to flight sergeant, putting up weather.
boats brought in mail once every three stripes and a crown to prove Shortly after V-J Day all the
three weeks. it. At Vancouver he took charge of radar stations, except one at East-
With winter came the harsh a draft of 15 men. When the party ern Passage near Dartmouth, were
weather features so well remember- arrived at Shushartie Bay the closed. This station was loaned
ed by personnel of stations like "conscientious flight sergeant" put to the R.C.N. and kept in operation
Cape Bauld. Sometimes the winds the waiting period to good use by until early in 1955. In 1952 a few
would reach hurricane strength. delivering a series of security lec- of the wartime sites were re-opened
Brig Harbor and Cape Bauld have tures. From Cape Scott came word for the Northeast Air Command
recorded velocities as high as 120 for the party to detour to Coal Warning System, but for the most
m.p.h. In the fury of these gales Harbour. Here the self-appointed part the wartime radar chain exists
half-filled oil drums weighing well N.C.O. warned the unit on the only in Air Force records. As the
over 300 pounds would be blown necessity of tightened security. detachments were closed the radar
around the camp like children's Finally his documents caught up equipment was moved out, the
blocks. Storm windows would be with him. In defence he claimed he buildings abandoned. Gradually,
torn off, chimneys toppled and was promised an accelerated pro- with the forest re-claiming the land
opening or closing a door against motion which must have been de- and with the buildings falling
the elements was a two man job. layed. Before this fable was dis- apart, all traces of the stations will
At times people on duty did double proved the L.A.C; and party were vanish. But throughout the country
and triple consecutive shifts wait- on their way to Cape Scott and the there are thousands of men who re-
ing for the winds to abate so that matter was closed. call the part they played in this
they could get back to quarters. There were no roads to Cape little-known but vitally important
Scott, so supplies were brought in wartime activity on Canada's radar
PACIFIC WATCH
either by sea or air leaving the chain.
There were nine radar units
located on the west coast, seven of
Cape Scott R.D. personnel, November 1942.
them C.H.L. radio detachments.
Many were as isolated as Cape
Bauld. Recruits reporting to Cape
Scott, on the northern tip of Van-
couver Island, were taken by
steamship from Vancouver to a
place called Shushartie Bay. Here
they would wait in a telegraph
office, the only house in the area,
until picked up by a fishing boat
for the last lap of the trip.
One of the pioneer drafts includ-
ed an enterprising L.A.C. who was
posted from Dartmouth to Cape

26
 Commended by C.A.S.
Wire Bowling Tourney Results
The 1959 R.C.A.F. Wire Bowl- Winning ladies' team, with a
ing Tournament was by far the score of 3259, was from R.C.A.F.
largest conducted in the four year
Station Senneterre and comprised
history of the event, report A.F.H.Q.
recreation officials. Sixty-two men's L.A.W. B. Clark, Mrs. J. Weatheril,
and 60 ladies' teams were entered Mrs. L. Danis, Mrs. B. McLeod
ranging in geographical location and Mrs. M. Morris.
from Whitehorse, Y.T., to Zwei- Men's high single champion was
brucken, Germany, L.A.C. G. MacCallum, 1 Air Div.
Winning men's team, with a S.U. ( 365); men's high triple,
score of 3845, was from No. 1 Air L.A.C. L. Veilleux, Stn. Lincoln
Div. Support Unit and comprised Park' (926); ladies' high single,
Sgt. J. M. Meloche, Cpls. J. R. Mane Gallagher Stn. Moose Jaw
Blanchette and P. Vandenboeck, (382); ladies' high triple, Mrs. J.
L.A.C. G. MacCallum and Pte. R. Williamson, Stn. Camp Borden
Danis. (815).

Flying Officer N. F. Francis, of 2

M.C.L. Chapels Dedicated (M) 0.T.U. Greenwood, received
a personal letter of commendation
from Air Marshal Hugh Campbell
pR.C.A.F. Winisk and
ROTESTANT chapels at the
'Great Whale
maining Sundays are carried out
by the senior officers of the site.
after the following incident.
On 22 July 1958 F /0 Francis,
River radar sites on the Mid Members of the Bell Telephone a flying instructor on Argus con-
Canada Line were officially dedi- and the R.C.A.F. volunteered their version, took instant action in cor-
cated last month. spare time to renovate and deco- recting a fault during a normal
The chapel at Station Winisk, rate the chapel at Great Whale overshoot procedure at approxi-
on the west coast of Hudson's Bay, River. Dilapidated furniture in the mately 500 feet altitude. He thus
was dedicated in the morning. The construction shacks was dismantled prevented the situation from pro-
officiating group then travelled by and converted into pews and kneel- gressing into a state from which it
aircraft to Station Great Whale ing benches. would have been impossible to re-
River, 300 miles away, where the Rev. S. Wilkinson, a chaplain cover. His immediate appreciation
ceremonies were repeated in the in the R.C.A.F. reserve and resident of the situation, alertness and
evening of the same day. minister for the Eskimos and thorough knowledge of the air-
Group Captain F. W. MacLean, Indians, commutes between the craft earned him this high praise.
director of protestant religious ad- radar site, Belchor Island and
ministration, dedicated the chapels Great Whale village, where he
in the presence of R.C.A.F., Bell administers religious services.
Telephone and Marconi Radio per-
sonnel, who jointly operate the
radar sites. The chapel at Winisk
was converted from a construction
shack used by building crews dur-
ing the station's erection.
2 '
Squadron Leader R.A.F. Currie

·
wJT7
« "\
is official chaplain of Winisk where
he holds religious service once a
month. Services for the three re- ! } «u if
] I ms

Wing Cdr. Rodger, AD.C. Chaplain,

chats with .ers of the congregation
at state.. {Minis'»

JUNE 559 27
t
. ~ -
 h c bell Chief of the Air Staff, has written
Ar MAr\f'{ff" .5""i«al»aaats tor air original suggestions
letters of tha° ,mcially adopted by the R.C.A.F. Each has
which have veen ot,, rd C ·itte De rt
:.
received an awar dfrrom the Suggestion Awar 'ommit:ee, epart-
ment of National Defence.

Wing Cdr. A. C. W. Barrett

of A.F.H.Q. Ottawa develop-
Sgt. K. A. Kearns of A.F.
H.Q. Ottawa designed a new
ed a new Telecommuni-
cations (Air) Failure Re- temporary docket for use
port. with form G 183.

Flt. Lt. R. M. Muir of Sta- ~ Cpl. W. Beamish of Station

tion Foymount developed an Centralia suggested a new
angle off computer for the method of reinforcing fold-
use of fighter controllers. ing tables.

F/O D. E. Salter of A.F. p

H.Q. Ottawa devised a
quick-disconnect on the fre-
quency converter in the ra-
dar sight system for Sabre
-
< Cpl. T. M. Bruce of Station
Trenton suggested a card
and holder for use in T33
aircraft. aircraft.

Flt. Sgt. H. W. Reynolds of

Station Greenwood revised
certain soldering techniques Cpl. E. E. Hauka of Station
which have now been adopt- Penhold suggested complete
painting of the upper ring
ed by the Royal Canadian
Navy. cowling of Expeditor air-
craft.

28
Cpl. W. J. Jones of Station L.A.C. G. K. Hossack of
Bagotville designed a dis- A.F.H.Q. Ottawa suggested
penser for form R.C.A.F. - ' elimination of the tran-
F17, Daily Flying Log. i scription of flying hours from
1
Fl27, Record of Flying
Time, to R331, Record of
Service.

Cpl. J. L. G. Nobert of Sta-

tion Gimli designed a gauge L.A.C. J. E. Potvin of Sta-
for checking the range of tion Rockcliffe made a sug-
travel for all control surfaces gestion concerning the use
of T33 aircraft. of electronic flash in slide
making.

Cpl. D. V. Hutchings of
6RD Trenton made a sug- L.A.C. R. H. Shaw of Sta-
gestion concerning use of tion Rockcliffe suggested
34A/35, SAEIOW, lubricat- useful revision of form
ing oil when storing Sabre RCAF STATS 318, Unsatis-
factory Condition Report.
and T33 aircraft.

Cpl. E. Stamp of Station

Gimli suggested a method
P L.A.C. G. M. Smith of Sta-
tion North Bay designed ex-

it
of using dye for detecting tension cables for the Flight
leakage spots in fuel tanks. Data Computer Sub-Assem-
blies.

Mr. A. J. Blackmore of Sta-

<o
- ? Mr. E. T. McFall of 6 R.D .
Trenton made a suggestion
tion Beaver Bank suggested ) concerning a brake timing
an improved method of con- device.
serving diesel fuel oil.

29
 OUR FIRST C.A.S.

Air Marshal G. M. Croil, CBE, AFC

(1893-1959)

THIRTY-ONE years ago, in June bombing raids and offensive pa-

1928, the commanding officer of trols. In July 191 7 he was posted
R.C.A.F. Station Camp Borden from Salonika to Egypt where he
welcomed to his station, and to the was engaged on flying training
service, a group of fledgling provi- until the end of the war, receiving
sional pilot officers. A decade later promotion to major and command
the station commander, Wing Com-
mander G. M. Croil, had become
an air vice-marshal and the
of a Training Depot Station at El
Rimal. During this period he fre-
quently served as pilot for the
(
R.C.A.F.'s first Chief of the Air famous Lawrence of Arabia on his
Staff. In 1957 one of his novice missions into the desert. For his
pilots of 1928, P /P/0 Hugh Camp- outstanding work on operations
bell, rose to the same supreme of- and training in the Middle East
fice in the service. Major Croil received a Mention r,
George Mitchell Croil was born in Despatches (June 1918), the
in the United States, at Milwau- French Croix de Guerre (February
kee, Wisconsin, in June_ 1893. At 1919), and the Air Force Cross
the age of 11 he moved with his (June 1919).
family to Montreal for a few years
before returning to his parents' na- AIR BOARD PIONEER
tive land, Scotland. There he com- Released from the Royal Air
pleted his education, worked for a Force in April 1919, Major Croil exercises at Camp Sarcee. Later
time as a civil engineer, and then came out to Canada and the fol- that year he attended a special
went out to Ceylon to become lowing year joined the Air Board C.A.F. course at Camp Borden and
the manager of a tea and rubber as an air station superintendent while there he had a role in the
plantation. in the flying operations branch first ceremonial hoisting and un-
The outbreak of war in 1914 (where he served under a future furling of the C.A.F. ensign.
soon brought him home again, to C.A.S., the then Lieut. Col. Robert Squadron Leader Croil remained
receive a commission in the Gor- Leckie). In charge first of the air in command at High River until
don Highlanders and quick promo- station at Morley, and later at the close of the 1923 flying season
tion to the rank of captain. In the High River, Alta., Major Croil or- when he was posted to a staff posi-
spring of 1916 Capt. Croil was sec- ganized the aerial forest patrol tion at Air Headquarters in Ot-
onded to the Royal Flying Corps service in the foothills of the Rock- tawa. He was one of the 62 officers
with which he obtained his pilot's ies, and also did pioneer experi- who constituted the Permanent
certificate a few days before his mental work in winter flying. component of the Royal Canadian
23rd birthday. On completion of When the Canadian Air Force Air Force upon its organization on
his training he was posted to No. was organized under the Air Board 1 April 1924. From headquarters
4 7 Squadron which was then being in 1920 Squadron Leader Croil he went overseas in March 1925
formed for service in the Middle was one of its original members. In to serve as R.C.A.F. liaison officer
East. In September 1916 he sailed the summer of 1921 he took part at the Air Ministry for a year be-
with the squadron to Salonika and in one of the first demonstrations fore attending the R.A.F. Staff Col-
flew on operations over the Mace- of army-air co-operation in Can- lege at Andover as a me uber of
donian front, distinguishing him- ada when he flew a D.H.4 from the fifth course. Graduating vith
self by particularly good work on High River to participate in Army his p.s.a. (and promotion to wi:
30
THE +¢240LE
commander), Croil spent some the General Staff to an autono- Air Vice-larshal Croil relin-
weeks in the United Kingdom mous "force" enjoying equal status quished his appointment as Inspec-
visiting R.A.F. establishments and with the other services. This battle tor-General on 1 January 1944
then took the flying instructors ended in victory and on 15 Decem- and six months later, on 2 July
course in the Central Flying School ber 1938 Air Vice-Marshal Crail 1944, he retired from the service
at Wittering.
became the first Chief of the Air with the rank of air marshal. In
On his return to Canada late in Staff. retirement Air Marshal Crail made
1927 Wing Commander Crail was When war came in September his home in Vancouver, where he
posted to Camp Borden and took 1939 Air Vice-Marshal Crail died on 8 April of this year.
over command of the station on S played a leading part in the nego- If one were to describe Air Mar-
December. For five years he re- tiations which led to the creation shal Crail in a single word that
mained at Camp Borden, supervis- of the British Commonwealth Air word would be INTEGRITY. He
ing and taking a direct personal Training Plan and he helped to was, above all, a "straight-shooter",
interest in the instruction of succes- lay the groundwork for the early an absolutely honest and sincere
sive courses in the P/P/O scheme stages of that great undertaking. man of whom it could be truly said
which was then at its peak. Eleven After directing the service, as "he nothing common did, or mean".
officers of air rank now serving in S.A.O. and C.A.S., for six and a Reserved and modest, he never
the R.C.A.F. received their pilot's half years, Air Vice-Marshal Crail sought the limelight or the fanfare
wings while Wing Commander was appointed Inspector-General of publicity, but preferred to do
Crail was C.O. at Camp Borden of the R.C.A.F. on 29 May 1940 his work quietly, conscientiously-
and seven others received part of and through the vital war years he and impeccably. Those who served
their flying training during that exercised close supervision of the with Air Marshal Crail cherish the
period. efficiency of the service he had memory of an officer who inspired
helped to create. For his war-time confidence in those about him. "He
CHIEF OF AIR STAFF
services he was decorated with the was the sort of man you liked to
At the end of 1932 Wing Com- C.B.E. in January 1943. work for."
mander Crail again went overseas
to attend the Imperial Defence Oil Boom Sparks Photo Rush
College and qualify for i.d.c. (He
was the second R.C.A.F. officer to Increased interest in the Canadian Establishment, Station Rockcliffe.
attend the College.) From I.D.C.
he returned to Canada to become north by oil and mining companies Here L.A.W. M. T. Bernier helps
sort the thousands of aerial survey
Senior Air Officer on 1 January is a contributing factor in a boom photos taken by No. 408 (Reece)
1934, with the rank of group period at the R.C.A.F. Photographic Sauadron.
captain. A year later he was
promoted to air commodore and
in August 1938 to air vice-
marshal. He took command of the
service at the time when the
R.C.A.F. was just beginning to re-
cover from the financial stringency
imposed by the depression and
was also, under the impulse of
increasing international tension,
beginning to reorganize from a "ci-
vil" air force engaged on civil
government air operations to a
military air force equipped and
trained for the air defence of Can-
ada. His task was not an easy one;
there were many "lean years" to
overcome, and competition in the
world's markets for equipment
was now very keen.
A second great task confronting
him as head of the R.C.A.F. was
to gain independence for his serv-
ice, and elevate it from a "corps"
under the control of the Chief of

JUNE {959 31
 ASSOCIATION
CONVENTION COVERAGE
The R.C.A.F. Association has
GOC's SHARP EYES COUGARS CONGREGATE relinquished its normal space in
Dear Sir: Dear Sir: this issue due to the fact that
I wish to congratulate you for the On 3 October 1959 the officers of 432
salute to station publications in the arti- All Weather (Fighter) Squadron, next month THE ROUNDEL
cie "Hold That Deadline" (Vol. 11, No. R.C.A.F. Station Bagotville, P.Q., are will carry a complete picture
2). However, I was disappointed that planning to hold a re-union to celebrate and story coverage of the Asso-
the fifth anniversary of the squadron's
nowhere was there any mention of a
re-activation.
ciation's 1959 National Conven-
large and widely circulated group of al-
lied publications which we firmly believe For the nominal fee of five dollars tion held in Montreal last
are equally important in their own field. (Canadian), all former 432 aircrew month.
These are the monthly Ground Ob- members are cordially invited to attend.
server Corps magazines, compiled and This promises to be the biggest thrash
edited by R.C.A.F. personnel for distri- since the Boston Tea Party.
bution to thousands of civilian volunteers All interested please contact: Stamp Display Depicts
across Canada. Our own publication, F /0 R. E. Gipp,
THE ARCTIC SPOTT ER, has a circu- Squadron Re-union Committee Airmail History
lation of approximately 1,700 throughout R.C.A.F. Station Bagotville, P.Q.
the Canadian north from Alaska to The R.C.A.F. Station Aylmer
Labrador. LET'S HAVE A PARTY! Stamp Club entered a 28-frame
Flt. Lt. W. W. D. Brown, Dear Sir:
O.C., 20 GOC Det., display of Canadian airmail first
I am curious in knowing how many
Edmonton, Alta. "Instrument Makers" (as we were then flight covers, photographs and data
(Other GObC publications include THE known) who were stationed at Victoria concerning the development of
SKYWRITER, Vancouver; THE SEN- Island during 1940-44 would like to flight over the past 50 years in the
TINEL, Prince George; THE NORTH- attend a re-union, probably in Ottawa 31st annual Canadian Philatelic
ERN OBSERVER, North Bay; THE sometime next year.
SKYWATCHER, Peterborough; THE I have come up with 78 names no Society Exhibition at Sarnia last
SKY SENTINEL, Halifax. Editor.) doubt there are approximately 100 more month.
in this category. If enough are interested, Flt. Lt. R. K. Malott, left, and
MEMORY OF ''MAWDEY" we can start planning.
Dear Sir: W.O.I D. R. Pirie, president and
Please drop a line to:
May I say how pleased I was to read A. B. Burns ( ex-FIt. Sgt.),
secretary respectively, are shown
in "Start of a Saga" (Vol. 11, No. 1) the 149 Great George St., below surveying the club's pre-
eulogy to Group Capt. F. J. Mawdesley, Charlottetown, P.E.I. sentation.
A.F.C. one of the best-known and
well-loved officers of the R.C.A.F.
It was a pleasure and privilege for me
to be his batman from 1925 until 1939.
He was, and still is, an institution and it
is gratifying to know he has not been
forgotten.
J. Wilson, ex-Sgt.,
635 Granville St.,
Vancouver 2, B.C.
MOOSA ASWAYITA
Dear Sir:
Please send me one of the 419 Sqn
badges, offered on a first request, first-
serve basis in your March issue. I served
as a pilot in 419 from January to Novem-
ber 1943.
I find THE ROUNDEL is a link with
a part of our lives which is fading with
the years. These squadron histories bring
back many memories of events and for-
mer associates. My 13-year old son found
it strange indeed to see my name in
print in the December instalment (Vol.
10, No. 10).
John McIntosh,
Box 1510, Camrose, Alta.
(Our limited supply of badges was
gobbled up by ex-Moosemen within two
days. The response to this offer certainly
proved the popularity of wartime histo-
ries. Next squadron slated for publication
is No. 411 a fighter unit. - Editor.)

32