Pinetree Line

2402 Aircraft Control and Warning Unit (Reserve) was formed at Winnipeg, Manitoba, on 1 October 1950 and reported to North West Air Command through Tactical Group. The major equipment operated by the Unit was the AMES-11C radar mounted on trucks along with its associated ancillary equipment. The unit switched from Reserve to Auxiliary on 1 November 1951. On 16 November 1953, the unit began to report directly to Air Defence Command. The unit achieved Squadron status on 1 December 1953.

2402 AC&WU was active in participating with various elements of the Joint Air Training Centre at Rivers, Manitoba, and deployed to that location on numerous occasions. They operated interception control primarily for the Tactical Fighter Flight, Rivers, but also worked with a number of visiting squadrons. Other locations that 2402 AC&WU deployed to included Abbotsford, British Columbia and Gimli, Manitoba. Narrative reports on the Pinetree Line web site confirm that 2402 AC&W Squadron was active at RCAF Station Senneterre during the years 1955 to 1959 inclusive, RCAF Station Falconbridge in 1956 and at RCAF Station Lac St. Denis in 1954.

2402 AC&W Squadron was another of the Auxiliary AC&W Squadrons to fall victim to more modern technology in 1961. The advent of the SAGE system in the Regular AC&W Squadrons meant that the Auxiliary members that had been the manual back-up to these units were no longer required. Accordingly, Winnipeg’s 2402 AC&W Squadron was disbanded on 31 March 1961.