RCAF Airwomen held their fifth reunion in Halifax in 2001. An extremely dedicated group laboured long and hard to produce a 150 page book called "50 Years RCAF Airwomen 1951-2001". I was fortunate enough to have been provided with a copy of this book (my thanks to Ghyssie Thibeault (now MacNaughton)). In keeping with the intent of this section, I have processed a portion of the book that provides detail on Airwomen within the Pinetree Line.
Penny King - With the intoduction of SAGE in Canada, there were no female FCOs (FtrCops) working in their trade on the Pinetree Line by the end of 1964.
It appears that the female FCO was not totally eliminated in 1964 - but that the RCAF cut down the female FCO positions to a very small number. Detail from NDHQ indicates that there were still 19 female FtrCops in March 1966 - and some of these were serving as Flight Attendants - not a remuster - but a one time posting. These women were supposed to return to their original trade (FCO) after one tour as a Flight Attendant. It is hard to believe but neither the female FCOs nor their supervisors in Trenton realized what had happened until mid 1965 when one of the female FCOs - serving as a Flight Attendant - lost her medical category and they asked AFHQ to return her to the Pinetree Line. It was quite a shock for everyone to hear that she had to remuster to Supply or take her immediate release.
The Sgt who closed St. Margarets for us was posted to Bagotville on 4 Aug 64, and she worked there in 3 Hangar until late 1966. I got lost in the shuffle at Cold Lake in late 1963, and I think I could have stayed there without remustering until the end of 1966 if I hadn't pushed for a voluntary release - so I suspect there may have been a few others in that same category. I know that some female FtrCops stayed in the trade long enough to become AD Techs - including two who were CFR'd in mid 1967.
The absence of females actively working as FCOs lasted for twelve years (1964-1976), when the female returned to the trade, then known as Air Defence Technician (ADTech). This return was carried in the 1976/7 issue of the Sentinel magazine which was made availble to the Pinetree Line web site by Richard Poulin.
|
|
There have been many articles written in newspapers and magazines about the Pinetree Line over a 40 year span. One of the most informative, from a female "Fighter Control Operator" point of view was a three page spread in the February 28th 1959 edition of the Star Weekly.
This issue of the Star Weekly carried an extensive article on Airwomen training as Ftr Cops in Clinton. The main subject was a young trainee by the name of Ruth Jackson – and the article carried a number of photographs that related life "at work and at play". Ruth Jackson graduated from her FCO training in March 1959.
This material was made available to the Pinetree Line by Margaret Bernard (now Amyotte) who served as an FCO in Senneterre in 1959 and 1960
The Weekend Picture Magazine Vol. 4, No. 13, 1954 carried a three page spread under the title "These Girls Make Fighters Scramble". The main theme of this article is centered on the number of female Fighter Control Operators which were employed at RCAF Station Lac St. Denis (they outnumbered the men by three to one). This information was provided to the Pinetree Line web site by Margaret Jones (now Renaud).
Additional material pertaining to female FCOs graduating from Clinton are processed and added to this section of the web site.
|
Updated: February 26, 2004
