USAF Support Bases

Table Mountain, NF

The original Radio Transmitter Station of the 1933rd AACS Squadron in the Stephenville area was located on Table Mountain. This was the same location as the long range radar station known as the 640th AC&W Squadron which was part of the Pinetree Line. The Transmitter Site was moved from Table Mountain to a new facility located at West Bay in 1956.

We are very fortunate to have obtained some photos of the original Transmitter site and some of the personnel who worked there in 1954.


Click on the description text to view the photograph.
  1. (L-R) S/Sgt Crowe, Herman Little and Sam Van Sandt - November 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  2. (L-R) S/Sgt Otis Williams and S/Sgt Gilmore in barracks - November 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  3. A/2C Pahl guarding his pool cue - November 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  4. A/2C Lloyd Martin is deep in thought - November 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  5. Liston R Burns ponders about the snow - November 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  6. (L-R) Les Wead Jr and Wendell (Gene) Owens - November 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  7. J Allison behind the jeep at the Transmitter site - November 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  8. Burton (Bert) Siminson (Philco Tech Rep) - November 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  9. View toward the POL fuel tank and the ocean - October 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  10. "Saint" Sam Van Sandt in the barracks - September 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  11. Sam Van Sandt "and for my next act"! - September 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  12. John Hochstetlet in a communications trailer - September 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  13. Eugene Crain - September 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  14. Sam Van Sandt with the local "pooch" - September 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  15. Playing Chess in barracks. (L-R) unknown, Les Wead and Burns - August 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  16. Passing time in the barracks. Standing (L-R) Pahl and Marco Consiglia (Little Al) and LB Martin sitting in the chair - August 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  17. Norman Baetz (standing) and Ed Noel (sitting on the post) - August 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  18. (L-R) Les Wead and Crowe - August 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  19. Roy Staton (Pappy) - August 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  20. Unidentified Tech Rep - August 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  21. Herman Little at the Transmitter site - August 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  22. Herman Little at the Transmitter site - August 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  23. A/2C Herman Little at the Transmitter site - August 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  24. The HAM radio shack in the barracks. A/2C Herman Little "K9BFB/V04" with a BC-510 transmitter in the background- August 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  25. Herman Little sitting at the Radio Maintenance Transmitter site desk - August 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  26. Herman Little in front of the Squadron 6 by 6 - August 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  27. (L-R) A/1C Sam Van Sandt and Les Wead - August 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  28. (L-R) A/1C Sam Van Sandt, A/2C Les Wead and A/1C John Hockstetler - August 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  29. A/2C Les Wead with old radio equipment - August 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  30. A/2C Les Wead with the Transmitters - August 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  31. S/Sgt Ed Noel at the Transmitter site - July 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  32. John Hochstetler at the Trasmitter site - July 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  33. (L-R) Wendell (Gene) Owens, unknown, unknown, John Hochstetler at the Transmitter site - July 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  34. S/Sgt Ed Noel at the Transmitter site - July 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  35. John Hochstetler at the Transmitter site - July 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  36. A/1C Sam Van Sandt at the Transmitter site - July 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  37. Sam Van Sandt trying to put it back together again - July 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  38. Transmitter site equipment - July 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  39. (L-R) Wead, Crowe, unknown, unknown - July 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  40. Les Wead busy at work at the Transmitter site - July 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  41. Wendell Owens at the Transmitter site - July 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  42. Wendell Owens at the Transmitter site - July 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  43. Chris Thomas was a Communications Tech from Canadian Marconi - June 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  44. Marconi Communications Tech Rep Chris Thomas and a wooden framed dummy antenna he made for us atop the Transmitter - June 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  45. (L-R) Unknown A/2C and Marconi Communications Tech Rep Chris Thomas - June 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  46. (L-R) A/2C Herman Little and Marconi Communications Tech Rep Chris Thomas - June 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  47. (L-R) A/2C Herman Little and a Tech Rep who came to do repairs on the UHF and VHF antennas - June 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  48. Unidentified Tech Reps - June 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  49. Sam Van Sandt in Sydney Nova Scotia on a three day pass for being Airman of the month - June 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  50. I wonder how long it will take us to get there? - May 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  51. Uninhabited cabin in the local area - May 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  52. Beach at Fox Island Way - May 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  53. Local terrain - May 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  54. More of the local terrain - May 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  55. More of the local terrain - May 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  56. Fox Island fishing trip - May 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  57. Les Wead shows off his catch at the Fox Island fishing trip - May 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  58. (L-R) Norman Baetz and Ed Noel - May 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  59. John Williams trying to relax in barracks - May 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  60. Eugene Crain - May 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  61. MARS communications antennae - May 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  62. (L-R) Les Wead Jr, Crowe, unknown - May 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  63. Sam Van Sandt resting on the steps - May 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  64. Crowe, Wead, Rob Blake and Wendell Owens talking to three English Tech Reps - April 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  65. Herman Little with Port-Au-Mal in the background - April 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  66. A/2C Herman Little - April 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  67. The gang partied on and on - April 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  68. Everyone is getting into the party mood - April 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  69. (L-R) S/Sgt Coe, S/Sgt Williams, S/Sgt Gilmore, T/Sgt Cone - April 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  70. S/Sgt M Wilson "strutting his stuff" - April 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  71. (L-R) unknown, S/Sgt Ed Noel at the Transmitter site - April 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  72. Sam Van Sandt by the sign at the Transmitter site - April 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  73. John Hochstetler by the sign at the Transmitter site - April 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  74. Sam Van Sandt relaxing in barracks - April 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  75. (L-R) A/1C Eugene Crain and A/1C John Williams - March 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  76. A/1C McDaniels - March 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  77. Sam Van Sandt smoking a cigarette - March 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  78. (L-R) Les Wead, John Williams, Sam Van Sandt - March 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  79. Sam Van Sandt relaxing in barracks - March 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  80. John Hochstetler at the Transmitter site - March 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  81. Les Wead Jr trying to drive a military vehicle - February 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  82. (L-R) Led Wead Jr and Ronald Blake in their winter gear - February 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  83. Les Wead Jr resting with radar towers and radomes in the background - February 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  84. Sam Van Sandt in barracks - January 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  85. Wendell E Owens taking a rest in the snow - January 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  86. Liston Burns at the Transmitter site - January 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  87. Joe Henderson at the Transmitter site - January 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  88. Looking out the window of the Radar Maintence building at the Transmitter site with Port-Au-Mal in the distance - January 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt

  89. Unidentified A/2C completing antenna repairs at the Transmitter site - January 1954.
    Courtesy Sam Van Sandt


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Updated: September 26, 2002