Narrative Report
RCAF Station Gander
1 Jun 53 to 30 Nov 53
Feb 53
Establishment – Service personnel 141, Civilian personnel 42
18 Jun 53
27018 F/L HE Pledge, CO, arrived at Gander as Commanding Officer designate.
22 Jun 53
49720 F/O G Tahir-Ali arrived at Gander as PPO/REIR and as STelO designate.
1 Jul 53
The following arrived at Gander for the handing over of all buildings and facilities from the Prime Contractive to the USA Corps of Engineers to the USAF to AMC HQ (RCAF) to ADC HQ (RCAF).
|
G/C Bray |
STSO – ADCHQ |
|
G/C LeDouse |
SPSO – ADCHQ |
|
W/C McNee |
SOORG – ADCHQ |
|
W/C LaBelle |
SOSOP – ADCHQ |
|
S/L WW Abra |
AMCHQ |
|
Mr. TC Barnes |
DND IS |
|
Major Birch |
Pinetree Project Office - Ottawa |
|
Colonel RD Butler |
USAF |
|
Lt. Col. WW Blum |
USA Corps of Engineers |
|
Representatives of the Fraser Brace Terminal Construction Company |
After a complete inspection of the installations this handing over was performed simultaneously.
12 Jul 53
Twelve airmen arrived at Gander as members of the Advance Party.
16 Aug 53
The following officers attended the funeral at Bonavista Bay of F/O Alan Miles who was killed in an air accident at RCAF Station St. Hubert, PQ.
|
F/O B Zoltvany |
|
F/O EJ Richardson |
|
F/O D Symington |
|
D/O D Palmer, CO #537 RCAC Squadron, Gander |
Attached as Appendix "A" is a letter received from the parents of F/O Miles.
16 Sep 53
30743 F/O CJ Robertson arrived at Gander as Senior Accounts Officer.
19 Sep 53
A church parade was held to commemorate the Battle of Britain. #537 Gander Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron formed part of this parade.
20 Sep 53
203481 F/O B Zoltvany arrived as COpsO. 202357 F/O M Rynoski, 209066 F/O EJ Richardson and 60281 F/O D Symington arrived to fill the AS/Fighter Controller establishment.
21 Sep 53
On this date RCAF Station Gander was officially activated as 226 AW Squadron.
6 Oct 53
203640 F/O AJ LeBlanc arrived to fill the Senior Supply Officer position.
10 Oct 53
A/V/M AL James, CBE, CD, AOC ADC and Lt. General Myers, Commanding General NEAC arrived at Station Gander with representative staff Officers for the first Air Officer Commanding’s inspection. In the evening an informal buffet supper and cocktail party, attended by local representatives of the Department of Transport and Commercial Airlines, was held.
11 Nov 53
Two flights of airmen with F/O B Zoltvany acting as parade OC participated in the annual Remembrance Day Parade. S/L HE Pledge laid a wreath at the cenotaph.
23 Nov 53
Acceptance of the main search radar and internal telecommunication system was made this date. At this time the radar was put on the air without the radome or without long line communications to the next higher echelon of operations to enable the training of the operational crews and to familiarize the maintenance crews.
Signed by:
(HE Pledge) A/S/L
Commanding Officer
RCAF Station Gander
Appendix "A"
to RCAF Station Gander
Historical Narrative
1 Jun 53 to 30 Nov 53
Bonavista, Newfoundland.
August 23, 1953
The Commanding Officer
Royal Canadian Air Force
Gander, Nfld.
Dear Sir:
It is with deep sense of appreciation and profound gratitude that I write you today regarding the invaluable help and courtesy rendered by four of your officers at the funeral of our son Flying Officer Alan Miles, on Sunday, August 16th.
Their attention to many of the innumerable details and their presence at the memorial service conducted by Chaplain Scott at 11 am Sunday helped to lessen our sorrow and grief over the loss of our dear son.
We regret very much that we missed the opportunity of thanking them personally for their kindness and sympathy in our time of great bereavement.
Their courtesy, consideration and other services reflected greatly upon the RCAF and considerably enhanced the prestige of that great arm of the service.
We would like for you to personally thank those four officers for us and to your command of the RCAF we can only say thank you kindly from the bottom of our hearts and may God guard the men who fly in the services of our beloved country.
Yours sincerely,
Alice Miles
Mr. & Mrs. Cyril Miles and family
Bonavista
Newfoundland