Holberg, BC

Circumstances attending the formation of the Station: (See Org Order 1034 dated 1 Jan 54)

After the majority of the buildings had been completed an Advance Party of thirteen personnel arrived on the site. There followed an intensive period of preparation, on receipt of equipment culminating in the building being accepted from the contractors on 01 Jan 54 and the unit became activated for administrative purposes on the same date. The unit finally became operational on 25 Apr 54 and was designated as 501 Aircraft Warning Squadron, RCAF, Holberg, BC. In July of that same year AFHQ letter S895-100-97/501 (DOE) dated 5 Jul 54 containing AL2 to Org Order 1034 dated 1 Jan 54 changed the title of the unit to RCAF Station, Holberg, BC.

The primary function of the Station from its inception was that of Early Warning as part of the Pinetree Chain. The unit was originally meant to be on 8 hours operational per day, however, from the outset the unit operated three shifts on a 24 hour per day basis, despite the fact that it was manned by an establishment for 8 hours per day.

The events mentioned for the period covered are considered as routine for a unit of this size located in an isolated area. Station Holberg being approximately 185 miles from Vancouver.

The principal events of interest for the period were:

1. The accident of the snow-plow, 25 Dec 54, in which the driver escaped serious injury.
2. The sudden death by heart attack of one of our Civil Servants, Mr. William Derbyshire, on 18 Dec 54.
3. The accident of the Station’s ambulance on 9 Mar 55 along the road from the Upper Gate.
4. The shooting of two cougars on 29 Mar 55, by Sgt. Mottershead, bringing the total number of cougars killed since the opening of the station to four. It is interesting to note that a number of cougars have been seen in the vicinity of the camp. Recently, Air Commodore Millard, on his visit to the station was honoured by meeting a large cougar at the main gate to the station. Both he and the CO, S/L Walker had a really good look at this fellow who apparently returned their observation and then leisurely walked away. Previous to the compilation of this diary, one of our civilian watchmen reported that he had met a bear "face to face" while on his rounds of the station. To this date the undersigned has not been able to ascertain which of the two parties was most surprised.
5. The "Red Alert" on 5 May 55, which fortunately turned out to be a false alarm, nevertheless caused its fair share of excitement.
6. The rescue of two fishermen by our MV "Nimpkish" while enroute to Vancouver for refitting on 6 May 55.
7. The maintenance shut-down of our Radar Operations from 8-11 May 55 (our file 24-0-1 contains a detailed report). It is of interest to note here, that previous to the above shut-down our Station Telecommunications personnel had just completed a 4,000 hour Peaking and Overhaul check of the equipment. This check was the first since our station began operation. The equipment was overdue for its Peaking check as it had already been in operation for 9,000 hours since it was originally installed.

Apart from the above points, no Administrative or Operational changes to policy or function occurred. However, the CE and Supply Sections were affected by a recent policy change concerning A for P estimates. The message received at this unit on 18 Jan 55 from 12 AD Group HQ quotes AFHQ authority to code all freight against GBL’s vice the previous practice of including freight costs in the A for P estimate.

A number of Operational exercises were conducted during the period on instructions from 5 ADCC and 25^th Air Div USAF. Most of these exercises were successful and the station was complimented on one occasion by Commanding General of 25t^h Air Div.

Signed by:
(PE Malo) F/O
for Commanding Officer
RCAF Station, Holberg, BC

0045Z – Senior Controller at Waterfall requested CanCan to receive plots from Crowbar and pass to Waterfall. Unable to do so due to landline 227 being unserviceable.

0105Z – 12 Group called informing that a priority message was being passed to message centre. Sgt. Petigrew was notified.

0133Z – Received PX from AF7504 on 4703.5 over Watson Lake at 0125Z, estimate Fort Smith at 0142Z. Passed to Edmonton ATC via 4703.5

0305Z – Waterfall requested change mechanical tilt down ¼ of a degree. Carried out at 0307Z.

0453Z – UHF became serviceable with 18 channels and G-guard channel. Informed Mr. Skius that this equipment could not be left on 24 hours a day as transmitter and receiver would not stand up to that much use.

1638Z – Waterfall requested we contact RD22 and if DC available. Duty Controller called for possible aircraft handover. Commenced monitoring UHF channel 364.2.

1705Z – DC Waterfall enquired if we had any further movements or pickup on RD22 since it faded and whether we knew what the track was. Unable to give him any information. No further action taken on this track.

2005Z – Waterfall requested we contact RD38 on 133.2 (AF 72609) for authentication. Aircraft called for 25 minutes with no contact. Waterfall informs us to disregard.

0240Z – Running rabbits encountered on scopes. Anti-jamming circuits applied with no success.

0300Z – ECM report passed to Waterfall. PRF changes with no difference to interference apparent.

0303Z – Transmitter shut off but interference remained, strength 2 on Upper Beam.

0323Z – Condition 5 on upper beam, lower beam clear, traffic readable through jamming.

0335Z - Running rabbits seem to be going out from centre as previously coming in to centre.

0353Z – Antenna stopped to change frequency (1302 MC) on upper beam. Cleared interference but reception very poor.

0625Z – Upper beam frequency changed to 1724 MC.

0736Z – STC circuit on upper beam (no further information logged).

1739Z – Attempt to contact MATS 49083 – Nil contact.

1840Z – VHF contact made with MATS 49083, authenticated OK. PX passed to Waterfall.

1853Z – VC083 called. Passed weather to us, encountering radical wind shift, turbulence and icing. Requested his position which was EF1242. Pilot requested we contact "Last Chance" and have "Nora" give him surveillance. CanCan vectored aircraft to take him around heavy CB clouds showing on scope. Handover to "Nora" completed at 1930Z.

0110Z - AF871 called CanCan. Requested clearance from Port Hardy to Vancouver. Information relayed to ATC via Waterfall DC. Clearance granted.

0245Z – Waterfall requests we contact PN2 and ask if he has engine trouble. Called on all channels with nil contact.

2015Z – Waterfall informed us 2 P4Y’s would be in our area soon at 52,000 feet. No radar contact or radio contact made.

0750Z – Plotting board positions checked with Waterfall – quite apparent our board differs with their by 10 to 20 miles in places.

0315Z – Attempted contact with RD5 – unknown. Called on all VHF channels with nil contact.

1720Z – PM cancelled due to Lancaster coming in our area for VHF checks. Considerable trouble encountered on having aircraft fly desired course due to airways and VFR-IFR conditions.

2200Z – VHF check completed. All transmissions recorded for further reference.

2248Z - Attempt made to contact AF228 for Mins – Nil contact. DC at Waterfall says to disregard, with have "Nora" call him.

1922Z – DC at Waterfall informed us to get on the air as soon as possible and have controller available. F/O Isaac called.

1923Z – Bloodstone aircraft contacted on UHF. Requested we play "Music" with him and whether we were receiving his "Mail". Unable to carry exercise as equipment requested not available. (HRI and IFF). Bloodstone contacted "Crow Bar".

1940Z – 5 Sector on "Cocked Pistol" – exercise "Snowfall". Controller called and scopes set up for intercepts.

2032Z – Extra crew arrived at Ops site. Condition "Lemon Juice".

2047Z – Condition "Applejack".

2130Z – 25^th Air Division and 5 Sector state "Snowman".

1846Z – PN5 called for control around bad weather. No radar contact made but weather passed from scope around Virgin Rock area.

1945Z – Captain Stewart, 5 ADCC, informed us strike aircraft coming down at 32,000 feet. No radar contact made with it.

0255Z – Azimuth and Range markers off. Fuse blown in generator. Off the air for 8 minutes.

1100Z – Teletype installed in Ops room – circuit #73.

2335Z – Emergency maintenance required (no reference in logs as to why). Off the air for 40 minutes.

0350Z – AP encountered on scope. Queen Charlotte Islands being painted.

0830Z – AF427 called on 4703.5 to have us call Vancouver radio for them to pass his position to them. 427 on Mercy Flight.

1100Z – Emergency maintenance required – turning gear unserviceable.

1300Z – Radar operational.

0235Z – MARS 72658 called on 121.5 MC. Informed us he was returning to McChord and to pass info to "Nora" control.

1600Z – CanCan call sign (Holberg) changed to Consort. Waterfall (Comox) changed to Trusty.

2133Z - All land lines unserviceable. Traffic passed to Waterfall by HF.

2307Z – All land lines serviceable.

2359Z – Advised by Trusty to listen out on UHF 243.0 for possible distress call. Nil heard.

0120Z – VC7510 called on HF and asked us to relay a message to Fort Nelson for them. Fort Nelson contacted and priority message passed.

0823Z – Teletype 73 unserviceable – fuse blown in machine. Comm Tec notified. Machine found to be seized.

0330Z – Trusty requested we contact MATS 01265 for authentication as it had turned around and filed an Air File flight plan. Called aircraft for 90 minutes with nil contact.

2025Z – Contacted MATS 49049 on request of Trusty to find out if a General Partridge was aboard the aircraft. Informed to the negative.

1140Z – Teletype 73 serviceable again.

1515Z – Trusty instructed us to call MARS 10092 to authenticate him. Contact made with aircraft but pilot said he was not familiar with authentication check turn. Requested them to authenticate code check – was unable to do so as he had no authentication books with him. He was off course and not aware of it. Correcting steer was given and surveillance carried till aircraft was in contact with Neah Bay radio.

1800Z – Authentication of MATS 49030 requested by Trusty. Carried out check turn OK and authenticated OK.

0625Z – Keystone aircraft "Anyface" carried on scopes out to 140 miles where it was intercepted.

0825Z – Excessive speckles encountered on scope – came and went till 1700Z.

1905Z – Authentication check carried out successfully with AF 72586.

2307Z – Informed by "Turnpike" VC454 was calling us on HF. Unable to read him or him us.

1045Z – Excessive speckling on scopes – pattern similar to running rabbits.

2055Z – Trusty DC informed us it was not necessary to use voice code to request maintenance or pass states.

1930Z – Authentication check carried out with MATS 49030. PX passed to Trusty.

VHF contact made with Cudgel 4. Angles 22.5, climbing to 35, nil radar contact. Passed ETA of Suitcase to us.

0011Z – Requested by Trusty to keep sharp lookout and broadcast on radio channels for a lost T-33 somewhere between us and Vancouver. Nil contact made.

0935Z – Informed by Trusty that a 00 message would be coming in sometime that night. F/O Giese informed.

1246Z – Advised by Group that an 00 message was coming in and to have the message centre opened up. Sgt. Petigrew called.

1523Z – DC at Trusty informed us that a Dakota would be coming our way on an investigation and further aircraft would be following later. DM delayed in favour of this search. Later granted at 1700Z.

0525Z – Trusty requests we contact AF 21049 and find out if he is having radio trouble. Contact made on 121.5. Transmissions weak. Passed message from Last Chance that his transmitter was unserviceable to fly on Amber 1 to McChord.

2330Z – Authentication check carried out with MATS 21024.

1748Z – Relayed message from Turnpile to Igloo – Household and Trusty that AF 2464 wanted GCI assistance on 121.5 MC. Present position between Princeton and Vancouver.

1840Z – Bloodstone aircraft jamming with CW strength 1.

1907Z – Aircraft dropping chaff at azimuth 060 degrees, CW jamming ceased.

2005Z – Chaff dropping stopped.

2135Z – Authentication check carried out with MATS 49030.

2200Z – VHF contact made with AF 454 – T-33.

2220Z – Bloodstone aircraft picked up at 040-145 miles.

2223Z – Radio contact made with Sixpence 64.

2228Z – Jamming (Electronic) being received from Bloodstone aircraft – strength 1.

2310Z – Jamming received strength 4 on lower band and upper band.

2327Z – Jamming ceased.

2240Z – Contact with Cudgel 3 made on VHF. Radio contact kept till near Comox.

2330Z – Authentication check made with MATS 49083.

0144Z – Trusty requested a controller right away to intercept an Unknown track.

0238Z – Aircraft identified friendly, although first intercept was missed and further aircraft scrambled.

1325Z – 25^th Air Div on Cocked Pistol.

1413Z – 25^th Air Div on Applejack.

1725Z – Last Chance on Lemon Juice.

1745Z – 25^th Air Div on Snowman.

Cudgel 3 called and said he was on a flight from Comox to Sandspit and requested surveillance. Radar and radio contact kept.

1630Z – Contacted VC992 on VHF and radar contact for evaluation flight.

1945Z – DM cancelled till 0100Z due to evaluation flight.

2130Z – Evaluation flight ended. Very little radar contact made (Route 1).

1525Z – 5 ADCC condition of Cocked Pistol. COpsO advised.

1631Z – 5 ADCC condition of Apple Jack.

2220Z – 5 ADCC condition of Lemon Juice.

2340Z – 5 ADCC condition of Snow Man. No action needed during exercise.

1950Z – Authentication check carried out with MATS 49049.

0700Z – Five land lines unserviceable – traffic passed to Waterfall and in turn to Trusty.

0800Z – All land lines serviceable.

0400Z – Power failure causes emergency maintenance period.

0420Z – Radar operational.

1520Z – Track RB8 appears to be flying a triangular pattern. N28331 called on VHF and informs us everything is OK. He is on a search mission. Household checked his flight plan and passed to Trusty.

0210Z – High Voltage trouble being encountered. Upper beam unserviceable.

0335Z – On emergency maintenance to try and check upper beam (7 minutes).

0400Z – Radar off the air with High Voltage trouble. Upper beam still unserviceable.

0422Z – Radar on the air.

1800Z – Radar operation on 400 PRF as trouble being encountered on 200 PRF.

2000Z – Chaff jamming being received from 170 to 210 degrees strength 2. Jamming passed to Trusty. Targets readable.

2145Z – Jamming exercise finished.

2240Z – All land lines unserviceable – traffic passed to Trusty via HF.

2324Z – All land lines serviceable.

2320Z – Consort released for 6 hours to check turning gear.

0707Z – Trusty granted Consort an indefinite release to work on turning gear.

1120Z – Consort operational.

1014Z – Low flying B-36 aircraft buzzing the camp and Ops site. Came in from the southeast and out the northwest. No radar contact made due to low altitude of aircraft.

1300Z – Unable to go Ops EW are aerial turning gear not correlating.

1320Z – Consort operational.

1911Z – MATS 72658 given authentication check. OK.

1842Z – Running rabbits being received on scope. ECM report sent to Trusty. Informed ECM reports not needed on such type of interference.

1700Z – Informed that Waterfall became Operational at this time.

0345Z – Call received from VC067 to relay message to 121 C&R to have ambulance and General Hospital alerted to receive a Polio patient from Prince Rupert.

1825Z – MATS 49030 authenticated but unable to do so as they did not have authenticator book with them on board. Trusty OK’d it.

0515Z – Asked by Trusty to contact N31427 for authentication check. Aircraft reading us but we are unable to read them. Called Filbert (Tofino) and had them request aircraft to make a check turn and we tracked this at Consort. Authentication code given by Filbert and passed to Consort.

0640Z – Authentication check carried out with MATS 33250.

0855Z – Heavy AP on scopes from Queen Charlottes out to 300 miles.

0435Z – VHF contact made with N31465 to authenticate. Made check turn OK but required 3 code checks before right answer given. Reason given as not familiar with code being used.

0700Z – Authentication check carried out with MATS 33250.

2205Z – Priority message passed to Vancouver Radio for VC073 via HF.

0050Z – Teletype call letters changed from JCVH to FWVH.

0630Z – Queen Charlotte Islands painting very well again today. Quality control not up to par though.

0940Z – 25^th Air Div on Cocked Pistol. 9^th Air Div on Cocked Pistol.

1120Z – 25^th on condition Lemon Juice. 9^th Air Div on condition Apple Jack.

1130Z – 9^th Air Div on condition Lemon Juice.

1157Z – 9^th Air Div on condition Apple Jack.

1210Z – 25^th Air Div on condition Apple Jack.

1241Z – 9^th Air Div on condition Lemon Juice.

1444Z – 9^th Air Div on condition Lemon Juice.

1531Z – 25^th Air Div on condition Lemon Juice.

1630Z – 5 Sector on condition of alert of Lemon Juice.

1635Z – 5 Sector and Canada received its first RED ALERT. Trusty was asked to authenticate due to the uncertainty of such a thing happening. Trusty did so and repeated it was a RED ALERT and not simulated. S/L Walker notified and all positions manned and ASI’s readied on alerts.

1655Z – S/L Walker arrived to check on alert.

1750Z – 25 Air Div on Yellow Alert.

1755Z – 25^th Air Div on normal readiness.

1804Z – 5 Sector on Yellow Alert.

1815Z – 5 Sector on normal readiness. No aircraft other than normal traffic was carried and no extra action taken.

0530Z – Unusual interference received on 4490 HF – sounds like bagpipe music with occasional tapping.

1605Z – AP on scopes. Queen Charlotte Islands painting out to 300 miles.

0605Z – Consort on emergency maintenance due to low pressure in radome.

F/O SE Isaac assumed position of COpsO – vice F/O RE Giese, original COpsO who now becomes A/CAdO.

2230Z – Consort on emergency shutdown due to blasting operations on Ops road. No radar or radio equipment to be turned on during this time. Off the air for 35 minutes.

0030Z – Queen Charlotte Islands painting on scopes today.

0750Z – Canned tracks passed to Trusty to carry out interceptions with fighters that were airborne, accompanied by vectoring fighters in conjunction with fighter and canned tracks on plotting board.

1639Z – Three intercepts carried out with Cudgel 5 & 8 by F/O Isaac.

2345Z – Teletype routing indicators changed from FWVH to RFWVH.

End of 6 months Operations by Consort