The First Year
Official History of 211 AW Squadron - 1 May 1953 to 30 May 1954
211 AW Squadron located adjacent to the village of Moisie, is fourteen miles east of Seven Islands in the Province of Quebec. The primary function of the unit is early warning radar. The initial establishment was three officers and one hundred and four airmen and civilians. This establishment was based on an eight hour a day, 5 day week operation. Since that time the establishment has been revised to one hundred and fifteen, which includes six officers.
On 25 May 53, the advance party, consisting of one officer, O/O DA Blezard, Resident Engineering Officer, and nine airmen arrived at Station Moisie via Service Air to take command of the detachment. At this time, the detachment was responsible to Air Materiel Command; was self accounting for Supply, and attached to 11 Technical Service Unit in Montreal for pay accounting.
At this time the General Contractor was still on the station finishing his contract. Although a number of barrack blocks were complete, and had been accepted by DND, there were no furnishings available and station personnel stayed in Seven Islands and used the facilities of the contractor’s mess.
On June 15 the first shipload of equipment and furnishings arrived in Seven Islands aboard the SS North Coaster. After being unloaded, taken on charge, and distributed throughout the station, personnel officially occupied quarters as of 15 June 1953.
During the period 15 June to 24 August 53 station organization was taking form and station personnel were increasing as officers and airmen were posted to this unit. Also, delivery of equipment, both station and radar, increased.
On June 30, 1953, the General Contractor’s contract expired and on 1 July 1953, the RCAF formally took over the station and became responsible for station security, discipline, etc. Although the general contract had come to an end, numerous sub-contractors remained to complete their work which was concerned mainly with the PMQ’s. During the month of July, the first families arrived and the first PMQ’s were occupied.
On 11 Aug 53, an inspection party consisting of one officer and three civilians of officer’s status visited the station from AMCHQ. The visit was mainly concerned with completion of general construction, installation dates of radar and ancillary equipment and approximate limited operational dates. Again on 27 Aug 53 a party of officers from ADCHQ made an informal inspection of the unit. Their main interest was station organization in general and the probable operation date.
On 24 August 53 the engineer and technicians of the electronics contractor RCA Victor Company arrived on the unit and proceeded with the installation of the main radar and radio communications system. By 18 October 53 the radar equipment was ready for flight trials and trials were scheduled for 18 October to 20 October 53. Due to equipment failures the trials were unsuccessful and were re-scheduled for 21 November 53. This time the equipment passed all the tests. On 21 December 53 the Main Radar as an electronic installation, was accepted by DND Inspection Services, on behalf of the RCAF, subject to a number of deficiencies.
On 15 September 53 the unit was officially taken over by F/L BD Madill ADC, from AMC. At that time the detachment commander became the Commanding Officer of the unit. As of this date the unit became entirely the responsibility of ADCHQ.
Following the official "take over" of the unit by ADC in September 53, the unit received its first visit from the AOC, A/V/M James, accompanied by a party of five on 16 December. This was strictly an informal visit of the AOC to see the new addition to the ranks of ADC.
The usual Christmas and New Year functions were held in the airmen’s mess with the CO and the five officers on strength at that time, carrying our the mess orderly duties for the festive occasions.
As this unit had taken over the accounting from 11 TSU Montreal, the 8th of January 1954 saw the first SOAF Audit arriving to stay for a three day period.
The 11th of January 1954 saw many smiles light up the faces of the personnel, when the first woman officer F/O R Blisner, Nursing Sister, arrived on posting from Uplands and took over the MIR from the Med A who had been running things until that time.
On 13th January 1954 the Quonset hut previously used for ME storage was converted by voluntary labour into a Sports Centre, which lifted station morale to quite an extent, allowing for volley-ball and badminton, as well as other indoor sports.
The 23rd January 1954 brought the Station CE Officer, from Uplands, P/O JV Guntensperger.
On 2 Feb, F/O E Cott arrived with his family on transfer from Lac St. Denis the second Fighter Controller to arrive at this station. He took over the position of CadO from F/O GW Young to release him for duty as COpsO in the tower.
F/O Meyer arrived on TD from Falconbridge on 8th February to fill in for F/O Young while he was recuperating from losing his appendix. A point worth mentioning here is that this area seems to be good (or bad) for appendicitis, as there have been at least a dozen cases that have been taken to the local hospital from this unit and have returned minus the aforementioned appendage.
On 9th of February, F/O Mockler arrived on transfer from Hamilton to take over as SSO from F/O N Young, who was soon to leave for Alberta.
The Army exercise "Loup Garou" held in this area, did not affect the unit as active participants, but the army personnel were attached for rations, and the unit ambulance was used to some avail during the parachute phase of the exercise.
The ADC calibrations team arrived to check the operations end of the unit coincided with the liaison visit from the Commanding Officer of 221 Sqn Sydney, F/L Lomas, and the Acting COpsO of 221 Sqn, F/O Kerr, on the 11th of February.
The 19th of February saw the first of the weekly CO’s parades with once again a comparative lift in station morale.
F/O N Young, our ex SSO was posted to Namao, Alberta, leaving the unit on the 22nd of February.
Amongst melting snow and rain, on the 1st of March, F/O Anthony, Ftr/Ctr and his wife arrived on the station on a transfer from COC.
On 19th of March, the officers’ team finished the Bowling League playoffs in first place, ending a very successful season that started off with every team using whoever could roll a bowling ball down the alley, to the extent that some wives of personnel were inveigled into playing; to the chagrin of some of our better male players, especially when the girls put up some very good scores.
PMQ inspections were commenced on the 11th of March, to be continued throughout the year, as well as when the MQ’s were vacated by transfers.
On 12th of March, F/O Anthony was appointed as Acting Adjt to help out the admin side of the station, which left F/O Young on his own in the tower.
G/C Ingles, and a party of eight other officers, arrived on TD from AFHQ on 17th of March, for a CE conference, which was followed on the 18th of March by a dining-in in their honour.
They were followed on the 22nd of March by TD visit from AFHQ of G/C Schroeder and party on personnel admin liaison and familiarization visit.
With all this TD going on, the CO and COpsO left the station on TD on the 2nd of April for liaison visits with Chatham and Sydney.
On 3rd of April the first wedding was held on the unit, when LAC J Breton married a local girl, and the Social Centre on the station was utilized as reception room for the occasion.
The CO and COpsO returned from TD with a batch of new ideas for making life more interesting on the station, on the 9th of April.
On the 13th of April the old adage of 13 being an unlucky number was given a basis of fact (in some people’s mind) in that Northern Allowance was cut off at the unit, as well as free dependents Medical and Dental benefits. Strangely enough, we survived.
Hurrah, Spring has arrived, the date is 20 April and sand has been seen through the snow and slush around the area.
The SOAF Audit Board arrived on the 27th April and after carrying out their normal duties, departed.
On the 9th of May the travelling board Organization and Establishment Board came in on TD for a conference and a first hand check on the problems of organization and establishment on units of this type. They managed to finish up by the 11th of May and departed to the next unit on their schedule.
The unit received a flying visit from the Command Welfare Officer, F/O Gordon on the 12th of May. A welcome surprise, which we hope will be repeated in the near future for a slightly longer period. On 26th of May, S/L Forbes-Roberts, and S/L Quint arrived on TD from ADCC Chatham to cement closer liaison between ADCC and this unit.
The last promotion list affected:
F/Sgt. Laister promoted to WO2
Sgt. Stoneman promoted to F/Sgt.
Sgt. Hopkins promoted to F/Sgt.
Cpl. Lemieux promoted to Sgt.
LAC Spafford promoted to Cpl.
LAC Brown promoted to Cpl.
LAC Goudie promoted to Cpl.
The station strength stands at 11 officers, 126 airmen, plus 37 wives and children (too numerous to mention, and the score goes up daily).
The Officers establishment and positions held are as follows:
Commanding Officer F/L BD Madill, DFC (Air/P)
Chief Technical Officer F/L AC McEwan (Tech/Tel)
Chief Admin Officer F/O E Cott, (AS/Ftr/Ctr)
Senior Accounts Officer F/O RG Walker (Acc)
Senior Controller F/O GW Young (AS/Ftr/Ctr)
Senior Telecom Officer F/O OA Blezard (Tech/Tel)
Senior Supply Officer F/O R Mockler (Sup)
Chief Engineering Officer P/O JV Gubtersperger, (Tech/CE)
Nursing Sister F/O R Blisner (Med/Nur)
Acting Adjutant F/O L Anthony (AS/Ftr/Ctr)
Signed by:
(BD Madill) F/L
Commanding Officer
211 AQ Sqn Moisie, PQ
Dated: 30 May 54
This detail was obtained from Section Two of the 1953-1978 Moisie Anniversary - 25 Years of Service Book. A copy of the 1953-1978 Moisie book was loaned to us by Deanna Gilbert and the material has been typed for use on the Pinetree Line web site in December 1998.