CHAPTER SIX

THE COLD WAR PERIOD AND UNITED NATIONS SERVICE
1946 - 1989

In 1953 Canadian strategic communications in the Lahr/Baden-Soellingen area of Germany began with the arrival of the Wing Telecom Section of 4 Fighter Wing, RCAF at Baden. This later evolved into Canadian Forces Europe Communication Group with Communication Squadron Lahr and Communication Squadron Baden, all phased out during 1992-93 as Canada withdrew its garrison from Europe.

In 1953 NRS Frobisher Bay, a HFDF station, was created by moving NRS Fort Chimo to the new, more supportable site. The Frobisher Bay airfield was built by the Americans during World War II and purchased by Canada in 1944 for $6,800,000. NRS Frobisher Bay closed in 1966.

In 1953, the RCSIGS Band served in Korea.

On 15 April 1953 the name of RCEME was changed to The Corps of Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

On 1 June 1953, 1 Airborne Signal Squadron was formed. 

On 2 June 1953 two men of J Troop were part of a composite guard and a third was a horse holder at Buckingham Palace as part of 27 Canadian Infantry Brigade Groups contribution at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in London, England. the remainder of J Troop was responsible for traffic and movement control communications for the brigade group's 2,500 man Coronation Day Parade at Waterloo Platz, Hanover, Germany.

On 27 July 1953 the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed at Panmunjom ending three years of fighting in Korea. Canada provided the third largest of the UN contingents. By war's end 26,000 Canadians had served in the Korean theatre of operations and over 500 had been killed or died of wounds or sickness. There are 378 Canadians buried in the United States Memorial Cemetery at Taggok near Pusan, Korea. Canadian Signalmen had earned 3 MBEs and 12 Mentioned in Dispatches.

On 20 October 1953, 30th anniversary of NWT&Y was celebrated.

On 24 October 1953, the 50th anniversary of RCSIGS was celebrated.

In October 1953 The tri-service strategic telecommunications network was reorganized into separate but interconnected networks along elemental lines. Once again, Canadian military integration was "disintegrating" in favor of separate services!

On 3 November 1953, Colonel Elroy Forde, DSO, OBE, VD died. Involved in signalling since 1905 when Lieutenant Forde formed the Signal Section of the 77th (Wentworth) Regiment in Dundas, Ontario, he had transferred to the new Canadian Signalling Corps in 1909. During World War I he become Chief Signal Officer of the Canadian Corps overseas. On 1 April 1919, Signals was established as part of the post-war Permanent Force as a result of efforts of then Lieutenant-Colonel Forde. During the 1930s Colonel Forde supervised the construction of Vimy Barracks Kingston and then became Commandant of the newly arrived school. He retired in the autumn of 1942. Following a service at foyer of the Forde Building he was buried in Cataraqui Cemetery, Kingston.

In November 1953 1 Canadian Infantry Brigade replaced 27 Canadian Infantry Brigade in Germany. J Troop continued as the brigade signal unit in Germany. At this time the Canadians relocated from Hanover to the Soest area in Westphalia.

On 16 December 1953, General Order 368 redesignated 1st Canadian Signal Regiment as "1 Canadian Infantry Division Signal Regiment".

In 1954, RCSIGS personnel served in Indo-China (Vietnam) as part of the International Commission for Supervision and Control (ICSC). This non United Nations body was authorised under the Geneva Accords of 20 - 21 July 1954 to ensure the cease fire was obeyed, to assist in restoring order and to control the entry of unauthorised military personnel and materiel. ICSC ceased operations on 17 June 1974. The last RCSIGS cryptographer returned home in July 1959.

In 1954 Canada's involvement commenced with the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization - UNTSO. UNTSO was authorized in May 1948 to assist in supervising the truce in Palestine following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The mandate has extended through three subsequent wars in 1956, 1967 and 1973.

In 1954 it was decided to partly automate the Pinetree radar system and the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) System was introduced. This system was actually introduced in the early 1960s and utilized computers to do routine functions while retaining human decision making.

In 1954, at the initiative of Colonel Peck the then Commandant of the School, the French gray colour was changed to light blue on the Corps flag (flag only as Corps colours remained unchanged).

In 1954, Brigadier A.W. Beament, CBE, VD, CD replaced Brigadier Genet as Honorary Colonel Commandant.

In 1954 Signals provided communications for the northern tour of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh.

In October 1954 RCSIGS deployed after the tail end of Hurricane Hazel hit Toronto. On 16 October seven inches of rain fell in 24 hours resulting in 80 deaths, 40 bridges destroyed and $100,000,000 in damage. Signals provided 50 radios and eight vehicles providing communications for clearing debris, searching for bodies, traffic control and bridge repair.

In 1955, the RCSIGS Band was posted to Germany for a tour.

In 1955 2 Brigade replaced 1 Brigade in Germany. K Troop became the brigade level signal unit in Germany.

On 21 February 1955 the United States Air Force made the first official announcement that Western Electric Company had been awarded the contract to build the DEW Line at about $500,000,000. Canadian subcontractors for western portion were Northern Construction Ltd and James W Stewart Ltd of Vancouver. The eastern contractor was Foundation Company of Canada. It was operational by 1956.

At 0830 hours, 8 July 1955, the first Canadian unloading of DEW line supplies was done by a helicopter of HMCS Labrador at Cape Fisher. This was the only recorded incident of Canadian military aircraft being used to assist in the construction of the DEW line. All other Canadian aircraft involved were civilian owned and contracted by the United States Air Force.

Commencing 7 August 1955, RCSIGS units took part in the largest peacetime maneuver held to date in Canada, Exercise Rising Star, at Camp Gagetown.

In 30 September - 24 October 1955 the Colonel in Chief, HRH The Princess Royal (Mary), visited Signal units in Canada.

In 1956 Signals provided communications for the northern tour of the Governor General, the Right Honorable Vincent Massey.

In January 1956 RCSIGS played a major role in restoring power and communications in the Maritimes after a devastating winter sleet storm. Signalmen restored communication to isolated Prince Edward Island and relayed telegrams for commercial companies. I Line Troop which was in Gagetown at the time provided equipment and crews who replaced 6000 power poles in a few days while 5th Signal Regiment (Militia) provided internal Prince Edward Island communications. Eastern Command Signal Regiment provided the relay for commercial telegrams between PEI and the mainland.

In April 1956, planning commenced for a nuclear survivable national communications system.

In 1956, the RCAF began construction of a new facility at Alert Wireless Station for research into arctic communications. The six buildings constructed between 1956 and 1958 became the "30" lines of the present site.

On 28 May 1956, the Civil Defence Order of the Privy Council assigned responsibility for Emergency Measures Organization communications to RCSIGS.

On 2 August 1956 the RCSIGS transmitter building at Aklavik burned down.

On 4 November 1956 the first United Nations Emergency Force - UNEF I was authorized to supervise a cessation of hostilities in Egypt which had been attacked by forces of Great Britain, France and Israel. Canada provided a reconnaissance squadron, signals, engineers, air and land transport, maintenance and movement control as well as an infantry platoon. For this operation the famous "blue beret" was worn for the first time by UN troops, primarily to distinguish the Canadians from their similarly dressed British counterparts who had been combatants along with the French in the invasion of the Suez Canal Zone from 31 October to 5 November. The force ceased operations on 17 June 1967 when it was ordered out of the region by Egypt during the Six Day War of 1967.

On 20 November 1956, 56 Canadian Signal Squadron was authorized for United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) duty in Egypt as part of the multinational United Nations Emergency Force. The unit remained in Egypt until 1967 when war broke out requiring immediate withdrawal of United Nations Forces.

In 1957 4 Brigade, originally raised as the 25th Brigade for service in Korea, replaced 2 Brigade in Germany. The brigade signal unit was originally designated L Troop and later 4 Signal Squadron. A 4 Brigade Signal unit in several name variations remained in Germany until 1992, first in Soest then, since 1970, in Lahr .

In 1957 there were 39 Pinetree sites.

In June 1957 the last station to join the NWT&Y, Aklavik East Three, was opened by Corporal Peter Gray at the new government seat for the MacKenzie Delta, In 1958 this new site, 56 kilometres from Aklavik, was named Inuvik.

NORAD was established 12 September 1957 but it was not until 12 May 1958 that Canada and the United States signed the North American Air Defence (NORAD) Command Agreement to coordinate the defence of North America.

In September 1957 The Canadian Government ordered RCSIGS to turn all 28 stations of the NWT&Y Radio System over to the Federal Department of Transport. By this time the NWT&Y had an income of $5 million a year from charges for commercial messages. Fort McMurray went first while Resolution, turned over on 25 March 1959, was the last NWT&Y station to close. By 1965 the NWT&Y Radio System including its headquarters in Edmonton had entirely closed.

On 2 December 1957 the following incident report was sent from Aklavik:

AK 297 SITREP PF UNOFFICIAL INVESTIGATION CONFIRMS THAT AT 0900Z 27 NOV AKLAVIK EXPERIENCED AN EARTH TREMOR SEVERE ENOUGH TO SHAKE BUILDINGS WHICH IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A LUMINOUS OBJECT OF TWELVE INCH DIAMETER TRAVELING NORTH AND FALLING TO EARTH PD THE OBJECT WAS SEEN BY TWO NATIVES AND THE YELLOW LIGHT WHICH ILLUMINATED THE WHOLE AREA FOR TEN SECONDS WAS ALSO SEEN BY A WHITE WOMAN EMPLOYEE OF HBCO PD THE TREMOR WAS FELT BY NUMEROUS WHITE AND NATIVE PEOPLE
STACMDR
CFM ACK 297 0900Z 27

In 1958, RCSIGS took over responsibility for Alert Wireless Station from the RCAF.

On 1 January 1958, the Mid Canada Line, an air defence early warning line along the 55th parallel, became operational. The line peaked at 8 sector stations and 90 unmanned doppler detection stations with a final estimated cost of $224,566,830. It was closed as not cost effective by 1965.

In 1958 the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment System (SAGE) was added to the system.

1958 was a massive reorganization period for the RCSIGS field component. On 14 July 1958, General Order 604 disbanded 1 Canadian Infantry Division Signal Regiment and created a new field organization. The order was actually dated 1 September 1958 but the order was effective 14 July 1958 and actual actions occurred over a period of time:

• On 30 April 1958 1 Canadian Base Signal Troop RCSIGS, 2 Base Signal Troop RCSIGS, W1 Troop (Royal Canadian Dragoons) and W2 Troop (Lord Strathconas Horse) disbanded.
• On 15 May 1958 1 Signal Squadron (Calgary), 2 Signal Squadron (Petawawa) and 3 Signal Squadron (Gagetown) were formed.
• On 1 June 1958 1 and 2 Airborne Signal Troops were formed.
• On 1 July 1958 4 Signal Squadron (Germany) and 5 Signal Squadron (Kingston) were formed.
• On 1 August 1958, 3 Airborne Signal Troop formed.
• On 31 August 1958 1 Airborne Signal Squadron disbanded.
• On 1 September 1958 4 CIBG Signal Troop, 3 RCHA Signal Troop and 1 Canadian Infantry Division Signal Regiment were disbanded.

On 11 Jun 1958 the United Nations Observer Group In Lebanon - UNOGIL was authorized to ensure that there was no illegal infiltration of personnel or supply of arms or materiel across the borders of Lebanon by the United Arab Republic (Syria). Canada provided observers. Full observation of the border area was achieved by 16 July 1958. By November 1958 calm had returned to the area. The force ceased operations on 9 December 1958.

In 1959 a three year rotation system was started for the Canadian troops in Germany. With one third of unit personnel replaced each year the need to rotate formations and units was eliminated.

In 1959 Signals provided communications for the northern tour of the Duke of Edinburgh as part of his visit to Canada with Her Majesty the Queen.

By 1959, RC SIGS had expanded to provide country-wide National Survival Communications (with many new types of communications equipment introduced).

On 25 March 1959 Canadian National Telecommunications was awarded a contract by the United States Department of Defence to build a microwave radio system from Grand Prairie Alberta to the Alaska border to meet US military defence of North America requirements.

On 1 June 1959 General Order 646 authorized Alert Wireless Station as a RCSIGS establishment. By 1959 the DND strength at Alert had increased to 2 officers and 90 other ranks and in 1961 RCN personnel began to augment the station.

At 1700Z, 9 August 1959 Aklavik was officially handed over to the Department of Transport.

In 1960 Canadian National Telecommunications installed a tropospheric scatterwave (troposcatter) system to link up with Distant Early Warning (DEW) line stations in Canada's north. This was also a United States Department of Defence contract. It also, in the process, improved civilian communications in the North. Technology and the commercial market had finally advanced to the point where the provision of commercial communications for Canada's north had become viable. For the military this marked the milestone where it went from the provider of communications to the customer.

The 1960 period CADIN/Pinetree radar system upgrades involved establishment of a Combat Centre- Direction Centre in the Ottawa Air Defence Sector (ADS), SAGE tie-in of 25 existing radars of the Pinetree Line (The Goose NORAD Sector remained a manual system and was not included in the upgrade), establishment of seven new heavy radars in Canada and SAGE tie-in, establishment of 45 gapfiller radars in Canada and SAGE tie-in (35 RCAF responsibility and 10 USAF responsibility), construction and provision for essential ancillary equipment and establishment of two BOMARC missile sites in Canada (La Macaza and North Bay).

In 1960 Nova Scotia Signal Squadron and 3 Signal Squadron provided communications for fighting forest fires in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

On 31 May, 1960, Prime Minister John G. Diefenbaker announced Operation Bridge, a program to relocate communications centres and create 6 regional emergency government headquarters with full survivable communications. The first site, Project EASE, was at Carp Ontario where the tape relay became operational in 1962.

On 14 July 1960 the United Nations Operation in the Congo - ONUC was authorised to ensure the withdrawal of Belgian forces and to maintain order during the transition to control by the new independent government in the Congo. Civil war broke out as a result of one province's, Katanga, attempt to succeed from the new country. A cease-fire was arranged on 17 September 1961 however UN military forces remained until 30 June 1964.

On 27 July, 1960, General Order 676 authorized 57 Canadian Signal Squadron. It was established at Barriefield and later flown to Africa for United Nations (ONU) duty in the Congo (now Zaire). The advance party arrived in Leopoldville on 11 August. On 27 October 1960 the squadron combined with the Canadian Headquarters element and was redesignated 57 Canadian Signal Unit and Colonel P.D. Smith arrived as contingent commander. On 11 May 1961 Colonel H.W. C. Stetham became the commander of the contingent replacing Colonel Smith who returned to Canada to become Director of Signals. The force returned to Canada in 1964.

On 12 October 1960 Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal (Mary) arrived in Germany to visit Canadian Signal units.

On 1 June, 1961 General Order 704 redesignated 5 Signal Squadron as "1 Signal Unit" (order was actually dated 2 October but action was effective 1 June).

In 1961 Brigadier C.S. McKee, CBE, VD replaced Brigadier Beament as Honourary Colonel Commandant.

In 1961 a National Film Board film on RCSIGS was made.

On 20 March 1961, Naval Radio Station Inuvik became operational. The station was commissioned HMCS Inuvik 10 September 1961 and renamed Canadian Forces Station Inuvik in 1966.

On 1 August 1961 6 Signal Squadron (Valcartier) was formed.

31 August 1961, 1,2 and 3 Airborne Signal Troops were disbanded.

On 17 September 1961 a cease fire was arranged by ONUC forces in the Congo following the war which broke out in 1960.