The RCAF Advisory Group at Oldenburg was established in 1958 and was eventually shut down in November of 1961.
The only ATC personnel that I can recall from Oldenburg were: F/L Pete Lenton, F/L Herb Inksater, FS Jim Shackleton, Sgt Bob Angst and myself FS Vic Gray. (Bill Krantz is also known to have served at Oldenberg).
The RCAF group was gradually decreased from about 30 personnel (mostly pilot instructors and ground personnel) to a smaller contingent of about 15 personnel. I took over from Jim Shackleton and Bob Angst in June 1960 and returned to Canada in November 1961 when the Group was phased out.
My initial posting was to have been for 6 months but this was, with the passing of time, extended to a period of a year and a half. Fortunately, the posting was "accompanied" and I was able to move my family with me. We lived in accommodation provided by the GAF. I was originally scheduled for GAF "Other Ranks" married quarters but my family was too large (4 children) so they assigned us to a German Officer's PMQ which was larger and was very good accommodation). As can be expected, we were members of the appropriate German Air Force Messes and clubs.
As I understand it, the reason for being at Oldenburg was to train the German Air Force pilots to convert to F-86 Sabres. ATC Officers worked in the Control Tower and the GCA Controllers worked in GCA as IFR control for RCAF aircraft and in a training role for the GAF GCA Controllers.
3 Wing Zweibrucken was responsible for the Advisory Group administratively.
The Officer Commanding RCAF Advisory Group was S/L Duke Warren and he was replaced by S/L Moore on 1 July 1960 for the reduction phase.
Updated: February 23, 2005