DAILY DIARY
16 RADIO DETACHMENT - EASTERN PASSAGE, NS.
April 12, 1943 to November 25, 1943
In accordance with secret organization order #91 No. 16 Detachment RCAF, a CGI station, was constructed at Eastern Passage, NS.
The first officer posted to this Detachment was F/O GK Cranna (C12602) who was taken on strength on April 12 on posting from #2 Detachment Bell Lake NS. On the above mentioned date the buildings; a guard house with a pump house, leanto attached, a power house and operational buildings are near completion. The gantry was also assembled and erected, the work having been done by #8 Construction and Maintenance Unit RCAF Tuft's Cove NS.
The site chosen for this camp was swamp land, therefore the usual amount of mud always expected and usually found on new RCAF stations presented itself.
On April 16 five RDF mechanics and 21 RDF operators arrived here from #5 Detachment Queensport NS. These airmen were immediately divided into 3 groups, the 1st group numbering 10 to do guard duty, 10 working as an installation crew and the remaining 6 under training in Fighter Control Room at Dartmouth Air Station.
On Monday April 19th installation of the 3 diesels electric sets was commenced but due to the poor weather and the bad conditions of the roads the diesels were not installed until one week later Monday 26th of April.
On the 27th of April work commenced on the outside electrical wiring and installation of the water pump.
On May 1st one MT driver arrived on the Detachment. Up until May 10 the transportation was being provided by the MT section of Dartmouth Air Station but on the above mentioned date a 3/4 ton delivery truck (31-706) arrived from No. 5 Equipment Depot Moncton NB.
S/L TRW Couil and F/O J Paterson of #8 Construction and Maintenance Unit and F/O WA Wheten and Mr. Simms of Eastern Air Command Headquarters visited the Detachment on May 12 to discuss the installation of the demolition charge in the operational building and beneath the gantry.
The electical wiring and installation of water pump was completed May 14th.
By May 24th the aerial screens and dipoles and turntable motors were installed on the gantry and on May 25th #8 Construction and Maintenance Unit commenced work on the demolition installation.
The Army Signal Corps had brought the telephone cables as far as the camp by May 27th. On May 31 three RDF mechanics were posted to this detachment from #1 Y Depot Halifax, NS.
ESTABLISHMENT: Officers - 5, Airmen - 50
STRENGTH: Officers - 1, Airmen - 30
Submitted by:
(GK Cranna) F/O
OC #16 Detachment,
Eastern Passage, NS.
Signed:
(BD Hobbs) Group Captain
CO RCAF Station,
Dartmouth, NS.
1 Jun 43
Work on the demolition pits is progressing favourably
2 Jun 43
W/C Cambell, S/L Fawcett, S/L Brandon and F/L Varey visited the detachment in a drizzling rain.
3 Jun 43
Fine clear weather warranted a general cleanup of the grounds of the detachment.
4 Jun 43
F/O Hobbs of Dartmouth Air Station visited the detachment in conjunction with the installation of the demolition charges.
5 Jun 43
A continuance of fine weather at this detachment.
6 Jun 43
NIL
7 Jun 43
F/O EA Hobbs of Dartmouth Air Station and F/O Wheaton of EAC visited the detachment to inspect the construction being done by #8 CMU on the installation.
8 Jun 43
Weather still fine and warm.
9 Jun 43
NIL
10 Jun 43
#8 CMU ceased work on demolition installation, the weather still holds fine.
11 Jun 43
The weather changed to cold and rainy. #8 CMU finished work painting of tower.
12 Jun 43
Weather still very poor.
13 Jun 43
NIL
14 Jun 43
Weather still cloudy with rain. This detachment's water system turned on for the first time.
25 Sep 43
Weather closed in, foggy, rain. Dummy runs, practicing dead reckoning. Airport road used by truck, found in very poor condition.
26 Sep 43
Weather closed in, mild. Operators practising dummy runs and interceptions. Two new operators reported from Y Depot.
27 Sep 43
Weather CAVU. F/L JK Gordon (EAC) visited the detachment to install temporary means of controlling interference from Bell Lake. Dusk patrol plotted, echoes fair. MT now using airport road or Cow Bay road via Elkin's Barracks, as per instructions not to use short-cut over local farmer's road.
28 Sep 43
Weather CAVU. Operation much improved by control installed by F/L Gordon. (Two Hurricanes on vector of 260 tracked for forty miles; echoes faint beyond thirty miles. Twenty plots on dusk patrol reported to Sector.)
29 Sep 43
Weather CAVU, very cool. Operators practicising dummy interceptions and dead reckoning.
30 Sep 43
Weather cool, cloudy. Practice interception with two sections of Hurricanes, results good.
Submitted by:
(JAV MacRobert) F/L
OC No. 16 Detachment.
Signed:
(BDHobbs) Group Captain
CO, RCAF Station, Dartmouth
12 Nov 43
Weather closed in, foggy, rain in the afternoon. Woodchopping washed out. Dummy raids carried out with Sector. Four of the twenty men posted on temporary duty reported sick, admitted to hospital. Permission obtained from the Senior Fighter Controller, Eastern Air Command, to operate with a skeleton staff at all times in order to release more men for clearing the bush.
13 Nov 43
Weather overcast, low ceiling. F/L JK Gordon (Eastern Air Command) and W/C JC Martin (AFHQ) visited the detachment.
14 Nov 43
Weather cloudy and cool. Woodchopping by all available personnel. F/L OC Bartell (Sector) visited the detachment.
15 Nov 43
Weather cold. Woodchopping. Skeleton crew given exercises in dead-reckoning.
16 Nov 43
Weather overcast, drizzle. P/O RW Huggett (EAC) and Sgt. West, DA (EAC) visited. Work commenced re-building the bridge on the local farmer's road. Woodchopping in morning only due to poor weather.
17 Nov 43
Weather overcast, rain. Woodchopping and work on the bridge continued.
18 Nov 43
Weather CAVU. Work commenced re-building local farmer's road. Woodchopping continued, fourteen men on sick parade - colds.
19 Nov 43
Weather clear, overcast. Woodchopping. Work continues on bridge and road.
20 Nov 43
Weather clear. Woodchopping. Work continues on bridge and road.
21 Nov 43
Weather closed in, rain, fog. No woodchopping or construction work. American aircraft reported flying southwest (showing IFF) picked up 23 miles out, plotted into station, through ground ray and out 25 miles.
22 Nov 43
Weather closed in, fog. Woodcutting in progress with all available men.
23 Nov 43
Weather closed in, rain. Dummy raids carried out with Sector. Dusk patrol cancelled. Truck turned in for overhaul, replaced by panel supplied on loan by MT Section, Dartmouth. No woodchopping.
24 Nov 43
Weather clear, cool. Bulldozer commenced tearing up old road. S/L Young (Sector) visited the detachment.
25 Nov 43
Weather CAVU. Woodchopping. Dusk patrol plotted, results very good.
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Updated: April 3, 2003