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 CO V ER CA PTIO N

RO UN DEL's salute to A /M s C. R. Dunlap

and C. R. Slem on (pgs. 2 and 3) is intro-
duced by artist Cpl. Claude Rousseau.

ARTICLES page
Salute to A/Ms Dunlap and Siemon . . . . . . . . . . 2 & 3
Blenheim Occasions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Transport Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Memories of a Canadian Airman (Part Three) 20
PICTURE STORIES
Big Bang at Suffield 6
Scenes from 20 Years Ago . 12
Barbershopping - A Man's Recreation 26
FEATURETTES
"New Look" at NDHQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . ·· 4
Introducing the Men at the Top . . . . . . . . 5
Unique Sports Car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Spitfire Donated to Museum . . . . 24
RCAF Sends Caribou Crew to Kashmir . . . . . . . . . 25
Caribous go "Down Under" . . . . . . . . . 25
Air Cadet Top Amateur Pilot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Airport for Rent . . . . . . . . . . . . . ® 4 • • • •28 •

World's Lowest Window 29

DEPARTMENTS
On the Break . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
The Suggestion Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
RCAF Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Aircraft Album . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . inside back cover

Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post Office Department, Ottawa.

 ON

er l
T ms summer a military evolution is suade one large insurance company to the author's garden at his West Van-
couver home a few weeks ago.
shaping up in Ottawa. The integrated offer the lowest passenger hazard rates
national defence headquarters organi- in the world to ATC travellers. One of ']',% rouNbt readership survey we
zation proposed in Bill C90 (which at the most important means of main- mentioned here some months ago is
press-time was still awaiting parlia- taining such an enviable reputation is finished, as far as the boys in the field
mentary approval) will replace the proper and extensive training - a task are concerned. Now information from
three separate service chiefs and their entrusted to No. 4 (Transport) Oper- the completed forms is being "fed" to
staffs with one chief of the defence ational Training Unit based at RCAF RCAF calculators in the AFHQ data
staff and four functional chiefs. See Stn. Trenton.
centre and we in the little red shack
pages 4 and 5. Recently S/L Russ Bowdery, ATC are biting our nails in anticipation of
public relations chief, and his photo- the results.
\/,, he operators and observers grapher Cpl. Bill Whitehead went
gather at Suffield Experimental Station Not since the retirement of Sgt.
round the world on a Yukon from the Shatterproof over six years ago have
for the upcoming shock and blast re- OTU. See "Transport Training" (page
search experiment (page 6), there we subjected ourselves to such public
14) for further details. scrutiny. But a promise once made must
to greet them will be Mr. Archie Pen-
nie, chief superintendent of that DRB ['e r instalment of A/V/M be kept. Detailed analysis of the sur-
establishment. Twenty years ago he Raymond Collishaw's memoirs (page vey will be published this fall. Mean-
was F/O Pennie, RAF, and more 20) deals with his hair-raising exploits time, our thanks to all who co-operat-
concerned with the intricacies of a in South Russia after World War I ed so enthusiastically with the pollsters.
Blenheim's cockpit than with a sophis- had ended. The accompanying aircraft
ticated explosion involving 500 tons of photos have never appeared in any
TNT - aS the story on page 8 clearly publication before, to our knowledge.
proves. As expected, this exclusive ROUNDEL
series is attracting world-wide atten-
A JR Transport Command's safety tion.
record is impressive enough to per- The picture below was taken in

Mr. A. M. Pennie S/LR.M.L. Bowdery A/V /M R. Collishaw

JULY - AUG. 1964 1

 A/M Dunlap, Last CA.S. to Succeed

The defence organization that A/M Dunlap served

W1TH the passing of Bill C90, Air Marshal C. R. from 1928 to 1938 met the defence requirement of pro-
Dunlap, CBE, will become the last chief of the air staff viding an air arm for the extension of the army's tactical
and an era in the history of the RCAF will come to and artillery capability and the extension of both the
a close- the third era to be terminated by fundamental army's and navy's reconnaissance capability; time and
organizational changes in the Department of National space had not yet been seriously restricted by an infant
Defence since A/M Dunlap began his RCAF career m aviation technology. The organization he served from
1928. 1938 to 1964 met the additional requirement of provid-
As a flying officer operating Vedette and Vancouver ing an air force to meet the threat of other air forces.
flying boats out of Vancouver, A/M Dunlap in 1932 The organization of 1964 is recognition of the indivisi-
saw the end of the first era which began in 1924, when bility of defence brought about by the compression of
the newly-created RCAF came into existence under a time and space and of the consequent requirement to
director responsible to the chief of the general staff. provide forces capable of instant reaction in all dimen-
Following the end of the RCAF directorate, under the sions under unified control.
dark cloud of depression that almost washed away its Canadian servicemen have long been aware of the
financial support, the RCAF began a re-organization importance of keeping their organizations abreast of the
which during the next few years converted it into a times. From their vantage points as participators or
military, as distinct from a civil, air force - headed by observers they have acquired extensive knowledge of
a senior air officer who, like the previous director, was integrated operations and unified commands. None
also responsible to the chief of the general staff. more so than A/M Dunlap. During the formative years
Air Marshal Dunlap was attending his second arma- of NORAD - an integrated organization- he served as
ment course at Eastchurch in England when the era of vice chief of the air staff and was privy to all problems
the senior air officer came to an end. An expanding of policy and control that arose. Again, as deputy chief
RCAF had outgrown the organization controlling it and, of staff (Ops) in SHAPE, he saw a unified command
in November 1938, became an independent service and integrated headquarters operating efficiently and
headed by a chief of the air staff, equal in status to the· effectively. To the knowledge he accumulated in these
chief of the general staff and the chief of the naval staff. appointments must be added that acquired earlier while
In his career since 1938 A/M Dunlap has witnessed serving as commandant of the National Defence Col-
at first hand the developments that have provided the lege, while attending the USA National War College,
basic reasons for the demise of the era concluded this and while serving as the commander of an RCAF bom-
month. These were the introduction of jet aircraft of ber wing operating under an integrated allied head-
supersonic capability, the introduction of large, fast, quarters in North Africa during World War 11. * A/M
long-range air transport aircraft, the introduction of Dunlap thus over the years acquired a first-hand knowl-
missiles ( and nuclear weapons), and the revolution in edge of the problems and benefits of services' integra-
communications brought about by the advances in elec- tion and unification.
tronics. These developments had the effect of compres- In August A/M Dunlap will become deputy com-
sing time and space to the point where they could no mander of NORAD. In assuming the heavy responsi-
longer be counted on as available assets in a modern bilities of this appointment he takes with him the best
war featuring speed, mobility and devastating striking wishes of all RCAF personnel for a pleasant, rewarding
power. tour of duty.

''AIM Dunlap was the seventh officer to hold this position.

First CAS was A/V/M G. M. Croil, followed by AIM L. S.
Breadner, AIM R. Leckie, AIM W. A. Curtis, AIM C. R.
Siemon and AIM H. Campbell. "ROUNDEL, May '64.

2 ROUNDEL
Retiring A/M Siemon at NORAD HQ

A LONG and distinguished air force career terminates In the summer of 1926 F /0 Siemon took a course
this summer for A/M C. R. Siemon, CB, CBE- the last on the Lynx engine which taught him how to cope with
"original" member of the RCAF still on active service. mechanical troubles in the hinterland. Three years later,
While an undergraduate at the University of Mani- after taking an advanced photo course at Ottawa Air
toba, Roy Siemon became a member of the non-perma- Station ( now RCAF Stn. Rockcliffe), he was promoted
nent Canadian Air Force in 1923. That summer he had to temporary flight lieutenant. In 1933 F /L Siemon
the distinction of becoming the first post-World War I completed an instrument flying course and two years
student pilot to fly solo. He was one of a class of nine later he became a flying instructor at RCAF Stn. Camp
provisional pilot officers but, in the summer of 1924, Borden. In 1936 Siemon was promoted to squadron
only four of the original class returned for the second leader and shortly thereafter he was given command of
training session. Slemon obtained his pilot wings at a No. 8 General Purpose Sqn.
personal sacrifice since, immediately following his sum- A few years later he was to be given a far greater
mer training course in 1924, he continued his third command when, in 1942, he went overseas to help
training term by passing up his year in college - re- organize the all-Canadian Bomber Group and for two
ceiving his wings on the RCAF's first wings parade on 20 and half years was second-in-command of this force
Dec. '24. It is interesting to note that today he has the of 15 heavy bomber squadrons. Following a short
same air force number originally allotted to him, No. 71. period in command of No. 6 Group, A/C Slemon was
In the spring of 1925 F /0 Siemon was checked out appointed deputy air officer commanding-in-chief of the
on flying boats and, with the exception of two terms at RCAF Overseas for the last few months of the war in
university ( where he graduated with a Bsc degree) and Europe. He was then named to command the RCAF
the year 1929 which he spent in England undergoing a forces destined for service in the Pacific, but the com-
navigation course, he spent the next eight years on aerial mand was dissolved when the Japanese surrendered.
photography work. Spring, summer and autumn of each After the war A/V/M Slemon served as a member
year were spent flying over the isolated northland on of the air council in Ottawa until 1949 when he became
mapping operations. During the winter, instruction of the air officer commanding, Training Command. In
new pilots and preparations for the next season's work 1953 he was promoted to air marshal and appointed
kept the photo pilots busy. chief of the air staff, a position he held until his move
In the early days, a checkout on an aircraft was very to Colorado Springs in 1957 as deputy commander-in-
brief. Slemon's logbook, for instance, shows that he only chief of the newly-created North American Air Defence
had three hours and ten minutes instruction before going Command.
so'.o on the HS2L flying boat. His logbook also records He is thus not only the last of the RCAF's "originals"
the many different types of aircraft which the RCAF but one of the last of the original members of NORAD.
flew throughout the years, including the Viking, Tutor, After retiring in August, A/M Slemon will remain in
Bellanca, Fairchild 51, Moth 60, Puss Moth, Vedette, Colorado Springs .as director of a foundation to create
Tomtit, Courier, Vancouver, Southampton and Stran- an aerospace education centre adjacent to· the USAF
rear. Although he flew more than 100,000 miles while Academy.
engaged on photo work, he never even so much as bent ROUNDEL joins all RCAF personnel in saluting this
an undercarriage or damaged a hull - a record which justly-famous Canadian on the conclusion of one out-
remained unblemished throughout his many years of standing career and in extending best wishes as he
flying. commences his new civilian duties. ©

JULY - AUG. 1964 3

 "NEW LOOK"
AT NDHQ
'THE headquarters defence command proposed in Bill C90 is the first
step towards unification of the armed forces, says the Hon. Paul Hellyer,
minister of national defence.
Under the new command structure, the chief of defence staff, deputy
minister and chairman of the defence research board report directly to the
minister or associate minister of national defence. The accompanying chart
outlines the organization to be set up under A/C/M F. R. Miller, chief of
defence staff ( formerly chairman of the chiefs of staff committee), and his
vice-chief, Lt.-Gen. Geoffrey Walsh (formerly chief of the general staff).
The four functional heads, each with the rank of air marshal or equi-
valent, will be known as chief of operational readiness, chief of personnel,
chief of logistics and engineering, and comptroller-general. To be promoted
to assume these positions are Maj.-Gen. J. V. Allard, R/ Adm. K. L. Dyer,
A/V/M C. L. Annis and Maj.-Gen. Rt. Monce!, respectively. Their depu-
ties ( two in the case of the chief of logistics and engineering) will be air
vice marshals or equivalent rank. Named to be assistant chief of defence
staff is A/V/M W. W Bean.

I ASSOCIATE
MINISTER
MINISTER
I ASSISTANT CHIEF
Of DEFENCE STAFF
I
INTELLIGENCE
CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF PLANS
OPERATIONAL REQUIRE ME NTS
VICE CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF PROGRAMME PLANNING &
ANALYSIS

[scRTARIAT [

I I I I
CHIEF OF CHIEF OF CHIEF OF LOGISTICS COMPTROLLER
OPERATIONAL KEADINESS PERSONNEL g ENGINEERING GENERAL

DEPUTY DEPUTY
DEPUTY
LOGISTICS
I DEPUTY
ENG. ¢ DEV. DEPUTY

FORCES READINESS RECRUITING STORES & DESIGN PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT

OPERATIONAL TRAINING /l MANNING SUPPLIES DEVELOPMENT BUDGETING
TRAINING STANDARDS INDIVIDUAL & BASIC MOVEMENT TEST ORGANIZATION
COMBINED TRAINING TRAINING TRANSPORT EVALUATION ESTABLISHMENTS
OPERATIONAL DOCTRINE PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION ACCOMMODATION INSPECTION
TACTICAL DEVELOPMENT - CAREERS VICTUALLING QUALITY CONTROL
STANDARD OPERATING - POSTINGS REPAIR &
PROCEDURES - PROMOTIONS MAINTENANCE
COMMUNICATIONS PERSONNEL SERVICES
SAFETY - DENTAL
- MEDICAL
-CHAPLAINS
- WELFARE
-PAY £ ALLOWANCES

4
ROUNDEL
 Introducing the Men at the Top

A Chief Marshal F. R. Miller's later an air chief marshal) to be- der, Royal Engineers, with the I st
meteoric rise to the top has no paral- come chairman of the chiefs of staff Canadian Infantry Division, with
lel in the Canadian armed forces. committee - a position rendered ob- whom he served during the Sicilian
He is the only man who has ever solete by the creation of his new and Italian campaigns. Early in
held both the senior military and post. 1944 Brig. Walsh was appointed
k
senior civil service positions in Ca- chief engineer, 2nd Canadian Corps,
nada's defence establishment. Lieutenant General Geoffrey and in Sept. joined the I st Canadian
Both the officers whose pictures ap- Walsh, new vice-chief of the defence Army in the same capacity until the
pear on the cover of this issue had staff, was born in Brantford, Ont., end of the war in northwest Europe.
been flying RCAF aircraft for some and was commissioned as a lieut- Returning to Canada in Aug. '45,
time when recently-graduated civil enant in the Royal Canadian Engi- he served as deputy quartermaster
engineer Miller, a native of Kam- neers in Jun. '30. Thirty-one years general until Apr. '46 when he was
loops, s.c., joined the non-perma- later he had risen to the highest army made the first commander of the
nent active air force in 1931. After assignment in Canada: chief of the North-west Highway System. After
winning his wings in Mar. '32, he general staff. attending NOC and commanding the
was placed on leave without pay for As a subaltern he served in vari- Eastern Ontario Area, he was
the last six months of that year (dur- ous engineering posts in eastern Ca- selected in 1951 as first commander
ing the big depression economy nada before going overseas in Jun. of the newly-organized 27th Brigade,
wave) but returned to active duty '40. Capt. Walsh commanded the Canada's army contribution to
with a permanent commission in 3rd Field Company, RCE, on the NATO in Europe. Subsequent ap-
Jan. '33. When World War II began Spitzbergen expedition in 1941, then pointments included director general
S/L Miller was a flying instructor. was appointed brigade major, HQ of military training, quartermaster
By 1944 he had reached the rank Royal Canadian Engineers Corps general and GOC, Western Com-
of air commodore and the job of Troops. In Apr. '42 he was promot- mand. He became CGS on I Oct.
director of training; then took a drop ed to Lt/Col. and made comman- '61.
to group captain so he could get
0
overseas as commanding officer of AIC/M F. R. Miller, CBE Lt. Gen. G. Walsh, CBE. DSO
a bomber base in No. 6 Group. The
next year he was chosen to help or-
ganize "Tiger Force", the RCAF
contingent being readied for the Pa-
cific theatre, but after V-J Day he
became chief staff officer and later
AOC of Air Materiel Command. In
1951, after graduating from the U.S.
National War College, he was ap-
pointed vice chief of the air staff,
then was transferred to Paris as vice
air deputy at SHAPE.
In 1956 A/V/M Miller retired
from the RCAF when asked to come
home from Europe and assume the
job of deputy minister of national
defence. Four years later, after dis-
1 1.1
tinguishing himself in this civilian aa.mun.
g.4e
role, he put on his uniform again it>ii=et ri:
( this time as a full air marshal and

JULY -AUG. 1964 5

 BIG BANG AT SUFFIELD

5cvriic teams from Canada, the ing Establishment at Cold Lake,

U.S and Britain will conduct more Alta., will fire three high altitude
than 100 individual experiments in sounding rockets to record atmos-
mid-July when 1,000,000 pounds pheric conditions at the time of the
of TNT are detonated at Suffield Ex- blast.
perimental Station (sEs), the De- One of the three rockets, schedul-
fence Research Board's prairie la- ed to soar to about 250,000 feet,
boratory near Medicine Hat, Al- was test fired last month from Cold
berta. When this mammoth explo- Lake. It took about four minutes to
sion is touched off, RCAF personnel reach its altitude, then a 15-foot
will be involved in several vital ca- parachute opened and carried an
pacities. instrumented package back to earth.
A Neptune aircraft from RCAF Its descent was tracked by radar.
Stn. Comox will be equipped with The other two rockets will be fired
special cameras to photograph the on the day of the 500-ton explosion
heart of the blast and the shock and will follow a similar pattern.
wave emanating from it. Special Approximately 175 Canadians
equipment is also being installed to are involved, including scientists,
record the effect of the shock wave engineers and armed service person-
on the aircraft. It will fly at 18,000 nel. More than 100 Canadian sol-
feet above the explosion. diers will occupy shelters almost a
To further support tests being mile from the hemispherical-shaped
carried out by the international team charge. They will observe blast ef-
of scientists, the RCAF will provide fects and experience the shock wave
two helicopters to work in the Suf- - both harmless at that distance.
field experimental area before and Other Canadian organizations in-
after the blast. The RCAF is also volved will be the Emergency
This high explosive detonation, photo- conducting a ground experiment to Measures Organization, the Meteo-
graphed frcm an RCAF Lancaster over assess the blast effects on simulated rological Services, universities, oil
Suffield Experimental Station in August tunnels at various distances from companies and other interested
1961, was one of the largest TNT ex-
plosions up to that time. The one-million ground zero. Additional RCAF sup- agencies. Ten Canadian and u.s.
pound blast this summer will be five port for the experiment will be aero- teams will conduct seismic measure-
times as big - the largest unconfined drome control and project flying ments at locales far distant from SES.
chemical detonation ever recorded.
control. The detonation of the charge will
Measurements to study the travel be equivalent in its shock and blast
of sound waves in the atmosphere effects to a one-half kiloton nuclear
will be carried out in conjunction explosion. DRB officials emphasize
with the SES explosion. Working that "because the SES experiment
with officials from the Defence Re- involves a chemical explosive only,
search Board and the Department radioactive fallout cannot possibly
of Transport, RCAF personnel from develop". DO
the Central Experimental and Prov-
6 ROUNDEL
 [earn
1

2#3
«
At RCAF Sn. Comox, No. 407 Sqn. Neptune captain FIL D.
Walkey (right) briefs crew for Suffield mission. L. to r. (stand-
ing): F/O N. Koziak, FS C. Ackland; (kneeling) Sgt. W. Pro-
duka, FIL D. Donaldson, FIL P. Taggart, F /0 J. Ganderton,
FIL D. Walkey.

Helicopter crew of No. 121 KU, Comox, providing airlift SES personnel prepare US Jupiter rocket which will be set
support at Suffield (I. tor): FIL R. Hughes, Cpl. V. Hodge, near ground zero, filled with water, and instrumented to
Cpl. K. Mattson, FIL R. Rasmussen. measure pressures during detonation. (DRB photo.)

-.
~

7
JULY - AUG. 1964
 -

K%_; cs4j6pr
,,%+ ¢ a
eis&lac@sivksiw'77-=s..-+-%fat.

/] nvroDucT1ox to a Blenheim wheezy coughs and gouts of blue yaw.

came one New Year's morning mid- smoke both the Mercury 25s caught Once clear of the ground I leaned
way through the war, and strangely and idled smoothly. I was immedi- forward to raise the undercarriage.
enough my instructor on that oc- ately impressed by the Blenheim, by Those who flew Blenheims will re-
casion had trained with me as a pilot far the largest and heaviest aircraft member that it almost required three
on the Canadian prairies. Both of I had yet encountered. The cockpit hands for this operation and in a
us had seen the New Year in ac- was roomy and the substantial dog- dual-control aircraft it was practical-
cording to the best traditions, made legged throttles "felt" comfortable ly impossible to perform this simple
the more appropriate and memor- and transmitted a distinct feeling of task without giving the instructor a
able since I was the lucky winner of power and reliability. The large slid- black eye or obscuring his vision.
a bottle of champagne in the mess ing roof gave adequate ventilation I had just unlocked the lever when
raffle. without draft and prevented that I was conscious of a distinct loss of
As we readied ourselves for the shut-in feeling so often experienced power and a terse obscenity from
flight I must confess that I would in other aircraft. Johnnie that told me in no uncertain
have been happier and more com- We had agreed that this first ex- terms that the starboard engine had
fortable dozing on my parachute in cursion would be short and simple failed. I quickly glanced at the air-
the crew room and I know that my and after clearance from the tower speed indicator and realized that we
instructor felt the same way. How- we headed down the runway. John- were just on the borderline for
ever, "need's must when the Devil nie demonstrated the take-off whilst single-engine safety speed. With full
drives", and we clambered up the I followed him through on the con- power and pitch fully-fine on the
rather steep wing into the cockpit of trols. I was impressed from the first port engine, we continued through
213. motion as that fine old machine the air on a slightly crabwise course
Johnnie ran through the cockpit gathered speed smoothly and easily and I could see that we were not
drill and checks, and after a few without any tendency to swing or gaining height, in fact we were gra-
8
ROUNDEL
dually losing it. At Spitalgate, the aircraft left the runway, the engi- drome which consisted of skinned
airfield is located on a hill just east neering staff were finally satisfied knuckles of the right hand. To reach
of the City of Grantham. We had that our adventure was not the re- the hydraulic controls the right hand
cleared the boundary of the aero- sult of poor engine handling. On had to be thrust into a channel be-
drome and were now gradually los- dismantling they found an oversized tween the seats. This channel was
ing height from this hill down to- push rod which tended to seize under formed from sheet metal with rather
wards the city, and it was painfully load when the engine was operating sharp edges and repeated encoun-
obvious that our descent was going at its maximum temperature. The ters with these edges soon played
to take us into a large field apparent- rod, of course, contracted on cool- havoc with the knuckles. However,
ly cultivated as a market garden. I ing, and this fortunate physical pro- we bore these wounds proudly as if
can clearly recall noting the many perty of metals had saved us at the they were the equivalent of duelling
small greenhouses dotted here and last minute from an unscheduled scars.
there. landing in the market garden. After a very brief spell on day
Johnnie was holding the aircraft Despite this rather disturbing in- flying we found ourselves on the
as well as he could under the cir- troduction to the Blenheim, it be- other side of the city at the satellite
cumstances and I must confess that came a great favorite and was a joy field of Harlaxton, attached to the
l felt quite helpless and passenger- to fly. After a few trips all of us be- night flight. Harlaxton, unlike Spi-
likc, sitting in the left-hand seat just gan to display the Blenheim syn- talgate, which had all the comforts
waiting for the forced landing to
occur. This for me was a rather
novel situation since I had just com-
pleted a long spell as an instructor
on light aircraft and I felt that I
should be doing something during
this emergency. We continued to
lose height into the valley and, since
it now appeared as if a forced land-
ing was inevitable, I tightened my
straps and asked Johnnie if he want-
ed a spot of flap. Just as he an-
swered in the affirmative the star-
board engine, which had been wind-
milling ( there were no feathering
devices on the old Blenheim) gave
two or three encouraging bursts of
smoke and then roared into life.
Taking full advantage of this return
to power, we skimmed over the
greenhouses and climbed gently out
of the valley through the smoke and
haze of early morning Grantham.
By judicious nursing of the engine
we regained circuit height, came in
and landed, turned the aircraft in as
unserviceable, hung up flying kit and
retired to the comfort and safety of
the mess.
The engineering officer and his
crew were hard to convince that
something was wrong with the engine
since it would start easily, ran up
well, and showed no mag drop.
However, after it failed on two other
occasions, fortunately before the

JULY -AUG. 1964

 j »pf®ferro@ea»a»

- - ------· T .

Embryo-pilot Pennie and Cornell at No. 34 The '"Blenheim boys" entertain WAAF officers at RAF Stn. I1ion u
EFTS, Assiniboia, Sask., in 1943. 1944. Author is fifth from left.

and amenities of a peacetime RAF in keeping warm. wing root against the slipstream.
station, was a barren, hutted en- The airfield adjoined the extensive When the weather was really bad
campment and was primitive in the grounds of Harlaxton Manor, the we had a stand-down. Transport to
extreme. There was a supply of cold home of the celebrated lady who so Grantham was infrequent and un-
water from communal taps but the vehemently opposed capital punish- reliable so we sought our relaxation
nearest source of hot water was at ment and who invariably turned up locally. At the bottom of the hill lay
Spitalgate and we repaired there at prison gates to demonstrate when- the sleepy little village of Harlaxton,
whenever possible for the general ever an execution was taking place. a quiet secluded hamlet which ori-
comforts of life, particularly the The perimeter fence of the estate was ginally housed the estate workers
luxury of a shave in water other than constructed of hewn oak timbers and servants at the Manor. The one
ice cold, and a hot bath. and many of these were appropriat- and only hostelry, the "Gregory
Our stay at Harlaxton coincided ed and converted into calories. We Arms", became our home away from
with one of the coldest snaps in had no axes and the only way to home. There we relaxed with large
many years and snow lay deep on utilize the long timbers was to stick and copious pints of ale, the dart
the airfield and on the road system. them through the small fire door of and cribbage boards and the local
The poorly constructed huts failed the gallant Chattan Queen and keep inhabitants. In addition, we found
miserably to keep out the cold and advancing the timber as it was con- that the landlord's wife had a heart
frequently we slept in flying kit in sumed. of gold and an almost endless supply
an effort to defeat the elements. All through this cold spell we of ham and eggs and homemade
Each hut was equipped with a small slept or tried to keep warm by day bread which she produced after
cast iron stove which rejoiced under and flew the Blenheims by night. As closing time. Many a happy evening
the romantic name of "Chattan a result of the cold, the night-flying we had in this small and smoky pub
Queen". These stoves, when proper- aircraft were only shut down for re- and these after-hours' suopers in the
ly coaxed, would burn anything and fuelling and changes of pilot were family kitchen were the highlights of
gave out a reasonable amount of made on the run with the engines our stay at Harlaxton.
heat. However, the fire box capacity running. It was a cold and difficult One of the salient points in the
was limited and during this cold climb, with flying kit and parachute, pre-takeoff check in Blenheims was
snap they had to be fed continuously up onto the wing against the cutting to ensure that the cowling gills were
otherwise the room cooled off very blast from the slipstream, particu- closed. With the gills open and full
rapidly. Water left in a jug on the larly if the retiring pilot had a warp- power, the old Blenheim would sail
hot stove overnight would turn to ed sense of humour and advanced down the runway and refuse to come
ice by morning. Official fuel for the throttle just as his replacement, unstuck. To every law and rule there
these stoves was non-existent and with snow on the soles of his flying are exceptions, of course, and our
only the arch scroungers succeeded boots, was battling his way over the only American colleague proved to
10
ROUNDEL
 us unintentionally one dark night ed to Hixon, near Stafford. All serv- tap. However, the cold tap produced
that it was possible to get a Blen- iceable and, we suspected, semi- nothing at all and we had to fill the
heim airborne with the gills open. serviceable aircraft were readied for bath with hot water and wait for
His takeoff was miraculous to say the great move and early one morn- several hours before the temperature
the least. The Blenheim, with both ing we departed as the vanguard of fell to a safe bathing limit.
Mercurys protesting vehemently, at the party. The flight to Hixon was The airfield at Hixon was larger
full throttle and fine pitch burned up quite short, only a matter of 60 and better equipped than our pre-
all the short runway, brushed through miles, but even over the short dis- vious homes and it was a delight and
the long grass on the boundary and tance one of our members managed a pleasure to take to the air at night
bounced into the air. The bounce to lose himself and took something in the faithful Blenheim. Memories
was sufficient to provide initial lift like two hours for the journey. Na- are still fresh of the comfortable
and from there the aircraft shudder- turally, he did not admit his naviga- cockpit, the ease of handling, and
ed over the living quarters, frighten- tional shortcomings and insisted that the general all-round stability of this
ing the occupants out of their skins, he was just "having a sightseeing great machine, and the exhilarating
and then disappeared down the hill- tour of the Midlands", nights prowling around the Midlands
side towards the village of Harlax- Hixon was a hutted wartime camp with the cockpit top open, alone in
ton. The gallant American by this but had much better facilities than that dark sky except for the steady
time had realized what was the mat- Harlaxton. There was lots of hot throb from the two Mercurys and
tet and managed to close the gills. water available on the community the smooth rush of air overhead.
With the air flow pattern proceed- site and an excellent mess with a We had our suspicions that the
ing over the wings, as planned by large horseshoe bar. As first arrivals days of the Blenheims were num-
the Bristol designers, the faithful we took off on a general hunting and bered when a couple of Beaufort IIs
Blenheim raised its nose and climb- scrounging expedition. We looked made their appearance on the unit.
ed smoothly into the night. Our crew- over the pile of station bicycles and New courses were scheduled to con-
cut friend returned about an hour selected the most roadworthy, we vert to them whilst we finished off
later still somewhat shaken by his inspected all the living quarters and our time on the faithfuls. Towards
experiences but inwardly rather chose the driest and most convenient the end of our stay at Hixon we
proud and pleased that he had con- to the mess, to the flights, and of were shaken from our afternoon
vinced us that it was possible to take course, the one with the best stove. siestas by the insistent and penetrat-
off with the gills open. A shout of joy went up when we dis- ing Tannoy: "Report to the flying
Our stay at Harlaxton was brief, covered the communal bathhouse wing office immediately." Everyone
and before we had completed our and an even greater shout when had wild reasons- a posting, leave,
night flying time the whole unit mov- scalding hot water gushed from the an enquiry into the party the night

On display at National Air Force Day at Rockcliffe last month was this 22-yr. old
Bolingbroke (Canadian version of the Blenheim) in the markings of No. I5 Sqn.,
the first RCAF unit to score a victory over an enemy submarine in Canadian waters.
This museum aircraft was donated to the RCAF by Mr. G. A. Maude of Sidney, B.C,
on National Air Force Day at Rockcliffe last month. So far as is known, the only
other of this type thus preserved is a Blenheim IV in Finland.

JULY -AUG. 1964 11

 Scenes
before, perhaps an investigation as
to how the farmer's cow made its
without any radio communication
with each other or with the tower,
From 20 Yrs,
way into the WAAF officers' quar- considerable confusion reigned. I
ters. All these wild conjectures were
dispelled when we reached the
flights. We were informed that the
found myself within striking distance
of the end of the runway, reduced
power, let down full flap and turned
Ago
14 remaining Blenheims had to be in on the approach. As I lined up
ferried to the Bristol factory at Fit- with the runway I was fully con-
ton, their birthplace, to be scrapped. scious that this was the last Blenheim
The log books were held out by trip I would ever have and, what George Broomfield, ARCA, is a
the flight commander like a pack of was more important, this was the Canadian artist whose works are at-
cards, and we were invited to draw last landing that this particular Blen- tracting increasing attention these
one each. There were some anxious heim would ever make and that it
days. Twenty years ago he was an
faces - for no one trusted 213, deserved a smooth and, if possible,
which was still considered a jinx air- a classical arrival. Carefully I nurs- RCAF equipment officer attached to
craft, even after all these months. ed it in over the boundary, eased off No. 143 Wing, 2nd Tactical Air
My roommate's face fell a trifle and the power, rounded out at the right Force.
it was obvious that he had drawn the height and held the aircraft off ac- Despite the nomadic life and
joker. All the aircraft had been strip- cording to the book. It stalled and
hazards of war-torn northwest Eu-
ped of worthwhile equipment, in- dropped onto the runway from a few
cluding radios and navigational aids, inches on all three wheels. It was rope, he maintained an almost daily
and before takeoff we exchanged log one of the best landings I had made record in drawings and paintings of
books just in case something went for weeks but it was skillfully engi- No. 143 Wing's progress from the
wrong so that the court of enquiry neered as a tribute to a great ma- Normandy beachhead to the German
would have the record book of the chine.
border. Recently he displayed in his
unfortunate aircraft. The circuit and approach were
We accepted this jaunt happily now full of Blenheims at different studio at 232 Isabella Ave., Cooks-
and agreed, radio or no radio, that heights and angles and I taxied ville, Ont., a selection of these can-
we would go in a mass formation. quickly off the runway to dispersal. vases to commemorate the 20th an-
One by one we took off from Hixon, As I parked the aircraft, I offered niversary of D-Day.
circled the field until all 14 were the undercarriage locking pins to the
"The reaction of visitors suggests
ready, and then set course for Filton ground mechanic. He waved them
like a gaggle of migrating geese. I away and said there was no need for I do something with these works
watched 213 with an anxious eye them since the aircraft were going before I put them away for another
and at times felt a trifle apprehen- to be broken up the following day. 20 years," writes Mr. Broomfield.
sive as it belched blue smoke from I jumped down from the cockpit, "If you feel anyone might be inter-
the starboard engine at regular in- humped my parachute onto my ested in seeing the complete set, it is
tervals. A pleasant trip in good back, gave the tail plane a friendly
weather saw us arrive at Filton en still on exhibition."
pat in the nature of a sincere fare-
masse. Each one of us had different well, and turned my back on the Accompanying the reproductions
ideas how to join the circuit and, good old Blenheim forever. © on the opposite page are captions
written by the artist. ©O

12
ROUNDEL
 BEACH LANDING FROM L.S.T.,
NORMANDY 1944
With first light next morning, our
transport ran ashore and the large door-
ramp came down ready for unloading.
The first man to step down the slope had
a rope tied around his waist as he had to
jump in and find the best underfooting
to shore. Fortunately, our L.ST. ran
ashore in only two feet of water which
soon receded giving our vehicles a fairly
dry landing. "Mike" beach area was ours
and little time was wasted getting the
load ashore and most carefully marshal-
led along the taped-off beach. Mines and
general destruction of less than two weeks
before (D-Day) would be too difficult to
describe.
Neat stop was for stripping our ve-
hicles of waterproofing, then with foot
hard down on the gas, no time was lost
in rcaching our pin-point on the map.

TYPHOON FIGHTER-BOMBER
NEAR LANTHEU!L,
JUST OUTSIDE CAEN
The Typhoon aircraft, with its camou-
flage, D-Day black and white markings
and two 1000-lb. bombs, always reminded
you of a gigantic bug about to take off.
The great sweep of the prop while taxi-
ing out of dispersal areas raised the ty-
pical yellow Normandy dust in clouds
during a heavy operation, which to Ger-
man observers surely meant business
and fair warning to keep their heads
down.
The lone stand of trees dead centre of
the field provided a landmark from miles
away, but little protection for those seek-
ing shelter when things warmed up. ill
this area whenever possible shelters for
working, etc., were below ground.

NO. 143 WING OPERATIONS VAN,

MELSBROEK, BELGIUM, 1944 P'
This sketch shows one half of the oper-
ations section functioning in the normal
way, with the aircraft leaving for the
Wing's new location. There, within 24
hours, the other half would be set up and
maps marked with all in readiness for
continued "Ops". No time was lost as
the aircraft carried out missions between
moves, and flew into their new field after
a job briefed from the old field. Cer-
tainly the Germans were given little rest
in spite of the ground base moving for-
ward in 150-mile bounds.

JULY -AUG. 1964

 Lush tropical growth frames No. 4 OTU Yukon during crew-rest stop at Wake Island on
round-the-world training trip,

TRANSPORT TRAINING
By SQUADRON LEADER R. M. L. BOWDERY
Staff Officer Public Relations, Air Transport Command

[A Transport Command is proud Leopoldville less than three hours composed of a group of instructors
of its outstanding safety record, its after the "go ahead" was received from the OTU staff who would su-
operational efficiency and its quick from Ottawa. The recent Cyprus pervise and monitor the actions of
reaction time. In July 1950 six airlift also emphasized the constant the crews under training on this
North Star aircraft of No. 426 Sqn. readiness and capability of Air round-the-world flight.
from Montreal arrived at McChord Transport Command. After unloading at Marville, the
Air Force Base on the west coast. This spring a Yukon aircraft, "working crew" was de-briefed by
Crews were briefed the next day and loaded with freight for Canada's the instructors and the "relieving
that same evening all six aircraft NATO squadrons and medical sup- crew" received its pre-flight briefing
were on their way to Japan, thus plies for Canadians serving in Sai- for the Marville to Aden leg of their
inaugurating the RcAF's highly suc- gon, began its long trans-Atlantic 22,000-mile journey. Similar brief-
cessful Korean airlift. During the flight from Trenton, Ont., to Mar- ing and de-briefings followed each
Suez crisis in 1956, ATc's Flying ville, France. Unlike aircraft on a landing as the aircraft continued
Boxcars were operating out of Ca- regular service flight, this particular through Saigon, Hong Kong, Wake
podichino, Italy, into Egypt less than Yukon carried a complement of Island, Honolulu and Vancouver
48 hours after leaving Canada. The three full crews - two made up of and back to Trenton.
I 960 Congo crisis saw North Star students under instruction at No. 4 These flights," commented W /C
aircraft airborne and on their way to Operational Training Unit, the third C. S. Olsen, officer commanding No.

14 ROUNDEL
 ·f ~ V

a > '
·!If
Y

'. ~ . ·,
·,::~• I

~A/.- r:·
-&-,,~~ ·'

- ' / \
~ J ·, \ 1

'4
W IC C. S. Olsen, OC of No. 4 OTU, and FIL R. T. A. Bar-
nett, navigation instructor, check the route at RAF base in
Aden. Nine stops were made during this 22,000-mile training
flight.
"Nautilus Rex" (in the person of W IC C. S. Olsen) and
"Prince of the Deep" (FIL G. W. Pinder) perform tradi-
tional dousing on F/O 1. L. G. Verrault. Ceremony for all
first-time Equator-crossers was held aboard No. 4 OTU
Yukon five miles above Indian Ocean.

ROUNDEL doesn't mean to imply that senior NCOs let their juniors do all the work,
but at Saigon while Cpl. P. 1. Graves helps unload medical supplies, student flight
engineer FS J. Sopaz gets acquainted with two pretty Indo-Chinese girls.
AIM'.

Rf
.'I

~~
]'-
9
~ -
b»
 At first the unit trained only on fall of 1959 and by Dec. '60 the
4 OTU, "provide our crews with in-
North Star and Dakota aircraft. FTTU had moved into a newly-re-
valuable training in world-wide op-
Squadron Leader P. L. Michel (ret.) novated building which could house
erations. We intend to make them a
was the first officer commanding, the entire staff and student body.
regular routine for crews just prior
to graduation to operational squad- with F/L W. R. Lloyd (now W/C) The FTTU now provides conver-
initially in charge of North Star sion training both for aircrew and
rons."
Operational training for Air training and F/L E. C. Kerslake groundcrew on the Yukon, Cosmo-
Transport Command is carried out (now S/L) in charge of Dakota politan, Flying Boxcar, Albatross,
in a sprawling complex of buildings training. One of the original trio of H-34 and CH-113 helicopters and
located in various parts of RCAF North Stars (No. 508) is still with plans are now underway to include
Stn. Trenton. Scene of aerial instruc- the OTU at Trenton. Flying Boxcar Hercules training. Aircrew technical
tion for the long list of aircrew trades training was added to the oTU syl- training is given on the Dakota.
trained at the OTU is big arch-type labus in the summer of 1952 when Telecommunications courses on
No. 9 Hangar. The ground floor of these aircraft began to arrive from radio and radar equipment used in
No. 2 Admin. Bldg. on the south the United States. During that same ATC aircraft are given at the FTTU,
side of the station houses the OTU summer the OTU trained an initial Additionally, a course is given on the
ground school where 400 students course on the Bristol Freighter. ignition analyzer and until recently
each year in 20 different courses Initially the OTU trained only technical courses on the North Star
spend long hours on the extensive pilots and navigators, but gradually were given to both air and ground-
classroom syllabus. Immediately to training expanded to include radio crews. Now, North Star courses are
the south of the water tower lies a officers, flight engineers, and trans- conducted on an "as required" basis.
large white building conspicuously portation technicians. Because of At present the school has an ac-
marked 4 FTTU". Here technical lack of accommodation and the tive list of 47 different courses and
instruction on the Yukon, Cosmopo- growing congestion of air traffic at when necessary this list can readily
litan, Dakota and Flying Boxcar is the Dorval airport, the unit was be expanded to a total of 52 courses.
given to ground and aircrews. (In scheduled to move to Trenton in the The classroom accommodation li-
I 963 No. 4 Field Technical Train- fall of 1953. Repeated delays in the mits the number of courses that can
ing Unit graduated 1000 students in completion of No. 9 Hangar meant be conducted at one time to 13.
a variety of 46 different courses.) the move wasn't actually carried out Consequently, a great deal of ad-
Further to the south and attached to until early 1954. In the meantime ministrative juggling of people is re-
the station Rec. Hall is the OTU the OTU staff were being transferred quired between the technical train-
flight simulator. Two general pur- on paper and gradually moved their ers at the FTTU, the air trainers at
pose and one Yukon simulator pro- families to the Trenton area. "It was No. 9 Hangar and the ground train-
vide plenty of opportunity for "front probably the first time in RCAF ers at the 4 OTU ground school.
office" aircrew to fly from Trenton history," mused one of the original Simulator training has always been
to Timbuctu, or from Dakar to Dar staff, "where the wives and kids an important part of the OTU syl-
es Salaam, without leaving the con- were settled in an area before their labus. Trainers have improved be-
fines of the simulator building. menfolk." yond measure from the Link Train-
In the years immediately after No. 4 Field Technical Training er of World War II days. Simulator
World War II transport squadrons Unit's primary function was to pro- training at the OTU received a real
used to do their own conversion vide technical training on Flying boost when the first of two general
training. As squadron duties be- Boxcar aircraft, initially for techni- purpose trainers was delivered in
came more onerous and transport cians only but later for aircrew. 1960. The big Yukon operational
aircraft more complex, this conver- With the advent of new transport flight trainer was brought to Tren-
sion to type was too demanding a aircraft it was decided that No. 4 ton in Nov. '61 and was ready for
task to be handled by the squadrons FTTU should provide all the neces- full-scale use the following January.
in addition to their operational com- sary technical training on all ATC A gargantuan assembly that requires
mitments. Training was always com- types and that this training should a specially air-conditioned room for
peting with operations and usually be given at one location. This re- its many electronic components, the
came out second best. Also the prob- organization became a reality in the OFT hums along earning its keep
lem of standardization of training The OTU completed only the one with a regular 12-hour day schedule.
became increasingly important. As a course on this type of aircraft. Subse- Originally training groundcrew
result, No. 4 (T) OTU was conceived quent training on the Freighter was given
at Langar, England, by the staff of the and flight engineers in engine handl-
and born at Dorval on 1 Mar. '52. transport flight there. ing, the OFT is now used primarily
16
ROUNDEL
 N um ber 9 H angar, hom e of the OT U , with Dakota, Cosmopolitan and North Star aircraft 011 the line.

A group of students in the Yukon operational trainer get a check-ow on Sgt. J. L. Hamel (left) and Cpl. A. Woods
fuel management from one of the flight engineer instructors. (right), both students of No. 4 FTTU, use one
of the school's training aids.

JULY -AUG. 1964 17

 ·is
s lb+
l} «
g\'""",.24%%% · »
« 24%
in the training of pilots and flight "i:'. ,
r 4 s 70 s.

engineers. A pilot taking the first

pilots' course at the OTU does 80
hours flying in the trainer before he
even begins to fly the actual aircraft.
Fully qualified pilots return to the
trainer each month to carry out a
four-hour exercise. Green ticket
rides can and are given on the OFT;
crews are checked in emergency
procedures, let-down and approach
proficiency on the trainer. Pilots
concede that the trainer is harder to
fly than the aircraft. Instructors
gleefully admit that trainer exercises
are dear to their hearts because "the
situation is completely controlled
throughout".
Instructors can set up any number
of emergencies during a trainer run.
They can cut engines, cause in-flight
fires, loss of pressurization, simulate
icing, bad weather, radio failure and
in general, "make the trip pure hell"
smilingly admits F/L R. Sierolawski,
present officer commanding the si-
mulator section. Although the
machine is invaluable right now,
future plans call for additional so- F/LR. E. Burn, chief ground instructor, indicates to W/C C. S. Olsen (seated),
OC of No. 4 OTU, and S/L J. G. Wynn, chief flying instructor, how ground-
phistication of the equipment with school and flying courses are progressing.
motion and closed-circuit TV to give
added realism and increased train- engineers and flight technicians re-
ing effectiveness. F/L J Stockdale, ceive the greater part of their train- cooking experience. A chief steward
who nursed the trainers through ing on type at No. 4 FTTU.) from No. 412 Squadron at Uplands
their initial growing pains before trains the girls in simple culinary
Although course content varies projects. They cook a breakfast and
handing the section over to F/L from one course to another, all stu-
Sierolawski in late 1963, mentioned dents are given the high altitude then serve it to GIS members in a
that "even without major improve- indoctrination course while at the simulated Yukon passenger environ-
ment, the trainers are world beaters om. The high altitude course is ment. Later they serve cold meals to
in basic and continuation training made up of runs in the decompres- a group of personnel in a Yukon on
for groundcrews as well as aircrews", sion chamber to 25-30,000 feet and the ground. Next, they go on flights
with student crews and serve hot
Ground training at the oTU is subjects trainees, under medical
meals en-route. They then progess
given in the basement of the No. 2 supervision, to anoxia and explosive
to squadron duty and perform their
Admin. Bldg. at Trenton. Here, F/L decompression. "Wet" dinghy drills
flight attendant duties on regular
R. Burns, chief ground instructor, are also part of the ground school service flights.
and his 29 staff instructors keep the course. Students are given a dunking
20 different types of courses flowing in the station swimming pool and The oru training is broken down
smoothly through the school. In- take practical instruction in dinghy into two distinct categories: piston
st ruction is extremely diversified and work. training and turbo-prop training.
course lengths vary from a mere There is a fairly large spread in pu-
Flight attendants are selected pil background, some students ar-
three days for flight engineers, flight from airwomen volunteers who often
technicians and flight attendants to arrive at the OTU not only with little riving right off the end of "the train-
the full 12-week course for naviga- or no knowledge of flying but some- ing pipe line", others with several
tors and radio officers. (The flight times with virtually no practical years experience on jets or piston
aircraft. Dakota training is provided
18
ROUNDEL
 + No. 4 oTU for crews for the pins gives a constant visual picture Schroder, was formed with the pri-
havigation school at Winnipeg, for of student flow. mary role of United Nations support
communication and search and res- A veteran transport pilot himself and a secondary role of long range
cue units throughout the RCAF and ( he flew North Stars on the Korean training for aircrew other than pilots.
for Nos. 412 and 435 Sqns. Crews airlift), W/C Olsen assumed com- Members of the flight operate out of
are also trained on the piston-pow- mand of the unit in 1963 on his re- Pisa, Italy, into El Arish, Egypt,
ered Flying Boxcar and, on an "as turn from UNEF Headquarters, carrying UN personnel and supplies.
required" basis, on the North Star Gaza, where he spent a term as During the RCAF operation in the
aircraft. The first turbo-prop course senior air staff officer. Flying instruc- Yemen North Stars of the OTU ex-
began in Feb. '61 on Cosmopolitan tion given by OTU staffs is centered tended once a week to Sana on UN
aircraft and later that year on Yu- on Number 9 Hangar, where S/L J. support duties. While passengers are
kons. Pilots are given an initial G. Wynn is the chief flying instruc- not carried on OTU training flights
course on the Yukon at No. 4 OTU tor. these aircraft do transport freight
which qualities them as first officers. While primarily concerned with throughout Canada and overseas.
After acquiring experience with No. training, No. 4 OTU has long been Flying Boxcar training flights carry
437 or 4i2 Sqns. they return to the active in the operational role as well. freight to Resolute Bay and other
oTU for the 10-week advanced OTU crews and aircraft supported northern bases as well as to RCAF
course and on graduation are quali- No. 436 Sqn.'s early efforts in the units throughout Canada. The OTU
fied Yukon captains. Suez airlift, operating out of Capo- makes use of regular Atlantic flights
Correct phasing of air training dichino, Italy, into Abu Sweir in to train navigators and radio officers.
and ground school instruction is a Egypt in 1956. OTU personnel were Thus, No. 4 OTU gives its graduates
very important part of the OTU used in the initial stages of the the experience and self confidence
administration. This co-ordination is Congo airlift in 1960. In the fall of they require to fulfil Air Transport
controlled by the "dart board" in 1963, when No. 426 Sqn. was dis- Command's motto of "Versatile and
F/L Burns' office where reference banded, a North Star operational Ready". ©
to the positioning of the coloured flight, commanded by F/L J, S.

UNIQUE SPORTS CAR

For approximately $500, Kelly axles were culled from wreckers'
]3% oRowING some of the thun- yards. The engine, from a Thunder-
der from several American, French, has practically hand-made an esti-
mated $3000 worth of bright red bird, was retrieved from a farmer's
German and English cars, Leading field where it reposed, practically
Aircraftman Charles Kelly has built lightning capable of at least 130
mph. Conditions have never been undamaged, after the car was wreck-
his own personal thunderbolt while ed. The frame is made of welded
stationed in Europe. A vehicle me- exactly suitable to find out the ex-
treme top speed of the vehicle, which tubing to give a five-inch ground
chanic with the RCAF since enlist- clearance. The most expensive single
ing in 1955, the 30 year-old airman its creator estimates took 2000 off-
duty hours to manufacture. item, and one of the few parts bought
was transferred to No. 1 Air Div. new, was the custom-made soft top
The running gear, wheels and
HQ in Metz in 1961. ( price $60).
I= Registration proved a problem
Ne] AIR DIVISION when no recognized auto could be
IE:ADQUARTERS pinned down as the major compo-
nent. Kelly wrote letters, entered
into negotiations with the appropri-
ate authorities and, this spring, a
new make of car was registered - a
1963 Kelly, with a short production
run of one. It is scheduled for export
to Canada soon, purely as the per-
sonal property of LAC Kelly. A man
has to have something to show for
a four-year stay in Europe. ©)

19
JULY - AUG. 1964
 MEMORIE
SOUTH RUSSIAN ADVENTURE -- 1919-20

[' wan with Germany was finish- Kornelof's White Army had gained RAF units in Britain to select mem-
ed, but as it turned out, it was not some successes in the Caucasus, the bers for the force. I was able to put
the end of the fighting as far as I British government decided to send together a fine body of men and we
was concerned. In the spring of an air force contingent to support his crossed through France aboard a
1919 a counter-revolution develop- forces. British troops were by that special train and took ship in Italy
ed in Russia, various White armies time already fighting in North Russia for the Black Sea port of Novoris-
being raised to fight the Bolsheviks. and Siberia in support of White ar- sisk in South Russia. By the ime we
The Reds had abandoned the Allies mies in those areas. arrived General Kornelof had been
during the war and had made a sep- I was chosen to command the killed and General Denikin had as-
arate peace with the Germans. When RAF combatant detachment for sumed comniand. His forces had
the war ended the Reds remained duty in South Russia. All ranks had met with sweeping successes and had
hostile to Britain and, after General to be volunteers and I visited many occupied the major part of South
Russia. We were the only British
The author, as he appeared shortly after the end of World combatant force there and provided
War I. the only air force available to Deni-
kin, whose forces were organized
into three separate groups of armies
the Kuban Cossack Army on the
Stalingrad front, the Don Cossack
Army between Stalingrad and Khar-
kov, and the Volunteer Army in the
Ukraine.
Our aircraft were DH9 and
DH9a two-seater bomber-reconnais-
sance machines and Sopwith Camel
single-seater fighters, all drawn from
the aftermath of the war in the
Middle East. They were formed into
three separate flights, and as the
flights were successively formed they
were despatched to the far distant
fronts. By the autumn of 1919 the
front line of Denikin's armies ex-
tended for a thousand miles across
South Russia and success seemed as-
sured. Our headquarters was esta-
blished at Krasnodar, and from
there the three flights operated from
special trains which took them to the
various fronts on which they were
employed. The different flights were
usually located so far apart from one
another and so far from the head-
quarters base that they seldom, if
20
ROUNDEL
OF A CANADIAN AIRMAN
By AIR VICE MARSHAL RAYMOND COLLISHAW, CB, DSO, OBE, DSC, DFC
Third of Five Parts

ever, met, but went ahead with their shell the town, the idea being that sinking vessels by bombing.
operations as best they could in co- an infantry assault would take the On the Kuban Cossack Army
operation with the local White Army point while it was being bombarded. front many thousands of cavalry
commander. One of our bases was only 12 miles were employed by both sides, and
Most of our flying was bombing from Stalingrad and we operated a cavalry became the principal target
and strafing attacks on ground tar- shuttle service, our planes landing of our machines in ground strafing.
gets and reconnaissance, and there and remaining only long enough to On one occasion one of our pilots
was little of the fierce aerial fighting refuel, take on more bombs and was shot down in the midst of thou-
of which I had seen so much in ammunition, and then taking off sands of hostile cavalry, and while
France. A few German fighter pilots again. I conceived the idea of using the observer kept them at bay with
in German aircraft appeared with 230-pound anti-submarine bombs his machine gun, a second aircraft
the Bolsheviks but they were soon against the river vessels, and in- landed alongside and rescued both
shot down by our pilots, and there- structed my crews to try for near- pilot and observer. As the Reds
after we met with little aerial oppo- misses rather than direct hits. These lacked an effective air force, the
tactics worked well, the terrific RAF detachment constituted a seri-
sition.
Early in the campaign a fierce under-water blast being extremely ous danger to them. They replied to
struggle developed for the posses- effective against the light gunboats. our successes by announcing the
sion of the strategic town of Stalin- We managed to sink or disable most frightful things that would happen
grad on the Volga, which the Whites of these Red river craft and the re- to any of our flyers who might be
had captured. The Reds had a river mainder withdrew. Our attack on captured. Some of the tortures that
these ships was probably the earliest they promised would be the lot of
flotilla on the Volga and they mas-
outstanding success by aircraft in any of our men taken prisoner were
sed a force of some 20 gunboats to

Several Red prisoners-of-war are helping handle this DH9a being engine-tested. The RAF
contingent under Collishaw's command used these machines to support General Denikin's
White Russian forces.
 [
"A-5%
j.'>
hate

too dreadful to repeat in print. refuelled and re-armed as they re- I came down with fever. It was not
Our attacks on Red cavalry on the turned from their attacks. We began diagnosed as typhus, but the service
open steppes, as well as on infantry, our attacks at the appointed hour doctor decided to send me to our
caused the Bolsheviks serious losses but there was no sign of the White main headquarters base as a pre-
and there is no doubt that the rapid forces with whom we were supposed caution, with two walking-case sick
advance of the White armies owed to be working, and after several airmen. It was five-day rail journey,
much to the work done by my de- hours we broke off and prepared for and both the airmen had to take to
tachment. The White Army com- a meal. A short time later a cloud of their beds with dysentery. This was
manders were alert to the operation- dust arose from the direction of the unfortunate for me, for I developed
al value of an unopposed air force, enemy and a hurried aerial recon- a full case of typhus, and there was
but they had little understanding of naissance showed that thousands of
our limitations. We were thus fre- no one to look after me. I was in a
Red cavalry would very soon be all bed in one of the luggage vans and
quently given tasks which were be- around us. Immediate action saved
yond our capacity. soon I was delirious. When the train
us just in time, and the aircraft were halted at a village midway between
The employment of masses of able to keep the Red cavalry at bay
cavalry resulted in a front that was Stalingrad and Krasnodar a refugee
until we had withdrawn our motor countess heard of my plight and
in many sections extremely fluid. vehicles. In the meantime, the White
Advances or retirements of as much had me moved from the train to the
forces had disappeared.
as 70 miles a day were not unknown. cottage she was occupying. I knew
While carrying out a reconnais- nothing of this, of course, and was
This resulted in odd, and at times sance flight on the Stalingrad front
embarrassing, situations. On one oc- unconscious for several weeks, while
in the autumn of 1919 my machine
casion the Kuban Army commander the old lady nursed me through a
was hit by a rifle bullet and we had
proposed to employ a cavalry strik- crisis. When consciousness came
to make a forced landing. My ob-
ing force against a Red base some back I was extremely weak and only
server and I had to walk six miles
80 miles east of Stalingrad, and very gradually revived. As my
to the nearest railway and then travel
named a zero hour for our co-oper- strength began to return I found my-
with some soldiers in a freight car.
ation. I arranged to set up a tempo- self at a loss to account for my sur-
I must have been bitten by lice
rary air base about 20 miles from roundings and as I could speak no
from the soldiers for only a few days
the Reds, where our planes could be Russian, and my benefactor no Eng-
later, after my return to Stalingrad,
lish, we could not communicate.
22
ROUNDEL
 I had been missing from the RAF tance of 500 miles into the Crimea. on the two locomotives that pulled
for six weeks when one of our air- We operated our aircraft from the our train. As an act of mercy we had
raft landed nearby, and hearing of open country adjacent to the train taken aboard several hundred Rus-
, srish flyer who was ill in the in winter conditions of snow and ice. sian officers' wives and children and
area, the pilot sought me out. Soon As the whole of the Volunteer Army they now became a source of em-
another machine was sent to pick me was in desperate retreat our arms barrassment to us. Typhus had bro-
up and take me to convalesce at our sometimes constituted the only real ken out and they hid their dead on
main base. Unfortunately, I was defence in the area. Aircraft service- the train, rather than throw the
never able to express my thanks to ability gradually fell and then finally corpses on to the edge of the right
the countess, as the Reds occupied collapsed, and we were forced to of way as I had ordered. This was
that part of the country before I re- save what few machines we could by perhaps a brutal order but it was
covered and she disappeared. Any- despatching them to the rear. necessary, for we could not afford to
one with a first-hand knowledge of Conditions on the railways were stop and dig graves in the hard-
typhus, and what it entails, will be almost indescribable. There was frozen ground.
able to imagine what she must have neither fuel nor water for the loco- Officers stood on guard, fully
endured as an act of grace in nurs- motives. The people along the route armed, night and day, in the loco-
ing a strange, unconscious man for had become intensely hostile and motive cabs and on the roofs of the
several weeks in a one-room cabin. anxious to welcome the Reds. cars. Our lines of escape into the
At the beginning of winter, 1919, Forces of hostile irregulars were Caucasus had been cut off and there
Denikin's armies had reached their operating freely across the lines of was a grave risk that we would also
maximum point of advance and had communication. There were no be cut off from the Crimea, our only
occupied a vast area. Everywhere trains going in the direction of the other point of safety. As we passed
the White Armies had been victori- enemy- all were making their way through the towns we had to send
ous, and these successes had been as fast as they could in the other out armed parties to commandeer
repeated by Kolchak in Siberia and direction. The RAF train was arm- wood for fuel. Water for the loco-
by the White Army on the Baltic. ed with aircraft machine-gun turrets motives was obtained by the women
The chances of a general White vic- mounted on the roofs of some of holding out their skirts to be filled
tory seemed good. Alas! Rumours the cars. The normal train crews with snow, and then dumping it into
began to circulate that the policy of had gone over to the Reds and air- the water tanks. The rail lines were
the White Army after victory would men served as engineers and firemen congested and progress was slow,
be to restore the ancient regime,
with the landlords taking back pos-
session of their estates. There was a
perceptible weakening in the deter-
mination and will in the White Ar- This photo of a DH9a was probably
mies, while the Reds redoubled taken at Ekaterinodar, in the Kuban,
their efforts and their propaganda. where No. 47 Sqn, made its headquarters
The home front behind the Volun- after arriving in South Russia.
teer Army in the Ukraine declared
for the Bolsheviks and General De-
nikin resigned, his command being $ J

taken over by General Wrangel.

The Volunteer Army collapsed and
while the Kuban and Don Armies
resisted the Red advance for a few
weeks, in a short time the masses of
White troops, with their families and
friends, joined in a mad rush for the
sea or into the Caucasus.
During the retreat of the Volun-
teer Army which culminated in the
final debacle, I was in an RAF train
which gradually withdrew from the
neighbourhood of Orel over a dis-
23
JULY -AUG. 1964
 and day after day we crept along at safely over the railway bridge at was to order the RAF detachment
some IO miles an hour. I knew that Rostok. . to repel them. On one occasion he
the Bolsheviks were operating an The RAF took over a Russian issued written orders that all RAF
armoured train armed with a 9-inch aircraft depot in the Crimea and we pilots were, if necessary, to destroy
gun on the rail lines behind us, and soon had enough aircraft for one themselves by diving into the
when it was reported only a few squadron, which we assembled from ground, in the hope that this would
stations away this increased our our reserves carried on the tram. inspire the White defenders to a final
frustration over our slow progress. Soon afterwards, while flying a re- and supreme effort. Happily, I was
While our train was halted for connaissance over the country north able to interpret the order liberally.
fuel at Balshoi Tokmak the enemy of the Crimea then in Red hands, By this time - January, 1920
managed to release a run-away loco- my aircraft was damaged by ground the RAF squadron was split into
motive down an incline and it fire. The engine would not keep the two portions. There was the one
smashed into the rear of our train machine in the air and we had to portion which I had taken into the
at high speed. Our train was turned make a forced landing. The engine Crimea and the other. which had
into a shamble. The wooden trucks would still turn over enough, though, managed to get into the Kuban
were telescoped but the steel coach- for us to taxi for miles over the country and on to the main base at
es withstood the shock. Herculean frozen surface, and then across the Krasnodar. We continued the fight
efforts were required to thrust the frozen, intervening sea, and to reach against the Reds as best we could
smashed trucks off the rails and to the Crimea. but at the end of March the British
join up the surviving steel coaches. The Russian general in command government withdrew the squadron.
Somehow it was done and the rem- in the Crimea was an unstable We went by ship to Constantinople
nants of the train moved safely into character, and whenever the Bolshe- and then on to Britain. Our South
the Crimea. Other RAF trains reach- viks broke through the Perekop Russia venture was ended.
ed Novorossisk, having made it Neck defences all he could think of (to be continued)

,. SPITFIRE DONATED TO MUSEUM

This Spitfire Mark IX aircraft has

'

4,
f
ii), A
'
\ S
i been donated to the National Avi-
ation Museum by John Paterson of
Fort William, Ont. (inset). The off-
cial presentation was carried out on
National Air Force Day last month
at RCAF Stn. Rockcliffe, when the
Nie Spit was flown by F/L G. Billing,
who retires from the air force this
summer,
A few years ago Mr. Paterson
acquired this particular aircraft as
his personal machine, and it bears
the marking of his old aircraft of
World War II; the Aviation Museum
will retain this marking permanently.

ROUNDEL
 RCAF Sends Caribou Crew To Kashmir
Three pilots and five groundcrew
technicians study the troubled part
of the globe where they will serve
for the next 12 months. With their
Canadian-built Caribou aircraft the
eight men will provide the only air-
lift facility for the 40 UN observers
serving in Kashmir between India
and Pakistan. In the mountainous
terrain of that country it is estimat-
ed 15 minutes in an aircraft is equi-
valent in travelling distance to one
day in a jeep.
The group which left Trenton on
1 June includes (I. to r., standing)
FS Frank Johnson, Cpl. L. F. Burt,
Sgt. L. R. Lewis, LAC C. L. Jebb
and Cpl. P. F. Dagley. Seated (I. to
r.) are F/L R. A. Last, S/L F. E.
Haley (detachment commander) and
F/L Brian Strawbridge.

. :•"·'· .. ' .·

. ~--·•.·. ;'. ' ~,-;,·.•''"· .

Caribous Go
., -_;;..:,.·-o<
·>F-. . . , . . .• .. .
,,. l .
-~:".,;,) .
./ '"""
·. ,;,, ,,
"Down Under"
g, "J
.'4ig44

.e. ®+
if'
. N S/L C. Sugden, oc of No. 308

45a (Caribou) Sqn. of the RAAF, ac-

cepts mascot from G/C R. A. B.
Ellis, co of RCAF Stn. Downsview,
prior to departure of first contingent
of Caribou aircraft to Australia.

. . '
RAAF members spent several weeks
in Canada being checked out on the
de Havilland-produced STOL aircraft
«» '. .., before ferrying them, and the Cari-
i •
bou head, "down under".
{2yo o 25
 Art Trott, director of Ottawa SPEBSQSA Chapter, directing 30-man chorus at Senneterre.

BARBERSHOPPING A MAN'S RECREATION

By SQUADRON LEADER D. F. ARCHER

Ass UNOFFICIAL movement to en- tinctive "ringing" quality. It is the pledged its support and assistance to
courage participation by male mem- "ring" in barbershop singing which any group or individual in the Serv-
bers of the armed forces in the is so much sought after and gives the ices who may wish to take up this
wholesome recreation of singing vocalization the brilliance and luster fascinating hobby. Those who live in
barbershop harmony continues to which cannot be reproduced by any communities where there is a chap-
gain recruits. The "Air Force Four", tempered or valved instrument. True
ter are cordially invited to visit at
a quartet of serving RCAF officers barbershop harmony can only be
any chapter meeting, but for person-
who are members of the Ottawa produced accurately by the most
nel in isolated or semi-isolated areas,
Chapter of the Society for the Pre- versatile and manageable instrument
servation and Encouragement of in the world - the human voice. the Society has prepared sample
Barbershop Quartet Singing in Ame- packages of music and informative
Barbershoppers come from all pamphlets which are available
rica (SPEBSQSA), the "Ottawa Chap- walks of life and are drawn together
ter Chorus" and two other quartets not only because of a love of sing- through the Ottawa Chapter of the
SPEBSQSA.
within the chapter, the "Canadian ing, but also out of a desire to serve
Capitalaires" and the "Clef Hang- their communities. Local chapters You don't need to be a Caruso or
ers", have been visiting RCAF units usually use the funds raised from a trained singer to sing barbershop
and presenting programs of barber- their presentations to support their harmony. All you have to do is be
shop entertainment. As a result favourite charities. They also have able to hold a tune and be interested
several individuals have indicated an intense desire to help others find enough to have your recreation off-
their interest in learning more about the fun and fellowship in the won- cer forward a request for assistance
this style of singing. through normal channels. The So-
derful world of barbershop. ciety will forward the information
Just what is barbershop harmony? As many armed forces units are
It is nothing more than close four- either isolated or semi-isolated, the you need and you'll be on your way
part singing which requires a lead to pleasureable recreation to be found to good fun and good fellowship.
sing the melody, a tenor to sing con- in barbershopping could prove a Barbershop is fine entertainment,
sistently above the lead, a bass to worthwhile and productive hobby but it's even more interesting for
put the floor under the group and a for many service personnel who may those who participate. How about
baritone to squeeze a note in be- find their recreational facilities you?
tween which gives the chord its dis- somewhat limited. The Society has
©
26
ROUNDEL
The "Air Force Four" is joined in close
harmony by a junior miss at RCAF Stn.
Mont A pica. L. to r.: FIL D. Keirstead,
S/L D. Archer, SIL T. Madden, SIL
L. Burrows.

"Capitalaires" perform their comic routine at St. Sylvestre. (L. to r.):

Bill Taylor, Elmer Kelly, Ken Curry (Sgt., RCAF), Jim Bova (Cpl.,
RCAF).

1
gr
Enthusiastic audience at a Pinetree Stn.
~-;; ... i .>,

~
,',
"
 AIRPORT FOR RENT

D)tar in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula day, but the Canadian soldiers al-
Canadian troops have a desert land- ways throw in a few more for good
ing strip they rent on a yearly basis measure.
from a Bedouin sheik, but they are The whole business started back
having trouble paying the rent. They in 1960 when the reconnaissance
have the money, all $2.48 of it, but squadron of the Fort Garry Horse
they can't catch up to the sheik. needed a patch of level ground from
Meetings have been arranged twice which to fly scouting missions on
in a two-week period to hand over their role as peace-keepers for the
the fee, one Egyptian pound, but the United Nations. The cA provide
sheik hasn't shown. Otter aircraft and aircrew for the
You would hardly expect to rent task and take the troopers winging
an airport anywhere these days for over the desert wilderness. Today
such a trifling sum, but there is a the reconnaissance squadron of the
little more to the bargain than the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess
money. In addition to the annual Louise's) does the desert missions
payment of $2.48 the Canadians are and the commanding officer, Major
also committed to provide one barrel L. M. Stone, hopes someone will
AIR CADET TOP PILOT of water a day to the sheik's tribe. soon spot the shy sheik and pay the
At least the deal calls for a barrel a rent.
Air Cadet WO R. G. Ambrose,
of No. 225 Taber Sqn., won the
W. F. Tudhope Memorial Trophy
for being judged the best amateur
pilot under 19 years of age in the
Royal Canadian Flying Clubs As-
sociation in 1963.
Here he receives the trophy from
A/CJ. A Verner, chief staff officer
at Training Command HQ, during
the RCFCA'S annual meeting in Win-
nipeg in April.

Chatham Wins Award ~t:.: ;M. ~.~-•• •" ._, .. ., •• • •-......, . .,~,., ~,,,,,,J.<ll" H

For the fifth time RCAF Stn. ·••-•-•·-•~• •-••• . _::~:-~~~- '--•~, _:_~-~H
Chatham, N.B., has won first place
in the annual National Fire Protec- E
",
tive Association contest (DND di-
vision), an achievement that is un-
paralleled in the RCAF. Objective
of the NFP A program is to advance,
by science and education, the pro-
tection of lives and property from
-.
fire.
Presentation of the award to G/C
!
J. R. Beggs, Chatham co, was
made recently by A/V/M M. M. E72
Hendrick, AOC of Air Defence Com-
mand. Vil>
28
ROUNDEL
 WORLD'S LOWEST

WINDOW

The following individuals have received awards from the Department of The headquarters of Ottawa
National Defence, for suggestions which have been officially adopted by NORAD Sector at North Bay is hun-
the RCAF. Photographs
. . of winners
. of $100 or over appear below.. P roper dreds of feet underground but the
b
procedure for submitting suggestions is detailed in AFAO 99.00/01, view from "Williams' Window" is
unsurpassed.
This portable window frame, com-
plete with drapes, venetian blind
and sliding glass panels, was pre-
sented to G/C D. J. Williams by the
construction engineering staff at
RCAF Stn. Trenton when he was
transferred to the windowless SAGE
building at Northern NORAD Re-
gion. As such, it has many advan-
tages over the average run-of-the-
mill window. For one thing it can be
moved with little trouble and with
no damage to the wall; the "view"
can be changed to match the season,
and it can be kept open all summer
~ without letting in a single fly or
LAC R. J. Leduc of LAC D. H. E. Bucha- Mr. R. G. James of mosquito.
Stn. Clinton suggested nan of Stn. Greenwood 1008 TSD Winnipeg Here Cpl. Edward Sawatzky is in
a modification to the suggested the installa- made a suggestion a wistful mood as he phones "top-
loading jacks used for tion of wider flange concerning a specifica- side" for a weather report.
arming CF-1O4 air- bushings on the nose tion for the repair,
craft with bombs. cowl door hinge as- reconditioning, over-
semblies on Argus air- haul, modification and
craft. reduction to spares of
electronic equipment.

Other award winners: Cpl. A J. Andrews

F/L J. D. Mosgrove Cpl. J. M. W. Lambert
F/LP. A Houldsworth Cpl. J. R. M. Royer
WOl G. C. Hacking Cpl. J. L. Archambault
WO2 F. Falardeau Cpl. J. AR. Peters
WO2 C. N. Vincent Cpl. E. Kuffner
FS C. E. Rix Cpl. T. Fedorchuk
FS H. W. O'Brien Cpl. R. D. Hedges
FS W. F. Farr LAC R. D. Roy
FS C. E. Rix LAC H. L. Swartz
Sgt. W. A Plumridge LAC A G. Bell
Sgt. C. H. Smith LACH. J. Ashford
Sgt. I. L. MacRae LAC J. L. Hunter
Sgt. L. M. Reid LAC F. D. Cook
Sgt. H. L. Forshner Mr. G. H. Tearle
29
JULY-AUG. 1964
 This section of ROUNDEL is prepared
RCAF ASSOCIATION by Association Headquarters, 424 Mer.
calfe St., Ottawa, Ontario.

THE ISLAND CONVENTION

CHARLOTTETOWN, P .E.1.

1st, 2nd and 3rd October 1964

15th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

l'us year we join with the people of Prince Edward Island in marking the
I 00th anniversary of the first of three meetings held in Charlottetown which
culminated in the creation of the Dominion of Canada.
The host wings are No. 201 (Charlottetown) and No. 200 (Summerside).
All meetings will be held in the new Fathers of Confederation Memorial
Building. The opening ceremonies will take place in the theatre, which
provides a perfect setting for this colourful ceremony. There is a separate
room for the regular meetings and special conference room for the sym-
posiums. The annual dinner and the luncheons will be in the Charlottetown
Hotel.
Registration fee this year will be $15.00 per person. Accommodation will
be in the Charlottetown Hotel and adjacent motels. Wings have been given
full details by bulletin.
Here are the highlights:
• President's welcoming reception: The Golf Club.
• Opening ceremonies: Parade and memorial services with the Lieutenant
Governor of P.E.I., The Hon. W. J. MacDonald, taking the salute .
. • Special Luncheons: speakers to be announced.
• Symposiums.
• Annual Dinner and Ball: General Thomas D. White, former USAF chief
of staff, will be the guest speaker.
General Thomas D. White,
former chief of staff, USAF. • Presentation of awards: RCAF Wing of the Year and Member of the
Year Awards, Grand President's Cup, President's Cup, Vice President's
Cup, Group Efficiency Award, Wing Bulletin Awards.
• Group at Homes.
• Sightseeing tours.
• Visit to RCAF Stn Summerside.
• A complete program for the ladies.
30
ROUNDEL
 ANNUAL GROUP MEETINGS ber Mr. H. M. Bell addressed the
The Presidents-elect arc: Manitoba-N.W. Ont. meeting held
ALBERTA Mr. Allan Craig, Edmonton in Flin Flon.
SASKATCHEWAN Mr. Herbert J. Flook, Yorkton Guest speaker at the Quebec
MANITOBA-N.W. ONTARIO Mr. John McCullough, Port Arthur group meeting was G/C E. H. M.
ONTARIO Mr. Leon J. Schedlin, Toronto Walsh, commanding officer of RCAF
QUEBEC Mr. Jack Dinan, Quebec. City Stn. Bagotvil\e.
ATLANTIC Mr. A. T. Goodwin, Moncton RCAF Air Materiel Command
AOC, A/V/M J. B. Millward, was
guest speaker at the annual dinner
of the Atlantic Group, whose meet-
Attendance at all group meetings ing in Moncton was attended by
much business was cleared.
was well above that of previous Secretary-Manager J. C. Gray.
Association Grand President AIM
years, indicating a revival of interest W. A. Curtis was guest speaker at
in the affairs of the Association. the Alberta meeting held in Calgary.
Complete reports of these meetings National President A/M Hugh Mr. George Ault, Q.c., associa-
will be distributed later. Traditional Campbell spoke at the Saskatche- tion legal adviser, represented the
preludes to the annual national con- wan meeting in Y orkton, and also at RCAFA at a meeting of the air force
vention, the group meetings were the Ontario meeting in North Bay. associations of the NA To countries
without exception well arranged and National Executive Council mem- in Turin, Italy, last month.

No. 443 Wing members J. L. Rain (past

president), G. O. Beatty (president), and
W. J. Hunt (director) display their new
wing road sign placed at the entrance to
Smiths Falls, Ont.

.,c,
71F

.
.~ ,_I
.
&.
. f- ·-
.
g4

ill

•'

~j
Head table at annual banquet of Manitoba-N.W. Ont. Group in Flin Flon
(l. .): R. James Conner, Mayor of Flin Flon; Mrs. Eleanor Sparling;
,/dines'verer; Mrs. Isabel Conner; Mr. Herb Bell; Mr. Ted Sparling:
Mr Terry Penton; Mrs. J. A. Verner; Mr. Howard Henry, Branch 73 Roya
1
di- Le iow Mrs Elizabeth Bell; Mr. W. E. McFadden; Mrs. Meta
f"5". ii. 'sos' ialies aciitiiary. (Fioto courtesy Edgar Grandison.
Flin Flon)

31
JULY -AUG. 1964
 EX-WD DRIVING INSTRUCTRESS
Dear Sir:
I read with great interest and enjoy.
NOS. 435-36 SQNS. RE-UNION ERRONEOUS DEMOTION ment "Airwomen in the RCAF" (Mar,
'64) and it has prompted me to write to
Dear Sir: tell you about my sideline while a mother
Dear Sir: . . and housewife: Fort William's only driv-
For the 18th consecutive year wartime The "Airlift to Cyprus" illustrations ing instructress.
members of Nos. 435 and 436 Sqns. are ( May '64) were most interesting. How- After three years as an RCAF driver
planning a re-union, to be held on 26 ever, I had expected that a progressive
Sept. at the Coronet Motor Motel, Kit- during the war, I decided to teach others
journal like ROUNDEL would already have to drive and with the exception of time
chener, Ont. A full-day's entertainment. become familiar with the army ranks and
including a dinner and speaker, is being out for marriage and a family (my hus-
insignia, I was therefore somewhat as-
organized. band was a wireless airgunner with No,
tonished to see my friend, Colonel E. A. 437 Sqn. and we now have two daughters
We are definitely interested in all ex- C. Amy. described as Lieutenant-Colonel.
India-Burma types. whether or not they G/C I. H. Barclay. Commandant, aged 13 and 4) have continued in this
served in these two squadrons. joining in Canadian Forces Medical Service career. I know I could not have done this
the fun and fellowship. Further details with full confidence if it hadn't been for
Training Centre, my training in the RCAF.
may be obtained by contacting the under- Camp Borden, Ont.
signed. Mrs. J. Chambers,
(Our apologies to Col. Amy. We cer-
Wm. G. Roberts, tainly intended no slight... Editor.) (formerly LAW Dorothy Grotke),
Chairman, Re-union Committee, 516 Luci Court,
Box 400, Bridgeport, Ont. Fort William, Ont.

BOOK REQUEST
1964 VOLLEYBALL CHAMPS Dear Sir:
Can you help me locate two books INTEGRATION
Dear Sir:
which were published by University
RCAF Stn. Centralia has won the Press, but are now out of print? They Dear Sir:
service-wide volleyball championship for are: "The RCAF Overseas, the First No. 5 Supply Depot, RCAF, would
the second time in three years. A great Four Years", and "The RCAF Overseas, appear to have the jump on other units,
deal of the credit for their fine perform- the Sixth Year." I already have 'The insofar as integration is concerned. We
ance ( they won all 18 games) is due to RCAF Overseas, the Fifth Year", but am not only billet army and navy personnel,
Cpl. George Kelly, Centralia's playing anxious to complete the set. but also offer social amenities of our
coach and manager.
Finalists in the 1964 competition, held William Smith Baker, messes to members of the local RCMP
R.R. 3, Peterborough, Ont. detachment.
at RCAF Stn. Downsview, were: Zone I, (Readers who can assist are asked to
Cold Lake; Zone II, Winnipeg; Zone III, F/O E. P. Hakansson,
Centralia; Zone IV, Sydney. write Mr. Baker direct.. . Editor.) No. 5 SD, Moncton, N.B.
F/OR. G. Wolfe,
Recreation Branch, AFHQ.
DIS-INTEGRATION
Back row, I. to r.: O/C D R. McPhee, F/O D. W. Macaulay, LAC J. Wong, Cpl.
G. R. Kelly. Front row, l. to r.: Cpl. A.E. Wiper, LAC G. C. Burke, S/LT Rea, Dear Sir:
LAC P. G. Pirie. Recently I had the pleasure of meet-
r--~------------- mg two senior officers of the Japan Air
Self Defence Force. I was interested to
learn that until a short time ago Japan
~ had an integrated Self Defence Force.

I They are now in the process of sub-

division into three distinct services.
F/L G. H. E. Moore,
RCAF Stn. Cold Lake, Alta.

"I certainly hope it doesn't rain

today," one lady kangaroo remark-
ed to another. "I just hate it when
the children have to play inside."

A bargain hunter is often led

astray by false profits.

ROUNDEL
 During World War II six RAF squadrons in the 2nd
Tactical Air Force flew Mitchells, and one Mitchell wing was
commanded by G/CC. R. Dunlap. Many RCAF officers and
men attached to RAF units operated the type. The illustration
depicts a Mitchell II of No. 1 80 Sqn. Mitchells were used at
the OTU at Boundary Bay, B.C., for crews preparing to go
to the Far East.
Following the war the Mitchell was supplied in quantity
to RCAF auxiliary squadrons. It was used by the regular
force as a navigational trainer and transport until its
retirement in the spring of 1962.
lenican Mitchell The Mitchell was powered by two Wright Cyclones of
1,350 h.p. and had a top speed of 292 m.p.h. Wingspan
was 67 feet 7 inches, length was 54 feet 1 inch, and
loaded weight was 24,000 pounds.
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