Metz, France
601 Telecom Squadron

This I believe, is the second contribution to CANAIRCOMMENTARY by Metz, the first being around two and a half years ago. Since then, much water has passed under the bridge. The writer together with other Metz Telecom personnel, would like to take this opportunity of saying "Hi" to ex-Metz-onians and to other old (I use the word old loosely) friends.

Being a semi-automatic, manual relay, and having no monitors or page copies except for a couple of circuits confusion would arise if a few innovations were not made. The following ideas have been in practice at this relay for the past two years, tried, and proven invaluable. Maybe some of these ideas conflict with the good book, but working both NATO and world wide, with ever increasing traffic load (practically doubled in the last two years), and sorely needed equipment, it is considered that these changes are necessary. Two or three of these changes are as follows, and we would appreciate any comments from any other relay as to whether these ideas have been tried, and with what results.

Only channel numbers are logged on check sheets, receive, send, (using secondary channel numbers), tape factory, and delayed check sheets. (Delayed check sheets are used only on the Canada/Metz circuit). Station serial numbers are not used on any check sheet. Over a period of two years, station serial numbers have been omitted from all check sheets and no need has ever arisen to use them.

Each circuit is known by its number, receive, send, and tape factory. The receive side circuits correspond to the send side eg: Langar receive is numbered 5 and so is the Langar send. When a message is received from Langar, routed to AIRCENT, the receive check sheet will show it booked out to 8, AIRCENT being circuit 8. The Techs also use this same numbering on the equipment for job assignments and records purposes. The advantage of this system over the normal relay routing system is that it is a great time saver, with less chance of operator error.

In conjunction with this system, we employ checkers. These are two Corporals or experienced LACs, working alternate weeks from 0800 to 1600 and from 1600 to 2359 Monday through Friday. Their primary job consists of cross checking the receive with the send sheets. This has a double purpose of chasing high precedence messages and proving all transmissions. We are justly proud to state, we have not lost a single message since its inauguration. (Should I say "not proved against this relay". This is sufficient in our minds to prove the checker invaluable. Checking consumes about half their time, so in addition as their secondary job, they assist in normal operating and assist the supervisor with trouble shooting. The checkers are changed around every three months, thereby giving an all round experience to budding supervisors. With the advent of cabinet equipment in the near future we still intend to use check sheets on the send side with the checking system.

We at Metz look forward to each publication of CANAIRCOMMENTARY when so far from home. Keep up the good work.

To end this article, the writer has a correction to make. We have just lost a message due to mishandling. (&%$/:&(%…