Historical Narrative
2401 Aircraft Control and Warning Unit (Aux) Montreal, PQ.
1 June 1955 to 30 November 1955
Jun 55
During the month of June, in the fields of Academic and Operational training, efforts were mainly concentrated on preparations for Summer Camp. However a few facts of interest are to be noted.
19 Jun 55
Ftr COps and the last course of FtrC wrote trade examinations.
18 - 19 Jun 55
FtrC of "B" and "C" Flights are evaluated in Phase 2 of Ftr C training programme by S/L Mahoney of 11 AC&WS, Lac St Denis.
18 Jun 55
Eight FtrC proceed to Lac St Denis for Annual Camp Training for last two weeks of month.
21 Jun 55
Group Commander's Inspection
Parade took place at 438 (F) Sqn Drill Hall, and following parade, inspecting officers returned to this Squadron for inspection of sections.Squadron ceases training after duty on 21 Jun.
25 Jun 55
Phase I of RTTP training ends with a test. As a result, of 127 RTTP personnel TOS, 103 remain with the Squadron for Summer Training during July and August.
2 Jul 55
The Commanding Officer, CAdO, and Adjutant of 2401 AC&WS arrive at 0900 hrs at Lac St Denis as the advance party to the other officers and other ranks for the commencement of two weeks of summer camp. 15 Officers and 26 other ranks report for summer camp. F/L SG Philp is the OTO for the first week of Summer Camp. Through Special arrangements between Co of 2401 AC&WS (Aux) and CO of 11 AC&WS it is decided that the officers of 2401 AC&WS attending summer camp will be detailed as Orderly Officers in order to relieve the Regular Force Personel.
8 Jul 55
Farewell party is held in the Officers' Mess at Lac St Denis to honour Captain Kitchings, USAF exchange officer who is returning to the USA. Party is well represented by 2401 Officers and their wives.
9 Jul 55
F/L Phelps takes over as OTO for the second and last week of summer camp.
15 Jul 55
Summer Camp is over. Fighter COps cease training at noon and are placed on "beach duty" for the afternoon. Officers hold Stag Party in Officers' Mess at night.
16 Jul 55
All 2401 Personnel are cleared from Stn Lac St Denis and return for Montreal. F/L Ronnie, Identification Officer, reported great satisfaction with the work done by 2401 personnel and individuals were cited as having done an exceptionally good job.
16 Jul 55
Groups of 5 Officers FtrC or more arrived every weekend for one or two weeks summer training until 13 Aug 55. Following is a summary of training. A total of 55 FtrC's, 24 FtrCOps, and 8 Admin Branch Personnel attended summer camp.
Ftr COps were assigned to regular crews and spent their time on normal FtrCOps duties. No special lectures or training were given.
Controllers - Controllers who had recently passed Phase 1 were employed on Ftr COps duties to familiarize them with the workings of a GCI at the FCO level. Controllers Phase 2 were given another synthetic course on the CPS-6B equipment and were then checked out to enable them to control live aircraft under supervision. Controllers working toward Phase 3 were used as Surveillance Controllers, Duty Controllers, Fighter Marshal and Intercept Controller. A total of 183 live intercepts were attempted by this Sqn and 160 were completed. 462 synthetic intercepts were completed.
12 Aug 55
27 RTTP visit Lac St Denis
16 Aug 55
30 RTTP visit Lac St Denis
18 Aug 55
32 RTTP visit Lac St Denis. RTTP personnel wrote their group 2 trade examinations. 54 of them pass.
31 Aug 55
End of RTTP training. 54 who passed the trade exams successfully, are remustered to Group 1 (O) and apply for transfer to the RCAF Auxiliary as members of 2401 AC&WS (Aux). Such transfer is effected on 1 Sep 55.
13 Sep 55
Training starts and Sqn is being organized with 1 R&C for all training on a Station basis. Following officers have been appointed to key positions at the Sqn.
| F/L Yates | CTechSO |
| S/L Harvey | CTrainO |
| S/L Barrie (CO 1R&C) | C I |
| F/L Merritt | COpsO |
| F/L Skelly | Surveillance |
| F/L Moore | GCI |
Four flights are under instruction this session:
Red Flt (the senior Flt); 2 members of whom will be writing their Trade Test in Dec; the balance will write in March for their Gp 2.
Yellow and Blue Flts; are ea RTTP and should be writing Gp 2 in March. Blue Flights are training on Saturdays which is an experiment.
White Flight; were a recently recruited group who are taking a 40 hrs indoctrination course prior to beginning their actual Ftr COp training.
13 Sep 55
A new class of Ftr Controllers are being recruited and should commence training on 15 Nov.
F/O Bergum, Adjt of the Sqn has been transferred to Edmonton by his employers and is replaced by F/O Germain, former Asst to CAdO.
As the Officers' Mess is being redecorated and extended, officers are using the Sergeant's mess. Alterations should be completed by the end of Oct.
17 - 18 Sep 55
12 FtrC and 15 FtrCOps proceed to 11 AC&WS, Lac St Denis for the first weekend of contact training of the season. This year it is intended to carry out visits to Lac St Denis on all but Holiday weekends.
Oct 55
F/L Campbell, Regular Support Officer is being transferred to Stn Falconbridge, Ont and is replaced by F/O Cross from Stn St Margarets who is also an AS/FtrC.
Visits to Lac St Denis are carried out every weekend. Alterations to Officers' Mess are nearing completion. Re-organization of Civilian caretaker staff has been put into effect. Training of all trades is progessing favorably and the Sqn Orderly Room is being reorganized progressively as personnel in Admin Branch are required to take up heavy work load.
10 Nov 55
Officers' Mess renovation is completed and a "House Warming" party is held. Guests from Gp HQ, ADC and Lac St Denis are attending.
12 Nov 55
"C" Flights puts in a total of 40 man hours of training at this unit operations room.
In Nov three week-end periods were spent at Lac St Denis during which "B" Flight and the Instructors of "A" Flight were in attendance.
A total of 273 man hours of training were put in.
(JL Bourke) W/C
Commanding Officer,
2401 AC&W Sqn (Aux).