Frobisher Bay, NWT

History
of
926^th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron (N-31)
(Frobisher Bay, Baffin Island, Canada)

1 July 1955 - 30 September 1955
(RCS) AU-D5 (64-1)

Prepared for Officer of Information Services,
64^th Air Division (Defense),

by Captain John E Wildman (Historical Officer),
and Staff Sergeant Kenneth J Medler (Historical Technician)
7 October 1955

64^th Air Division (Defense) Northeast Air Command

The 926^th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron was activated at Grenier Air Force Base, New Hampshire, on 13 June 1953, with an authorized strength of 10 officers and 120 airmen. The squadron was moved to Site Number 31, Frobisher Bay, Canada, between 19 August 1953 and 2 December 1953. The authorized strength of this organization was changed to 7 officers and 102 airmen and 12 civilians by Unit Manning Document dated April 1955.

The primary mission of the 926^th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron was to provide early warning surveillance of the assigned area of responsibility. The secondary mission was to provide navigational assistance to friendly aircraft.

The purpose of this squadron was to serve as a member of a group of similar organizations providing a system of early warning against the infiltration of enemy aircraft into the defense areas of the United States and Canada.

It was the responsibility of the Administrative Section to maintain all records pertaining to assigned personnel and to perform the duties pertinent to the office of the Squadron Commander.

On 2 July, Mister A Shiver, Northeast Air Command Auditor, audited this unit’s sub branch exchange records. He declared that they were, by comparison, better than those of any other site. This achievement was credited to the diligence of Technical Sergeant Edgar H Neibert, Jr., Unit Sub-Branch Exchange manager. Sergeant Neibert was rotated in September and his position was taken over by Technical Sergeant Francis E Horn.

On 7 July, the BX was inventoried with the assistance of Mister LeRoy Miller, N-Site BX manager, and the account was rectified. Business in the BX had increased approximately 40 percent over that of the winter months. This increase was due to the influx of civilian contract personnel, Army Engineers and Army Port Authority personnel. This increase in business justified the hiring of a BX Warehouseman and his services were fully utilized in receiving, storing and recording the annual BX stocks, which arrived throughout the reporting period. Approximately 2300 cases of soft drinks and 5000 cases of beer were received during this period. This is an increase of 1700 cases of soft drinks and 1000 cases of beer. The increase was proven necessary as this unit had been without soft drinks from January until June and without beer in July. It was worthy of note that the 924^th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron came to the assistance of her sister squadron and shipped this organization 500 cases of beer in July.

On 14 July, Second Lieutenants John C Newman and Ted H Hodge Jr. Were promoted and they received their new bars from the Commander, Major John S Foster.

During July the Orderly Room attained 100% efficiency for the timely submission of reports to the 64^th Air Division (Defense). This was an increase of 12 percent over any previous month and put this squadron in first place within the Division; a position they held throughout the entire reporting period.

A revised Standard Operating Procedure covering the preparation and submission of Sectional Activities Monthly Historical Report was published in July. It was anticipated that this SOP would assist the various sections in writing more comprehensive and objective historical reports.

There was an unusual amount of activity and excitement at Frobisher Bay on 25 July. There were five (5) boats in the harbour; ten (10) fighter jets arrived and stayed over night; VIP of the 8^th Air Force arrived and visited the entire station; and 22 girls, the Melody Maids, a USO Camp Show, arrived and put on a very entertaining program. Jokingly it was said that Frobisher had the appearance of New York Harbor and LaGauardia Airport; at any rate, it was quite a contrast to the usual winter scene.

On 29 July, a group picture of the squadron was taken. This was considered a most appropriate time as it was the last time the whole group would be together as many were soon to be rotated.

Protestant and Catholic Chaplains visited this site and held religious services on nine (9) occasions during this reporting period. All of these services were well attended.

On 24 September, Major Richard W Fox assumed command of the Squadron vice Major John S Foster who was rotated.

The First Sergeant, Master Sergeant Arthur S Thomas was rotated without a replacement. Master Sergeant William J Lynch, NCOIC Radar Maintenance, assumed this duty.

Unit Fund Council meetings were held monthly and funds were appropriated for the purchase of items required to replenish recreational equipment.

During the reporting period, thirteen (13) airmen; five (5) to Airman First Class, eight (8) to Airman Second Class. Five (5) Officers and four (4) airmen took leaves during this period. A total of 40 Airmen and five (5) Officers were rotated. Twenty six (26) airmen and three (3) officers arrived as replacements. As of 30 September the squadron was short 21 airmen, according to the Unit Manning Document.

From 1 July through 30 September, five (5) fire drills were held. These drills were successfully completed in an efficient manner and in a minimum amount of time.

During the month of September, the Northeast Air Command’s Non-Commissioned Officers Leadership Course was conducted by Captain John E Wildman and 17 NCO’s attended and successfully completed the course. They were to receive Certificates of Completion for the achievement. Staff Sergeant Alfred M Clark obtained the highest average mark, 98 percent, and received a letter of commendation from the Commander, Major Richard W Fox. The objectives of this course were five fold: Define Responsibility, develop confidence, employ effective management and resources, enhance prestige, and instill esprit de corps. These classes were enthusiastically attended.

It was the responsibility of the Operations Section to make a record of, and report to the Air Defense Control Center, all images plotted on its radar scopes. Further, it was responsible for assisting friendly aircraft in matters relative to navigation, local weather and airport conditions.

The period from 1 July through 30 September 1955 showed a decrease in traffic as compared with the previous three (3) month period. The primary reason for the decreased amount of traffic was due to surface vessels replacing the large number of aircraft participating in the DEW Line project.

During this period a total of 2310 flight plans were received and 3116 tracks were plotted. This was a decrease of 36 percent on flight plans and 46 percent on tracks plotted over the previous three month period.

Communications facilities were adequate throughout this reporting period. All circuits between the Operations Room and the patch panel in Central office were traced and labeled in August. This permitted Radar Operators to make their own cross connections.

Captain Ralph C Reynolds was assigned as new Operations Officer in July, succeeding First Lieutenant Donald H Miller, who is now Assistant Operations Officer. Staff Sergeant Marlan W Whitman assumed the position of Operations Chief replacing Technical Sergeant Edgar H Neibert, Jr. Who was rotated to the Zone of Interior.

During this reporting period, operations briefings were conducted by the Commander and the Operations Officer for the following distinguished visitors and their staff:

First Lieutenant Donald H Miller distinguished himself on two occasions during this reporting period. On one occasion he vectored a lost C-47 type aircraft, which was low on fuel, into the GCA pattern and a successful landing was made. On the other occasion, he was credited with a job well done, in the publication Northeast Guardian, in that he was instrumental in preventing a major aircraft accident.

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A copy of the article from the Northeast Guardian, dated August 31, 1955, follows:

A fighter-interceptor controller with the 926^th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron recently won a nomination for the newly instituted USAF "Well Done Award".

On August 5^th, 1^st Lt. Donald H Miller was monitoring an outbound flight from Frobisher Air Station, when he was advised by the pilot that another aircraft in the area was trying to contact the field. The second aircraft was inbound to Frobisher and having radio transmitter problems.

Together with the pilot of the outbound aircraft, Miller succeeded in establishing contact with the inbound flight. It proved to be a Maritime Central Airways C-47 piloted by Mr. TW Kippler.

The weather at Frobisher Air Station had lowered to a ceiling of 100 feet and one quarter mile visibility in fog. Lt. Miller learned that the commercial C-47 had been airborne for six hours and that Frobisher was the only field available within his fuel range.

To add to an already tense situation, land line communications between the 926^th and the Frobisher GCA unit had been cut earlier by heavy equipment working on the airstrip. The GCA unit was also having radio difficulties.

Contact was lost with the outbound aircraft, but Lt. Miller continued to pass instructions to the Canadian C-47 in the blind and alerted the Frobisher tower and GCA unit to stand by and assist in bringing the plane in safely. When it approached within 25 miles of the field, two way communications between Miller and Pilot Kippler were established. The next step was to set up a four way VHF radio communications net between the aircraft, Lt. Miller, the GCA unit, and the Frobisher tower.

Due to the intermittent radio transmission difficulties plaguing the GCA unit, approach and landing instructions were passed to the pilot through the tower and the AC&W unit. Meanwhile, tower personnel were firing flares and setting up emergency lighting on the airstrip. Visibility had dropped to one eight of a mile.

A combination of expert craftsmanship on the part of Lt. Miller and teamwork between the various units involved on Frobisher Air Base succeeded in putting the "Goonie Bird" safely on the deck with an hour’s fuel remaining. Through his clear thinking, skill, and coordinated action, Lt. Miller was instrumental in preventing a major aircraft accident and injury to an aircrew and three passengers. It was a job "Well Done" and a credit to his profession.

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On 23 September, personnel of the 6630^th Radar Evaluation Electronics Countermeasure Squadron, Goose Air Base, arrived to evaluate this unit’s radar and communications facilities. As of 30 September, their work was still in progress.

Due to the fact that more operations personnel rotated than there were replacements assigned, it was necessary to operate on a three (3) crew, seven (7) day work week schedule. Further it was necessary to extend, approximately 50 percent of the personnel, 30 days beyond their normal rotating date.

Radar equipment performance remained up to standard all during this reporting period. The rubber dome on the primary radar equipment was replaced and all domes were painted with five coats of protectives; such as neoprene, hypalon, and silicon emulsion.

It was the responsibility of the Communications Section to provide all administrative point to point communications and all tactical point to point air to ground communications required by the squadron.

The Communications Section was operating Ultra High Frequency and Very High Frequency, air to ground radio equipment; High and Low Frequency, ground to ground (Point to Point) radio equipment; The Message Center; Fixed Plant Telephone facilities; and was responsible for the termination for the Tropospheric Scatter (Pole Vault) System circuits.

In July, a message was received from Headquarters, Northeast Air Command, directing that the use of High Frequency communications equipment be indefinitely discontinued except in cases of dire emergency. It was the opinion of the Communications Officer, Captain John E Wildman, that this action was taken to alleviate interference on Canadian High Frequency circuits in Labrador and Newfoundland.

On 2 July, Captain Wildman returned from two (2) months temporary duty on DEW Line and 30 days leave. He relieved First Lieutenant Joseph R Potvin as Communications Officer and Lieutenant Potvin was assigned duty as Radio Officer.

Captain Wildman and Airman First Class Franklin B Fletcher, Wire Chief, inspected the entire outside Telephone plant and indicated on the appropriate charts the various weaknesses in the system. Faults found included split poles, inadequate pole guying, poor cable lashing, lack of grade clamps and improper sagging. These discrepancies were reported to the Marconi Depot and on 24 September, 4 airmen from the 1^st Communications Construction Squadron, Pepperrell Air Force Base, arrived and commenced work on this system. It was anticipated that the work would be completed by 31 October.

On 14 and 15 July, Messieurs McLaig and Ineson, Canadian Department of Defense, and Mister G Young, Canadian Marconi Company, made an inspection of the communications facilities to determine the number of discrepancies remaining in the interim acceptances. It was determined that only minor discrepancies remained and these were corrected within 60 days.

Due to a shortage of personnel in Pole-Vault, it was necessary to transfer two radio maintenance men to the 6631^st. This relieved the tension on that facility but taxed the radio maintenance section. Schedules were shifted every way possible but maintenance personnel were still working 56 hours per week in July. Replacements in August relieved this condition and normal duty hours were resumed.

On 18 July, the Message Center and Communications Officer were painted; as were the Transmitter and Receiver Sites. This left only the PBX office to be painted and it was delayed due to the shortage of paint and personnel available.

On 23 July, a visual communications monitor, designed and built by misters Ernie Wilkinson and John Ferguson, Canadian Marconi Company, was installed in Radar Operations. The monitor makes it possible to distinguish the frequency that a lull is received on though only one receiver was utilized for 10 channels. A schematic of this monitor was submitted to Pepperrell for study and possible standardization for use throughout the 64^th Air Division (Defense).

On 21 July, Very-High Frequency Channel "Fox", 133.2 mcs, was installed as the primary frequency for air-to-ground communications with aircraft assigned to this command.

The Amateur Radio Station was renovated during this reporting period. A console was built for the radio equipment, a new three (3) element beam was installed, electrical outlets and antenna transmission lines were placed in ducts and the interior of the station was painted. This facility was being used primarily for personal phone patches to the Zone of Interior but was also used for ship-to-shore communications.

During this period, there was considerable controversy regarding a Pole Vault, AACS teletype circuit to the 6650 Air Base Squadron; however, action was held in abeyance pending the installation of a telephone switchboard on the Lower Base.

During the month of July, the installation of the "Protectowise" fire alarm system was completed by Airman Fletcher. Overheating any circuit in this system causes a bell to ring in the area of over heating and lights a position on the switchboard so that the telephone operator can sound the fire alarm. This system provided timely and positive response to fires and should reduce possible damage to an absolute minimum.

In August, personnel of the Canadian Marconi Company Depot Overhaul Team accomplished major overhaul on all radio equipment. The major discrepancy found was mal-alignment of the receivers; however, this discrepancy had not interfered with previous reception. It was also found that two (2) of the three (3) Low Frequency antenna lead-ins were broken; and, it was impossible to determine whether the breaks were due to faulty turnbuckles or weakened insulators. The overhaul work was completed in three (3) weeks by eight (8) men.

During this reporting period, a phone was installed in each Officers room in the BOQ. This improved sleeping conditions as the one phone in the hallway rang at all hours of the night and day and disturbed all sleepers.

In August, all telephone cable from Radar Operations to the main frame was traced out and labeled by Airman Fletcher. This greatly expedited circuit trouble shooting and enlightened Radar Operators on the flexibility of cross connections at the Patch Panel.

On 1 August, the Cryptographic Center was inspected by First Lieutenant Rickerts for the 6986^th Communications Security Flight. It was found to be in excellent condition.

On 2 August, communications was established on the MARS equipment with the USS Tanner and its position was relayed to Air Sea Rescue so that they could evacuate a sick sailor.

A crypto machine mechanic arrived, from Pepperrell Air Force Base, in August and he over hauled all of the Crypto machines.

As of 30 September, the tropospheric scatter system, popularly known as "Pole Vault", was working at full capacity with all circuits being utilized by subscribers authorized by Headquarters, Northeast Air Command. Circuits utilized on this system proved very satisfactory; but, during this reporting period there were intermittent period of reception due to repairs being made at other intermediate stations. This condition was completely alleviated by 30 September.

During the month of September, considerable time was spent on the alignment of the Low Frequency System but due to more pressing communications maintenance responsibilities it was still not operative as of 30 September; all other communications equipment was. On 30 September, maintenance personnel were occupied devising a system to eliminate foreign noises interrupting reception in the radar operations room, and accomplishing preventative maintenance.

Cross training within all sections of the Communications Section remained a special subject during this period. The radio maintenance on-the-job training program was revamped and given additional emphasis by Mister Francis Reaves, Philco Technical Instructor, who was assigned to this unit in September.

At the end of this period, no serious deficiencies existed in this section.

The responsibilities of the Air Installations section included the maintenance of all installed building utilities and facilities, the fabrication of items essential to the operation of various squadron activities and items necessary for the health and welfare of all personnel.

Routine maintenance, required construction improvements and the ever important fire prevention program kept Installations personnel working at full capacity during this period.

Reoccurring inspections and tests of fire fighting equipment were made; fire drills were held and fire prevention lectures, with written examinations, were given to newly assigned personnel during July, August and September.

The weather during this reporting period was comparatively mild so considerable time was spent making outdoor repairs. The roads were scraped, leveled and oiled. The building guy wires were tightened and repaired. The storm windows were repaired and were installed in the later part of September. All the Petroleum, Oil and Lubricant tanks were painted. All the doors and locks were repaired or replaced; door frames were installed as required. 12,131 barrels of diesel fuel was pumped from the lower base storage tanks to the site’s main POL tank. A cradle was built for the squadron boat and it was loaded on a Navy Ship and taken to Goose Air Base. The boat was seldom used due to the lack of spare parts and the 33 feet tide variation which made it difficult to embark and disembark. An asphalt tennis court was constructed through the combined efforts of the 842^nd Aviation Engineer Detachment and this squadron’s installations section. It was believed that this was the most northern outdoor tennis court in the world. All the outdoor area within the site fence line was thoroughly policed.

In August, contractor personnel completed the repairs required on the roofs throughout the entire site. They then commenced construction on two (2) ten (10) men Bachelor Airman Quarters. Personnel have been billeted in the Radar Towers and dayrooms and it was anticipated that these new BAQ’s would eliminate this undesirable situation.

A 300 gallon Day Tank was installed in the heating plant in July, in order to preheat the fuel pumped in the boilers. This provided more efficiency combustion of the fuel and better overall operation of the boilers. Also during July, a representative from the Pepperrell Air Force Base Petroleum Laboratory arrived and briefed installations personnel on POL reporting procedures. On 19 July, samples of diesel fuel were taken from the site’s POL tank and forwarded to the Petroleum Laboratory for analysis where it was found to be satisfactory.

Captain Kenneth Baker arrived on 15 July to inspect the activities of the installations section. Results of the inspection were favorable and the few minor discrepancies found were corrected on the spot. Captain Baker recommended, to the 6606^th Installations Squadron, Goose Air Base, that the road be resurfaced, reshaped and provided with additional drainage. He further recommended that isolation valves be installed on the POL line, that CO2 flow meters be installed on all boilers, and that refrigerated water coolers be installed in place of the existing direct line water fountains.

All the heaters, portable motors and generators were repaired, cleaned and lubricated in July. An office was built in the supply warehouse, a confessional and altar was built in the theater, shelves were constructed in the Crypto Room and florescent lighting was installed in the officers game room and latrine during the month of September.

In September, all utility personnel took turns in painting gauges and instruments to indicate normal and limit operating ranges on all mechanical devices.

A Canadian Marconi Company overhaul team arrived in September and made minor modifications on all diesel engines.

As of the last day of this reporting period, the Air Installations Section was caught up on work loads and there was no existing problems of a continuing nature.

It was the responsibility of the Supply Section to acquire, issue and store supplies, and maintain records on Unit Authorization List Property and spares required by the various activities of the squadron.

In July, Captain Nolan F Young replaced First Lieutenant William J Nassif as squadron Supply Officer. Lt. Nassif was transferred to Goose Air Base where he was assigned duty as Property Accounting Officer.

The roof on the dockside warehouse, which was blown off during a windstorm in May, was repaired during July.

During the month of August, 10 percent of the annual supplies arrived via surface transportation; and, considerable time was spent in receiving and storing them. Accordingly, air shipments were greatly reduced during this period. The bulk storage area was re-warehoused to facilitate the storage of annual supplies.

During the week of August 22 through August 26, supply personnel were employed solely in the preparation of the 1956 annual requisitions, quantities requisitioned were based on previous years consumption. These supplies were scheduled to arrive during the 1956 surface vessel shipping season.

An inventory of contractor excess, which were abandoned on the site by the contractors, was made in August. It was anticipated that these excesses would be recovered by the Base Supply Officer, Goose Air Base, and distributed to other units where they would be better utilized.

As of 30 September, the accumulation of unserviceable recoverable property, which was occupying valuable storage space, remained a disposition problem. This matter was referred to higher headquarters for necessary action and it was anticipated that this property would be salvaged in October.

The TPS-502 Radar set spares were completely warehoused during September. The spare parts furnished on automatic shipment from the Canadian Marconi Corporation. The man hours involved in checking, posting and locating these parts amounted to approximately 384 hours. This was due to the large quantity of very small parts; such as, resistors, capacitors, tubes etc.

During the month of September, a new problem arose regarding approximately 90% of the annual supplies. According to information received from Goose Air Base, these supplies, requisitioned for open water shipment to this site, were erroneously shipped to Goose Air Base. A list of shortages was submitted to Goose Air Base for reshipment to this organization. As of 30 September none of the shortages had been received.

It was the responsibility of the Food Service Section to provide a nourishing, diversified and appetizing diet for all personnel assigned or attached to the squadron; and, to maintain the facilities required to furnish this service.

Staff Sergeant Burton N Russell replaced Staff Sergeant Creighton O Wash as Mess Sergeant in July. Captain Nolan E Young replaced First Lieutenant John C Newman as Mess Officer in September. Sergeant Wash and Lieutenant Newman were rotated.

During this period, frequent Bingo games, Ice Cream Parties and evening coffee calls were held in "The Pinetree Dinette". The personnel really looked forward to these affairs and they were always enthusiastically attended.

In July, the refrigerators and ice cream machine were overhauled; one hundred pounds of Arctic Char, caught by squadron personnel, was stored in the cold storage room; one of the smaller rooms in the cold storage warehouse and approximately 5500 cubic feet in the dry storage warehouse were readied for the storage of beer and soft drinks; and, the civilian contractor provided a man for duty as Dining Room Orderly to supplement the military kitchen police.

During the months of August and September the ships "Golden Eagle" and "Sea Monitor" arrived with the annual food allocations. The unloading and arranging of supplies was done by special details under the supervision of the Mess Sergeant. Accounting for the stocks received was accomplished through the mutual cooperation of the Mess Sergeants and Food Service Officers of this squadron, the 6650 Air Base Squadron, and the Army Port Authorities. There existed a slight shortage of certain condiments, a list of which was forwarded to the Commissary Officer, Goose Air Base.

In August, three domestic type refrigerators were received and installed in the Airmen’s Bar, NCO Club, and Officers Lounge. Also, a frozen food locker was received and installed in the butcher’s room. These additional cold storage facilities expedited food and beverage handling by making them more readily available at the consumption and using locations.

The personnel fed at each meal during the month of August soared to a record high of 185. This was due to the influx of personnel performing annual seasonal contractor maintenance and construction. This condition was aggravated through the rotation, without replacements, of numerous Food Service personnel. In order to alleviate waiting periods, civilian personnel were fed on a staggered schedule.

It was necessary for the Air Installations Section to make numerous repairs on the ovens during this reporting period.

On the 20^th of August, the Veterinarian, from Goose Air Base, accompanied by the squadron Medical Technicians, inspected the Kitchen and food storage areas and found such items as egg noodles, flour and pork sausages unfit for human consumption. These items were destroyed.

This section was inspected about the 20^th of September by T/Sgt. Manning, Headquarters, 64^th Air Division. Sergeant Manning stated that there were some minor discrepancies existing, but that everything was operating smoothly considering our shortage of personnel. He further stated that the discrepancies noted would not be reflected in his report, for with full strength, the areas in which the discrepancies exist would be more thoroughly covered by assigned personnel.

During July, prior to the arrival of surface vessels, there existed a shortage of meat and it was necessary to serve stew for dinner as often as five times a week. However as of the 30 September, all meals were served in accordance with Command Food Service standards and kitchen personnel were constantly praised for the quality and quantity of the bill of fare.

In July, Second Lieutenant Richard H Roberts was appointed Special Services Officer, vise Second Lieutenant William A Rush.

During the report period bingo games were held bi-weekly in the squadron mess hall and prizes were awarded from the appropriate Special Services account.

Squadron radio SKIMO was on the air during all morning coffee breaks and normal duty hours from 1 July through 30 September, providing diversified entertainment for all personnel. This station, under the supervision of First Lieutenant Joseph R Potvin, was considered one of the greatest morale factors on the unit. Participation in program management and scheduling was most active. Recorded popular Zone of Interior programs were received regularly from Goose Air Base Special Services Section. On 23 September 1955, Staff Sergeant Johnnie L Dunham, NCOIC Radio Maintenance, remoted a receiver from the receiver site to the squadron radio station SKIMO, and all stateside athletic events were broadcast direct. This was a great morale factor for the troops.

The resources of the dark room continued to be used to the maximum during July through September and necessary replenishments of photo equipment were provided through the Unit Fund.

A softball tournament was held at Pepperrell AFB on 1 August and the following personnel from this organization attended:

A ping-pong tournament was held at this squadron on 4 September. After a play-off between S/Sgt. Ronald Duffy and A/1C Byrne Johnston, Sgt. Duffy won the finals after a very fast and exciting game.

This organization has been in the midst of a very intensive weapons training program which included qualification on the US Rifle, Caliber .30 M-1 and the Carbine Caliber .30 M-1, under the supervision of First Lieutenant Ted H Hodge, Jr., Range Officer and Airman First Class James N Davis, Range NCOIC. To make the program as enjoyable as possible, the firing was set up on a competitive basis, the winner receiving a cash award and a trip to Pepperrell. Below are listed the winners with their respective scores.

US Rifle, Caliber .30 M-1

Carbine, Caliber .30 M-1

After completing the required written examination, A/1C James N Davis, Range NCOIC, successfully completed the requirements for the Probationary Rifle Marksmanship Instructor’s Rating from the National Rifle Association of America and was awarded a certificate of completion from the NRA.

A/2C Donald Phelps, who rotated on 1 September, was replaced by A/1C James N Davis as Special Services Clerk.

Numerous break-downs of our movie projectors were experienced and on 30 September the squadron was in dire need of two (2) each new 16mm sound projectors. A/2C Hersey Trahan and A/2C John W Smith were appointed projectionists, replacing A/2C Phelps.

On 30 September, this organization was in the process of building an electronic hobby shop. Multi-meters, voltmeters, ammeters, oscilloscopes, geiger counters, standard broadcast receivers and amateur receiving and transmitting equipment were a few of the many projects contemplated.

A new regulation tennis court was completed and the first game was played on 7 September. This is believed to be the most furthest Northern tennis court in the world.

During this reporting period, the squadron paper, "Cold Facts" was published monthly. Credit for the papers popular acclaim was given to its Editor, Airman Second Class Gilbert G Reed, and his staff.

A USO Camp Show arrived on 28 September and put on one of the finest shows that personnel of this unit had ever attended. The entertainment was really professional and very diversified. The performers were unable to leave for 36 hours due to bad weather flying conditions and they cordially visited and informally entertained personnel throughout the site during this time. Everyone hated to see them leave on 30 September.

It was the responsibility of the Medical Department to provide clinical medical assistance to the sick or injured, up to that degree requiring professional medical treatment. Further, it was responsible for the general sanitation standards of the unit.

Squadron health remained satisfactory during the period of July through September, with all treatments being minor in nature. A total of 183 persons were treated for minor ailments during this period; 47 percent for general medicine, 26 percent for upper respiratory diseases, 8 percent for minor surgery and 19 percent for eye, ear, nose and throat. In July, one officer was evacuated to Goose Air Base for hospitalization. A total of 6 personnel were placed "On Quarters" not exceeding three (3) days, during this period.

Water samples, to test percent of chlorination, obtained daily from various sources, were satisfactory with an average high PPM of 0.7 and average low PPM of 0.25. These samples were forwarded to Goose Air Base for further analysis.

Preventative medicine inspections were conducted twice weekly, during this period, throughout the squadron. In July, it was determined that the airmen living in temporary quarters, established in the North-Wing lounge, were living too close together and recommendations were submitted to double-deck these people in another area; however, in September this condition was alleviated through normal attrition. It was also determined that the clothes washing facilities were inadequate due to the machines constantly breaking down. It was anticipated that these machines would be replaced. Some foods were found unfit for human consumption and were destroyed.

All newly assigned personnel were given physical examinations upon arrival and those requiring dental treatment were scheduled at the rate of two per day with the dentist assigned at the Lower Base.

In July, Technical Sergeant Francis E Horn was assigned as Chief Medical Services Specialist; vice Staff Sergeant Richard D Weller, whom will rotate in October.

In August, the annual supply of prohibited stocks, narcotics, etc., were received. These stocks must be transported by surface vessel only.

It was the responsibility of the Motor Pool to keep all vehicles operational and to keep the roads cleared in order to provide transportation for squadron personnel and equipment.

During this reporting period, normal maintenance and repairs accounted for the majority of the activities of the section.

In July, the SnoGo was placed into operation. This should alleviate much of the snow removal problems encountered during the previous winter. Three GMC 2 ½ ton trucks, a jeep, a Weasel and a Carryall were shipped to Goose Air Base. Received to replace the Weasel was the Snowmobile, which arrived in a VDP status due to a cracked windshield. Other vehicles received were a 2 ½ ton Compressor Truck, 1 ½ ton Water Trailer, 2 each Jeeps and 2 each ¼ ton Trailers. Another Jeep was picked up from contractor’s excesses and made serviceable.

As of 30 September, all government vehicles were serviceable, adequate personnel were assigned, and the Motor Pool Section was operating at peak efficiency.

During the period July through September, the personnel strength varied continuously due to normal rotations and replacements; however, the number of replacements required were not assigned and it was necessary to extend numerous people beyond their normal 12 months tour in order to efficiently accomplish the squadron mission.

Personnel shortages in the Operations Section required three crews to work 56 hours per week, seven (7) days a week.

Food Service personnel were working seven (7) days per week with an absolute minimum number on each crew.

The Air Installations Section was short two (2) civilian utilities men and was functioning without a heavy equipment operator or electrician.

The Communications Section was adequately manned numerically but short on skilled personnel and consequently required to stress training above functional duty application.

The morale of the squadron was generally high during this period, with the majority of the personnel maintaining a continued interest in their work and hobbies. For those who were about to rotate, morale was naturally at a peak; but for those who were extended, there was considerable discontentment and the leadership abilities of the supervisors were taxed in obtaining the desired results from those concerned. Problems of misconduct or poor behaviour were not encountered but frustration definitely wavered the loyalty of the majority of the extendees.

As of 30 September, supervisors were striving to restore morale to the very high level that it was during the previous reporting period and it was their consensus that it would be obtained when the "old team" had completely rotated and the "new team" was intact. This ebb in morale has followed a similar pattern during all periods when large personnel changes occurred.

Period: 1 September 1954 to 31 August 1955