Memories of Hopedale
1953-1954
Paul Coutu
On the 14th of July 1953, 19 A/3C’s newly graduated from Radar Operator School at Keesler AFB, departed on a DC3 for what we thought was our new assignment. The orders read, we were being shipped to Grenier AFB in Manchester NH. When we arrived at Grenier at about 11:00PM we were told by the Charge of Quarters, "Oh, you must be the guys going to Greenland!" Of course, it brought on a big laugh from one and all. In the morning, when we woke up and looked out the window, we saw people walking around with all sorts of cold weather gear. About an hour later, we were doing the same thing ourselves. As it turned out Grenier AFB was just a place where the 921-922-923-924 & 926 AC&W’s were being formed. We had no duties there, so each weekend, being from MA I went home. Our stay there was for the sole purpose getting everyone’s dental problems straightened out, since there would be no such treatment available in our next duty stations, and getting the proper personnel into position. In the course of time, there I was transferred from the 923rd to the 926th and then back again a few short weeks later. So, to all who may have wondered, this is where all five of these radar stations had their beginning.
In early October 1953 the 923rd left Grenier AFB for Camp Kilmer NJ. We traveled there by bus. Our stay there was for only about a week and a half (just long enough to get in a three day pass in New York City.)
On or about the 25th of October we left on board the USS Oberon headed for Hopedale, Labrador. We spent, I believe, four days on the high seas getting seasick, and trying to keep the US Navy people from stealing all of our supplies. We had to have someone on guard 24 hours a day.
The next three days were spent unloading the ship we came up on, of all our goods. Since the site was brand new, we had brought everything up with us. The furniture, food and all other supplies had to be unloaded. We worked 12 hour shifts loading from the ship into landing craft and from the landing craft to trucks. When we got to the site we had to unload everything by hand and hand- carry (mattresses-beds-bureaus) up all those flights of stairs. Anyone who has been there can appreciate what that must have been like. Sides of beef - 100lbs sacks of sugar and flour. Needless to say, after 12 hours of that, it wasn’t hard to sleep.
The next few days after the supplies were unloaded were spent trying to patch up between connecting hallways and buildings. I recall, we stuffed toilet paper in all the cracks we could find. This was the only available material we had. This was to help the cold air from coming in. I guess it worked, it didn’t seem cold in the connecting halls.
In the early days there we were allowed to go down to the village of Hopedale and buy seal skin slippers from the villagers. It cost a carton of cigarettes for a pair (about 90 cents). Each of the Eskimo families had a display of these slippers set up in their homes. It looked like a Thom McAnn shoe store with all sizes available. Many of the homes in the village were made from the packing crates from the site. They had N-28 stenciled on them. Not too long after the village was placed off-limits to us. The only time we heard from them was when the Royal Mounted Police called for volunteers to help kill some of the husky dogs who had killed a child in the village.
There wasn’t an awful lot to do up there. We had brought a table tennis table and a pool table with us. After a few months there were no longer any balls left to play with. Constant play has away of quickly depleting the supplies. Outside of those two items there wasn’t much else. The limit on beer was 15 cans per week. Since I didn’t drink, I had many friends who were willing to take mine off of my hands. There was no hard liquor there except when some would come in for the NCO’s. Usually there would be some loud parties then and much glass breaking. I don’t believe that alcohol was a problem though. Food there was more than adequate, but I did get sick of beef, since we seemed to have it every day. Would have loved a glass of fresh milk. Eggs I think were packed in 1946. We did see the same movie over and over on many occasions with the inability of aircraft to get them to us.
Not being used to that type of weather, strong winds, and low temperatures I didn’t go outside any more than I had to, once the cold weather set in. On New Year’s Day 1954 one of our NCO’s fell sick and needed some medicine we didn’t have available to us. The weather was about -20 F and the wind blowing about 60 mph. The decision was made to drop three parachutes all containing the same thing in them. We were sent out in pairs and stationed in different spots to watch the chutes and follow them. The 1st Sgt. and I found the only chute that day. I didn’t go outside again until sometime in March.
Most of the time up there we had no communication with anyone. We would be plotting some aircraft and reporting the same to Goose Bay when we would lose communications mid-sentence. It would then be days or even possibly weeks before we got it back again. I spent many evenings in a MARS trailer trying to get someone to hear us. Thank God, we didn’t get attacked since we couldn’t tell anyone about it. They were starting to put up some new dish type antenna when we were leaving. I believe, I saw some pictures of them from a later date. Our work schedule was a thing of wonder also. We worked two days on each shift and then two days off. When you woke up, you didn’t know if you were supposed to be going to work or just what. Very confusing! Our off-duty hours were spent mostly eating and taking pictures of everything and anything.
Two of our people went down to the village in good weather, which quickly changed, and they tried to cross the ice aiming for the dock at the bottom of the hill. They missed the dock by only a few feet and became lost. The Eskimos found them the next morning and both suffered from frostbite. These were, as I recall, the only two people who left the base and went to Goose Bay. There were no leaves or passes either. In fact, a good portion of the time we were behind on our pay and mail. Most often our mail would be dropped to us by parachute. Money wasn’t all that important, since you had no place to spend it anyway. The gamblers would play cards until one person had all the money.
Summer there, although it never got up very high in temperature was rather pleasant. I can recall a few times when the fog settled over the water and it looked like we were above the clouds. Needless to say, everyone was outside with their cameras to get all the pictures they could. Read somewhere they had a darkroom , not so in that first year. Piped in music, that either.
In September the first half of our original crew was being replaced. They left aboard ship and all seemed very happy. Our turn came the following month. In the latter part of October 1954 we boarded the USNS Marine Carp for a trip we thought of three days to get home. The ship had been to Frobisher and Saglek before it stopped to pick us up. After leaving Hopedale we went to Cartwright and St. Anthony. Much to our surprise they turned the ship north and went to Sondrestrom, Greenland. There we sat for two weeks waiting for the US Army to unload some ships. Riding to North Atlantic that time of year is no picnic. Gave us a chance to renew some old friendships we had made back in Grenier NH. After leaving Sondrestrom we went south to Goose Bay and then on to Norfolk, VA to let the army troops off. After leaving Norfolk we turned north to New York , and our turn to get off. It was on a Sunday and none of had been paid for two months ,so we were all broke. They gave us fifty dollars apiece and we, who were able , quickly headed for home. Arrived home a little over a month after I left Hopedale.
My next duty station was in Brookfield, OH (the 662nd AC&W). I stayed there until I finished my tour in February 1957. This base closed in 1959. Enjoyed my time in the Air Force, but I believe that my stay at Hopedale convinced me I didn’t want to make a career of it. Too many places that didn’t sound like fun locations - Texas Towers and the like.
Thanks for letting me share my memories with you.
Paul F. Coutu thecoutus@the-spa.com