Hopedale, Labrador

1958 – Historical Report – USAF Historical Division

Historical Record
923rd AC&W Squadron
Hopedale, Labrador
1 January 1958 to 31 March 1958

Section I

REQUIRED DATA
  1. Unit and Location

923rd AC&W Squadron, Hopedale
APO 677, NY. NY
  1. Name and Grade of Commander

Joseph E Leadingham, Major, USAF
  1. Chain of Command (Superior Echelons)

    2. 4732nd Air Base Group, APO 677, New York, New York
    64th Air Division (Defense), APO 862, New York, New York
    Headquarters, Air Defense Command, Ent Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado
    Headquarters, United States Air Force, Washington 25, DC
  • Subordinate Units (Down to and including squadrons)

    • 923rd AC&W Squadron, Detachment #1, Cape Makkovik, APO 677, New York, New York
  • Mission (Give authority and brief statement of primary mission)

    • The primary mission of the 923rd Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron is to provide surveillance of assigned area of responsibility. Limited control of interceptor aircraft will be performed as required by the parent ADDC.
  • Personnel
    		•

     

     

    Officers

    Airmen

    Civilians

    Total

     

     

    Assigned

    12

    133

    21

    166

     

     

    Attached

    1

    23

    0

    24

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
  • Equipment (Give official nomenclature and quantity of mission-type equipment)
    •

    AN/FPS-3; AN/TPS-502; AN/FPS-502.

    Section II

    COMMENTARY

    Operations procedures and problems encountered during this three month period were normal and mostly routine. 641st Mission Commitments to the 923rd AC&W Squadron were started and increased. The mission of this Squadron changed to include GCI capabilities. Controller commitment or authorization were inadequate to meet the mission workload also.

    During this period incoming and outgoing personnel fluctuation was normal. There were no great numbers lost or gained even though most of the time the site was under manned due to the increasing mission commitments of each section.

    Training was started on the way throughout the Squadron by the new First Sergeant, M/Sgt. Frank V Morello (replacing M/Sgt. Peilock). Heretofore, there has been little or no training in most of the sections or in the squadron in general.

    Mostly the civilian personnel attached were PCS Technical representatives in Communications, Radar Operations, or Radar Maintenance. These civilian personnel were well suited to isolated duty. They also participated in all activities enthusiastically and contributed beneficially to the morale of the Squadron.

    No problems were encountered in equipment performance and maintenance repair time was held to a minimum. Equipment was operating at maximum efficiency with no changes necessary.

    New facilities in this period and outside repairs or structures were not erected or repaired because of adverse weather conditions during these winter months.

    Captain Hicks and S/Sgt. Barton were the only personnel assigned to the supply section at the beginning of this period. They encountered many adverse problems and difficulties due to being manned short, poor transportation and support due to weather conditions.

    Of course morale is highly based upon good and frequent transportation support by Goose Air Base. At periods during these winter months morale was very substandard because of the lack of this support and transportation.

    During January morale was boosted somewhat by the difficult accomplishment of getting a basketball team out of this isolated Squadron during the winter. This team did not win at Pepperrell Air Force Base but it gave the boys an opportunity to forget loneliness and despair for a few weeks. A/1C Skillman was nominated for the NEAC All-Star Basketball Team for showing outstanding sportsmanship and athletic skill during the tournament.

    A small group of Non-Commissioned Officers and Airmen started a Squadron Newspaper during this period. This paper has grown to become a commendable size and has acquired the name "The Isolated Times". Copies are sent to the Vanguard at Pepperrell and to Headquarters Air Defense Command.

    Typed Name and Grade of Commander

    Joseph E Leadingham, Major, USAF

    Signature