Lac St. Denis, QC

Sept 1^st 1952

Lac St. Denis

Well what are we going to name our Station paper? The "Name the Paper" contest is still open to all camp personnel but there’s a $5.00 prize for the winner. Submit your entries to F/O McDowall at the SOR.

This week we have the honour of presenting our Commanding Officer W/C Jackson as our "Man of the Week". He was born in Field BC and later moved to Plunkett Sask. Where he completed his studies at the University of Saskatchewan. He joined the RAF in 1937 as a pilot and served four years in the Far East, where he met and became engaged to Mrs. Jackson who was then serving as a Lieutenant in the Army Nursing Service in India. During this time he was shot down over Germany and held prisoner of war for 2 years, and upon his release, transferred to the RCAF. He returned to Canada and spent 18 months in Edmonton and then took further training at the Staff College in Toronto. He was then appointed OC of 413 Squadron in Rockcliffe and later OC of 408 Squadron. This spring he was sent here as Commanding Officer of Lac St. Denis. We hope that his stay here will be as happy and eventful as his past service years must have been. We also wish to extend belated greetings to W/C Jackson who celebrated his birthday on Aug 25th.

The ladies of PMQs have started a Bridge Club and an open invitation to join is extended to all camp personnel. The first games will be played at Mrs. Sweeny and Mrs. Horrigans homes the first week in September. A 25 cents charge per game will be paid by each member and the money will go towards a prize at the end of the month for the high winner. A light lunch will be served after the games. It’s a great way to get to know your neighbours and the club having only 8 members as yet would welcome any new players.

Two weeks ago saw our girls softball team put on a good showing, beating the St. Hubert Sabres 5-1 in Morin Heights. Battery was Howard and Hammell with Mitchell and Relieving in the second inning. Same day the Officers tried their hands at softball against the Airmen only the result wasn’t too good. The score being 17-5. All the Officers need is practice and they’ll put up a good fight against any team we have to offer them. Last Wednesday had the St. Denis girls visiting the St. Hubert Sabres on their home soil and getting trimmed 15-5. Guess they’re not used to playing on a very good ball field!!! As if it wasn’t bad enough them losing the game they also lost Beth in the third inning when she fell and twisted her knee cap. Wednesday afternoon the Officers once again proved they were good sports and played the NCO’s in a very close game. Score 17-16 for NCO’s. Hear F/L Danis broke his leg in five places as he slid into 2^nd base. We all wish him a quick recovery. The girls are hoping for another game with St. Huberts on Wednesday. All people wishing to go with them to St. Huberts are only too welcome. We need the support. By the way, may we add that it was the MO’s idea, and the workmanship of Paul St. Maurice and Willy Wilson that a Trophy was made for the game between the Officers and Airmen. A very good job. Four whiskey glasses set in a stand with a bottle of whiskey (the real McCoy), a bottle of Bromo Seltzer, a bottle of lineament, an autographed softball of the players on both teams with two bats crossed in front of the softball. The girls are hoping the Officers will challenge them to a softball game in the near future.

Bonnie Barrows and Don Dunk, both of Montreal, became engaged late in July while Bonnie was a patient in Queen Mary’s Hospital. They plan to be married this Christmas at Montreal.

Also on the list of couples with Stardust in their eyes are Dot Watson and Bob Wilson. They plan a quiet wedding in Ste. Agathe early this winter.

Cpl. Vickie Henn left St. Denis Friday on transfer to #1 R&CS, Clinton Ontario where she will become a FtrCop instructor. Vickie was transferred here from St. Hubert last May and she has been most active in all station activities, always ready and willing to help whether it was a parade in Ste. Agathe or chopping down trees on our beach and picnic grounds. She will be greatly missed in the section, and all over the station, but our best wishes go with her, and we wish her the best of luck at Clinton.

Prior to her departure, her friends had a small party for her in the Bellevue Hotel, where a toast was proposed by Sgt. Aldkins and Miss McDowall.

To our joy we’ve found a very good dressmaker on camp, Mrs. Cathy Collins, House #54, who is willing to do alterations and sewing for all camp personnel. She’s an experienced seamstress and charges very reasonable rates.

Mrs. WH Biggs of Regina Sask. Has been staying with her son and daughter-in-law, F/L and Mrs. Biggs for the past three weeks. She said she loved the camp and the scenery, but as all good things must come to an end, she motored back to Regina at the end of last week.

What gives with Sam (et-vous)? No break for the girls on camp but goes down to St. Huberts and gets himself a doll. And as if that wasn’t bad enough in itself, he insists on taking her back to camp with him on the bus and gazed fondly into her eyes for 65 of the 70 miles back to St. Denis. Oh we’re cruel aren’t we Sammy? Bet you’re blushing right now.

Thursday nite Aug 21^st. A very successful Bingo game was held in the Airmen’s Mess, thanks to the Recreational Committee which includes Cpl. Phillips, Y Dugal and M Wilson. The prizes were generously donated by the merchants of Ste. Agathe. The prize winners were LAC Steele – salad set; Mrs. Terrio – Men’s sports shirt; MJ Williams – beer jug set; F/L Kearnes – wallet; Mrs. Perratt – Jewellery set, A Chaubin – pearls; S Coates – Tea set; Mr. Dennings – jug set; Mrs. Williams – Rose Bowl; Mrs. Giles – a string of pearls and Mrs. Steele won the grand prize of a lamp. There was a good crowd and the proceeds which amounted to almost $60.00 will go towards sports equipment for the Recreation Centre.

The Committee would like to mention especially the kindness of Pierre Gendreau, Ste. Agathe jeweller who contributed a great number of prizes for the Bingo game. He has been so good as to give all RCAF personnel a 10% discount on all goods bought in his store at 82 Rue Principale.

A quiet, but very pretty wedding was solemnised at St. James Anglican Church, St. Catherine Street, Montreal at 7:O’Clock, the evening of August 15^th when Geraldine M Stevens was united in marriage with Robert A Dyke. The attendants were LAC DC Smith and LAC EG Schellenberg, both of St. Hubert. The bride is a former school teacher from Port Dalhousie, which was also Bob’s former residence. Following the wedding, a reception was held in the Maroon Club, Montreal where the orchestra had arranged a very special programme of music. After a honeymoon spent in the northern states and Port Dalhousie, Gerry and Bob returned to Lac St. Denis and will shortly take up residence in Morin Heights.

To add their congratulations and best wishes, Bob’s fellow workers presented him with an electric kettle and coffee-maker on his return to work. Congratulation and all best wishes to Gerry and Bob from all Lac St. Denis personnel.

Chop, chop, chop-et-vous. Chop everything that comes into view.
I’ve sawed my foot and I’ve cut my hand
But there’s not a tree in the forest that dares to stand,
‘gainst the viscous onslaught of our Amazon band.
We’re dressed in Khaki and big rubber boots,
At a time like this who wants to look cute,
If they tell us to chop, then it’s chop we’ll do
Timber! Look out you’ll be split right in two!
Well, we cleared all the forest and hauled logs away
But the work wasn’t finished to our utter dismay,
They gave us twelve shovels and said to dig ditches,
I looked at my buddies and fell into stitches
The source of my mirth as I’m going to relate
Is the fact that the men were up guarding the gate,
While we women dug ditches and worked our hands raw,
Hauling out tree stumps and pushing a saw/
I guess, all in all, I’ve not been quite fair
The officers worked with us and they did their share,
But by jingo, the next time someone calls women weak,
I’ll think of the past and with pride I will speak
Of those days in the woods when we worked just like men
And if there was a chance, we’d do it again.

"Scotty".

Don’t take me literally on that last line. Heaven forbid! It’s just that I ran out of words and couldn’t think of anything to rhyme with "men". The boys did help us really. They did a very good job of clearing off the beach for the new park site.