Lac St. Denis, QC

1956 – Daily Diary – National Archives of Canada


 

Daily Dairy
RCAF Station
Lac St. Denis, PQ,
1 June 1956 to 30 November 1956

2 Jun 56

Rec. Centre – "Skyline Review" from the Station of St. Huberts. A very successful show for the entertainment of the station personnel.

3 Jun 56

Lachine – Lac St. Denis Girls Softball Team – 9. Lachine – 16.

4 Jun 56

Supply – Supply section visited by AFHQ Supply Inspection team headed by S/L Hodgins. Departed 8 Jun.

Operations – Tower visited by Captain Bost and 1st Lt. Thompson of Syracuse AFB. Departed 7th and 8th Jun respectively.

6 Jun 56

Operations – A one-day visit by the following ADCHQ personnel with regard to Operations: A/C Gilchrist, G/C Gwinn, G/C Weiser, W/C Anderson and W/C Lecompte.

11 Jun 56

Uplands – S/L Wilson proceeded on TD to Station Uplands on cross-training liaison debriefing.

12 Jun 56

Station – 1130. Lieutenant General GJM Chaisson, French Air Force, accompanied by his personal aide, Captain Hunbert and W/C Quint, visited various sections of this unit.

13 Jun 56

Chatham, NB – S/L Wilson proceeded on TD to Station Chatham for High Level Indoctrination Course. This course was subsequently attended by almost all of the current Controllers on this unit.

Operations – S/L Allison of Station Comox visited the Ops section.

14 Jun 56

Tech – S/L Monnon of AFHQ visited the CTSO.

15 Jun 56

Tech – CTSO was visited by S/L Brocken, S/L David, S/L Whiteford, all of ADCHQ.

16 Jun 56

Tech – W/C Bourke of 2401 AC&W paid a visit to the CTSO.

17 Jun 56

Station – Lachine Girl’s Softball Team – 1. Lac St. Denis – 21.

21 Jun 56

Station – 0830 – A Sector Conference of all Squadron Commanders and their COpsO’s took place in the Officers Lounge. The Conference continued throughout the 22nd of Jun and was terminated at the Tower with the showing of a film taken during one of the exercises conducted by the Sector.

30 Jun 56

Station – Official opening of the station beach.

During the month of June the COpsO’s office was modified to accommodate the Ops Orderly Room. 11 AC&W and #1 Sector is being combined into a one room operation. The latter is being facilitated by the construction of a larger dias to accommodate the additional personnel.

2 Jul 56

Ste. Agathe – Lac St. Denis Softball Team –6. Ste. Agathe – 5.

4 Jul 56

Townsite – A return match against the Ste. Agathe Men’s Softball Team. Lac St. Denis – 9. Ste. Agathe – 8.

9 Jul 56

Admin – S/L Sutherland paid a visit to the Commanding Officer. The visitor from AFHQ.

11 Jul 56

Operations – G/C Gwinn of ADCHQ visited the Tower.

13 Jul 56

Operations – Tower was visited by W/C Bourke of 2401 Squadron.

14 Jul 56

Montreal – 1400 – Ladies Exhibition Softball. Lac St. Denis – 8. Verdun Parkets – 12.

16 Jul 56

Lachine – 2000 – Lac St. Denis Men’s Softball – 12. Montreal – 10.

17 Jul 56

Ste. Agathe – 1900 – Lac St. Denis Men’s Softball – 8. Ste. Agathe – 10.

19 Jul 56

Admin – Commanding Officer was visited by G/C Buchanan of ADCHQ.

25 Jul 56

Operations – Ex Granville. This exercise replaced exercise Ajax and consisted of several tracks squawking 2 approaching RBS then turning in a southerly direction. BP19 and BP20 were scrambled but due to BP19 aborting and failure of target aircraft to follow route there were no successful intercepts.

26 Jul 56

Operations – Exercise Spiral. Adequate warning telling was received on this exercise. Spiral 78 showed Mode 2 IFF and was painted all the way, intercepted by BP15. Spiral 15 was painted at 130 miles till contact lost and not intercepted by BP19.

28 Jul 56

Operations – S/L Levesque of #1 Group HQ visited the tower.

29 Jul 56

St. Hubert – 1430 – Lac St. Denis Ladies Softball and St. Hubert tied 9 – 9.

30 Jul 56

Operations – Tower visited by S/L Faulkner of ADCHQ and Capt. Aber of Syracuse AFB.

1 Aug 56

Piedmont – 1230 – Station Golf Tournament at Piedmont Golf Course. F/O McNamee – Low Gross. F/O Black – Low Net.

Operations – 1930 – Cocked Pistol called. Four controllers on duty, two more arrived at 1933. At 2025 seven controllers were on hand. No raids picked up by Crystal. After fighter aircraft scrambled it was found that due to Crystal forward teller Largo table showed misplots.

2 Aug 56

Operations – 1801 – Cocked Pistol called. Four controllers on duty. Four more arrived at 1810. Eight additional FCO’s arrived at 1825. Surveillance picture and forward telling very good. Cocked Pistol ceased at 1945 hours.

4 Aug 56

Operations – S/L Harvey visited the Tower representing 2401 AC&W.

8 Aug 56

Townsite – 1830 – Finals of the Inter-Section Round Robin Tournament Softball. GCI – 6. Townsite – 4. The visitors would represent the Station for the inter-section Championship of the Province.

11 Aug 56

Lachine – 1400 – Lac St. Denis GCI Softball Team – 9. Lachine – 7.

15 Aug 56

Piedmont – 1200 – Second Station Golf Tournament held at Piedmont Golf Course. F/O McNamee and Mr. Tillet of the ME Section tied for low gross. W/C Mitchner won Low Net.

18 Aug 56

St. Johns – An all day sport show was held at St. John’s. The Station Swim Team and Softball Team represented this unit taking second in Softball and third in Swimming.

19 Aug 56

St. Sylvestre – Lac St. Denis GCI beaten for play-off berth by St. Sylvestre.

Operations – 11 AC&W moved in with Sector on completion of construction and installation of equipment for a one room operations section.

1 Sep 56

Townsite – 1400 – Lac St. Denis Men’s Softball Team – 12. Army Team from Ottawa – 7.

Operations – Exercise "Rocky". Good EW. Crystal assigned two CF-8s. Two mission accomplished.

2 Sep 56

Townsite – 1400 – Lac St. Denis Men’s Softball Team – 12. Barnabe Motors from Montreal – 17.

4 Sep 56

Operations – S/L Wilson transferred to 1 ADCC. F/L Collins assumes position of COpsO.

5 Sep 56

Piedmont – 1200 – Golf Tournament at Piedmont Golf Course. F/O McNamee – Low Gross. S/L Boyczuk – Low Net.

8 Sep 56

Operations – S/L Harvey of 2401 AC&W visited the tower.

10 Sep 56

Operations – S/L Guilliford of AMCHQ visited the CTSO’s Section.

11 Sep 56

Townsite – 1700 – Inter-section Softball Playoffs. ADCC – 15. Combines – 11.

12 Sep 56

Townsite – 1700 – Inter-section Softball Playoffs. GCI – 2. Townsite – 10.

Operations – Exercise "Strongheart". Good EW. Surveillance picture appeared satisfactory. Three successful Mission Accomplished. One Missed Intercept.

13 Sep 56

Townsite – 1700 – Inter-section Softball Playoffs. ADCC – 9. Combines – 0.

16 Sep 56

Rec. Centre – 1000 – Combined "Battle of Britain" Services held.

22 Sep 56

Operations – S/L Dooher of 433 Squadron visited the Ops end of the unit.

25 Sep 56

Station – A National Film Board Unit arrived to commence "shooting" a portion of a film called "Air Defence Command". They departed on the 29th Sep.

26 Sep 56

Operations – The Unit was visited by S/L Millage of 425 Squadron.

28 Sep 56

Operations – S/L Harvey returned to this unit for another one of his many visits.

4 Oct 56

Operations – Exercise "Beachwarmer". SAC overfly consisting of B-52s and KC-97s. Surveillance picture good.

9 Oct 56

Operations – Exercise "Chancelight". Sector exercise to evaluate tactical fighter assignments against penetration on a narrow front by an enemy. Results obtained indicated that too great a portion of the Fakers successfully penetrated due to many of the fighters being concentrated in the latter portion of the Faker stream.

10 Oct 56

Operations – Exercise " Fur Collar". Surveillance picture good. Four tracks assigned were intercepted by one fighter aircraft.

12 Oct 56

Rec. Centre – 1900 – Badminton became the order of the day when the Rec. Centre played host to a group of young ladies from Ste. Agathe Badminton Club for the beginning of the badminton season.

19 Oct 56

Operations – Exercise "Upkeep 10". SAC overfly – 1 B-52. Largo scrambled one aircraft for Crystal control. Unsuccessful due to late scramble.

23 Oct 56

Supply – W/C Labelle from ADCHQ visited the Supply Section.

25 Oct 56

Operations – Exercise "Chancelight Two". This exercise followed the same Faker route as the original one, however there were a greater number of fighters that successfully penetrated the Faker stream and the fighter distribution was more even. Reports indicated that control was generally good but due to the presence of SAC aircraft in the target area some confusion was experienced.

26 Oct 56

Operations – S/L Harvey of 2401 AC&W visited the Tower.

31 Oct 56

Rec. Centre – Children’s Halloween Party under the auspices of the Town Council.

Supply – F/O Arnold the SSO was transferred to Station Tofino. He was replaced by F/L WS Fellows.

Townsite – The new Admin Building, ME extension and Fire Hall were started during the month of October and due to inclement weather construction has been delayed. However it is the hope of the CEO that the buildings will be ready for occupancy by early summer of 57.

Supply – Statistics showed a busy month.

With the cold weather starting to set in, the month of October was a busy one recreation wise. Basketball, Volleyball and Bowling were on the upswing with many of the station personnel participating two and three nights a week.

1 Nov 56

St. Jerome – Basketball – Lac St. Denis – 58. St. Jerome – 49.

5 Nov 56

Tower – The annual communications overhaul commenced by CGE.

10 Nov 56

Tower – S/L Harvey of 2401 AC&W visited the Ops bldg.

11 Nov 56

Ste. Agathe and Morin Heights – Remembrance Day Parade attended by Lac St. Denis.

15 Nov 56

Tower – S/L Sarty of ADCHQ, S/L Swerdfager of TCHQ, S/L Spartley of ADCHQ visited the Ops section.

20 Nov 56

Rec. Centre – O’Keefe’s Variety Show for entertainment of station personnel.

21 Nov 56

Rec. Centre – CE section varnishing gym floor.

24 Nov 56

Combined Mess – Cpl’s Club Dining-In Night.

25 Nov 56

Tower – W/C Bourke of 2401 AC&W visited the Ops section.

The new barrack block is now 60% completed. Delay in completion has been due to inclement weather. It is also hoped that the new steam line will be completed prior to the barrack block.