Ramore, Ontario

1959 – Historical Report – USAF Historical Division


Historical Record
912th AC&W Squadron
Ramore, Ontario
1 July 1959 to 30 September 1959

Section I

REQUIRED DATA

  1. Unit and Location

912th Squadron
Ramore, Ontario, Canada

  1. Name and Grade of Commander

John A Helton, Major, USAF

  1. Chain of Command (Superior Echelons)
  2. HQ, USAF
    HQ, ADC, Ent Air Force Base, Colorado
    HQ, 30th Air Division (SAGE), Truax Field, Madison, Wisconsin

  • Subordinate Units (Down to and including squadrons)
  • None

  • Mission (Give authority and brief statement of primary mission)
  • To maintain radar surveillance and identification within the assigned sub-sector prescribed by Commander, 3 ADCC, RCAF; to conduct active air defense in accordance with current directives and tactical doctrine prescribed by ADC, RCAF. Authority: 30th Air Division Regulation 20-2, dated 8 December 1958.

  • Personnel
  •    

    Officers

    Airmen

    Civilians

    Total

     
     

    Assigned

    17

    150

    21

    188

     
     

    Attached

    21

    153

    22

    196

     
                 
  • Equipment (Give official nomenclature and quantity of mission-type equipment)
  • AN/FPS-3C (1); AN/TPS-502 (1); AN/FPS-502 (1); AN/GPX-7 (1); AN/GPS-T2 (1); AN/GPX-502 (1); AN/UPS-T5 (1); AN/GPA-30 (1); AN/GRC-27 Remote (8); AN/GRT-3 (2); AN/FRT-502 (2); AN/FRT-503 (5); AN/URG-60 (10); CR-91 (4): AN/FRT-501 (4); Teletype M-19 (4).

    Section II

    COMMENTARY

    Personnel and Administration:

    During this period, Captain Robert A Berg, 39172A, replaced Captain Henry E Herman, A0696092, as C&E Office. The current list of key personnel is as follows:

    (see the matrix at the end of this report)

    Our requested changes to the Unit Manning Document, for Director spaces, as previously reported, were finally approved. We are now authorized fourteen (14) Directors, AFSC 1744 and 1741, and additional men are forecast in during the next quarter.

    The status of discipline improved greatly during this quarter, and it is felt that this is primarily due to the elimination of several sub-standard airmen from this unit. These airmen were involved in the major portion of incidents as recorded in the last report. From the twelve (12) military offences of last quarter, only one (1) incident occurred during this reporting period.

    A new card suspense guide was established for RCS reports which will insure timely submissions of those reports.

    Operations:

    With the request for increased Director spaces on the UMD approved, that area of our manning problem has been alleviated. However, relief for airmen spaces has not yet been approved, and the crews are still very much undermanned. After approximately nine (9) months of working within the Systems Training Program, its effects are becoming apparent. The surveillance picture during missions has shown the most marked improvement.

    Communications and Electronics:

    Reference last quarter’s report concerning additional communications for this site. Progress continued during this period in arranging to lease a complete new inside telephone plant. The system will be leased from Northern Telephone Company, Ltd., and consists of a British dial PBX of one hundred (100) line capacity for administrative requirements, and Western Electric 112A Key Equipment for tactical use. This will be the first Pinetree Line station to be equipped with SAGE type tactical equipment, and the project is now ready for negotiation of contracts.

    Five new AN/GRC-27 Radio Sets were installed in early July. Target date for operation was 15 August 1959, but it has been held up pending installation of additional cable facilities which are not locally available.

    During September, a staff writer and photographer from the C&E Digest, and Air Defense Command Publication, visited this station for the purpose of gathering material for an article concerning this site, which will appear in their publication.

    During this period we received two (2) 0A-175 Radar Scopes which arrived in such an unsatisfactory condition that they had to be shipped to Canadian Aviation Electronics, Ltd. (CAE) for major overhaul.

    Installations:

    Several contracts which have been completed by Caswell Construction Company, Ltd., of Kirkland Lake, Ontario, have proven unsatisfactory. Among them have been: construction of an asphalt ramp in front of the aircraft hangar; an asphalt parking lot for the motor pool; sand seal surfacing of the station roads; and a tennis court. Due to the poor quality of the construction, 4602nd Support Wing, Ottawa, Ontario, has been requested to withhold contracts from that company indefinitely.

    Electrical outlets have been installed at each trailer space in the Base Trailer Park, which will provide the residents with an outlet for automobile block heaters. This will alleviate overloading the trailer electrical circuits which was evident during the last winter season.

    Typed Name and Grade of Commander

    John A Helton, Major, USAF

    Signature

     

    Key Personnel

    John A Helton

    Major

    A0666172

    Commander

    John V Volpone

    1st Lt.

    26288A

    Administrative Officer

    Darrell R Githens

    1st Lt.

    A03068591

    Executive Officer

    Robert A Berg

    Captain

    39172A

    C&E Officer

    Robert A Miller

    Captain

    A0781015

    Operations Officer

    Warren H Selover

    Captain

    A02062316

    Assistant Operations Officer

    Harold G Van Ree

    1st Lt.

    49647A

    Chief Director

    Robert J Gillis Jr.

    CWO (W-2)

    952712E

    Supply Officer