152^nd Aircraft Control and Warning Group

Technical Sergeant Gary Illingworth, Historian

152nd Aircraft Control and Warning Group

After World War II, all that was waiting for the 152nd Aircraft Control and Warning Group to be reborn was for the United States Army Air Force to break from the United States Army and reform as the United States Air Force – which it did in 1947.

The report of Inspection for Federal Recognition of the 152nd Aircraft Control and Warning Group was filed 29 March 1948. Although the forms to be filled out were lengthy and very exacting, the founders had no problem in obtaining precious "Recognition". Commercial wire facilities had to be available – and Western Union facilities were. Space for vehicles and large items not storable at the Armory was provided at the nearby Westchester County Airport.

Space in the actual Armory itself was shared equally by the 52nd Fighter Wing, the 107th AC&W Squadron, the 106th AC&W Squadron, the 102nd Air Force Communications Squadron, and the 152nd Aircraft Control and Warning Group. The Group’s first commander, Colonel Earl R Thomas, was only 48 years old at the time; he had received his current commission as an Air Corps officer with the rank of Colonel 15 September 1944.

The inspection for Federal Recognition was carried out by Colonel Richard H Ballard on 29 March 1948. Besides Colonel Thomas, the other ranking officers in the fledgling 152nd present that night were: Major Augustine J Gironda, Signal Corps, Captains Gerald M Campbell, Air Corps, Harrison E Conner, Air Corps, and James HC Mulligan, Air Corps and 1st Lieutenant Hubert A McNally Jr., Air Corps.

Tech Sergeants Jacob S Selnik, and Ferdinand S Sciliano, Jr., Staff Sergeant Everett L O’Malley, Sergeant Angelo F Bova, and Private Angeline L DeMonne rounded out the opening night personnel.

The organization of the 152nd Aircraft Control and Warning Group was preceded in White Plains by the formation and Federal Recognition of the 107th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron in September 1947 and the 106th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron in January 1948.

These organizations plus the 108th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at Syracuse, NY, the 102nd Radar Calibration Flight at Westchester Country Airport, White Plains, NY and the 105th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, New Jersey Air National Guard at Newark Airport, Newark, NJ, completed the formation of the group under the command of Colonel Earl Thomas.

In August 1948, the Group participated in its first fifteen day field training period at Floyd Bennett Naval Air Station, Brooklyn, NY.

The first 152nd Aircraft Control and Warning Group newsletter, the "Tally-Ho" was published 27 September, 1948. In it, the meaning of the term "Tally-Ho" is explained as follows: When a pilot sees his target either visually or it is acquired through a sensor, the pilot radios "Tally-Ho" to the aircraft controller.

The 1949 encampment of the 152nd Aircraft Control and Warning Group was held at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware.

Congress approved the use of force to repel the North Korean invasion on June 30, 1950; the absence of a formal declaration of war introduced the Air Force to the new tribulations of a limited objective war, tribulations which opened the way for the increased use of the National Guard and Reserves, and specifically for the 152nd Aircraft Control and Warning Group.

In 1950 the Headquarters went to Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts along with the 102nd Radar Calibration Flight. The 106th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron was deployed to Stewart Air Force Base, Newburgh, NY and the 107th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron to Grenier Air Force Base, New Hampshire.

On 9 July 1950, Colonel Willard S Magalhaes was officially assigned as the Commander of the 152nd Aircraft Control and Warning Group upon the resignation of Colonel Earl Thomas, its founder.

On 1 November 1950, the 152nd Aircraft Control and Warning Group was attached to the 106th Composite Wing for administrative and logistical purposes, and located at White Plains Airport, Westchester County, NY.

It was during December of 1950 that Air Defense Command’s "Lashup Radar Network", began to deploy.

In 1951 the "Whirlwind" computer was considered as the key to the automation of air defense procedures. That year it was first tested on Cape Cod, Massachusetts; the network consisted of a control center in Cambridge where the computer was housed, a long-range radar at South Truro on Cape Cod, and numerous shirt-range mobile gap-filler radar. It is most likely that units of the 152nd participated in these "gap-filling" duties involving "Whirlwind" which was the precursor to the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE), but since the group was soon to be alerted for a period of practically two years of active duty – a large undertaking – records do not reflect specific participation in these relatively unimportant for the time (in the sense of unit planning) "experiments".

The Chinese communists launched a massive counterattack against United Nations Forces in Korea on November 26, 1951. On December 15, in a radio and television report to the American people, President Truman declared a national emergency. The true significance of the Chinese attack, he said, proved that the Communist leaders were "willing to push the world to the brink of general war to get what they want". The then Secretary of State Dean Acheson told Congress that "the Russians were behind all these movements" and the United States had "to face the possibility now that anything can happen anywhere at any time". The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) recommended that forces and equipment scheduled for readiness by 1954 be made ready by 1952 or sooner. Acheson’s successor, George C Marshall, and President Truman approved their proposals.

Truman and Marshall also increased the call to active duty of Reservists and Air National Guardsmen to meet manpower requirements engendered by the decision to move military programs ahead two years, and President Truman decided that the states would be primarily responsible for implementing civil defense measures, with the newly created federal Civil Service Administration providing coordination and guidance.

As head of Air Defense Command, LG Ennis C Whitehead (who during WWII had earned the respect and fear of Japanese commanders in the field) hoped to upgrade his command’s capabilities immediately. He was assisted by the federalization of 15 Air National Guard fighter squadrons in February of 1951, and of another six squadrons in March, assigning them to Air Defense Command. Another fifteen Air National Guard fighter squadrons were earmarked for use in an emergency. All Air National Guard forces could now be used in an imminent or actual enemy air attack.

A potentially embarrassing situation developed though when the Air Force informed General Hoyt S Vandenberg, Chief of Staff, USAF, that the planned permanent "radar fence" system could not be completed according to the deadline. Something else was needed to meet the emergency.

It was estimated that the first 24 stations would be operating by March 1st, 1951 and the rest by the following July. An interim temporary radar system termed "Lashup" had been earlier devised in 1950 to meet this contingency. The basic Lashup radar, the long-range AN/CPS-5, could not provide low-altitude coverage, and so the movement of Lashup radar equipment onto the new permanent stations was opposed. The newer radar however, the AN/CPS-6B failed to live up to its expectations. With the new Korean and Soviet threats, the Air Force also didn’t want to temporarily lose coverage while moving the Lashup radar onto the permanent hard stands. The mobile radar system was then developed to meet these immediate needs, and the 152nd Aircraft Control and Warning Group was tasked to help.

In early 1951, the 152nd Aircraft Control and Warning Group was to be tasked by planners at the highest national level to provide temporary radar coverage of the most likely invasion route of Soviet bomber forces until newly appropriated permanent radar stations could be constructed (and radar developed for the permanent job).

The following is an account by General Bernard Saul, NYANG (Retired), of the 152^nd Aircraft Control and Warning Group’s call to active Federal Service. At that time General Saul was the Assistant Adjutant to the 152nd Aircraft Control and Warning Group holding the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Upon the outbreak of the Korean conflict, the Group was alerted for Active Duty and on 1 August 1951 was inducted into active Federal Service with the United States Air Force. At impressive ceremonies held at Westchester County Airport, White Plains, NY, Major General Karl Hausauer, Chief of Staff to the Governor of New York turned over command of the Group to Major General Frederic C Smith, Jr., Commanding General of the Eastern Air Defense.

During March 1951 the Headquarters 152nd Aircraft Control and Warning Group and subordinate units in New York and New Jersey were alerted for active Federal service starting 1 August 1951. During July, immediately prior to the actual induction of the Group, the Group Commander and his Administrative Assistant were invited to Headquarters United States Air Force to discuss the readiness of the Group for an early operational assignment with the Northeast Air Command. The Group was then committed to this operational mission.

After a month at their home station units of the Group moved to Grenier AFB, New Hampshire and Otis AFB, Massachusetts where they set up a training aircraft control and warning system. In October 1951 units were reorganized to conform to ADC (Air Defense Command) Tables of Organization. An additional unit, the 920th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron was formed from personnel drawn from other units of the group. Having an operational mission, all personnel of the Group were "frozen" in their assignment by orders from Headquarters USAF in order to preserve unit effectiveness. This was followed by an alert for early overseas deployment. A running flight ensued in an attempt to retain these personnel. Despite the USAF instructions, Air Defense Command attempted to pull personnel to fill their own overseas quotas. Regular USAF and Air Force Reserve personnel were transferred in from other NEADF (Northeast Air Defense Force) organizations to fill all existing vacancies. These were mostly competent personnel, many of whom held responsible positions with the Group for the remainder of its active duty tour. Units were inspected by MG Charles Myers, then Vice-Commander of ADC, and his staff to determine the readiness for overseas deployment.

Pepperrell became an Air Force Base on 16 June 1949, (although Newfoundland enjoyed a rich history of bases during WWII). The base became operationally responsible for Torbay Airport (in downtown St. John’s, Newfoundland) after the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) left in 1947. The RCAF would be back in 1953 to reactivate RCAF Station Torbay. In 1950, construction commenced in the White Hills of St. John’s. as Pepperrell expanded. Pepperrell was made the headquarters for the newly formed Northeast Air Command (NEAC) on 1 October 1951. In March of 1952, the 152nd Aircraft Control and Warning Group was redesignated as the 64th Air Division (Defense). An Air Defense Direction Center at Red Cliff, (the 108th AC&W Squadron) close to Pepperrell, was set up on a temporary basis until the permanent facility at White Hills was constructed and manned by the AC&W Squadron. On 1 April 1957, NEAC was terminated and in its place the 64th Continental Air Defence (CONAD) Division of Air Defence Command was created. The phase out of Pepperrell began in 1960. The base was closed on 11 August 1961 leaving only a caretaker force".

The 107th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron departed for Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts and subsequent deployment by Military Air Transport to their station at Goose Bay Air Base Labrador. The balance departed for Camp Kilmer, New Jersey by rail, where they embarked on the ship "General Stuart Heintzelman", provided by the Military Sea Transport Service, for Pepperrell Air Force Base, St. John’s, Newfoundland, CA. Units of the Group were then redeployed to several locations on the island.

Preparation for Overseas Movement (POM) was accomplished and the first units of the Group moved overseas in January 1952. The 107th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron personnel were airlifted by Military Air Transport Service (MATS), with equipment transported in C-124's (Globemaster transport aircraft) into Goose Bay Airport, Labrador". (NB: This radar site was ultimately operated after the Korean emergency by the 641st Canadian radar).

The 105th and 920th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadrons moved by Military Ship Transportation Services (MSTS) to Harmon AFB and McAndrew AFB, Newfoundland. These units began actively preparing their ""Lashup" radar sites prior to the arrival of their radar equipment.

[NB: (From Canadian sources) The 920th – which documentation shows as being temporarily housed at McAndrew AFB; was ultimately sent to Resolution Island where they remained active from November 1954 until the unit was disbanded in November 1961.]

During February 1952, detachment #1 (Provisional), 152nd Aircraft Control and Warning Group was formed with a mission to establish early warning and control on an interim basis at Thule, Greenland, as soon as equipment and facilities were available. This detachment remained at Grenier AFB, when the Group Headquarters, 106th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, and the 108th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron moved in early April 1952 to Pepperrell AFB, St. John’s, Newfoundland. Due to a lack of barracks space at Pepperrell about half of the 108th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron were diverted to the 920th at McAndrew AFB with personnel transferred to the latter unit.

The first radar unit was placed in operation during February 1952 by the 920th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron and by 15 June 1952, with the exception of the Thule site, a complete air surveillance system was in operation guarding the northeast approaches to the United States. This system included an Air Defense Control Center in the St. John’s area. The communications equipment used to set up this system was mostly that Air National Guard material brought on active duty with the Group. Two of the radar sets were also originally ANG equipment. Detachment #1 (Provisional) arrived at Thule on 10 July 1952 with new issued equipment and was operating its radar site by 13 July 1952.

Early in April 1952 personnel from the 152nd organized and staffed the Headquarters 64th Air Division (Defense), which operated until December, 1952 as a combined Headquarters with the 152nd. In moving from Group Staff to Division Staff positions, Lieutenants were to find themselves in Lieutenant Colonel vacancies, position that they held until their rotation. When supplemented with additional USAF and Air Force Reserve officers the division was welded into a smoothly operating staff. The division commander was Colonel Willard S Magalhaes, who also accompanied the 152nd Group on State and Federal status. With the assignment of flying units in the fall of 1952, Colonel Magalhaes, who is non-rated, was no longer eligible to command the division and assumed the position of division executive officer. He held this position until his rotation for separation in July 1953.

Most of the married personnel stationed on the island of Newfoundland who were desirous of bringing their dependents overseas found quarters either on base, or most often, off base. At least ten children of Air National Guard families were born in USAF hospitals in Newfoundland.

Looking retrospectively at the Newfoundland mission, local accomplishments of the units included:

1. 106th AC&W Squadron: Set up an Air Defense Control Center which was to serve NEAC for over two years. Using ANG equipment the 106th did all of its own internal wiring and some long line cable construction.
2. 107th AC&W Squadron: After a fast airlift move into isolated Goose Bay Airport, there was slippage in the delivery of the Squadron’s prime radar equipment. In order to keep people busy and maintain morale personnel were detailed supporting the base in various ways including Base Defense, and Interior Guard Duty. The Squadron was active in repelling a paratroop attack on the base during Air Defense maneuvers.
3. 108th AC&W Squadron: During their overseas tour they were moved twice into new barracks areas while construction was still in progress. Under these difficult conditions they did their normal work and then did their best to cover the scars of any new construction and develop each area into a model camp.
4. 920th AC&W Squadron: On very short notice set up a Command Aircraft Control and Warning School to maintain the proficiency of excess personnel transferred from other units and to train replacements coming into the command. In order to operate their radar under high wind conditions, they found it necessary to build their own radome.
5. Detachment 1 (Provisional) 152nd AC&W Group: With an absolute minimum number of personnel set up a radar site at a remote location in Greenland, near Thule Air Base. They made spectacular saves and furnished assists to aircraft lost in this area.
6. In addition to setting up a complete integrated radar surveillance system in a very short period of time under almost impossible climatic and logistical conditions, units of the 152nd AC&W Group furnished navigational assistance to friendly aircraft. In a report dated 4 September 1952, to Headquarters, USAF, Attn.: AFPMP-23, in response to a Congressional Inquiry, the Commander of Northeast Air Command (NEAC) stated: "the units have been responsible for at least six "saves" where multi-engine USAF aircraft were off course and navigational aids malfunctioning. The craft were picked up by (152nd) radar, identified, and guided to GCA facilities. The saving in aircraft and personnel alone more than represents the cost of maintenance of these units during their period of active duty". Figures were not available for "saves"; subsequent to 4 September 1952 or the innumerable assists furnished aircraft during the 152nd Group’s remainder of Federal service.
7. Individual accomplishments were numerous. Four officers and two airmen were awarded the AF Commendation Ribbon. An airman from the 108th AC&W Squadron was a member of the first NEAC volunteer team to run the T-3 Floating Ice Island [NB: Intriguing, but it is not indicated by General Saul what this was]. Another airman from the 107th AC&W Squadron performed an outstanding construction job at a very isolated northern weather station. This man, who is the owner of a construction company in civilian life, had the background and special skills necessary to accomplish an extremely difficult grading job under Arctic conditions.
8. It was felt by members of the staff that the overall success of the Group lay primarily in the fact that the Group was left intact, with only intra-division transfers. Another factor was the willingness of the Northeast Air Command (NEAC) to accept suggestions from the Group Commander and his staff. Recommendations for equal recognition, promotions, and on-base housing for the Air Guardsmen were made, if NEAC was desirous of retaining Guard personnel. These and the recommendations for a phased return of ANG personnel were brought and followed by NEAC throughout the active duty tour. About one third of the Group officers remained on active duty with the USAF.
9. The letter referred to in paragraph 7 above, from the NEAC Commander, closed with the following: "the units should be commended for a continuous effort to do the job for which they were called to active duty. In spite of apparently insurmountable obstacles, these units accomplished much more than expected from similar Air Force units. To gain their objective many became involved with the actual construction of the sites, operated schools to increase skill levels, utilized all personnel effectively either in actual radar operation, or when necessary as "bull gangs", carpenters, plumbers etc. in the effort to speed up the date when the radar system would be fully effective. With very few exceptions, the morale of the 64th Air Division is exceptionally high. The morale stems from the knowledge that their job has been well done and their active duty period has been of immense value to the security of the country".

Thus ends the excellent narrative of a future 152nd Commander on this phase of 152nd ANG history.

(NB: On 1 April 1957, the mission of Northeast Air Command (NEAC) terminated and in its place the 64th Continental Air Defense (CONAD) Division of Air Defense Command was created. The phase out of Pepperrell began in 1960. The base was closed on 11 August 1961 leaving only a caretaker force.)