Sydney, NS

1990 - CFS Sydney Memories - 1953-1990 Farewell Booklet 1976/2

CFS Sydney possesses the only Unit Crest in the Canadian Armed Forces, which contains Gaelic. SIOR FHURACHAS, translates as EVER VIGILANT. The deer is used because of its plentifulness in Cape Breton, the spruce is a common species in the forests, and the water depicts the ocean and the lakes which are located in Cape Breton.

RCAF Station Sydney opened in April 1953 as a long range radar installation and today, functions within the Canadian Forces Air Commands Fighter Group as a Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) Unit of the North American Air Defence (NORAD).

In April 1954, RCAF Station Sydney became manually operational 24 hours a day. Eight years later the station changed from a manual Ground Control Intercept (GCI) unit to a Semi-Automatic Ground Environment long range radar station. By 1973, the incorporation of transistorized equipment had refined the system.

The stations recreational and social facilities are many. In 1957, the Recreation Center, the MIR, the Administration and Construction Engineering Buildings were officially opened and other construction has continued. In 1968, the Mobile Home Trailer Park was opened; in 1969 the Curling Rink was erected and in 1971 the extension, housing the CANEX, was added to the Recreation Center. The former Supply Building was modified extensively, mostly with self-help and became the Junior Ranks Club. It is now the All Ranks Mess.

In addition to its primary role as a radar site Sydney offers support to: the Recruiting Center; Militia Units in Sydney, North Sydney and Glace Bay; Army, Navy and Air Cadets in Cape Breton.

Over the years changes have continued to take place. In 1986 the FPS-27 Search Radar was replaced by the FPS-508. On 1 April, 1990 the Height Finder radar was shut down as part of the plan to close CFS Sydney as it exists today.

CFS Sydney is located on the north-eastern part of Cape Breton Island approximately three miles from the center of the city of Sydney. Towns such as North Sydney, Glace Bay, Dominion, New Waterford, Reserve and Sydney Mines are close by. The city offers several amenities to the base and many civilians use the base facilities, creating a good rapport in the community.

People living at CFS Sydney are close enough to the coal mines, steel plant and ocean to experience the economic climate of Cape Breton. They also experience all the varieties of weather that a seaboard community faces annually.

Listing of Commanding Officers

W/C LJ Lomas, CD 1953-1957
S/L GA Armstrong, CD 1957-1959
W/C RM MacDonald, CD 1959-1961
S/L CF Grigg, CD 1961-1963
S/L PB St. Louis, MBE, CD 1963-1966
W/C RW Wright, DFC, DFM, CD 1966-1969
LCol BR Campbell, CD 1969-1972
LCol JF Sheppard, CD 1972-1975
LCol WG McEwan, CD 1975-1977
LCol A Young, CD 1977-1978
LCol DA Girling, CD 1978-1981
Major WF McLean, CD 1981-1983
Major MM McInnis, CD 1983-1985
Major AW Hodgson, CD 1985-1986
Major JRC Melancon, CD 1986-1987
Major JH Billard, CD 1987-1989
Major JL Phillips, CD 1989-

Excerpts from a letter by LJ Lomas - First Commanding Officer at RCAF Station Sydney

In April of 1953 I took over the detachment of personnel from both Air Defence Command and Air Material Command and met with unusual difficulties. The first one was that neither ADC nor AMC would acknowledge that either one of them was responsible for us in that ADC said that AMC must keep Station Sydney under their administrative wing until the unit was operational and AMC stated that they were not in the business of running radar stations. The two Commands maintained their position and would not budge in accepting the role of Air Force Parent.

The result of this led to the unbelievable situation wherein we had no food, no money, no civilian employees and nobody to talk to at a higher echelon to provide either information or help. After I borrowed money from the local bank to do a pay parade and hired civilian help under my own authority we were able to protect the Queens equipment and feed ourselves. We had no government vehicles, and the road to town was impassable when it rained (constantly). Mr. Red Keough, a young local buy was our first civilian employee and was paid by me personally until the authorities in higher places realized that they had one more civil servant. Red looked after the base security and was for a short time the chief of civilian personnel. He was also a great addition to our ball team.

CFS Sydney Military Personnel Serving 1989 - 1990

Officers
Maj. JL Phillips
Capt. JW Winsor
Capt. AE Appolloni
Capt. JE Chiasson
Capt. DA Gouthro
Lt. MM Tucker

Senior NCMs
MWO DT Wooley
MWO JA Kyte
WO EV Farrell
WO JW Matheson
WO CM Mombourquette
WO KJ Quann
Sgt. GS Andrea
Sgt. CJ Bishop
Sgt. SW Boudreau
Sgt. L Caron
PO2 AB Cormier
Sgt. JO Dugas
Sgt. RP Fraser
Sgt. JR Henbry
Sgt. BS Henneberry
Sgt. DR Kays
Sgt. RM Kelly
Sgt. AB Lewis
Sgt. RS Lloyd
Sgt. WL Lloyd
Sgt. RB Luker
Sgt. WB Muise
Sgt. DA Pearson
Sgt. BF Terrio
Sgt. DL Tower
Sgt. DR White
Sgt. JD Whitten

Junior NCMs
MCpl JP Brown
MCpl JA Carrier
MCpl VE Coleman
MCpl JP Comeau
MCpl MJ Cowell
MCpl JR Doucet
MCpl SC Henbrey
MCpl WC Hynes
MCpl MJ Lajoie
MCpl GW Lane
MCpl JD LeBlanc
MCpl RJ Lirette
MCpl FF MacKillop
MCpl RJ Mokellky
MCpl RJ Morrison
MCpl WG Newton
MCpl RM Organ
MCpl JT Robinson
MCpl IR Simms
MCpl DR Smith
MCpl PJD Walker
MCpl TD Wheeler
MCpl MP White
Cpl AG Blank
Cpl DW Case
Cpl JA Constantineau
Cpl RA Clowe
Cpl Campbell
Cpl BK Cooper
Cpl EG Desormo
Cpl SI Donato
Cpl DL Dorrington
Cpl ML Duchene
Cpl FO Ernst
Cpl MS Gange
Cpl VP Garnier
Cpl JA Girard
Cpl WH Gosse
Cpl AS Holloway
LS KW Johnston
LS DW Knee
Cpl SA Lavoie
Cpl W Leeco
Cpl M Lehmann
Cpl KJ Mancini
Cpl FX Marsh
Cpl MG Matthews
Cpl RR McFarlane
Cpl GJ McInnis
Cpl CC Mitschke
Cpl GD Murphy
Cpl JLED Poulin
Cpl PC Reid
Cpl GP Rioux
Cpl CP Sauve
LS GP Vacheresse
Cpl WJ Smith
Cpl FA White
Pte MA Ashby
Pte SD Collier
Pte JJ Devoe
Pte BD Graham
Pte JM Lacelles
Pte JG Lepage
Pte JV Penney
Pte MC Rendell
Pte PC Skinner
Pte WG Almon

--This detail was taken from a booklet called CFS Sydney Memories 1953-1990 which was donated by Mary Philips for insertion into the Pinetree Line web site.