21 Radio Detachment - Plymouth, NS

1943 - Extracts from Daily Diary - National Archives of Canada


DAILY DIARY
21 RADIO DETACHMENT - PLYMOUTH, NS
October 1, 1943 to November 15, 1943

1 Oct 43

Weather overcast, visibility poor. Sgt FE Walden arrived from Scoudouc, posted to this unit. All equipment operating normally, but lack of plotting table is keeping operators from working.

2 Oct 43

Cloudy, clearing somewhat in the afternoon. Regular daily maintenance done at 09.00 - 10.00 hours. All buildings given weekly cleaning and polishing.

3 Oct 43

Cloudy, visibility 3 - 4 miles. S/L D Manders telephoned F/O WE Jessee suggesting a vernier control on PRF to give better control over the interference from Tusket.

4 Oct 43

Overcast in morning, clearing up in the afternoon. Vernier PRF is installed, and is found to work satisfactorily using a smaller value than suggested. This does not stop the interference but allows us to set the speed at which it walks across the trace.

5 Oct 43

Cloudy, turning to fog and rain. Contractor's men working on the water pump at last.

6 Oct 43

Very clear all day. Cpl A Dubord, RDF Operator, arrived at this unit from Bagotville on posting. Cpl JE Matheson arrived from Scoudouc to install the vernier PRF control and found our installation satisfactory. Twenty .303 rifles received from stores. Pump installation is completed.

7 Oct 43

Weather clear. Inspector General is visiting Yarmouth station but does not inspect this detachment.

8 Oct 43

Conditions unlimited all day. Station elecrican finished the wiring on the pump installation. Two RDF operators arrive from No 1 "Y" Depot.

9 Oct 43

Ceiling unlimited, hazy, generally warm. Rifle practice is given to some of the personnel, ten rounds per airmen.

10 Oct 43

Weather very clear all day. Equipment operating normally. F/O WE Jessee and P/O RE Brooks visit Tusket Detachment to discuss the mutual interference.

11 Oct 43

Foggy all day. F/O WE Jessee proceeded to Halifax on temporary duty. Cpl BE Bourne is working on a design to eliminate the interference from Tusket.

12 Oct 43

Overcast all day, visibility 2 - 3 miles. Six RDF operators sent to Tusket on temporary duty to relieve their shortage and also gain experience.

13 Oct 43

Fog, increasing in the afternoon. Three RDF operators arrive, posted to this detachment from No. 1 "Y" Depot.

14 Oct 43

Ceiling unlimited. More of the men are given rifle practice. Rifle racks are built, the rifles being distributed in all rooms of the operations building and one in the Diesel building.

15 Oct 43

Weather very clear. F/O WE Jessee returned from Halifax bringing plans for an interference eliminator. It is found to be somewhat similar to that designed by Cpl BE Bourne.

16 Oct 43

Raining all day. One Security Guard posted to No 1 CTS, Trenton, Ont

17 Oct 43

Raining intermittently.


1 Nov 43

Partly cloudy, visibility unlimited, winds northerly. Lumber is ordered locally to build fire ladders for the detachment, personnel here doing the work.

2 Nov 43

Clear becoming overcast 1-2000, visibility unlimited, winds northerly 10-15. Work on the fire ladders is under way.

3 Nov 43

Mostly overcast 6 -1200, visibility 3-8, light rain and fog, winds westerly 10-15. While burning the brush accumulated from the clearing operations, the log rifle-butt caught fire. Despite the immediate efforts of the personnel, it was burned beyond hope of salvage. However the loss is easily replaced and the practice given the fire-fighting crew is quite valuable.

4 Nov 43

Overcast 1-3000, light rain, visibility 5-8, surface winds northwest. Bush crew inactive because of rain. final returns for this detachment show that we reached 98% of Victory Loan quota.

5 Nov 43

Clear to high overcast, visibility unlimited, winds variable. Two 1000 gallon fuel oil tanks are delivered to the detachment.

6 Nov 43

Variable overcast 2-7000, light rain, wind southeast. JM MacPherson, station engineer, visited the detachment to discuss location and installation of fuel tanks. Plans call for the tanks being four feet below the surface, but the low ground level would put the entire tank below water level. On authority from EAC HQ Mr McPherson decides to put the tanks on a timber cradle at ground level.

7 Nov 43

Overcast 1-2000, visibility unlimited, ground fog, light wind.

8 Nov 43

Mostly overcast 3-7000, visibility unlimited, occasional light rain, winds light, increasing 15-25. Timbers for the fuel storage cradle are delivered.

9 Nov 43

Overcast 2-4000, light rain, drizzle. Wind south 20-30. Carpenters arrive and begin setting up fuel tank positions.

10 Nov 43

High overcast, visibility unlimited, wind light variable. Fault discovered in coupling unit. Centre shaft has been slipping, rubbing the wires contained in the shaft and causing several short circuits. Coupling unit was removed and the trouble corrected.

11 Nov 43

High overcast, light rain last half, wind easterly. Coupling unit repaired and replaced, all equipment working properly. Two minute silence observed on this detachment at 11.00 hours.

12 Nov 43

Overcast 5-1000, rising 15-3000, light rain first half. Wind easterly. Quarterly overhaul crew consisting of Cpl Warren, LAC H McMillan and LAC Gilbertson arrive at this detachment from Tusket.

13 Nov 43

Overcast 3-5000, visibility unlimited, wind westerly. Overhaul crew at work, making major modification in the receiver power supply.

14 Nov 43

Mostly overcast, visibility unlimited, wind west 20-25.

15 Nov 43

Overcast 15-3000, visibility unlimited, light rain, wind westerly 10-20.


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