DAILY DIARY
29 RADIO UNIT - GOOSE BAY, LABRADOR
May 1 1945, to September 30, 1945
1 May 45
Weather: Clear and moderate. Maintenance crew for aerial here. New bolts for aerial turning gear being made at the station workshop. New resistor bank in Thyratron installed by crew. Abnormal maintenance of 25 minutes over regular maintenance period for above work. Small tactical movement from the south. Reception fair.
2 May 45
Weather: Clear and moderate to slight overcast in PM. No large movements. Reception fair.
3 May 45
Weather: Clear and moderate. No large movements. Reception fairly good. Off the air at 1300 hours for maintenance crew to repair ring gear. Drilled oversize holes in ring gear and installed larger type bolts. Variac also installed in CHL Receiver. New PPI tube put into service.
4 May 45
Weather: Clear and very mild. Off the air in AM. Movement of Mosquitoe to Meeks. Reception good. On the air 1930 hours. Ring gear in good condition. Total time off the air 30 hours, 30 minutes for ring gear repair.
5 May 45
Weather: Clear and mild. Only occasional tracks recorded. No movements. Reception fair. Governor on Diesel #1 broke down, allowing engine to speed up so that voltage rose to 125V. Equipment was shut down before any damage could occur. No time lost.
6 May 45
Weather: Overcast, fog and drizzle. Scattered activity. No movements. Reception fair.
7 May 45
Weather: Overcast, rain and fog. Two A/C from Meeks to Presque Isle. Very little activity. Reception fair. A/C tracks, H/R - 4, IFF - 4. Maximum range, H/R - 64 miles, IFF - 64 miles. Longest track, H/R - 110 miles, IFF - 110 miles.
8 May 45
Weather: Overcast and mild, with fog. "VE DAY". Very light activity as all RCAF and RAFTC A/C were grounded. Airmen celebrated "VE Day" on Main Base. Officer and senior NCO's took over operation of station for a 24 hour period to allow airmen to join in celebrations.
9 May 45
Weather: Overcast and mild, with rain in the evening. One movement of 5 Liberators from over-seas. Reception good.
20 May 45
Weather: Clear and bright, with lots of sun to enable boys to absorb much needed "vitamin C and sunshine". Several scattered tracks recorded during the day. Reception fair.
21 May 45
Weather: Clear to partly cloudy. A movement of approximately sixty A/C made up of B-17's and B-24's plotted into base, enroute from overseas. Personnel from Unit managed to locate a dry plot of ground to enable "Spring Training" for coming softball season. Reception for the day was good. 105 tracks. A new perspex grid was installed on th PPI tube, replacing the old one which was inaccurate. Plotting direct from the PPI tube makes possible handling of larger number of plots on large movements of A/C.
22 May 45
Weather: Clear to partly cloudy and mild. Record number of 147 tracks recorded during the 23 operational hours, mainly B-17's and B-24's, enroute from overseas to base and also south from base to USA. Reception fair. 13.27Z - During the movement, USAAF Liberator #0510 reported in - "Lost and running short of fuel". A/C advised to switch to Broad IFF and a concentrated search in SE quadrant carried out. Several other A/C in the same area but broad IFF enable personnel at No 29 RU to identify and pick up lost A/C at 140 degrees, 64 miles. Three "QDM's" passed to A/C from Filter, thus enabling A/C to return to base and carry out safe landing at 14.05Z. "Honours" and a vost of thanks to LAC Greenwood and his crew.
23 May 45
Weather: Overcast and mild, with showers in the latter part of day. A large movement of approximately seventy B-17's and B-24's plotted out of base southward in early part of day. A/C activity "eased up" to a few scattered tracks in latter half of day, owing to low ceiling and rain. A/C tracks, H/R - 92, IFF - 71. Maximum range, H/R - 80 miles, IFF - 69 miles. Longest track, H/R - 90 miles, IFF - 90 miles. Both beacons are now serviceable as newly arrived transformer was installed today.
24 May 45
Weather: Overcast and cool. Few scattered tracks recorded during the day with reception only fair.
25 May 45
Weather: Overcast and rain, becoming partly cloudy and mild. A movement of approximately sixty-eight B-17's and B-24's passed over base enroute from Bluie to Bradley Field Connecticut and were unable to land, due to low ceiling at base. Reception fair.
27 Sep 45
Weather: Clear and cool. Personnel of Unit engaged in crating spare parts not required in balance of operations. No tracking done. Standing by.
28 Sep 45
Weather: Overcast and cool. Personnel still engaged in crating. Operations - activity of A/C nil.
29 Sep 45
Weather: Overcast and cold. Preparations being made at Unit for closing on 30th September/45, and shifts being rearranged to provide duty watch during evening and graveyard shift. Most of personnel to be engaged during day with disbandment of Unit.
30 Sep 45
Weather: Overcast and cool. Unit "Off Air" at 2359 hours. All personnel on hand to witness closing down of #29 Radio Unit.
(WL Bongard) F/O,
OC No 29 Radio Unit
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Updated: April 8, 2003