wrote on March 5, 2024
Subject: THE year was Jan. 1956- to Dec. 1958
Share your Rockcliffe Story. re: RCAF Association News.
Rockcliffe Air base Memories ... I was working on the Mid Canada Radar line, as a member of 108 Com. Flight (helicopters) Ground crew and Air crewman flight duties. Our CO was S/L Heaslip. Our main northern bases, (Site 300) were Knob Lake, PQ. (Near a Mining town,-Schefferville, PQ) and (Site 400) at Great Whale River.
Home base was RCAF Stn. Bagotville, PQ.
In January of 1956, 108 Com. Flt was transferred to RCAF Stn. Rockcliffe; then under Air Material command. There were no quarters for single personnel when we arrived, as the Barrack Block had burned down in 1955.
A per diem rate of $ 7.50 was provided for those needing accommodation. Another member and I managed to rent a motel room for $13.50 a day.
Our walk to the base for work and meals was approximately one 1/2 miles. This only lasted about 4 weeks, as we were sent back north to work on the Mid-Canada Radar Line.
Our helicopter accommodations at Rockcliffe was a hangar* situated on the bank of the Ottawa River, north of the E/W runway. I was a good hike, so the Motor Transport Centre provided a vehicle run about every ½ hr. or when called upon. The control tower provided a green light for safe passage at the far east end of the runway.
Note:
*On March 12, 1930, Canadian World War I flying ace William George Barker (a Dauphin Manitoba, boy) crashed into the Ottawa River and died during an aerial demonstration over the field.
I also remember May 15, 1956 when a CF100 crashed into the Grey Nuns convent at Villa St. Louis, Orleans.
At the bottom of the valley area, 408 Squadron with their Lancaster aircraft were busy with the mapping of northern Canada.
I enjoyed my stay at Rockcliffe. It was a beautiful location, and when married, remained there until Dec. 1958. I remained with helicopters and my next posting was to Stn. Trenton, with (4 H OTU.) (108 Com. Flt. was disbanded in June/1958/
Per Ardua Ad Astra.
John Fefchak ( ret. CWO)
A Cold War Veteran ( 1951-1982)