RCAF (Women’s Division) WDs doing semaphore drill. a special Committee tasked with establish- RDF radar technicians was found, initially, by re- ing production, training for radar tech- cruiting a number of Canadian experienced nicians, and radar protection for Canada.* There civilian radio personnel, both professional and were two immediate problems: first, to find a amateur, and, without any military train- ing, to company to build the equipment and second, to send them to England to study the British train personnel to operate it. system. A ham radio operator, H.W. Jackson, The solution to equipment supply was solved later wrote how he and all other radio licensees by the Canadian government setting up a were contacted by the Depart- ment of Transport factory. In August 1940, Research Enter- prises in mid-1940 offering them the rank of LAC Limited (REL), a Crown Corporation, was Wireless Electrical Mechanic (WEM) in the opened at Leaside, Ontario and supplied radar Jackson reported to a Manning Depot on RCAF. equipment to not only Canada but also to the 21 October 1940 and, with virtually no training, and Great Britain. Interestingly, the first USA he in the first group of 55 (other groups Canadian-built radar equipment went to the USA followed) left for the landing in Scotland on UK, to be deployed to protect the Panama Canal Christmas Day 1940. After a short period of because the Americans at the time did not have training and a short wireless course at the radar of the calibre of the British-de- signed and Yatesbury School, he was sent to the RAF RDF Canadian-built equipment. School at Cranwell. After graduation in mid RAF The expertise to start up and to train REL 1942, he did radar duty at two locations in the In 1943, he was returned to Canada to UK. * See Appendix 51 for a biography of McBurney replace
RCAF (Women’s Division) WDs doing semaphore drill. a special RDF Committee tasked with establish- ing production, training for radar tech- nicians, and radar protection for Canada.* There were two immediate problems: first, to find a company to build the equipment and second, to train personnel to operate it. The solution to equipment supply was solved by the Canadian government setting up a factory. In August 1940, Research Enter- prises Limited (REL), a Crown Corporation, was opened at Leaside, Ontario and supplied radar equipment to not only Canada but also to the USA and Great Britain. Interestingly, the first Canadian-built radar equipment went to the USA to be deployed to protect the Panama Canal because the Americans at the time did not have radar of the calibre of the British-de- signed and Canadian-built equipment. The expertise to start up REL and to train * See Appendix 51 for a biography of McBurney radar technicians was found, initially, by re- cruiting a number of Canadian experienced civilian radio personnel, both professional and amateur, and, without any military train- ing, to send them to England to study the British system. A ham radio operator, H.W. Jackson, later wrote how he and all other radio licensees were contacted by the Depart- ment of Transport in mid-1940 offering them the rank of LAC Wireless Electrical Mechanic (WEM) in the RCAF. Jackson reported to a Manning Depot on 21 October 1940 and, with virtually no training, he in the first group of 55 (other groups followed) left for the UK, landing in Scotland on Christmas Day 1940. After a short period of training and a short wireless course at the RAF Yatesbury School, he was sent to the RDF School at RAF Cranwell. After graduation in mid 1942, he did radar duty at two locations in the UK. In 1943, he was returned to Canada to replace
semaphore-to-satellite-chapter-10.docx