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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2016-01-27, Page 7Wednesday, January 27, 2016 • Huron Expositor 7 LCOL Terrell presenting the bowl to Group Capt. Cocks. (LEFT TO RIGHT) -Wing commander Gray, LCOL Terrell, Group Capt. Cocks and Group Capt. Padfield. Leading airwoman A. Saunders of Toronto, Ont., learns to put the shot during a sports period at RCAF Station Clinton, Ont. Leading airwoman R. Lumgair, a recreational specialist, shows her how. Classified information, part -two of ss Shaun Gregory Huron Expositor World War II. It's been 70 -some years since the clash. A more than huge win for the Allied Forces, accord- ing to the Government of Canada, radar played a sig- nificant role in Germany's demise. And the former Canadian Forces Base located in Clinton is regarded as a key compo- nent to the victory. After Huron East's eco- nomic development officer, Jan Hawley, announced the news that CBC's Still Stand- ing was making an appear- ance in Vanastra. A thorough investigation led by the Expositor uncovered a slew of historic findings from numerous sources including the Canadian Armed Forces, a collection of information that was once considered classified. Radar, which stands for radio detecting and ranging is the method for sleuthing the presence, path, distance and speed of specific air - crafts, ships and other objects. This is achieved by sending out waves of high - frequency electromagnetic pulses that are echoed off the object back to the source. It's believed the "ground- breaking" work by our coun- try's scientists is what gave the Allies the upper hand in the war, which took the lives of more than 40,000 Canadi- ans, an edge, thanks to the CFB Clinton Base. The place now renamed the Village of Vanastra is rather silent compared to decades prior when North America witnessed its first radar training facility, an idea initially handed down by the British Common- wealth Air Training Plan establishment. In the years of operation, the renowned training school went through several name changes. Vari- ous names included both the No. 31 Radio School and the No. 5 Royal Canadian Air Force Radio School. In 1966, the three Cana- dian Forces services (the RCAF, Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Army) were combined to create the CFB Clinton. In the early years, specifically the height of WWII, with the importance from the outside world of of keeping the Canadian warfare, information was base confidential from still leaked to the media. In threats of the Germans, tac- 1941, an article published by tical maneuverings were in the Globe and Mail informed place to ensure the Cana- the public RCAF members dian-British partnership in were being educated in mili- radar was as risk-free as pos- tary-like courses at the Uni- sible. As soon as the radar versity of Toronto and later relationship launched, 23 furthering their training in officers were deployed to Britain. Lemaireaire Britain to take part in a class informed the Expositor in a known as the" Special large email that besides the Signals." telltale discovery by the "The training on radar was newspaper, the base's so secret that the base in importance remained a Britain housed these officers hush-hush topic until the in a separate area away from war concluded. the main base and their Fred Anderson, 94, from training took place in a sepa- the Village of Vanastra, is rate (part) of the base, one of thousands responsi- fenced in by barbed wire," ble for building the top - stated the public affairs secret army fortress. A feat officer for the Canadian he recalled taking approxi - Armed Forces, Capt. Kim- mately four months to berly Lemaire. assemble. "The RDF was a carefully "In today's day, it would guarded secret (also), Clinton's have taken two years," said opening was never official, the Anderson. grounds were surrounded by According to the born and electrically -charged fencing raised local, the construction and patrolled by guards:' procedure was "around the The grounds were moni- clock." There were 1,000 tored efficiently 24 -hours a employees in the daytime day and all internal person- hours and 500 workers at nel were mandated to have a night. pass in their possession at all He went on to say the times regardless of their locals were not told much rank. And for those who did about the farm -looking CFB not follow the proper proto- Clinton Base, but the com- col, they were subjected to a munity knew by the state -of - court -martial. Although the the -art technology, it was government tried time and not your average military again to maintain secrecy station. "They didn't tell you nothing," stated Fred Anderson in his home, walking distance from what is left of the old military establishment. "It was an air base with no engines, no planes and no runway." "They didn't tell you noth- ing," stated Anderson in his home, which is walking dis- tance from what is left of the old military establishment. "It was an air base with no engines, no planes and no runway." To add to the mystery of the radar school's private life, the thing that puzzled Anderson the most was how, they obtained the property from a local farmer in the area. "They said we're giving you two weeks to have a sale. They didn't want the farm machinery, so he had an auction sale," he said. "Sell the pigs and the cat- tle, sell everything but the land, because that was spo- ken for." Anderson, then in his late teens, said they left the farmer with no choice, but in exchange for the farm, they offered the man a lifetime job opportunity. Anderson, a Tuckersmith Township resident who was making 40 cents an hour at the time, said although the civilians knew little about anything happening inside the guarded gates, it was probably in their best inter- est for Canada to be trium- phant in the deadly war. "If it hadn't of been for this, the war might have turned out totally differ- ently," said Anderson. Fred Anderson, 94, stands in front of his house in the Village of Vanastra. During WWII, he helped build the CFB Clinton. the CFB Clinton An instructor demonstrates the RMT -100 Radar Trainer to basic radar students. Find it fast! Find it today! SSems Fort hFquron xperxFtvr.co.m/C laxxlfi ds Local. Easy. Free.