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Home My WebLink AboutClinton News-Record, 1975-07-24, Page 83,rcestsase. un eptemt own Mset n aner servediving as a d'efence partmeM since the early Norman Tyndall, who lives Ore.! ert Wren Street, has Seen both the Weaning -.and the ends - r it was front h1411 that the federal .finVernMent 1941 r-nahSen 100 acres of lush • tar df two and a. half miles ,•south. of the towns Main in- tersection **At was later to be me the first radar training I on the North American -centinent: Mr. Tyndall visited the base on, the eve of its closure where he reminisced with Major Frank- ' 00itliag, a Seafortli native, who was destined tohe the last Base ; Commander of CFR Clinton, In the- spring of 1941,, Mr. Tyndall reCallS.-r- when Hitler was at war with Eurczpe— many planes were , heard flying over the Clinton area IF- Causing much inquisitiveness. One day during this time. the Tyndalls had a visitor, — a staff car from Trenton from H.Q. No. 1 Training. Command, RCAF. • brought W -C Adrian Cocks from the RAF England and a Worki. Directorate Staff Officer from the Commend. They asked questions but gave no forination -- they merely said that , they Were "driving around". ;Two days later two Canadian _government officials approached Mr. Tyndtd1 with- an offer to •'purchase his •property. The farmer was in the throes of plowing a field to plant corn, for it Was April. He was told that he Might just as well take his plow up for he wouldn't be requiring it any further. Within 48 hours the Site was surveyed and, the a3n- oract let far the training school 'that, was to come. Within three weeks, the Tyndalts had mov into the town of Clinton. • The particular location of , e site had been arrived a only after a team of experts ched for a suitable. site for w at was to become the cradle radar on this continent — the largest ; and most imp° t station in the Canadian servi In the ques for a place remote from the ctual battlefield, in Which tho ands of men could be safely ined in the -new seience. (radi direction finding — or rad ) it was discovered that the cli s of Lake Huron -shore and eir surrounding terrain'closely ' resembled those over which the aerial armadas fought above South east England --- the White 'Cliffs of Dover. The area menthe requirements for adequate power facilities, reasonable proximity - to good sources of supplies, transportation — and a not -too prominent location. THIS was the initial No. 31 Radio School (RAF) •• and one of its outstanding characteristics was • secrecy. It Was dot until six years later — and the war was well over —that theiresidents4f the area actually knew what had been happening at the Clinton "airbase" — an airbase without planes or run- way!? Tyndall was promised and was provided with a job when he sold his fart). That promise was well kept — for he retired only in 1965 as an employee in the Con- struction and Engineering Section; However, in the very beginning he was working for the Picot Coristruction Co. from May 941 to September of the same year. Many days. 450 labourers worked Ighours a day —levelling • the farm buildings. bending roads. "Each day we figured on Starting a. new building — and there were Close to 40 buildings in , the original contract." he • recalled. The first building Completed was the old guard • house. - located at the former . entrance off No. 4 Highway. More , property was bought up from rvyn Hanley and the now ceased .Toe Crich. ,• The first radar equipmedi arrived in Clinton in mid-July ,1041 from England- The staff was The Air Foree'flaSe n r C1iion was Ottce the trainingtrOUnd 9.11„ This aerial. view Was taken in the eariti for Thousands Of ut from many countries._ it was closed In ,• „. predominately RAF, but during the initial days of the Battle of Britain — w n the United Kingdom's eed for trained technicians in the field was so great, ly enough, the first traine were men from the Uni States Navy 'and Marine Co s. he influential United States news magazine "TIME" reported in August 1945: "From Clinton, °natio, (pop 2,000) 'camea significant story of in- ternational co-operation. In four years 2,325 Americans (and 6,500 Canadians) have been graduated from Clinton's Royal Canadian Mr Force Radar and Com- munications School. The United States students, most of them university men, thought so highly of the scheol that it later became the model for U.S. • training - centres." The article appeared 'one year after the station was. rename4 No. 1 Radar and Commuesications, School arid • cerise under the RCAF for all purposes. Seven years later (1951) it was re -organized and was known as RCAF — due to the . formation of the No. 1 Radar and Communications School and No. 1 Air Radio Officers School as Separate units within the station establishments. Later, in the , 1950's the sation became the home of the School of Examination Unit, and the School • of Food Services; in the early 1960"s, the School of Instructional Technique:, and in 1968. a Warrant Officers' School. By this time, April 1, 1966 to be specific, the name of the station was changed to CFB . Thousands of men and women received training at the base. to serve in all parts of the world during both war and peace times• . Oh January 31, 1972, Crown Corporation sold the former military base for $468,000 to Rodema Investmint and Developments Ltd., ,of Galt, of which John VanGastel was ,president, The deal included the I sale of 258 acre a of land and ' consisted of 214 housing units. At the time of sale; press reports described the base as a complete town with all the amenities services, administration •• buildingsl—hartgirsr-ttewif alleys, skating; 'curling • and swimming facilities, -a :theatre. two chapels. a fire station. hospital and sundry other ser- vices. Not included in the deal was the former. Air Marshal 14ugheampbell Public School - for it had been earlier. purchased as an extension of Conestoga College of Applied Arts. A nation-wide Contest to find a name for the former base was launched by the new owner. with Mn. Margaret (Ronald) Rudd,' Clinton submitting the winning name -- "Vanastra", For her selection Mrs. Rudd 'won as a prize the fernier base com- mander's home in Adastral Park - the residential area of airforce personnel during their stay at the base. Early in 1975 Vanastra. Huron Cou "is largest industrial park has five industries and a number of associated services operating. For those formerresidents of Clinton and area who will return to participate in the centennial festivities they will recognize the former "airschool" by a far/tiller landmark - the silo. It still stands as solid as it was the day it was „ built almost 45 years ago. Through the efforts ancistrategy of the first commander. Wing Commander Cocks, the farm silo was saved to overlook the huge concrete parade square. He • worked out a set of plans which resulted_ in a _.spital stairway being built in its interior and leading up to a look -out. while a framework walk was constructed around the exterior: of the, top. The Wing CoMmander claimed that the silo would be an ideal place to mount a gun if the base should ever be attacked. • Today, 34 years later, the town-- has quietly and sadly revertedback to the insignificant little spot it was in 1941 still in the same "not -too prominent location". It has been richer however through mass economical. educational, cultural, social and religious contributions made by the people who have passed through. In the heart of the town, however, the personnel of the - services has left a souvenir - a huge radar antenna, embedded in a concrete base - to ' com- memorate the establishment at Clinton of the first radar training school in North America. The long- range surveillance FPS 20 .was formerly in operation across Canada as part of the North America Air Defence System. The, message sent by the -air- school's" first commander.. Adrian Cocks (now a retired Group Captain (RAF). Somerset, England) upon the dedication of the radar antenna read - -If your radar antenna ever gets on the air and goes searching - ask it one question - 'Where have they all gone?' " Compiled by Muriel Trott "Tag -a -long- 12" portable "Signer model, Solid stater- On home or battery power. Centennial Special %only - • ... $ 49.95