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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1975-07-24, Page 84• sr tic AY, Juvy 24,1975 r • By AtheriO4ainee Loudon* 05itaritt , A few worth written on -a strap of payer Were deatit4d tO.PeCtinle tt4e •salvation Of a nstion and, 1n a .dition, the saviour .etthe free w rid. These worth form the beginning of the Story. ,of radar' which is to remain eeethe mast faSCirtating to come t of thenattleof Britain. In 1934 thearitish Air Ministry, aware that Britain Was no longer an island and Was, vide open to bomber. attack, set -Op is com- mittee of scientists to investigate every device which might help in Air Defence. Nothing was ruled out- noteven Death Rays. The possibility of the use of Death Rays was referred to the superintendent of the govern, ment Radio Research Depart- -merit, Robert (later Sir RObert) Watson -Watt. His answer was immediate. It was his opinion that the amount of energy 'which _ would be needed to stall an air- craft engine was far beyond the practical capacity of any tran- smitter. but . . , This i was the but',' which was to decide the fate of a nation. "But," reported Watson -Watt. • -the ...amount ,of energy needed- to detect. instead of • destroy. an enemy aircraft could—be rea - y ably, produced and applied t extension of radio metioxfs. ' '.,,,t: This histori .'-'1' remark was . written on t ,. half sheet of notepaper and was based an tillettliiiiMIS which took barely half an hour to cOmpile; it in- cluded Wait son -Watt's opinion that location of aircraft by radio was worth pursuing. He was told to ,investigate the possible use of , this technique immediately. Within a month he gave a demonstration of how an aircraft could he detected at a distance,. By the outbreak of war. Britain had a.net work of detectors which. in the Battle of Britain. were rapable o!' guiding fighter- interePtors to their targets by means of directions friim the ground. During the Battle of Britain. England W WS blessed with the totem. fighter aircraft in the %Aiirld. the Spitfire. as well as the mirage and ability of the men of The R.A.F. However. there was a -.1espeeate shortage of the men and machines needed to engage the ,overwhelming number of the enemy. The eyes of the Radar iietwiwk muck* it possible to send up fighter squadrons to intercept the ene-my and tii provide the pilots with the height, bearings inil numbers of enemy PiatiCS .loproaching. Had the Rallar network not been 4in existence. it mould have been ilIMOSt itit- ,lossible for • R.A.F. fighter squadrons to disperse .the multitudes of enemy fighters and bombers which almost con- tinually attacked Britain during those niementnus days of the Battle of. Britain. In addition'to the network of ground Radar instailatiens. this amazing in- vention aided niiiht-fighters in night4ime interception of the enemy. Coastal Command Aircraft in the detection of enemy shipping and particularly sub- marines, and BomberCommand -aircraft in the' improvement of navigational and bombing ac- curacy. In addition, both the . s , Navy and the- Army utilized Radar for many 9nd diverse purposes. - The story of Radar would not be complete, however, without including in it- something Of the tremendous contribution which Canada made towards the sup- plying of the highly trained , personnel nee,ded, to operate and., service the vast quantities of equipment used in every theatre of war. . , ft was absolutely essential that -theft should be located 0 place, remote from the. battle area*, which would resemble. in many' , ... respects .• the terrain over which , - ) the ' aerial conflicts were being totight, in- southeastern England. and: In which thousands of men could be 'safely trained in this inetvliciancl... , . Stith a.,place was discovered near the -shores of L•alte Huron and, here, the flot Radar te414100 -establishment in North, Amertint came into being in -the early Summer of 1941. It was tater to be known as .B.C.4‘17. station maw, named after the town of Clinton which was, two miles north of the , Rad establishment and- , ap- proximately fifty miles north of the city of kondoni Ontario. The influential U.S. news magazine Time reported' in August. 1945: ' -From the time the first Canadian class moved into Clinton inthe fall of 1941, following a fourteen week • basic radio training course at the University of Toronto, "graluates „ of this school served in every theatre of war all over the world. The story of R.C:Ai.F. Clinton ended in September, 1971, when be commander Major F.A. Golding ordered the Canadian Forces ensign and the national flag lowered for the last time at the base, thus ending a 'thirty year era of military activity in the COnton area. The physical aspects of this famous air -base will be forgotten hut the memories of one* of the d v lo cradles of "The Miraele of Today, Radar- has progressed eyes of the "Few" who 41/ Radar" will -long be remem- considerably since World War 11 England during the dark days bere.. but it will always beknoWn as the the Battle of Britain. • TII railway station war Once the centre ifftafttation leaving in 1014 testifies. 0. 4 of communication for Clinton, as this picture of the Serving Clinton since 1967 WILFRED McINTEE & CO. LTD. Real Estate Brokers Joins in the solute for Clinton's Centennial Fs r prompt service in baying er selling all real estate properties, the maa to ses is Manse • Clarke Zinn Best wishes from our staffs Peter Darninto Goderich, Ont. RR 54, Clinton 524449 MAIO •44.4 .0.•10 L. •