Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1949-03-31, Page 1• No. 13 1 THIa NEW ERA' -84th YEAR evvs - CLINTON, ONTARIO, THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 1949 ecor THE: NEW S -RECORD -71st YEAR, First Section -Pages 1 to 4 RCAF Celebrates 25 Years of Service to ioinj0n Silver 'Jubilee Event on April 1 Air Force To Front In Sports In its first quarter-century the RCAF has rolled up an impress- ive record in the skies, and the men in Air Force blue have also found time to gain prominence in the field of sports. Wherever there is an Air Force unit there is an Air Force team playing. in the local ,hockey, basketbal:i and baseball leagues, and both teams and individuals wearing RCAF colours have gone on to win nat- ional and even Olympic honours. Participation in organized sport has been a "must" for per- sonnel of the RCAF ever since it was created in 1924. Among the "oldsters" still in the service are many who were headlined , in yesterday's sport pages, and the winning of the Olympic and War- ld, ice hockey titles by the RCAF Flyers in 1948 was classed by many of Canada's most astute sports writers as their "Thrill of the year". As early as 1925 the Aix Force rugbyteam from Camp Borden was a member of the Ontario Rugby Football Union. Many of today's top-ranking officers were stars on those early teams. Names appearing in early line-ups in- clude A. L. James, now Air Vice Marshal, at AFHQ, Ottawa; Dave Harding, of Sarnia, one of Cana- da's all-time great athletes, now retired as a Group Captain; the late W. D. Van Vliet; "Dave" 3V1acKell, an Air Commodore in Ottawa; W. W. Brown, Chief Staff Officer at Trenton, Ont,: R. A. London, now Air Commodore London; Group Captains "Scotty" MacCaul of Ottawa, and F. A. Sampson, Canadian air attache in Argentine; and Wing Comman- der Ted Luke. These men were ore of the country's gridiron ars. Top honours were not won on e gridiron by the • RCAF until heir wartime Toronto Hurricanes oached by Lou Hayman, then a light Lieutenant, took the coy - ted Grey Cup, emblematic of Canadian 'football supremacy. d today, of course, the man nown to Canada as "Mr. Foot - all", Tony Goleb, is a Flight ieutenant pilot of 412 squadron, ying regular scheduled transport uns out of Rockcliffe, near Ott- wa. Air Force hockey and lacrosse eams have played in leagues all cross the country, but it awes hot ntil 1942 that a Dominion chem_ • ionship was won by the RCAF. hat year the RCAF Flyers won he Allan Cup, as. Canada's best ateur hockey team. In 1948 'a new edition of the lyers was assembled by S/L A. "Sandy" Watson, senior med- .d officer at Air Force Head- uatters, Ottawa, end received e bid to represent Canada at e Winter Olympics at St. Mor- tz. Coached by Sgt. Frank Bouch - r, en accountant at AFHQ, the lyers travelled overseas to re- gin for Canada the Olympic and orld hockey championship, the ormer having been won by Brit - in in 1936, the latter by Czech- lovakia in ' 1947. During the ur, which included a series of SILVER JUBILEE 19E4-1949 OF SERVICE TO CANADA Ball and Mutch. Hardware and Furniture Funeral Directors D. G. Ball, Phone 361-W W. .1. Mutch, Phone 361-J PONE 195 finfWEAWArwviMemovvyw "Vampire" Fighters Important In Peacetime An important part of the present peacetime Air For ce is the Auxiliary Squadrons. fighters of ANo. 400 (City of Toronto) Squadron. Radio maintenance of these aircraft trained personnel. Shown here are Vampire is in charge of Clinton- -RCAF Photo exhibition games in the United Kingdom and on the Continent, the Flyers vier lauded es good- will ambassadors for Canada be- cause of their sportsmanlike con- duct both on and off the ice. Squadron Leader Harry Cobb, now stationed in Ottawa, won the Ontario light heavyweight box- ing title in 1926, and again in 1927. In the latter year he also won the Canadian championship. In ,the 1948 Summer Olympics Sgt. Morgan Plumb of Toronto, represented Canada in the light- weight wrestling division, and Sgt. Jim Vareleau, of Overbrooke Ont., broke the existing Olympic weightlifting record and gained points for Canada's Team. In line with its policy of stress- ing the importance of organized sports, a special sports coaches school has been established at Trenton, Ont, Men of all ranks and trades are posted to the school for courses in every sport, Graduates then return to their home stations where they assist in sport coaching in addition to their normal duties, It's 25th year finds the RCAF pressing forward in the skies. It finds it, too, keenly alive to the importance . of a healthy group of men who will do their best to maintain the standard of play established by their com- rades in the past quarter-century, stressing sportsmanship, team- work and competitive spirit. HURON MEMBER URGES BONUS U. A. PENSIONERS Thomas Pryde, Progressive ,Conservative member for Huron, went against Government policy in the Legislature recently when he advocated that the $1(Q, bonus be paid all old age pensioners.. "It should be paid right across the board." the member for Huron told the House in a speeeh which had all members alert es he advocated. what the Opposi- tion parties have been demand- ing ever since the House opened last February 10, Mr, Pryde also championed the cause of the University of West- ern Ontario es he pleaded for a higher grant from the province for this institution of higher learning. This year, Western will receive from the province $375,- 000, an increase of $25,000 over. last year. Mr. Pryde would like to see even a higher amount giv- en the university. Mr. Pryde termed the present pension. of $30 a month just a handout, and said he hoped the day would not be far distant when there would be a contribu- tory plan, making pensions pay- able to all old people in the province. "Let me say a word on behalf of the ,many thousands of tax- payers in this province who have worked hard all their lives to provide for their own old age," said Mr. Pryde. "Rural members know full well that our towns and villages are made up principally of re- tired farmers who gave up farm- ing, moved to town, and expect- ed to live on the interest derived from their We savings—in many instances less then $15,000. At present-day rates of interest, that is less than $450 per year. That is what many ptiople live on, augmented by some held from the farm and the produce of their gardens. Alongside of this aged couple, an old agepensioner and his wife may live, drawing any- where from $720 to $960 a year. "Believe me, I don't for one minute suggest that an old age pensioner gets sufficient to live on at $30 per month, end, per- sonally, I have no hesitation in asking the minister to consider an increase where circumstances require it, Must Keep Balance "What I went to emphasize is this," Mr. Pryde continued, with •a non-contributory plan, an even balance must be maintained be- tween those who pay and those who receive. "I ' am speaking on behalf of many thousands of our citizens who have labored hard through- out a lifetime to provide for their own old age and have denied themselves many things to save (Continued on Page Three) The Famous "Lanes'' in Peacetime the RCAF in the interests of peace. This n' wartime. bombing opeartions, is naw being used by The Lancaster, which earned' fame''o RCAF photo Lane is shown over the Arctic on a flight that is part of the vast aerial photo survey programme. Clinton -trained radio technic- ians are in charge of the maintenance of the radio equipment on these aircraft. The equip- ment is operated by radio officers who • alsotrained at Clinton. —RCAF Photo Young Canadians Well Trained The peacetime RCAF is busy training new pilots and other aircrew members, such as radio officers and radio navigators, who are trained at Clinton RCAF Station. Here is a young flight cadet being congratulated by his instructor at RCAF St'a'tion, Centralia, after his first solo flight. The flight cadet is one of many young men having begun their service careens since the war. —RCAF Photo 14111r//,' ppL,.il ,arra- '- RCAF SilverJubiiee 1924- 1949 oi deruiee to fclaetda APRR i., ZI HOTEL CLINTON W. G. COOK L. F. COOK Change in Telephone Service at Hensall C. B. Symonds, Bell Telephone manager, announces that instal- lation work in connection with the changeover of Hensel, ex- change from magneto to common battery is progressing. The new system, expected to be ready for service by mid-April, will elimi- nate necessity of turning a crank to signal the operator, who will receive an automatic signal when- ever anyone lifts the receiver. The new board, replacing the magneto switchboard, will have facilities to most estimated growth during the next few years. Modi- fication of the present band - crank telephones to operate dur- ing the changeover period is'ex- peeted to be completed Mareb 25, and, followingthe change -g over, theca will be replaced with modern sets. The project also involves changes in outside wire and cable facilities, end this work is now tinder way. The RCAF pauses on April 1, 1949, to note the Silver Jubilee of Canada's youngest fighting Ser- viee, and to look back over 25 years of accomplishments in peace and war that have helped to gain recognition for Canada around the globe. A tiny Force of somewhat over 300 when created on April 1st, 1924, the RCAF flew its aircraft, flimsy by today's standards, the length 'and breadth of Canada, much of its work of a. civilian nature, aimed at developing the North and aiding flying in gener- al. Through the grim depression years its members struggled to maintain for Canade the nucleus of an air . defence, should the need arise. Then, in the Second World War, the RCAF gre* to a Force of 215,000, playing a major share in the air battle against the enemy, Its 25th anniversary finds the RCAF working hard to build it- self up to a highly -trained, com- pact Force; capable of providing immediate interceptor air defence of Canada, and able to expand rapidly for more general operat- ions. Even before the RCAF es such was created, Canada's young men had won their spurs, having serv- ed by the thousands in the First World War, flying with the Royal Flying Corps, and with the Royal Naval Air Service, which amal- gamated in 1918 as the Royal Air Force. A Canadian Mr Force came in- to being in 1920, as a non -perm- anent, non-professional body, under the Air Board formed the year before. Then, in 1924, a per- manent Air Force —the RCAF — was created, Much of the Force's time was taken by photographic survey operations; anti -smuggling pat- rols, forest fire patrol, treaty money flights, fisheries patrols, and similar work, although as far as able the Force carried on nor- mal military training. Activities steadily increased during the next seven years. New bases were opened, more modern aircraft were obtained, replacing the war- time planes which the British government had given to Canada following the war's end, and mil. itary training increased, ass did the number of civilian operations carried out. Included in these operations were experimental air mail runs. Total strength rose from under 350 to over 900, and appropriations from Pk million dollars to neerly 71/2 million. Then carne the depression years, and the RCAF suffered severe cuts. Nearly one-fifth of its per- sonnel were released, and appro- priations dropped drastically. The Service survived, however, and began to build up once again. The first Auxiliary Squadrons were formed in 1932, in Toronto, Winn- ipeg and Vancouver, More milit- ary training was carried out, and the Force was relieved of many Civilian commitments. 13y the latter 30's the RCAF was showing new life, with ad- dition of new stations and more modern aircraft, and sharply in- creased appropriations. In 1938 the RCAF, for the first time, be- came an independent Service, directly under the Minister, with its own Chief of Air Staff: Be- fore this it had been under the Army Chief of General Staff, Outbreak of war found the RCAF with 4,000 officers and men, and no one could have fore- seen the tremendous part it was to play in the war against the enemy. Plans were made for the British Commonwealth Air gain- ing Plan, which opened in April, 1940, and it was decided that most of the Permanent RCAF would be needed et home to run it. However, one Army Co-operation Squadron No. 110 (City of To- ronto, arrived in England Feb- ruary 25, 1940. Four months later two more squadrons arriv- ed, No. 112 (City of Winnipeg) and No. 1 Fighter Squadron The latter, flying Hurricanes, fought in the Battle of Britain. The trickle of RCAF members arriving overseas soon became a flow, and more and more Canad- ian squadrons were formed. In January, 1943, the famed ail - Canadian Bomber Group came into being. Canadian squadrons, doing many jobs and flying in aifferent parts of the world, soon forged a magnificent record, Forty-eight RCAF squadrons flew overseas, while thousands of RCAF aircrew flew with the RAF. Canada's ,women played their part in the wartime RCAE, the Women's Division being created in July, 1941, end disbanding in December, 1946. Its members served with distinction, at home and overseas. A major factor in itself was the BCATP, which was administ- ered by the RCAF . and which trained over 131,000 Common- wealth aircrew, well over half of them Canadian. Now, in 'peace, the RCAF is in the latter stages of a programme alined at building up a Force capable of playing its part in defence of Canada and of Free- dom, should the need again arise. While building up as a modern military force, the Service con- tinues to play a big part in the development of Canada. Equipped with new 'aircraft, the photo survey squadrons are continuing, on a greatly expended scale, the work of covering Canada by aerial pictures. An extensive pest -war Search and Rescue or. ganization has saved numerous lives since the war, and has car- ried out hazardous operations in. to the Far Arctic that have brought world wide attention. The Service is busy training young Canadians to fly and navi- gate its aircraft, and thousands more are being taught the ground skills necessary to keep the planes flying. New aircraft are being obtained, and across Can- ada construction work is going ahead, on repair and extension of wartime stations and the building of married quarters. The RCAF is looking ahead, and it has little time, to glance backward. But on April 1 it does so, with justifiable pride, for stretching behind it is a proud record written in the pities through a quarter-century of service to Canada. 0 EXPLOSIVES TAKEN GODERICH—With the recov- ery of a number of sticks of dy- namite and detonators from a group of Goderich school boys, provincial police have concluded investigation of the removal of the explosives from a shack near the harbor. No charges were laid in connection with the case but parents of the boys concerned have been advised. H. C. "Tubby" Lawson Your Mutual Life Agent