Wireless of the Week - week 17

[Jon Skagfeld]

Bruce is currently (like right now!) displaying most of the above radio sets in a modular tentage set up along the flight line at Camp Borden as part of the 100th anniversary of both the RCAF and the Signal Corps.

Attendance was very good, however weather was not favourable for some flight demonstrations. Skyhawks got cancelled on Saturday due to high winds (wow, did the winds ever batter our modulars!). And battered it did get when a CF18 screamed directly overhead...ear splitting.

The Signal Corps display was under the auspices of the Hamilton Signals Association, with Bruce providing a display of WW II "portable" manpack radios.

In addition, a variety of vintage Signals equipment was on display. Two chaps were dressed in WWI khaki as Signal Officers, two WLCs,such as Signal Corps DRs would ride, were parked outside the mods. There were heliographs, a UC 10 switchboad hooked up to a TA43/PT with kids could talk back and forth with.

A long time member of MLU as well as OMVA, and Ferret Club, was Frank von Rosenstiel. He was appointed 2 i/c of the exercise and did a commendable job in getting things together. (Maybe he should have been LOG instead of RCEME...OK, it's a joke.)

He arranged for a CUCV MRT, a CUCV Line truck, and a CUCV cargo truck (used for shuttle services) all in support of the display.

Parenthetically, if any of you have served in Borden in the past and visit now, you will be amazed (perhaps dismayed) at the changes.

There must have been millions upon millions of bucks spent to create the new infrastructure. If you are an "ol' timer", guiding yourself around is a lost cause...the old landmarks that you used to know just ain't there!