Comox

[Bruce MacMillan]

Hi Robert,

Speaking of Comox I was going through some photos my father had taken during WW2. He served with the RCN and was stationed at Comox in 1942. I wonder if any of these buildings survived. I believe they were on Goose Spit. Google Earth just shows rooftops.

At the time he was there this was known as HMCS Naden III. It was a training facility for Combined Operations. Could explain where his Fairbairn Sykes knife came from.

Seems to be a lot of Braid about that day.

cheers,
Bruce

[Grant Bowker]

My guess about the buildings on Goose Spit is "some may possibly remain". There are definitely H Huts both on Goose Spit and at CFB Comox. My (faulty?) memory of Comox is 2 storey H huts and the shadows on Google at Goose Spit look shorter than those in Comox, suggesting single storey at Goose Spit. I don't see an obvious match for the smaller buildings...

[Jes Andersen]

I have a few pictures of the old camp taken in the mid '60s. Lots of good memories of cadet summer training at HMCS Quadra in those days.
The 'H' huts you see today in the eastern part of the camp were built from prefabs in the early '70s. I think they came from out east out of some war stores. Looking a google today, the most of the original buildings are gone, except possibly for 2 that border what was the parade square. These were originally built in an 'E' configuration, with the mess hall and kitchen on the north end. It looks like the mess hall and kitchen are gone, as well as the NE wing of the barracks. There are many new structures, none of which can identify.

For those that are not familiar with Goose Spit, it was only water access from the Comox jetty until in the late '60s or early '70s when a road was constructed along the narrow part of the Spit, now a regional park. Before the road, everything to support the camp came by water, loaded by hand at the Comox jetty. At one time, there was a 1000 yd range with butts at the east end and firing points built on raised berms. These were supported by large concrete walls. When the road was built, the butts were demolished and one by one the firing points have been removed.

The RCAF had crash boats stationed at the HMCS Quadra jetty and still operate out of that location. One of my recollections was sailing on Baynes Sound and seeing Neptune A/S aircraft coming out from the Comox airbase. The area has lots of history, both naval and army.

In nearby Courtenay, a camp and training area operated during WW2. I have seen pictures of landing craft rafted up at a government dock in a channel off the Puntledge River. These were apparently used to train crews for beach landing operations. Just south of Goose Spit is an island, now a Marine Park which at one time, had steel observation spotting towers and barbed wire installation all over the place. The sandbars in that area were used for naval bombardment, with the ships shelling from out in Georgia Strait. The area came to the attention of the Forces when two high school students discovered a mortar round in an undeveloped area next to the nearby High School and were killed when it exploded. This whole area had been part of the ranges for the Courtenay Camp. As a result, soldiers were sent to do a complete sweep of the old range and camp areas, and also the naval impact area. During that July, one of the lowest tides in many years occurred and revealed literally tons of shells, hidden by the tides and sand since WW2. A large quantity were destroyed and the area cleaned of all remaining military structures.

If anyone has any pictures to add from those days, it would be great if they could be posted here. I've seen some over the years but can't recall where anymore.

Edit: I found a collection of relatively current pictures of the buildings on Goose Spit. The original buildings seen in the background of one of the photos was part of the single level 'E' shaped quarters that still existed in the later '70s. The new pictures show them gone and one of the wings has been replaced by a 2 story building, likely accommodation. All the other buildings that I recall, are no longer there and many new structures have expanded the camp from its original Post WW2 layout.

The Courtenay Army Camp is was actually called the Sandwick Army Camp and there was another set of barracks at what is now Lewis Park near the slough that the landing craft were tied up in, off the river. All this information was gleaned from the local museum website and another dedicated to the HMCS Quadra sea cadet camp.

[Robert Bergeron]

Bruce , Grant and Jes,

Thank you for your posts. Very informative.

I went for a hop for you this morning and took some pictures that you might enjoy of HMCS Quadra as it is called today..

Here they are.. The gate sign, the aerial view from an Aurora, the H Huts Jes alluded to, the old WW2 storeroom and a great view of the Warf with the 2 current RCAF rescue ( yellow ) boats. They are also used for the Sea Training of the aircrew.

The 1 st Special Service Force ( 1 SSF ) was garrisoned in Nanaimo and Courtenay at one time at the beginning of the War in the Pacific. Training was conducted in Courtenay with landing craft for the upcoming operation Cottage in the Aleutians ( Kiska Island ) Alaska against the Japanese. There are remnants and souvenirs of the passage of the Force around here. Sykes- Fairbairn or the V-46 fighting knive and a few artifacts found at the nice museum in Nanaimo are some examples.

I did a paper in Staff College on the Force so I got to read up a lot on them and got to appreciate the extreme circumstances of their employment and heroism in Italy notably and later in France .

Anyway, keep it coming , I would love hearing more from people with local experience.

PS. I don't know if someone noticed but in Bruce's pictures there are very high ranking Naval Flag officers there.... with an Aide de Camp Lieutenant ( N ) following dutifully.

[Robert Bergeron]

A very big affair . A Combined Operations thing , one of the very first of the Second World War. Amphibious , Forward Air Support , Naval Gunfire .

Canada had a whole Brigade involved. I knew a gentleman . Mr. Pelletier from Sherbrooke Qc were I am from , that participated.

He had enlisted as an NCM in Le Régiment the Hull to participate in that one . He eventually was combat promoted to an officer commission in Europe and later became the CO of my former Militia Regiment , The Sherbrooke Fusiliers after the war.

As it turned out , the Japs had left when the Combined Forces arrived . The only casualties were from friendly fire in the fog.
It is still used in Staff College as an example of the employment of a Joint Force at the Operational Level.

The 1 st special Service Force was the Special Forces component of a conventional amphibious Force during Op Cottage . They were charged with capturing certain C2 points ( Command and control ) but ultimately they encountered no opposition.

Initial training of the force was in St- Helena Montana . The beach landing training was done here.
It was a big thing at the time and it is still a big thing today and it all started in and around Courtenay BC .

They were the first. today's Canadian Special Operations Forces ( SOF ) are the direct descendants and have made theirs the symbol representing the 1 SSF, the V-42 fighting knife.

It is a big deal in my view. A very big deal.We do have a military history and it is worth telling.

Cheers.

[Jes Andersen]

Here are a couple of pictures dated 2004 of the Goose Spit buildings and surrounding area. These were taken off a web site that has years of the Quadra cadet camp photos. The rest can be viewed here:
https://cadetsbc.smugmug.com/HMCSQua...f-HMCS-QUADRA/

[Bruce MacMillan]

Originally Posted by Robert Bergeron

Bruce , Grant and Jes,
PS. I don't know if someone noticed but in Bruce's pictures there are very high ranking Naval Flag officers there.... with an Aide de Camp Lieutenant ( N ) following dutifully.

The fellow with the glasses looks like Vice-Admiral Percy Nelles, Chief of Naval Staff.

[Robert Bergeron]

Jes, Terry , Bruce, thanks for the great comments and info.

Jes & Terry : The Pinetree line website still exists and it is alive and well . It is now hosted by the Jimmy Museum in Kingston. I will try to find the link for you but I have been on it several times over the last year or so..

Bruce : Brilliant . That's the guy. Now , why would the Chief of Naval Staff drop in on such a little , remote and relatively unknown Naval installation do you think ? Remember that at the time the site could only be reached by boat as there was no causeway . Suggestions ?

The MLU site is fantastic for this kind of stuff.

[Robert Bergeron]

This is not a particularly good picture but it is my picture. I took it from the right side of the cockpit of the Aurora.

It shows how relatively remote HMCS Quadra is. During WW2 there was no causeway, no link to shore . All material and personnel had to be ferried over. So secrecy could be relatively preserved for whatever training was being conducted here.

Directly West is Comox proper with Courtenay due South. North , across the Straight is Powell River but that's far.

How do we learn more ? I think the 1st SSF is involved in the answer.

Bruce , dare I say again that you were brilliant in finding that picture ( Chief of Naval Staff ) ? Brilliant.