1 Air Division

The following detail has been extracted from the Historical Narrative, 1 Air Division Headquarters, Period from 1 Dec 57 to 31 May 58.

31 May 58

The Improvement of the Operational Control Elements of 1 Air Division

During the past two years, numerous attempts have been made to obtain a suitable dispersal site which would accommodate 1 Air Division Rear HQ facilities and personnel. Ouvrage de Mont, near Pange, has been made available to the RCAF for an unlimited period for this purpose. This site, however, requires considerable renovation and development; the cost of telecommunications alone, to give this site the capability to assume the function of the Ops HQ, should the latter be destroyed by war, makes it doubtful if this project is feasible.

The visit to 1 Air Division by the ground defence team from AFHQ during Apr and May resulted in a changed outlook as far as dispersal is concerned. The "new" look emphasized the need for protection from nuclear fallout in addition to protection from blast and thermal effects. The fallout would result not only from local nuclear attacks but also from nuclear attacks throughout the whole of the Central-European area.

In light of the new emphasis on the need for protection against fallout for personnel required for the conduct of the war, a study has been undertaken to determine if, and to what extent, the operational elements of the 1 Air Division HQ complex need to be relocated or located, so that the command and control of 1 Air Division Forces may be exercised under conditions of conventional attack, nuclear blast, and/or nuclear fallout. It is expected that this study will be completed during the fall of 1958.