Grostenquin, France

The following observations are made from the perception of a 20 year old LAC with one year experience in RCAF telecommunications. The dates that I quote are accurate because they relate to other private events in my life.

Gaston Dubé joined the RCAF in September 1950. After basic training at Station Aylmer, English language training at Trenton and Teletype Operator training at 1 R&CS Clinton, I was posted to RCAF Station Whitehorse YT with the Telecom Section.

In early August 52, a message came from AFHQ posting me to 2 FWHQ. The Orderly room knew that it was overseas but no one knew exactly where. I left Whitehorse for 30 days leave with my family near Québec city. While on leave, I read in the papers that Canada, as member of NATO, was sending RCAF fighter squadrons to France and Germany. It was very exciting to be part of this operation. I received instructions by mail to report to #1 Personnel Reception Centre RCAF Station Lachine on 10 September for overseas processing. Included with the instructions were a boat ticket on the Greek Line ship "SS Columbia" ($104.00) and train tickets for rail travel in France. Also, instructions to report to the Embarkation Unit at the CNR station in Montreal, where they would handle my baggage that I would not need for the trip.

I reported to 1 PRC on 10 September and met with other airmen buddies who were also posted to 2 FWHQ. We filled out many forms, exchanged some clothing items at Supply, received inoculations against every known disease, and were paid bundles of money. We even had to get travellers cheques. All this attention made us feel sort of special.

On 18 September, 118 of us were taken to the Montreal Dockyard to board the SS Columbia. At a muster parade in the dining room, we find out that there's no officer with us, and the man in charge would be F/S Dunn. For his trouble, he was assigned a first class cabin. We didn’t see him the whole trip except for the time he came to take care of an airman who was drunk and had lost all his money in a card game!

The 16,000 tonnes ship looked pretty big on the St. Lawrence river, but on the North Atlantic in late September, it was bouncing around like a cork for about 5 days of the 10 days crossing. Most of us were seasick, but some of us were sicker than others. During my leave, I had developed sore gums and I didn’t mention it at PRC Lachine, for fear they would cancel my posting. So I was not able to eat all of the good food that was served on board the ship during the 10 days crossing.

We finally arrived at Cherbourg France on Saturday 27 September. Because they were painting the piers, the Columbia anchored about a mile out and we were taken ashore in a small ferry boat, and our luggage was to follow later.

After our luggage was unloaded ashore, we boarded a train for Paris, where we spent Saturday night and Sunday. Some of the airmen looked like old sailors on liberty! On Monday, we had another 6 hour train ride to Faulquemont via Metz, and a short bus ride to finally arrive at RCAF Station Grostenquin, the future home of 2 Fighter Wing.

Having left Whitehorse over a month ago, I was glad to finally reach my destination, and I was quite impressed with my posting so far.

It was dark and it was raining. The streets were not paved, and there was mud all over. One of the buses was spinning it's wheels and almost got stuck in the mud. There were a few buildings under construction. We were taken to a building that was to become the Construction Engineering section. This was to be our mess hall until the permanent one was built. We had all been given a living-out allowance advance before we left 1 PRC Lachine, as we were expected to be living out for about a month.

Surprise – surprise! W will be living in barracks and eat our meals in the Mess Hall. It was just as well, because after three days in Paris, most of us had dipped in our living-out allowance. The food is American and it is rationed. Everyone got one slice of meat, mashed potatoes, a spoonful of vegetables, gravy and that's it. No one got seconds. There is limited water to drink, and there is beer and milk. We were told there would be a muster parade the next morning. We went to barracks where our kit bags had been delivered. We were assigned four per room in double bunks. We quickly found out there was no water coming out of any taps. There was no heat and it was cold and damp in the barracks. We were issued three blankets each. I went to bed tired and still hungry.

The next morning, we're on muster parade in front of one of the Supply buildings. We were briefed by the Chief Admin Officer, Wing Commander Walsh. He's wearing a clear plastic coat over his Air Force raincoat, and farmer's rubber boots. He welcomes us and tells us that we are the advance party to prepare the station for the arrival of the aircraft and the main contingent. We have a big job ahead of us and he tells us to keep healthy and dry. We were detailed to report to different sections of the station, and most of us will not be working in our respective trades. Ten of us were assigned to the Mess Hall and we were marched off, not very happy about it. It didn’t take us long to realize we had a nice job. The work was indoors and we were dry. We served food and cleaned the tables and the dining room. We worked between 6 am and 6 p.m. for 9 days and then got 3 days off.

In the Mess Hall – we boiled water for drinking, and we were able to sneak a bite now and then. We also ate before the crowd came in for meals. The second day, I was assigned to serve approximately 10 officers in a small room. I was mostly my own boss. It was easy, because there was only one choice and no one was allowed seconds. This job was pretty good, and I was never hungry again.

I went on sick parade and the MO gave me some capsules to break and spread over my soup. It cured my sore gums almost immediately.

The station is in full construction. The supply buildings are finished, but there are no doors yet. So the French Air Force "Police Militaire" is guarding the buildings. The hangars are also under construction, and crews are busy reinforcing the hangar line pavement with upstanding four foot logs under layers of crushed rocks. In front of our barracks, the operations building is beginning to take shape. There are many construction workers around, and there are Algerians doing the dirty work. They are poorly dressed, many of them in old French Army uniforms. They eat and live on the station somewhere but not with us. There are a few French Army and Air force officers, but I don't know what they're doing.

The Sgt. in charge of Central Warehouse secured a small building where there were large empty crates and small boxes to sit on We were able to buy sundries, soft drinks and beer. Also, we were able to buy rubber boots at $3.00 a pair. The streets are still not paved, and it seems to rain every day. The two barracks still have no heat or water. We used garbage cans to collect rain water to wash and shave. Instead of wearing shirts, most airmen are wearing sweaters under our new work dress (battle dress) uniforms. No one dares wear their dress uniforms (the old woolly uniform). Some crews brought Herman Nelson heaters near the barracks, similar to the ones I had seen in Whitehorse to heat up engines of aircraft parked outside during winter. From the heaters there were canvas ducts stretched into the barrack hallways, and if we left our door opened, we had a little heat coming in our room. If your room was too far from the door, you didn’t get any heat. We had to keep an eye on the canvas duct because someone was always bringing it in their room for quick heat. We were able to write home and the Warehouse Sgt. mailed our letters in nearby Faulquemont.

After a few days, we knew each other better, and it was a good feeling to be working together towards the preparation of the station. Everything we do is noticeable right away and most airmen are very resourceful. We are getting familiar with local conditions and money. One of my friends found the "Arabs' canteen" and was able to buy cheap French wine. It was not that good but it warmed us up and helped us fall asleep.

The first day the water was turned on, there was an immediate line up at the showers, even though it was only cold water. An officer came in the barracks and told us to turn off the taps, because there was only enough water to wash the dishes. So we were back to rain water. Eventually the water was turned on for one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening. If you happened to be working when the water was turned on, you had to rely on a buddy to fill a can or a bucket.

The second day of my days off, I went to Metz on an Air Force bus. We left the Station at 6 p.m. to return on the bus leaving Metz at 1030 p.m.. There were small villages and towns along the way In this area, farmers built their houses at the back of their farms and the barn in the front, with the manure piles near the road. Everyone had their own idea why the manure was in front, but no one knew for sure. Anyway, it did not smell very good. There was no trace of demolished buildings, but many barns and houses had bullet holes and bricks chipped off. In Metz, we had time to walk around, go to a show and have a couple of beers. The restaurants have limited menus but the food is good. We are just learning the value of French francs, and American Forces script. The Script is worth the same as US dollars with denominations of 10, 5 and 1 dollar; and are used by American and Canadian forces for purchases at military stores. One US dollar is worth 350 French francs. More specifically, a beer in Metz costs 40 French francs. Although we are in civilian clothes, the French waiters recognize our French-Canadian accents. There are many American soldiers around town, and also many French Army and Air Force personnel. The US Air Force has communications facilities in the hills near Metz, and the US Army is located at Collin Caserne, about four miles away. I managed to go to Metz three times.

Back at Grostenquin, the civilian contractor is located in a house built outside the main gate. His staff occupied most of the rooms. The new CO and other senior officers are all in one room, along with one teletype machine, operated by a Cpl. Roy Pannel and Sgt Roberts.

After my days off, all communications personnel had a muster parade in a room of the barracks. Squadron Leader TJB Robinson, a Telecom Officer from 1 Air Division Headquarters in Paris, briefed us on the future communications installations, and assigned us to different jobs. Because I could speak French, I was sent to the unfinished Operations building to see the French Post Telegraph Telephone (PTT) contractor who was installing the switchboard. He taught me how to operate it and by the end of the day, there were six telephone numbers in operation.

The Wing Operations building was still a shell, shaped like a T, and there were no doors or windows. Construction workers built the walls of the switchboard room, and put in a window and a door that same day. This switchboard is sort of primitive. Instead of lights to indicate that someone is calling, there is a metal clip that drops and reveals the jack, and we hang it up and unplug the wires when the caller hangs up. I was the first and only telephone operator on the station. At 5 p.m., I locked the door and went for supper, then I went to barracks. Around 7 p.m., S/L Robinson came to get me in the barracks and told me to go back to the switchboard and stay there the night. The switchboard was the only contact outside the station. Before 10 p.m., a crew came in with a lunch for me, a bed and blankets, and a small Herman Nelson heater. It was the first night that I wasn't cold. I slept like a log. Next morning, someone came to relieve me, and I showed him how to operate the board. Another airman worked evening and midnight shifts. From then on, we got a shift going, and I started the first station telephone book. with a pencil and some paper! People called and asked for a designated position or section, and we had to look up the number. Before that, I didn't record anything. Numbers are now added every day and soon the board was full with 60 numbers. I thought it would be the end, but they brought in another board with another sixty numbers which was eventually filled.

2 Fighter Wing consisted of three squadrons, each with 25 Sabre jet aircraft. The Sabre jets, built by Canadair in Montreal, were considered one of the best fighter aircraft available at that time. I had only heard of the new aircraft, and I was anxious to see them. They were flown from Canada to France via Iceland, Scotland and North Luffenham England, the home of 1 Fighter Wing, where they assembled for the last leg to 2 Fighter Wing Grostenquin France.

The aircraft were scheduled to arrive in early October 1952. The station was buzzing with activity. Seventy-six reporters and photographers from many countries were on the station to report on their arrival.

I was working a day shift at the switchboard. The Chief Operations Officer called and told me to keep his telephone connected with the Control Tower operations. When I listened on the line, I could hear everything being said on the tower speaker. Not just the landing instructions from the tower controllers, but also the pilots acknowledging the instructions on their final approach to the airfield. From my window at the switchboard, I could see a part of the runway between two hangars, just enough to see the sleek aircraft landing. They looked like silver darts flashing by, with the Canadian flag on the tail, the RCAF Roundel and the red maple leaf. I couldn’t make out what the crests were. It seemed they were landing at short intervals of each other, but according to the tower radio, they were landing less than one minute apart. Once they reached the end of the runway, they were guided to the hangar line by airmen driving jeeps with "FOLLOW ME" signs. They were lined up by squadrons in front of their respective hangars. The reporters were busy around the aircraft and the pilots. I did not get a chance to go and see them that day, because after the Press and VIPs were finished the official welcome, they were taken to the hangars for treats, and the aircraft were cordoned off by Air Force Police. When I finished work that day, I felt really proud to be an airman on this RCAF station.

It was almost three weeks later that we saw Canadian and American newspapers and magazines with stories and pictures of the arrival of the Canadian RCAF squadrons on the European Continent. All spoke highly of the Canadian built fighter jet, and the highly trained pilots. The reporters said that they were served the best food of all NATO troops. Sometime after, LIFE magazine cover carried a picture of S/L Lévesque, who had downed the first Russian/Chinese MIG in the Korean war, with an RCAF Sabre aircraft. I understand he was to be posted to 2 Wing later.

Shortly after the arrival of the Sabres, my work at the switchboard came to an end as Fighter Control Operators replaced us. I went to work on shift as Teletype Operator at the Communications Centre, which was located in a room of the barracks. We were operational 24 hours a day, and were connected to the Relay at 1 Air Division HQ in Paris. Communications were difficult in that we had no automatic Transmitter Distributors (TD) , and we had to send all messages by hand using some old teletype machine, with letters laid out differently on the keyboards. Further more, the PTT lines were unreliable, and we had two or three power failures daily. During the outages, we had to transmit and receive messages by telephone, under the light of a coal oil lantern.

Most airmen I knew worked long hours and sometimes under tough, dirty and wet conditions. But morale was good and the mess hall was always noisy with greetings for old friends who had just arrived, and with laughter at some of the experience we had that day. The station became known as the "GROS TIN CAN".

On 11 November 1952, many of us were sent to Metz to form a RCAF Squadron and march in the Remembrance day parade. We paraded with contingents of the French Air Force, French Army, US Air Force and US Army. There were two military bands in the parade, and one of them was marching in front of us. When we marched past the largest crowd along the parade route, people were clapping and shouting so loud that we could hardly hear the band. This was the first time that Canadian Forces participated in Remembrance Day ceremonies in France since WWII. The spectators along the parade route were obviously pleased that we were back in France as members of NATO. This warm welcome made all of us feel very proud to be Canadians and would be remembered by all for years to come. After the parade, we were guests at the Mess of a French Army camp at the town square of Rue Serpenoise.

I was working on a Sunday evening in November, when Sgt. Roberts, the NCO i/c Commcen came in to see me. He had just returned from 1 Air Division Headquarters in Paris. Apparently, since they went on 24 hours/day, their Communication Centre was so short-staffed they couldn't even take leave. He asked if I'd like to go on Temporary Duty (TD) and help them for a while. I asked "when do I leave?" He said as soon as I could get organized to go. I was the only one going. The following day, I ran around and got my claim authorized, got a travelling and TD advance and left for Faulquemont to catch the noon train to Metz and on to Paris. I was actually surprised at how little time it took me to get organized.

I arrived in Paris sometime after supper, and went to the hotel Chambige, near Air Division HQ, which was located at 35 Avenue Montaigne. I went to work the next day and found out that the Communications Centre was located in what used to be a shower room, and the tiles were still on the walls. The Commcen processed messages for the HQs 24/7, as well as relaying messages for 2FWHQ; Allied Forces Central Europe HQ (AFCENT) in Fontainebleau; and RAF Stanbridge in England for messages destined to Canada, 1FWHQ in North Luffenham and 30 Air Material Base (our Canadian supply base) in Langar England. All manual transmissions, with different teletype machines: a French machine, an American machine and an Italian machine.

My stay in Paris was enjoyable to say the least and the experience I got at the Comm Centre/Relay served me well for the rest of my career.

Sometime in February 1953, F/Sgt. Fred Ryback, Corporals Ted Ogilvie and Vern Wilson and myself went to 2 Wing for 4 days to set up and operate a Communications Relay centre for Exercise "Grande Alliance". This was the first exercise that 1 Air Div participated in NATO since arriving on the continent. We were connected with 2 and 3 Wings, 4 ATAF HQ, the French Air Force and AFCENT HQ. Air Commodore Hudson also came from Air Div HQ to oversee operations. Communications conditions had not changed much but we were more experienced. We even had a generator which we used during two power failures. Grostenquin was looking more like an operational station. The Comm Centre was now operating in the new Operations building, across the hall from the switchboard. Other buildings were completed and the new Mess Hall was much larger than the first temporary one, but it was just as noisy and full of good humour. We had to take off our boots at the door. After our return to Paris, we received good reports for our participation.

Four of us went to Metz in early April 1953 to set up the Communications/Relay centre required for the move of the HQs. Except for the Chateau-de-Mercy, the barn, the gate house and the old chapel, there was construction everywhere. I was getting used to work in new environments. I was still officially on TD from 2 FWHQ, and sometime in May, I was finally posted to 1 Air Div HQ. I remained there until September 1955 and was posted to Station Lac St. Denis, north of Montreal.

During my stay in Metz, I had the opportunity to return to 2 Wing and also visit the three other Wings. Even though they were situated in more accessible locations and in most beautiful country side and with all the comforts, life there never quite compared to the good times and the high morale that I felt at 2 Fighter Wing Grostenquin.