9900 YYEEAARRSS AANNDD CCOOUUNNTTIINNGG THE HISTORY OF CANADIAN MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS Captain John A. MacKenzie Canadian Forces Communications and Electronics MUSEUM UPDATED: 25 September, 1995 THE HISTORY OF THE COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS BRANCH CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 IN THE BEGINNING 1867 - 1913. Early communications requirements and activities, the Yukon Telegraph Service, the Canadian Engineers Signal Service and its development. CHAPTER 2 THE BIRTH OF THE CANADIAN SIGNALLING CORPS. Formation of the Canadian Signalling Corps and developments from 1903 to 1913, the lead up to World War One. CHAPTER 3 WORLD WAR ONE 1914 - 1918. The military communications events and important dates during the war. CHAPTER 4 BETWEEN THE WARS 1919 - 1939. Evolution of early military communications, the North West Territories and Yukon Radio System, the Forestry Service, Mapping and Charting, the birth of RCAF Signals and early RCN shore stations. Preparations for war. CHAPTER 5 WORLD WAR TWO 1939 - 1945. Canadian communications and important events during the war. CHAPTER 6 THE COLD WARRIORS 1946 - 1989. North Atlantic Treaty Organization participation, United Nations operations and Canadian communications development since World War Two, integration of the Canadian Forces, the new C & E Branch. CHAPTER 7 TOWARD A NEW WORLD (DIS)ORDER 1989 - . The collapse of the Warsaw Pact, Canadian military downsizing as part of the "Peace Dividend", peace keeping and peace making in a destabilized world. ANNEX A PEACEKEEPING MISSIONS Summary of United Nations and other related peace keeping missions. ANNEX B DIEPPE RAID PARTICIPANTS Summary of Signals participants in the raid of 19 August 1942. ANNEX C WORLD WAR II GROUND RADAR Early Developments. Defence of Canada in the Pacific, Atlantic and Saint Lawrence River areas. The Canadian Radar Group in Australia ANNEX D KATAKANA CODE The phonetic morse code used to send Japanese signals in World War II ANNEX E THE KHAKI TELCO North West Territories and Yukon Radio System commercial operations 1923 - 1959 ANNEX F POST WORLD WAR II RADAR IN DEFENCE OF CANADA 1 The CADIN- Pinetree, Mid-Canada and DEW Line systems ANNEX G C & E EVENTS BY MONTH ANNEX H BRANCH TOASTS 2 DEDICATED TO THOSE WHO WENT BEFORE That their accomplishments may never be forgotten and That the lessons they learned may always be remembered. 3 ABOUT THIS HISTORY This history, still under development, is produced as an abbreviated record of the Communications and Electronics Branch of the Canadian Forces, its predecessors and related defence electronics industries. It has been designed as a ready reference and to support other, more detailed, histories pertaining to specific areas of military C & E history. It has been compiled by: Author: Capt J.A. MacKenzie Director C&E Museum Contributors: Capt D.M. Brien Former C & E Home Station Adjutant Sgt K.W. Brown C & E Branch Kit Shop Supervisor CWO J.C. Browne 1 CMBG HQ & Signal Squadron Mrs M.F. Chambers Former CFSCE Chief Librarian Maj F. Fillion Former C & E Branch Secretariat Mrs L. Grantham Directorate of History Ottawa MWO D.R. Hildebrand Curator C & E Museum Mrs C. Imeson LaSalle Secondary School WO J. Juteau SSF Signal Squadron Historian Mrs C. Kellins LaSalle Secondary School Sgt R.A. Koopman Air Force Telecommunications Association Pte J.A. MacKenzie Reserve Electronic Warfare Squadron Mrs E.S. McArthur LaSalle Secondary School WO1 S.A.E. Reading (Retired) MCpl E.A. Sketcher Former 1 CDHSR Historian Col P.H. Sutton C & E Museum Senior Researcher Mrs C. Wartman CFSCE Librarian/Archivist Cpl L.A. Watson Reserve EW Squadron Use of this history is subject to the following conditions: a. this history may be used, copied or reproduced in its entirety or in part for educational purposes without further permission of the author; b. this history may not be copied, reproduced or published in its entirety or in part for commercial purposes without the written permission of the author; and c. the Canadian Forces Communications and Electronics Museum must be given credit as the source of the information in any copy of this history. Personal copies of the latest version of this History may be obtained in Word Perfect Version 5.1 (IBM compatible) format on computer diskette from the Museum. There is a charge of $5.00 per copy to cover the cost of the diskette and postage / handling costs. Persons visiting the Museum who provide their own diskette may (subject to computer and staff availability) receive a copy free of charge. A 3.5 inch 2 MB diskette is required (the History file is currently 1.35 Megabytes). 4 OTHER RECOMMENDED READING THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN CORPS OF SIGNALS 1903 - 1961 John S. Moir Queens Printers 1962 The evolution of the Signal Corps from inception to 1961 THE HISTORY OF THE CORPS OF ROYAL CANADIAN ENGINEERS Volume 1 AJ Kerney/WA McDill Military Engineers Association of Canada A superior history of World War I Army Communications. Engineers provided divisional and higher Signals CONCISE LINEAGES OF THE CANADIAN ARMY 1855 - DATE Charles H. Stewart 1982 A summary (including a short history) of current and former units and corps THE CREATION OF A NATIONAL AIR FORCE ISBN 0-8020-2584-6 W.A.B. Douglas Supply & Services Canada 1986 The RCAF from the early 1920s to the end of World War II HERITAGE OF CANADA ISBN 0-88850-125-0 Hugh Dufour THE SIGNAL SERVICE IN THE EUROPEAN WAR OF 1914 TO 1918 R.F. Priestly Overview of World War I British Empire (including Canadian) communications ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS Mitchell Publishing Co 1978 History of the allied British Signal Corps THE ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS MGen R.F.H. Nalder History of the allied British Signal Corps THE CANADIANS AT WAR 1939/45 2nd Edition ISBN 0-88850-145-5 Readers Digest 1986 A good general history of World War II THE HISTORY OF BRITISH ARMY SIGNALS IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR MGen R.F.H. Nalder Gale & Polder MAPLE LEAF UP MAPLE LEAF DOWN Peter Simonds Island Press Cooperative Inc 1946 An early, well balanced, overview of the European theatre by a Signals Captain who served there THE ULTRA SECRET ISBN 0-06-014678-8 F.W. Winterbotham Harper & Row Code Breaking efforts in World War II CAMP X ISBN 0-88619-126-2 Davis Stafford Lester & Orpen Dennys 1986 5 Canada's School for Secret Agents 1941-44, the HYDRA radio station, the Corby Case THE CODE BREAKERS Davis Kahn Cracking of enemy codes and ciphers in World War II 6 OTHER RECOMMENDED READING BODYGUARD OF LIES ISBN 06-01-05615 Anthony Cave Brown Fitzhenry & Whiteside The Allied Deception plan of World War II THE GENERALS ISBN 0-7737-2730-2 J.L. Granatstein Stoddard 1993 Canada's senior leaders in World War II DIEPPE ISBN 0-07-551385-4 BGen Denis Whitacker McGraw-Hill Ryerson An excellent overview of the unsuccessful attack on 1942 Dieppe LINE CLEAR FOR UP TRAINS ISBN 0-919316-99-9 Allin John Mandar Museum Restoration Service 1991 Includes the Lines of Communications Signal Unit which supported the railway services THE RADAR MECHANICS' SECRET WAR 1940 - 1945 G. Richard Moule G. Richard Moule 1993 Personal stories primarily from the European theatre by former radar mechanics UMTY - IDDY - UMTY (The Story of a Canadian Signaller in the First World War) ISBN 0-919822-47-9 William G. Ogilvie The Boston Mills Press 1982 The experiences of an artillery signaller through training and war service overseas THE RCAF AS SEEN FROM THE GROUND 1939 - 1945 ISBN 0-920002-32-3 THE RCAF AS SEEN FROM THE GROUND 1946 - 1953 ISBN 0-920002-33-1 THE RCAF AS SEEN FROM THE GROUND 1954 - 1966 ISBN 0-920002-38-2 Alexander Velleman Canadian Wings Inc Personal experiences from the seldom recognised viewpoint of non-aircrew A MAN CALLED INTREPID ISBN 0-15-156795-6 William Stevenson Ballentine 1976 Sir William Stephenson's involvement in clandestine operations in World War II INTREPID'S LAST CASE ISBN 0-345-30091-2 William Stevenson Ballentine 1983 The defection of Igor Gouzenko in 1946 and the early Cold War THE EAVESDROPPERS ISBN 0-644-22303-0 Jack Bleakley Australian Government Publishing Service 1992 The World War II SIGINT battle from a Royal Australian Air Force perspective THE CANADIAN PEACEKEEPER ISBN 0-919431-55-0 Col John Gardam General Store Publishing Summary of post World War II Canadian involvement in United Nations and International Commissions IN DIRECT TOUCH WITH THE WIDE WORLD ISBN 0-9696218-0-X Dianne Green NorthwesTel Inc 1992 7 Telecommunications in the North 1865 - 1992 MARCHPAST OF THE CANADIAN ARMY PAST AND PRESENT ISBN 0-9695421-0-0 G.W. Hughes G.W. Hughes Calgary 1993 The most comprehensive Lineage of the Canadian Army produced to date 8 OTHER RECOMMENDED READING THE DRAGON AND THE MAPLE LEAF ISBN 0-9698086-0-7 Marjorie Wong Pirie Publishing 1994 Chinese Canadians in World War II ATHENE ISBN 0-9691492-0-4 W. Hugh Conrod Writing and Editorial Services 1983 The Canadian Women's Army Corps, Thier Story. Many performed Signals duties THE WINGED WHEEL PATCH ISBN 0-9220277-85-3 Max Burns - Ken Messenger 1993 A history of the Canadian military motorcycle and rider THE FALL OF HONG KONG Tim Carew Anthony Blond Limited 1961 The story of the defenders of World War II Hong Kong SIX WAR YEARS 1939 - 1945 ISBN 0-385-05814-4 Barry Broadfoot Doubleday Canada Limited 1974 Memories of Canadians at home and abroad DAYS OF VICTORY ISBN 0-7715-7301-4 Ted Barris - Alex Barris MacMillan Canada 1995 Memories and experiences of Canadians during World War II 9 EVOLUTION OF THE C & E BRANCH Yukon Telegraph Service 1898 ║ Corps of Guides Canadian Signalling Corps Canadian Engineers │ 1