rcaf gander base - sep 1943

8/7/2019 RCAF Gander Base - Sep 1943

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THE

"

AUG U ST-S EPT EMB ER, 1943


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Tti~ f34J ...[)~l2Published through the kind permission of Group Captain C. L.Annis, in the interest of the personnel of R.C.A.F. Station,Gander, Newfoundland.

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER,1943

THE STAFF

Edit-r-in-Chief _. . .. .__. . . ... .F/Lt. M. C. P. MacIntosh

Edi tor . . . . .__----- - LAC H. W. H uehnergard

Associate Editors . .. . . ._LAC J. F. Paterson, Cpl. M. L. StormConsulting Editor .. ..._. ._~---.--.-.--.---- . FlO. Wm. TempleBusiness Manager ._. ..__.__--...__ . . Cpl. D. P. DavisSports . Cpl. J. Sourkes

Entertainment .__.__._._.._ _ . .Ken Genge, YMCACartoons .__._. ._. . ... . Cpl. M. L. Storm

Photographer . ... . ..... .. . Cpl. M. A. Jackson

The editors are interested in making this Magazine a monthly publication. In order todo this the next issue will be called Oct.-Nov. and willbe on sale at the Drill Hall and also in theCanteen on or about Oct. 31st.

All copy, pictures, cartoons and ideas for this issue should reach the editors by Oct. Sth,Since we are interested in enlarging the Unit Gossip Column for this issue sections are

urged to appoint a reporter to submit copy.

WE WANT EVERY SECTION REPRESENTED.

CONTESTSAbout the only thing left over from the old ('GANDER"

was the cover. We are now interested in changing this for anew design. A prize awaits the winner for such a plan. Origin-ality and expression of ideas in keeping with the new magazineare the object of this contest.

As every section has someone pull a "boner" at some time

or other, we are interested in hearing about it. Send in yoursection's "Boner of the Month .. "Also for the best joke or cartoon of the month we are

offering a worthwhile prize.All copy for the above must reach the Editor's desk prior

to the 10th of each month. Drop your entry in the GanderMailbox.

-THE EDITORS


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EDITOR'S NOTES Well gang here it is, the new GA:.JDER, the

issue you have been waiting for (we hope). Itrepresents a new venture for this station. Alldolled up in a new face it sports plenty of inter-esting pictures and copy about you and yoursurroundings. Starting with this issue we areplanning to feature one section in each issue withits particular story in pictures. This month theLaundry takes the Spotlight; incidentally, it isone of the most unusual set up in the world.Next month it may be your section. Watch forit.

Along with this is the beginning of a newcolumn, "Personalities of the Month." In it wewill endeavour to give a brief outline of the per-sonal history of the people around you. Peopleyou know and frequently meet around the station.

This did not all happen by the waving of amagic wand but rather by the sweat and tearsof a hard pressed statl. At a meeting held duringthe latter part of August it was decided to en-large and modernize the stat.ion magazine. TheCommanding Officer, Group Captain C. L. Annis,O.B.E., and the Station Chaplain (P), F,/Lt.M.C.P. Macintosh, deserve a vote of thanks fortheir unceasing efforts towards that end. Theirinterests in this matter have greatly contributedto the creation of the new magazine.

Several new members have been added tothe "Gander" staff , among them are LAC J. F.Patterson who is Associate Editor and came tous from the Dartmouth paper, "Thumbs Up"."Pat", as he is affectionately called by his co-workers also doubles up as feature writer. An-other of the associates is Cpl. :M .L. Storm whowas formerly with the "Fingal Observer.""Stormie" combines his unusual talents of car-tooning and writing. Recently added too, is Cpl.M. A. Jackson of the Photo Section. He rnavbe new on our staff hut he is by no means newon the station. Jackson has served here for 27months. Cpl. "Joe" Sourkes a P.T.I. man isgiving us his best as sports columnist, Ken Gengeof the Y..M.C.A. does the honors when it comesto writing for the entertainment column. Withthe personnel of the sections changing so rapidlyits hard to keep up with the correspondents. Foryour information a list of these is found on theopposite page. Keep in touch with them andgive them the latest gossip.

This is your magazine and we rwant yourideas. So drop usa note in the Gander Mailboxat the Drill Hall. Perhaps you've seen actionoverseas, had an unusual experience in the ser-

vice or had a strange occupation in civilian life.

NO\v don't be bashful! We want your story andideas. All YOU have to do is write it out, signyour name and section and we'll do the rest.

v v v y v

Recently we received a classified want adfrom an unidentified LAC. It reads as follows:WANTED: A blonde, about five foot two, weigh-ing 100 pounds. Must be single, unattached andgood-looking. Likeable personality also desirable.Apply E. B. 108.

His idea is good hut then he's not alone. Hemust have missed out as there was such a maidenhere recently in a U.S.O. show. See entertain-merit page

v v v v v

If all goes well next month's issue shouldhave a picture of a Pin-up Gal. The idea is notour own nor is it original but we think you'llagree that it really is worthwhile. Let's haveyour ideas on this subject also the names of yourfavourites.

v v v v v

Have you a problem of the heart? One con-cerning your love life'? If so, consult our newcolumnist "Anti Mo." If you just have hearttrouble consult the "M.O."

v v V v v

This month we bid farewell to a gang ofhardy pioneers, The \V.Do's who were braveenough to come up here and teach u swolves howto behave. They did a grand job while they werehere and we are sorry to see them go. But withthem our wishes for the best of luck and happyposting. While we're about it here's wishingthe newer ones the best and hoping that theywill soon find their places in our "Happy family."

v v v v y

We are interested in compiling a library of

magazines published by RC.A.F. stations acrossCanada. In it we would like to have a copy ofthe magazine from your last station. These wouldbe available for your use at the Station Library.Send in the names uf your "mag-s," and we'llsecure them.

v v v v v

Here's hoping you enjoy reading the con-tents of this magazine. And we trust we'll seeyou again next month.


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2 THE GANDER, AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 1943

THE COMMANDING OFFICER

GROUP CAPTAIN C. L. ANNIS, O.B.E.


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THE GANDER, AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 1943 3

THIS IS OUR "e . 0."On a sunny day about a month or so ago, the station

was mustered for a rare ceremony, When the parades,the band playing, and the inspections were all over, thestation gave a hearty salute to its new C,O" Wing Com-mander C, L, Annis. A couple. of weeks later he \VaS pro-moted to the rank of Group Captain. He is still rated asone of the most popular commanders the ranks have met.Two little-known anecdotes may be related to give someimpression of the new C.O. and his way with the staff.

. The first occasion was during a softball game. It wasa close match and the going; was pretty hot and heavyon both sides. The Group Captain. was pitching for' theOfficers' team and he was doing very well. The benchjockeys on the opposing side, (incidentally most of themwere fairly new to the station) kept trying to get hisgoat. They were riding him without mercy. Not only did

he take it but he was dishing as good. as he received. Youcan imagine the startled expressions a bit later when theidentity of the pitcher was discovered,

The second event took place just recently. During oneof the cleaning "bees' in the Admin. Building, the newlyinstalled Commander got wind of the fact that there wasto be a big campaign, withbru8hes, (scrubbing for theuse of) and wax. (polishing Ior the use 00 and paintpots, in fact the "domestic works". Hearing about it, the"Old Man" decided to come back and following the prin-ciples outlined in his informal chat with the Station inthe Rcc. Hall recently he pitched in to give a hand, Hewas down on hands and knees scrubbing along 'with theAdjutant.

'I'ha t gives you some idea. Actually trying to get.something about him condensed into a page or so is a bit

difficult. For instance it could he mentioned that hecomes from a long line of Annis's. One member of hisf'am il y looked up the subject and found that a militarymember of the chill Annis was at the court of KingCharles 1. More recently though the male members ofthe family have turned towards medicine and law as anoccupation,

One of the Youngest C.O.'s

There were Annis's in Maine, U. S. A. in 16il8. Theymoved to Canada in 1795, Which seems early enough.Getting there early continues as a hereditary trait. At 31Group Captain Annis is one of the youngest C.O.'s in theAir Force. Further he was the original C.O. of a famousanti-Sub. Squadron. His fortunes and affections are stillintertwined strongly with that outfit. He Vias pilot of thefirst aircraft to make an attack on enemy U-Boats inNorth.American waters. He flew with the first Squadronto make a crosscountry flip in formation. Incidentallythis No. 3 Squadron was the daddy of the later-formedNos. 10 and 11 Squadrons.

Has Amazing Trip

No.3 Squadron which he had joined on June 1, 1937,had some other distinctions. They were the first to donight practise bombing over here and the first to moveits whole crew entirely by air. They were using Waputisat the time. These were the old DH9A with Jupiter 6engines, a biplane relic of the last war. In June, 1937four pilots had taken the Wapuits from Ottawa to Hali-

fax and return. The complete Squadron, eight aircraftflew from Ottawa to Calgary. They flew single lineastern formation in Northern Ontario. In some placesthey followed the railroad tracks for direction. Altogetherhe described it as an amazing trip.

It was while he was out in the western country thathe met the girl \... 'hom he married on October 14, 1939. Herelates that he is very fond of the West, At about thattime the custom of delivering aircraft from the UnitedStates was for the Americans to deliver the planes to theborder and then f01' the ceremony of pulling them acrossto the Canadian side. There they were taken by Canad-ian pilots, (among them Mr. Annis) to points where theycould be 01 some usc.

Attended Toronto University

The Group Captain had managed to get in the Airb'orce fairly early also. After the educational cir-cuit ofgrade school-at the Stone School, founded in HW4-inHighland Creek, where he had been born on January 22,1912, and high school at Scarboro Collegiate he left toattend Toronto University. His method of locomotion waslikewise progressive. He walked to grade school, "Abouta mile and a quarter in the good fresh air off Lake On-tario", bicycled to high school and his dad treated him toa car for his college journeys. His home, a 125 acre farmat Port Union, was about 20 miles or so from the collegein Toronto. He feels very strongly on the beneficial as-pects of growing up in the country and many of his hap-piest reminiscences are of that time.

At college his course was Engineering and he gradu-ated in 1936 after specializing in tncrmo-dynarnics and

refrigeration. He passed up 8 very good industrial ufferto join the RC.A,F. in July of the same year. He gradu-ated as P. O. (Provisional) in December arid was electedto a commission in the Permanent Air Foree.

Was B. R. Director

Since then his record has been a steady climb, Mostof the details cannot be listed here but they include thefollowing, O. C, of 10 Squadron three times; E. A. Com-mand Armament Officer in Sept. 1940, there he met G/F:(now Air Vice-Marshal). N. R. Anderson. whose conductas a living example of an officer and a gentleman madea great impression on My. Annis; he worked under Ail'Vice-Marshal Anderson at A. F. H. Q. in Ottawa in 1942where he directed Operations for the RC.A.F. until Dec.7, 1942; he then took over the position of B. R. Directorwhich post he retained until April 4. 1943 when he re-ported to Dorval [or his new pride and joys, the bigV.L.R.'s.

Typical of his regard Ior the men on the station isthe lad that he decided to live, as they do, apart fromhis family. In that way he feels he can sympathize morestrongly with those who must be separated from them.He can understand more closely, he says those who desirepostirigs 01' leave.

But his regard for the "Little Genius" his son ismost manifest. Doughs Warren Annis is two years andseven months uld and lives with his mother at theirhome in Ottawa,

(Continued on Page 18)


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THE GANDER. AUGUST-SEPTEMBER. 1943 5

PERSONALITIES OF THE MONTH

FLIGHT-SERGEANT W. MOORBY

"I've seen this place grow," said F/S IVloOl'bY,senior N.C.O. ilc the AiI'-men's mess, When we .dropped in to pick up a few facts about him for theGANDER. A Ganderite since March, 1942. He said that facilities were few andrations, "poor" when he jumped off the "Newry Goofy Ltd." with a soup ladlein one hand and a dixie in the other.

A native of Nottingham, England he came to Canada in 1921 and followedthe sun as far as Regina. But plenty had happened to him between the time hecame to Canada and his birth in 1891. "When I was nine." he reminisced inNottingham-flavored accent, "I carried a lance for the Lord Roberts Paradewhich returned from the South African War. And 14 years later I was in theArmy myself." Enlisting at the outbreak of the last war he joined the ImperialArmy Royal Garrison Artillery in France. This outfit heJped the Canadians atCambria, Arras and Paschendal e. It was here our man Moorby learned to dodgedeath by inches and stir his pots to the thunder of cannon and the shrill whistleof flying shrapnel.

Speaking of the local set-up, the flight confided. "Some people may com-plain, but you can't serve potatoes if you get beans." "Its going to be a lot bet-ter, though," he continued, "They've got a new system at the Railhead (what-ever that is) and they'll be carrying a more varied stock."

Then he went back to reminiscing.

CPL. JACKSON-Photo Section

Bitten by the bug (Photcgruphericus ) previous to enlistment at Ottawa,Cpl. Jackson, M.A., R. 96034, came in on the beam with a lens in his eye andoffered his services to the R.C.A.F. He mildewed like the rest of us for a whileat Toronto and finally hit this place around May of 1941.

The Gander dropped into h.is neat section the other day and found himbusy at his desk by the door. "Do you like your work?" we asked. "I certainlydo," he returned. "And," we pressed. "If you are still in one piece when the warends, what do you intend to do?" For a reply he glanced around the section andsaid, "PHOTOGRAPHY, of course!" We then tried to prod him about localactivities, but ran into the old cul-de-sac of censorship, etc. However, we canmention the fact that Cpl. Jackson does quite a bit 01 work to help THEGANDER along. Also, you'll be seeing some of his work in forthcoming issuesof "WINGS".

(For "V.D's only) Cpl. Jackson is single. We asked if he ever thought o lgetting married. "Well," he confessed. "I have hopes ... some day."

LAW L. 1\'1.BRUCE

A very f'amilf ar sight on the streets of Gander is W30S970 LAW LouBruce of the Molar Transport Section, driving anything from a jeep to theambulance or stake trucks. Your reporter managed to he ve a few words withthis young lady while she was busily engaged in cleaning out the ambulance.She took a look at the dust which was wafting around the place and then witha sigh set to work with a will to make the ambulance, which she is driving forthe week, as clean and neat as a new pin. Between strokes of the broom. wemanaged to learn a few things aboutl.ou's life before entering the Service. Shewas born in Montreal and lived there for only a short time. Her family removedto Winnipeg, where she went to school. Just before Christmas 1942, Lou decidedthat she should do something to aid in the 'War Effort, and as a result answeredthe call of the R.C.A.F. ,\V.D.NO.7 Manning Depot at Rockcliffe was the scenefor her first taste of Service life, then No.2 K.T.S. at Toronto claimed hex' fora month. On April 9th of this year Lou arrived in Gander. and although it isher first experience on a non-training Station, she told us that she has so farhad a grand time and managed to keep very busy. As far as hobbies are concern-ed, the Drill Hall can provide the Bowling and Badminton she likes, then in heroff time too she manages a good deal of reading and writing and knitting,


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6 THE GANDER, A"UGUST-SEPTElVIBEJ{, 1943

SPORT NEWSBY CPL. "JOE" SOURKES

Last spring a greatdeal of enthusiasm wasshown by swimmers onthe station, in the form-ing of two Water Poloteams. It was hoped thatafter the game for whichthey were training wasover that this samegroup w 0 U 1 d continuetheir interests in swim-ming in the form of aStation Swim Club. Post-ings and leaves steppedin at just the wrongtime, and the group thatremained was not big

Believe it or not, this sorrowful looking bunch actually won a enough to survive.softball championship back in Grand Falls. W,e came through on top in Now, however, the fOI'-an eight team elimination series, and brought home the bacon. By the mation of a bigger andtime this has gone to press, the R..C.A.F. "B" team as it is called will be better Swim Club is un-wen under way in the league against the boys in "Brown." der way. With the help

of some of the betterSince this photo was taken, postings have swimmers and organizers on the station an initial

broken up the team somewhat. Our catcher, program has been mapped out, and its just 'wait-Carter, and right fielder, Coates, have gone back ing for you fellows and gals to show up with some

good old enthusiasm to put it aCIOSS. Below is ato Canada. These boys really helped spark plug list of the things the P.TJ. offices expects tothe team to victory: both in play during the day accomplish.and training at night. Now, this training at 1. To develop a swim team to representnight might sound a little "off the beam" to you Gander.readers, but it actually played an important part 2. To develop Water Polo teams.

in winning' ball games. It was a different kind 3. To help provide instruction for non-~ swimmers.of training, something new in the world of 4. To provide for dub members, periods ofsports. It consisted of a sort of liquid diet, sport with happy recreation.consumed at the expense of the good citizens of The entry requirements for the Swim Clubthe town-together with retiring at late hours-while the coach walked back and forth tearing may sound tough, Actually they are not hard at

h. all, Here they are:

out I is hair. It was through this peculiar type 1. Demonstrate three different strokes inof training that the team became known as "The fair sty'le. (25 vards each.)Home Brew Kids." "2. Swim 50 yards in 40 seconds or less.

Get out and try them for yourself, when youcan do it, why, come along and join the SwimClub.

At present the pool is reserved for the groupevery Wednesday night from 5 to 8. But if the

club grows as it should, more time will be allotted.

After an eight team eljmination series, the above team brought. to this station thesoftbaU championship from Grand FaUs. Left to right, . front row, are: Easterbrook(D. B. Harry); Coates (Ted); Carveth (Rod);. Carter' (Gordie);. Watterson (Jack);McCullough (Sid); Rmn&now.iz (Sid). Back Row, Sourkes (Coach); Cutler (Cut);Jenkinson (Jenl.s); FlO Chas. E. Burns; Scopp (Alfie); Maas (Little Fella'): Cherney(Chic) in absentia.

Among the teams the Home Brew Kidsconquered were two with very impressive records.Due to censorship regulations we can't mentionthe names but they are two who had not beenbeaten until they met the R.C.A..F. "B." That,

done by a team which was only put together at

the beginning of Augustis something to be proudof. Let's hop e t hatGander will have at leasta good successor nextsummer.

SWIM CLUB


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THE GANDER, AUGUST SEPTEMBER, 1943

BASKETBALLWith summer weather closing- in around us,

it will soon be time for basketball again. Theonly basketball played thus far.: this season, wasby pick up teams, in the Indoor Sports Night.By the looks of the pre-season warm ups, thereshould be a hot, close section league, here thiswinter. Some of those boys really flash somenice style. Noticed too, was some good materialfor the Station Basketball team. Your reporteris of the opinion that there are enough good ballhandlers on this station to be able to beat someof the teams "our friends across the way" bringout. What say, fellows.

BO'VLINGBowling is another sport that flourishes in

the cold weather. The alleys were put in goodshape for the bowling season and now that re-mains is for the bowlers to get into shape. Sectionleagues will be starting in the near future, soget an you can in the "open howling" periods,now. When the leagues start, there will be littleif any open bowling. If all goes well possiblywe'll be able to get another good bowling teamtogether this year for competition in GrandFalls.

INDOOR SPORTS NIGHTSOft times of late, the P.T.!. staff have heard

the whine, "when is the floor going to be open forus poor kids '?" Invariably when that happens,its Indoor Sports Night for some section of thestation. On that night, one section has completeand exclusive use of the gym floor for competi-tive sports and games.

Its a new kind of receation created to giveeveryone on the base a chance to find out whatthe Drill hall is used for. Too many of us arein the habit of spending our nights reading,going to the show, visiting the canteens or justlazing around the barracks. All those thingsmay be alright but you'd feel much better aftertaking up one or two of those evenings each weekin the sports at the Drill Hall. Get out there andtake advantage of the sports facilities that arehere for your use'.

7

TABLE TENNIS

On August 31st, anyone visiting the DriIlHall, found the ping-pong tables stretched outacross the centre of the floor. That was thenight for table tennis enthusiasts. Through theefforts of a small but efficient committee, a tour-nament was being held, and it proved to be veryinteresting and entertaining. Twenty participantsbatted it out for two and a half hours, before awinner was decided. The winner was Sgt. Chenefrom the Hospital staff, and his runner up wasLAC Gagne of S.R.D.

The committee premises us, that there willbe another tournament soon, so those of you pingpong players, who missed out, remembers to bethere for the next one.

TUl\1BLING AND HANDBALANCING

As you may have noticed, a small group havebeen working out on the mat at tumbling andhandbalancing, They have come out primarily toget some regular all around exercises and get itin an interesting way. This they are doing, andat the same time, are testing their ability to ac-complish new things and are knowing the satis-faction of mastering something different eachtime they come out.

Those turning out are not experienced troup-ers, but just some of the fellows interested in fit-ness, fellowship, and fun. Anyone can get in on .it and those who turn out regularly will receivea pleasant surprise at the number of things theycan accomplish in a short space of time.

To keep fit, one must exercise. The best kindof exercise, is that you can get without mentaldrudgery. This necessitates activity that isboth interesting and challenging, in itself. Tumb-ling and handbalancing not only satisfies theserequirements, but they also give a good allaround work out to all muscles of the body. Comeon out fellows! Beginners or advanced, there's aplace for everyone.

FLYING LANCERS

Maybe you don't know all of us very well asyet, but hello from the Flying Lancers. Greetings,salutations, etc. The news this time might be abit scarce but some of it is good anyway. Theball team coached by "Crusher" Jenkinson hasbeen doing pretty well in the softball league. Theyfinished the season in second place and so far inthe play-off series the score is four victories andtwo defeats.

The line-up is as follows, with P.O.'s JohnnyHammand Lobb behind the plate; Flight-Ser-geant W. N. Macl.eod doing most of. the pitchingduring the season and Rocky Rindell sharing thedoings later when Mac went away on some daysleave; on first base is Flight-Sergeant Arthur"Muscles" Jenkinson; at second is K. R. Renwickwho also doubles in the augmented quartette

(Continued on page 14)


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8 THE GANDER, AUGUST-SEPTEMBER', 1943

THE GENTLEMANLY ART OF SELF DEFENSE

Yes Sir. Boxing and wrestling have foundtheir spot in Gander's sport agenda. It took along time, but finally it's here.

First the punching bags made their appear-ance, then the mat was made, and now we havethe ring. Today it's a common sight to see skip-ping ropes, punch bags, and mat, all in use atthe same time. The boys are getting themselvesinto shape for the forthcoming wrestling andboxing show, which is to be held in the near.future.

This show will feature participants from theentire station. It is hoped that this will createa desire in some of our able-bodied Airmen tolearn of these sports.

Classes have already been started in bothboxing and wrestling, and with a little of your}time and effort, you could be one of those in thering, instead of always being a spectator. That's.a challenge, men-let's see you take it up!

EARLY MORNING P.T.

Eal"ly morning physka-l trainIng is (me of the Important health rules for aircrew. Shown above is one of thegroups who indulge several mornings a week. From the expression 011 their faces it is obvious that they areenjoying themselves. These chaps are members of one of the famous Anti-sub Squadl'ons,


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THE GANDER~ AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 1943 9

"51littili'B!lmllt&Ii"tM'&lmilmii1)'imiil1i'ii~]tl\fi:~W~~rtT~!1N'lTIiIi'ffilm"iilrrn,r,~, - - - . I

-W. D's PAGE-

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

by ann anonymous

What's your trade'! Clerk Steno.? Good,report to the Admin. Building right away ...next? What a welcome for a forlorn, air-woosyW.D.! But we clambered out of the ship-har-ness et aI-and gazed listlessly around the un-ending, uninteresting horizon while veteran W.D's. bombarded our humming ears with luridtales of what a "wonderful" place this was and

how simply marvellous all the male personnelwere and how we could dance and picnic to ourheart's content ...

You might think this was falling on deafears? Not on your life! After duty we showered,r~ (I .~

hauled a dean iT t out of our kit bag and pro-ceeded directly to the Airmen's Dance as full of'lin) and vigour as if we had slept for two daysbefore. Oh, the thrill of meeting someone fromyour previous station and running the gamut ofall the mutual friends and foes!

Living up to tradition, our friends across theway held a dance for the benefit of the "newcrop", and handed out the same old line! Butdon't think we weren't prepared! Altho' it wasgreat fun, and nice to have someone take aninterest in your favorite likes and dislikes, "slowand steady still wins the race" ...

Two picnics following these orgies completedthe week and just about completed us! More

A FARE\VELL TO W.D.'s FROIU A 'V.D.

ThIS is my first effort in the Gander but Iam glad to have this opportunity to say good-bye to my sister \V.D.'s who have gone on andpublicly to say how one \V.D. feels about thisgroup of girls who have now left us.

We came together, short ones, tall ones, fatand thin, last August. I was among the groupwho came Willingly to bear the burden of Ganderwhich the men, had reported as a hard one to bear.We were afraid to arrive but we expected andreceived the support and friendship of all theservices on the station, on both sides of the run-way and .all along the railway tracks.

Our effort was to be friendly-by the veryfew we were misjudged-we found all hut thefew good friends and I know we were all willingto share the burdens. The pleasures 'we did ourbest to increase. We have, as a group, dancedmiles in Gander and we do not regret one step'we took with anyone of our fellow service menwho enjoyed our company - we couldn't all befeminine Fred Astaire's or Judy Garland's butwe tried, and hope succeeded just a bit.

Then, too, the many restrictions we had putupon us because we 'were \V.D.'s--ye know itmade you laugh at us but it wasn't our faultand if it gave others a laugh, it served some use-ful purpose-so laugh away at the old gang ofGander W.D.'s. They took it and they can stilltake your laughter if it is kind.

As to our work, the crowd, who have beenand gone, hope it has been as satisfactory as wedesired-e-we faced disappointments but we, theold gang, do not blame Gander-perhaps our suc-cessors will have better luck in establishmentsand advancements-e-we hope they do.

Enough of this-now my personal farewellto the group of two hundred plus who came lastAugust- you were grand people - every girl areal person who could be a real friend whethershe were a cook, a messwoman, an office buddy.an M.T., 01' the grand old G.D. who did thingsand did them well. Good-bye the first girls ofGander-I am left hut T ask no better fate thanat some date I may see you all again and enjoythe privilege of 'working and playing with you.You were the type to stand shoulder to shoulderwith and face Gander and we all only asked theprivilege to stand four square on anJ; front withour men and help them do the 50b over there.

delightful activities than civilian life would pro-vide in a month. We think with one accord, thatwe're going to like this isolation: .


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S E C T IO N G O S S I P

Dj


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THE GANDER, AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 1943

As publicity agent for the despair depot, Ifeel it my duty to get in a bit of advance pub-licty on our not too far distant (we hope : 1 ! )field day, date to be set later by the committeein charge.

The date? ? Oh Yes! Watch for it=-we havean aircraft, yes you know the one .. who doesn't?and when it makes its test flight our hangar willbe nothing short of the midway at a county fair.This is all still a matter of conjecture but thepersonnel, including the O.C., are all in accord.Don't forget, ALL ROADS LEAD TO THE DES~PAIR DEPOT ON CA~SO DAY! :

"POST OFFICE COMMUNIQUE"

Men may come and men may go but I stayhere forever, In fact folks I'm almost classedas a permanent fixture when the officer comes totake inventory. There has been a lot of activityin this Department lately, what with posting's,replacements, and so on. Sorry we missed thelast issue; but hope that this covers everything.

Two of the four originals who were heresince this office opened have been poated=-ScottyMacDonald and Nancy Watson. The "little bitof Scotland" "vas very popular with everyone onthe station and for us at the P. O. she was reallya jewel to work with. Best of luck, Scotty! \Veknow you won't be lonely wherever you go. Bythe way how is the "strictly friendship" policyprogressing?

And all you old timers will remember KaneyWatson. There was a girl who knew everyoneand her motto was "man for the multitudes."vV e all hated to see her go but now she is back inDartmouth keeping the boys in the Airforcehappy. I figure if one could he a ghost and walkbehind her down the Mess Hall, one could hearher saying: "Hey, there's a letter for you"~"Did you get your papers."-"Aw that's too bad,cheer up! It's coming to-morrow." Yes, Nancy.and Scotty were great kids and to them go thebest wishes of all who worked with them.

Bill Bock, the big handsome Calgarian cameback with us for a short while before being postedback to Canada. This was his second stretch onthe Gander and he left a lot of lonesome \V,D.'sin his wake, Ron voyage, Bill!

We hear our old pal Wilma Armstrong isstill handing out the mail atC.A.P.O.No. 5 andis finding life there very interesting. \Ve wonderwhy " ? ? How about a little light on the subject,Army?

Replacing Wilma is the ever jovial FloVenne. Flo has a pleasant smile for all the cus-tamers and her easy going manner takes every-thing in its stride. Here's a tip to the Airmen~she can really jive at those station dances.

The two remaining members of the old Van-guard, Joy Bryenton and Caroline Sopschyshnare firm believers in Horace Greely's motto "GoWest young man." Both of these girls are vet-erans here and know practically everyone on thestation, Their chief topic of conversation thesedays isa posting-e-well don't worry girls-you'llgo and maybe you'll go West.

11

Then there are the two more recent membersof our Postal Staff, Eric Fowlie and Harold Behm.Harold is an old timer from the last War out todo his little bit again. Eric's quick sense of hum-our cheers us all up when things are going wrong-and say gals, can he ever swing a mop. Thatgoes for all the rest of the boys in here too-s-thevget plenty of practice.

We had another great loss some time agowhen the idol of thousands, "Hank, the LondonKid" was transferred to C.A.P.O.No. fi, We hearhe's having a great time playing ball and haunt-ing the parks in St. John's.

No post office news would be complete with-ou t mentioning our cheerful little Sergeant. Hehas been here so long he'll soon be taking outcitizenship papers, The Sarg is wise in the waysof the P. O. and when any of us are in doubtabout anything he is always there to give usgood guidance and the benefit of his long exper-ience. Yes, we surely would miss our Sarg,

Enough for now. Good luck to all you guysand gals we have known and are now all otherstations and best wishes to those of you who arenewcomers. We hope we can make your stay apleasant one by passing you out plenty of that old"morale builder" -the mail.

HOT BITS FRO}'l THE FIRE HALL

We wish to say a few words in this month'sGander and hope that they are of interest to thereaders.

There is no doubt that some will say wecause enough trouble by ordering this or" thatplace cleared up or correcting some about smok-ing where they shouldn't. Really, we hate to bea bother, but it is our place to see that fire pre-vention is carried out to the letter instead ofseeing a charred corpse carried out on a stretcher.

There is a marked decrease in the numberof fires and could-be fires on the station; thisshows that the personnel are fast becoming morefire-conscious, This has been achieved with yourco-operation and it is certainly appreciated.

We are sorry to report the posting of four ofthe clan, namely, CpI. Robinson, LAC's Schmidt,Rivard and Wright, They have been with us forquite awhile and are going to be missed, not onlyby us, but by many others on the station as theymade many friends, We wish them every successat their new stations.

The new addition to our home is beginningto take shape and we hope that it is soon ready tobe occupied. With its completion should comesingle beds which will be good news to LACBrennan, He thinks the top bunk is rather highto fall out of at 3 a.m.

We have heard a lot of complaints about thelovely showers that have fallen these last fewdays, especially from the Romeos and Juliets, butit is musk to our ears as it keeps down the num-ber of bush fires caused by careless smokers wholove to flip their cigarette butts without extin-guishing them first. There are a number ofAirmen on the station who, we think, will agreewith us as they have helped on different occasions


14/36

12

to fight these fires.One thing we would like to know is why Cpl.

Thorne gets up so early. Could it be the Call ofNature?

The firefigh tel' known as "The Kid" has goneoff his feed lately. Could the cause be the post-

ing of a certain cook '!One of our boys has been thinking seriouslyof getting married. Anyone wishing to give theboy any advice, address all correspondence toLAC Joudrey, C/o No.1 Fire Hall.

Sayings heard quite often around the FireHall:

Dean: "I think I will go fishing."Champion: "I am going to build a boat."Brennen: "Isn't it time to eat?"F/S Fowler : "Who ate my chocolate bar '? "Sgt. Carr: "Don't look at me!" (spoken with

a forked tongue.)That's all-e-thers is no more. Till the next

time keep them going till we get there.

SIGNALS

Gander, Sept. 5, 1943-The shores of GanderLake were tonight the scene of the Sgnals Sec-tion picnic. An almost 100$ turnout aided ma-terially in the success of the evening, the onlycomplaint being that the AI' Force did not sendenough W.D.'S to brighten this bachelor haven.

Two truckloads of Airmen, Airwomen, cokesand hot dogs descended on the Transport Com-mand dock, and decamping a few hundred yardsto the west, proceeded to make merry around theold camp fire. 'Capt.' Dan Cherry of the goodship "Shell" provided a diversion for those cou-ples who sought solitude, by conducting 'Moon-light Cruises' on the lake. Others sought stilIdeeper solitude in the fastnesses of the forestand had to be finally rescued by a search party.F /S 'Robie' Robertson was one of these who losttheir way. 'Robie' was suffering from that typeof light-headedness that results from a postingto Canada.

Only one circumstance threatened to spoilthe evening. Nobody had brought a bottle opener.Some ex-Boy Scouts among the ranks came torescue with a method of using a coin to open abottle at the expense of only a few mashed fin-

gers. The W.M.'s and W.O.C.'s now have theirown, personal trade improvement handbooks. Is-sued at the end of August these manuals were,for a couple of days diligently read, or at leasttheir illustrations were admired. After all itmight help at the trade test if the testee knewwhat the equipment looked like. With the quar-terly trade test only a matter of days away,there was, momentarily a certain amount ofstudying done by those boys with 'Sparks' (weare not referring to the RD.F. men) and thenthose volumes were carefully shelved until thatglorious day liberation arrives, and Johnny willgo marching home, or rather, will take the 'Can-dcrberry.'


But seriously boys, don't you think it wouldaid the war effort if you Were to try to improveyour trade knowledge.

, - - - - that noise-we wanta go Aircrew.'Not to be outdone by other sections, Signals

Men are also trying to remuster to Aircrew in

large numbers. The first to attempt were 'AI'Grainger and Cpl. MacFarlane, Grainger failedto pass the M.2, and as a consolation prize hereceived a pair of hooks and posting to Dart-mouth. 'Mac' was successful and now whileawaiting a posting to Lachine, is sojouring atthe Wireless Section country club, otherwiseknown as R.C.A.F. Transmitters.

Situated deep in the heart of the Newfound-land bush, Transmitters is a popular resort ofthose who are suffering from shattered nerves asa result of the mad whirl of life in Gander, Freshail', sunshine, home-cooked food, and light wo.rk-very light - combine to restore to health themost hopeless neurotic.

After being lost in Gander for 25 months,Sgt. Johnny Clark has finally been found byD.A.P.S.; and posted to No.8 A.D.S. AncienneLorette P.Q. Johnny is the veteran extra-ordinaryof the Signals Section, who is so Canderized bynow that he scarcely cared whether or not he wasever posted-Oh Yeah!

Another among those who have departed ourmidst is Flight "Robie" Robertson. Robie hasreturned to St. Hubert which he left a year or soago to come to Gander.

A new arrival in our midst is Ron Moore, atelephone operator, recently arrived from Souris,Manitoba.

The' 'Flyboys" are back. Dick"Mk 1" All-

good and Dick "Mk 2" Hake have returned fromthe Gannet Squadron, During a four month ab-sense "Mk 1" has added a couple of hooks to hissleeve.

Dan Cherry, the eternal L.A.C., haas finallybridged the gap. Danny's stripes came throughduring the period of local prohibition. What adrunk that wasn't!

A SHORT BROADCASTFROM STATION STORES

Hello, everybody! We're still here althoughsomewhat scattered (and I mean scattered espe-cially when you go to get your clearances, what?)However we hope some day soon to be in a spank-ing new building which is slowly ( ! ! ! !) arisingon the site of the old one. It has one new addi-tion, a small covered porch where we may serverefreshments while you wait (no wise cracksnow!) for your goods (that is if you don't grousetoo much over the waiting. Got you there didn'tI'!)

Since the last Gander we have lost many ofthe long time members of the Equipment gang,both boys and girls. Dave Vininski, Gordon,Steevie, \Vallie Plumb, Tommy Ellis, MO Priceand Clark have all been posted back to Canada.Among the "r.D.'s Barry, MacDonald, Salidas andJacques have left Gander. Good luck to you all


15/36

THE GANDER~ AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 1943

on your new stations, It was grand to work withyou and to know you all.

We have in turn had a good many newcomersand I want vou all to meet them. In the Storeswe have Corporal "Scotty" Leckie, Williams andLAW Alexander who may not realize what an

event sheis

as sheis

thefirst v;r.D. Equipment

Assistant to come to Gander since the old gangin August, 1942. Corporal Beattie Bennett, ourGas Kings work with Sergeant Styan and Con-non; who hold swav over our new inflammablebuilding (whlsperj-i-in the old days it was thepaint shed. Do any of you remember trying tounlock those padlocks in the cold, cold winter.)In Clothing Stores Sgt. Gilmour is boss withWakely and Faucett. Our new Stene, fromMontreal is Tetreault. Publications is now look-ed after by Cpl. Sisson and LAW Thompson. Sowe say farewell to the old pals and hello to thenew.

\Ve have had two sports nights with Signals

and although we haven't proved the victors inall events we gave you some competition and justwait until we learn to play basketball.

Well, Ganderites, Stores is now signing offwith this query: Why does a certain man hauntthe Post Office? Does he think he'll get a letterevery day, even if he is our oldest citizen inEquipment '!

WORKS AND BRICKS

Presenting the section where you bringall your troubles Works and Buildings! First,we in this section wish our former correspondent,Ronnie Ward, the best of luck in his new stamp-ing grounds "somewhere in Canada." Good luck,Ronnie. With two draftsmen and a steno takingyour place as correspondent we hope we may beable to keep up your splendid work of reportingfor Works and Buildings.

Congratulations to those who have servedtheir "term" and have been released on good be-haviour (or was it ") Due to the numerous post-ings from our section of the "bad boys" duringthe past two months there is very Iittle to talkabout as all the new ones seem models of perfec-tion. They'll learn. This is our first opportun-ity to welcome, through the medium of the "Gan-der," F/O Hill to our section. Nice going,A. J.,keep it up.

Has anyone noticed the new Victory Gardenon Major Williams' upper lip? What inspiredthat, Major, your leave in the wild and woolly"Vest'? Here's hope it doesn't affect Flight Tuplinthat wayan his leave in Ontario. What's wrongwith the plumbers since Ollie Allison left? Itseems awfully quiet, or maybe it's just normalnow.

If only Doc Norton were here he might beable to tell Dixie when, where, and how she isgoing out on posting. By the way, does anyoneknow who it was Dixie swore at so vigorouslyover the phone when they informed her she wasposted? Pelton insists it was the adjutant.

Can any of the occupants of Barrack Block110 tell us who the glamor boy of the painters is?

13

Some of the lads in the section would appreciatea few lessons. They should be good if he tellsall.

We're wondering how much Sgt. Davies ofthe electrical section has lost on bets with hiswife on the date of his future (?) posting. It'sagood thing

it's all inthe

family.Pelton still carries that dazed look (or is it

more dazed '!) he acquired on his recent visit toSt. John's. What happened, Larry? Did you meetsome of those old girl friends, all at once '?

Have you W.D.'s seen the new ornament wehave in our drafting room? It has the cutestmustache and blue eyes and should be of partic-ular interest to those of you who are from theWest, since he, I mean it, is from Winnipeg.

What's wrong, Paul, don't you ever do any-thing We can gossip about now'? Why not be alittle more helpful ? You used to tell us aboutthose crocks but now we don't even hear aboutthem. But we have heard rumours of a plan of

a house being drawn up in the drafting room.We hear F/S Ralph broke his arm in a fallfrom a truck and as a result spent considerabletime in the hospital. Are you sure you weren'treaching for something, Flight? Anyway, it'sgood to see you out getting your own clearances.No.1 "M" Depot is going to look good to you thistime.

What has started the rush in the DieselPlant for marriage licenses? It couldn't be thebroken down Diesels, could it, boys? Or is it justthat you want something else to nurse '?

We wonder if our section commander's fish-ing has improved since the time he went toJoniton's Pond and got nothing but wei legs.

"Vas it fishing?The powerhouse gang is blacker than ever andalways so well camouflaged it's impossible to besure who is doing what, if anything? F /S Matheseems to be able to top them all or it is just hisnatural complexion? We hope not.

Ilas anyone noticed the new beauty of theWorks and Buildings Office Shack? It was re-painted by us, repeat us. The office staff cameback en masse one evening and covered them-selves with glory and green paint.

BITS OF THE BLAST

Well, Armourers! Here's another note to keep

you up in the news of we 'Newfies.'First, congratulations and best wishes to F/SMahoney and his bride from all the boys in theArmament Section. How's married life, Bob?

Maybe the newcomers around here don'tknow it's wise to be silent especially for awhile.Welcome to the Gander, boys, and we hope yourstay here is a long and enjoyable one.

Some of the boys didn't waste much time infinding their way to the Falls. Looking over thesituation, eh ?-mostlygirls. Hope you have bet-ter luck next time, Mitch. There can't always bea Yankee sailor. Our tall, dark and gruesomeAndy seemed to make quite a hit with a certainblonde. Remember Dottie?

Why so forlorn these days, Stan? Too bad


16/36

14

these postings come. Most inconvenient at times.Commonly known as "N ewfy" around the

section, one of our old gang went home on fur-lough but yours truly is informed that there is abetter time to be had at the Falls. Ask Norm,he'll ten you.

How's the fishing, Slim? Or wouldn't youknow? Sleeping bag's seem to have a great at-traction for you.

The Prof. after his leave is very quiet onthe whole affair. It really couldn't have been thatdull, could it? What is this we hear about thirty-nine successive bills, Bud? Maybe a certain FlightSgt. would like a few lessons, or can you beat it,Hep!

Last but not least we would like to knowwhat Ritchie's attraction is away from camp. Itcouldn't be women or do you know about themtoo. So for another issue I wind up this chatterwith a message for snarling' Jim. Look east,look west, far north and south; it looks quite barebut not as bad as over there.

-R.M.

"HALT, WHO GOES THERE!"

Congratulations are in order for the recentpromotions received by Flying Officer Aiers, D.A.P.M., now Flight Lieutenant and also SergeantsWare and Madden now Flight Sergeants. Bestwishes! LAC's Brydie, Jeffery and MacKenzie bidthe fellas goodbye at the Station Guard Houseand promised to write from Trenton. Guess thePostal system is at fault? The lads at St. John'son Temporary Duty seem to be having proverbialhard times. LAC Southerby bumped into a doorand altered his facial expression. LAC Rauch,Zimmer, BOUlton, Henderson, Habermehl and St.Germain and Weir, D., were- out picking berriesone fine afternoon and came accidently upon aherd of cows. How were the. berries and milk,boys? Hope you'll be back with us soon.LAC's Syd Smith (Plumas), Gord Hayley (De-Mott') Chuck Royce (Annie) Jim Bradley (Fun-nyman); as usual are always squabbling andbelieve it or not but we heard, indirectly ofcourse, that "Plumas" stood up a W.D. t Tut! Tut tThey simply refused to take Tubby's (Cpl. DonDavis) fatherly advice on social etiquette.

Everybody's wondering why LAC Kitchenspits and polishes every second night or so.Puppy-love we say! Wonder what the attractionis at Grand Falls? LAC's Covell, Smith, Thorntonand Gordy Miller seem to have captured her heartanyway. Corne on, Guys, let us in on the secret... we won't tell anyone-that is-hardly any-one. LAC Dennick is quite a comical "little" ladand has his troubles with clearances, meals andW. D. dates but we like our fat boy I

Sgt. Jerry Lemieux is the proud possessor ofa shemale pup of unknown parentage who politelyslobbers all over you. Who gave it to you, Jerry?My what a bargain I Cpl. Gus Brault says hisoffspring slightly resembles Winston Churchillbut opinion is varied. Irvine "The Terrier" dis-plays great persistence in the face of fearfulodds-Never say die, Irv.!


FLYING LANCERS

(Continued from page 7)

which harmonizes on the slightest provocation,(it is said he plays short-stop on this team); atthird, the hot corner, is Sergeant Harry Wood,the Armorel'; short-stop was shared by W.O.2Heber Harrison Hall, the Schubenacidie (allright so the spelling is wrong, can you spell thatword ") Kid 'and Corporal Ned Kay; in left fieldis Flight-Sergeant Ed "Pop" Voysey, the Squad-ron's Mother Carey; in centre is "Fireman" BillTeams, who musta saved that hat from a boyhoodambition; it is strictly from Canadian Pacific ; inright field were another couple pilots, Flight Ser-geant "Jake" Broad and P.O. "Robby" Robinson.

Just to give you for instance of how Musclesgot that nickname, the third baseman for a cer-tain anonymous team in the playoffs has ceased,desisted, and not even has he been playing sincehe tangled standing up with the Crusher aftertrying to beat out a hit.

A flock of new hooks brought forth the us-ual felicitations (?) Four fitters (Oh the fittersare a bunch of dum de de) got promotions.Among them are Flight Sergeant MacPhersonW.R., he took them with him to the Canadianmetropolis where he is going aircrew ; SergeantWm, H. Teams, got his third; Corporal Nick J.\V. Nicholson, for his deuce; so did the long blondM. J. Overend, who is here on a visit from Van-couver.

Two armorers were promoted also, the afore-mentioned Jenky Jenkinson who got his crownabove the stripes and Fred Evans from Chester,Nova Scotia, (take a bow, Fred,) got a couple.Mike Scissons, got two hooks among the fitters.

Among' the senior N.C.O. pilots, R. A."Rooney" Hodgins and S. G. Lunua got theirFlight, (set 'em up in the next alley boys); andHeber Harrison Hall got his sergeant major;Flight Lieutenant W. J. McCarthy also was raisedto that rank recently.

Three of the vets. of the Squadron are leav-ing for Lachine, (one of them is already un hisway) ; LAC C. K. Hum, rigger and F/S Jenkinson.Jenky has been with the Squadron about 15months and served overseas with the First Cana-dian Fighter Squadron. lIe is an armorer guns.

Sergeant: "Why didn't you shave this morn-ing ?"

L.A.C.: "1 thought I did but there weretwelve of us using the same mirror this morningand I must have shaved some other guy t t l

The first moron picked up the phone at oneo'clock in the morning and dialed a number. Whenhe got an answer, he asked.

"Is this one-one-one-one?"The second moron on the other end replied,

"No, this is eleven-eleven.""Sorry I woke you at this late hour, then,"

apologized the first moron."That's okay," said the second. "I had to get

up to answer the phone anyway."


17/36


We Yes, "we deliver by air", might well be the slogan of that busybuilding near the railroad station, the Laundry. They do just that. Thesemi-weekly laundry of two other RC.A.F. stations is f lown here, whenthe work is completed it is returned in a like manner in short order. Theonly known place in the world this service is available.

Employing many of OUT W.D.'s, this section does an important jobof keeping us supplied with clean clothing and bedding.

It was the first of its kind to be operated by the R.C.A.F. and hasmet with great approval. The plant boasts of being the most modern in theNorth American Continent and within its walls are the most modernmachines available.

Directly behind the parent building is the newly opened cleaningand pressing establishment. Although this section is comparatively new, itis a smooth running one doing a grand job of keeping us neat and clean atall times.

DeliverBy Air

The laundrv and dry cleaning ])lants. put through a tremendous amount of work durtng a day, shown in thetop left phote are LAW Fay Daniels, Cpl. L. E. Brownlee: LAW J...iHian Penney and LAW E. I. CorrigaJ. hard atwork sorting apparel. At one of the many folding tables are AW D. MacCart.hy, J.JAWE. lVI.Gunderson and A'" R.Barnes shown in the top right. ALONG one wall of this Irug'e building is a row of shirt pressing machines shown inthe lower photo is a small section of these machines. The operators pictured here are AW 1\-1. P. Rodger; LAW D. M.Wagner; AW Ruth Randell; AW L.C. Austin; AW G. M. Elstea.d and AW Yvonne Landry.


18/36

16 THE GANDER, AUGUST-SEPT.EMBER, 1943

LAC's G. H. Miles, C. J. Marentette and J-. J. Pilon are shown in the oop Jeft at work on one of the bigwashers. Top Rig-ht is F/8 W. B. Richardson, N.C.O.. i/c of Dry Cleaning Plant, Centre Left: LAC's Len Parkhouseand J. F. Hanrahan are hard at work at one of the steam pressors, Centre right: is the orderly room staff under thesupervision of F/0 J.. A. Burton Officer Commanding theLanndrv, Left to right ure: LAW I. M. Parsons; Cpi. A. H.J. Dean; F/O Burton and Sgt. H. W. Shea. Lower left three of the W,D.'s in the Dry Cleaning plant who wait on' the counter and also mark up the tags for your suits. They are from left to right. LAW's Lvndelle Coombs, GertrudeMoulaml and Julia Richmuth. Lower right is LAC S. KaUoostian opera ting one of the dry c leaning washers.


19/36


OFFICERS ON PARADE

S/L R. C. WESTON

Squadron Leader Ralph C, Weston,O.C. "Flying Lancer" Squadron, hasbeen over four years with the R C,A. F. joining the Auxiliary Air Forceearly in the summer of 1939, Threeyears ago this (August) month hewent overseas to jOin No, 3 RA.F.Fighter Squadron which was thenstationed in the northern forbidding,but vital approaches to the IslandFortress. It was to the Shetland Is-lands in the craggy, bleak approachesto Scotland that he was assigned, notfar from the important naval base orScapa Flow.

Two years later, in August, 1942,he returned to Canada and after ashort administrative course at Tren-ton, Ont, he assumed command ofthe present Squadron, Now he re-tains command of this same Squad-ron in this other Island bastion.

Sees Action Overseas

Reticent, he will say almost noth-

ing of his experiences in the over-seas theatre fighting against thedeadly Luftwaffe under the baton ofthe "Little Corporal" who tried alsounsuccessfully to emulate that othercorporal who tried to rule Europewith almost triumphant arms. Quer-ied, the young Squadron Leader re-plied that "You can say that moreGermans shot at me than I shot atthem",

Still, for two years flying, startingduring the Battle of Britain and con-tinuing through the ever-increasing


THE 8. A. o.This interview started out legiti-

mately enough, "The Gander" for in-stance found out that SquadronLeader John Clarke Heaton is fromthe city of Montreal where his civiloccupation was dealing in objects ofart, paintings, pictures and the like,The firm was a family concern. How-ever right about there the talk veer-ed to a discussion of the duties andan explanation of the office of S.A.O.(Senior Administra ti ve Officer.). Andfrom there it gravitated quicklyenough to a discussion on the newcanteen now under construction nearthe drill hall. Besides this there wasa complete explanation of the movietheatre, of which SIL Heaton isproud ..

The programs are chosen with con-siderable care and an arrangement

S/L J, G. HEATON

has been made with distributors inSt. John, N. B., whereby the productsof several movie studios rather thanone or two are sent up here. Theselection has been so successful thatanother station in the not too distantvicinity asked to have them sentthere afterwards, Later this develop-ed into a four station circuit and evenbigger things are hoped for, in theway of popular programs for theCanadian Theatre, All the profits bythe way from this venture are turnedback into station funds and are used


FlO WESTAWAY

Flying has long occupied the life of

Flying Officer Westaway popular

O. C. of two important services on

this Station, On the wall of his room

in Barrack Block 45 hangs the khakiwings of the RF.C. (Royal Flying

Corps) the intrepid fore-runners of.the RA.F. The wings are above aphotograph which also hangs there,

It shows the Flying Officer in hisyounger days together with some ofhis fellow pilots at a "Show in Mes-potamia" shortly after the close ofthe last Great War.

Born in Plymouth, England, hejoined the Hampshire' (Infantry)Regiment in 1916. But the chance toget out of the sticky mud and intothe blue adventurous skies made himforsake foot-slogging fora fastermeans of locomotion and he joinedthe almost-legendary daredevils ofthe air. He was commissioned in 1917,

Was "Bush Pilot"

He has been flying almost entirelyas an occupation ever since, Thekhaki wings have been replaced bythe silvercolored wings of the RC,AF, In between times, during thelull that hung like sultry cloudsover Europe from 1918 until 1939 hecontinued his desired avocation, In1927 after ten years service with theRA.F. he came to Canada and got ajob with the Ontario Government inthe Air Service Forestry Branch,Here, he flew with the other so-called "Bush Pilots" making surveys



20/36


CHANGING OVER PARADE

ONE BRIGHT SUNNY AFTERNOON,August 6, 19':13,. to be exact the station. wasgathered to take part in the "Changingover Parade", During the ceremonywhich followed, the station bid fareweUto Group Captain L. E. Wray, R.F.C. whowas posted to Halifax, and welcomed asits Commanding Officer Wing Command-er (now) Group Captain C. L. Annis,O. B. E.

The parade was one of the best everheld on this station at least so we weretold by the station Warrant Officer.

The ton photo shows one of the largersections on parade, heading it is GroupCaptain Annis. Left shows Group Cap-tain Wray bidding fareweU to one of theairmen. 'The inspection of a flight ofW.D.':s by G!C Wray is shown in thelower photo.

GROUP CAPTAIN C. L. ANNIS, O.B.E. himself for the good work done by his old Squadron.His honor came out on January 1, 1943.

"They are the ones who deserve it", he emphasized.They are the ones who have to fly out over the oceandespite the weather, Jog and rain and snow and sleet andall the rest of it. They're a swell bunch."

And, oh yes, in case there is anyone who still doesn'tknow he can tell some mighty good jokes.

(Continued from Page 3)

Regarding the O.B.E. decoration which he wears on hisbattle-dress, he modestly asserted that it was "for sing-ing". When he was asked the name of the song he sang,Mr. Annis replied that it was just recognition through


21/36

En t e r t a i nm e n t

THE GANDER, AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 194:l

One of the first programs to take place inAugust was our Minstrel Show. \\:hich '.'.'as pro-duced by our Glee Club and assisting talent. Itplayed to a large and enthusiastic audience in ourown theatre on Wednesday, August 4th and wa.srepeated later in the American Theatre on FrI-day, August 13th.

Our Station Dance on Friday, August 6thwas a farewell party for G/C Wray and Mrs.Wrav and also an opportunity for us to greetour 'new Commanding Officer G/C Annis. Itwas also the farewell dance played by our deserv-edly popular band and they were give_n a mosthearty send-off. By gE':neral consent, It .'vas oneof the best station parties in Gander history.

An Airmen's Picnic was a new departuresponsored hy the Airmen's Dance Committee andproved to be a most successful one. Over ?nehundred couples were taken by Bus to a beautifulsnot on Gander Lake where fires were preparedand a most pleasant evening spent. Coffee andhot-dogs provided a fitting climax for the even-ing's fun.

The Airmen's Dance on Friday, August 27th

was, as always, a well patronized event. T~eAmerican Band dispensed some excellent mUSICand a good time was had by all.

For those who enjoy good music, there arePrograms of Record :\IInsic every Monday nightin the KC.A.F. Chapel at 2030 hrs, These pro-grams have already developed quite a followingand more are welcome. The music played coverseverything from Strauss waltzes to symphoniesand a short explanatory talk is given before eachcomposition.

u. S.O. SHO'"Again the thanks of the Ga:r;derites a!e due

to the U.S.O for their courtesy III extending aninvitation to be their guests at another C.S.O.stage show. This was held on Thursday, Sept. 2,and it was very evidently well appreciated judg-ing by the whistling and loud applause thatgreeted the talents of the professional enter-tainers who visited. us.

There was a cast of six with Unit No. 90which had come to us here after six weeks tourof the Maritime provinces on the East Coast.Besides their versatile abilities the master ofceremonies Jack Shea, the "Mad Auctioneer"handed out many cartons of cigarettes, and acouple of cases of pop. There wa~ some .hopethat nylon stockings were to be available, but the

19

cigarettes were a compensation when the hosedidn't appear.

Andy Arcari, accordeonist, made a big hitwith the large crowds which attended. the twoshowings on Thursday night. Changing overfrom his Former career as a concert artist, Andygot down to cases early with some impressionsin eight-to-the-bar tempo of the good old "JingleBells" as it might be played in different coun-

tries. Starting with that maestro of the jump'beat, Fats Waller, he took the Ganderites rapidlyand in a boogy buggy through Jerusalem, _(oyvay), the thistled heather of. old Scotland, (justa hit of a wee doch and dons), and some otherplaces. Andy started off his program with aportion of his concerto for accordeon, the wholeof wh ich he had played with the celebrated Mr.Stokowski's Philadelphia outfit, the Philharmonic.Almost incredible fingering of the squeeze boxbrought forth melodious, classical harmonies. Heconfided after that he was going to Holloywoodshortly to do a specialty with the Brazilian"Wham" girl, Carmen (Souse American Way)Miranda in a forthcoming lVLG.M. movie. lIealso conducts a large school in the eastern Stateswhere he teaches several methods of playing thisinstrument.

Kathleen Quinn, the canary with the troupe,a gorgeous blonde, made another big; hit whenshe sang the hit song from "Hello Frisco Hello","You'll Never Know." Later she blued it up abit when Andy Arcari played her accompanimentfor a bit of spine-tingling swing. I forget thename of the piece, hut the melody lingers on.Miss Quinn used to sing with Little Jack Little'sorchestra. Was with them for four years, sing-ing over the two major U. S. networks, C.B.S. andN.B,C. She mentioned that Little Jack Little isnow in the South Pacific with Ray Bolger, thefamous tap-dancing star in "Stage Door Canteen"entertaining the boys. Miss Quinn expects to goout again shortly when this unit closes. She hopesthat she gets overseas. She likes entertainingservicemen she says,

Trudy Simmons, the acrobatic dancer whodoes inside loops with nary a take-off run, isfrom Chicago. Graceful and breath-taking is theway she juggles that beautiful figure around thestage. Miss Simmons has been in several JackBenny pictures and appeared for several yearsat the Empire Room in Chicago with the MurielAbbot dancers. Her latest movie was with Kay



22/36

20

"MINSTREL SHOW"

The Minstrel Show that took place in theRC.A.F. Station Theatre on Wednesday, August4th at 2030 hours was indeed a success. In factso much so that the "Gander Minstrels" put on acommand performance for our friends across the

way. Record crowds attended both performancesand the audience was quite attentive.Now of course my readers no doubt will be

interested in knowing that the Minstrel Show,sponsored by the Glee Club was carefully re-hearsed for under the able supervision and direc-tion of Eugene Hill, Y.M.C.A. Director, who, bythe way, set the music for, "For your NecessaryAction."

The Group consists of a Chorus of 35 W.D.'sand Airmen. This dub had its inception inApril, 1943, and has progressed steadily to itspresent strength and popularrty.The first per-

formance of

the Glee Clubwas broadcastover V.O.N.F.,St. John's andr e-bro a dcas tthrough others tat ion s to.points in theUnited Statesand Canada.

Since severalmembers inthe chorushave recentlyreceived their

pas tin g theGlee Clubwould welcomeanyone inter-ested in thisendeavour. Themembers practice for a period of two hours everyWednesday evening.

THE GANDER, AUGUSTSEPTEMBER, 1943

"THE AIRMEN'S PICNIC"

The outing took place Saturday, August 14thin an ideal location. Everything favoured thisevent as the weatherman smiled upon the happygroup as they boarded buses provided for trans-portation. With spirits high the 120 couples

. were on the way for an enjoyable evening.Around the home-like fire with a delightfulmoon overhead everyone joined in a rousing sing-song led by LAC Carl Liddle. The music wassupplied by Cpl. Davis, F. E., Cpl. Makie andothers, which was very suitable for the occa-sion. "Papa" Moorby was busily brewing coffeeand even consented to sing a little ditty whichwas applauded with whole-hearted approval. S/OGear, S/O Findley and our Padre, Flight Lieut-enantMacintosh were on the scene and it is QUI'hope that they too had a fine time.

Some individuals of the less timid type gota big kick outof the new

for m of skin-ning the dogsof their outerwrapper, s i t-ting cross-leg-ged on a near-by h i 1 losidew hi 1 s t p e r-forming theoperation.

After a grandfee d of h 0 t-dogs coveredwi th mustardor p l e n t y of

delicious relishand sometimesboth, and thisaccompaniedwith gob s ofcoffee, the fun-

making gang wended their way towards home at2300 hours.

This completed the first Airmen's Picnicorganized by the Airmen's Dance Committeewhich sincerely hopes that bigger and better oneswill be possible in. the near future.

THE MINSTRELS

u.s.o. SHOW(Continued from page 19)

Kyser in an as yet unreleased film called "RightAbout Face," .

The Marionette Show, which got such a bigreception was the handi-work of the Balfonte's,Ruth and Paul (they're married). Eighteenyears in vaudeville, all over the U.S. and previoustours with U.S.O. units have given them a wealthof experience at entertaining. Puppet strongmen, jugglers, congaleers and the rest played theminiature stage to the strings held by the Bal-fonte's. .

Jack Shea was master of ceremonies, Veteranof the last war with the U.S. forces, he was re-called for this one but received his dischargeshortly thereafter on medical .grounds, Hisfeats of legerdemain, (sic) got a big hand, Your"Gander" correspondent got 'framed' as the

New Soldier: "Does it get very hot in NorthAfrica?" .

Old Soldier: "Does it get hot? Why, once Isaw a dog chasing a rabbit and it was so hot theywere both walking!"

party of the second part in the Hindu handker-chief trick.

Many thanks are due the Special ServicesOffice of the U.S. Gov't. for their inclusion ofGander in their circuit. Among the recent starswho have played here under their auspices havebeen Paul Draper the famous musical comedydancing star and Edgar Bergen and CharlieMcflarthy.


23/36

THE GANDER~ AUGUST SEPTEMBER, 1943

VARIETY SHOW SCORES SUCCESS!

The night was that of monday, September13th; the. time approximately 7.35. It was almost25 minutes before the curtain was scheduled togo up on Y.M.C.A. Director Eugene Hill's newest

production "Gander Varieties." The members ofthe cast were tense. You could tell that they werejust the slightest bit dubious as to how their in-dividual acts were going to be received. Thehouse was packed to the doors with servicemenof every rank, and previous experience had taughtthem that one of the toughest jobs a performer,no matter how fully experienced, can contendwith is that of pleasing an audience of servicemen.They're plenty critical and make no bones aboutit. If your act is the slightest bit corny, they'llgive you the Bronx Cheer-but loud and long I Ifthey like you, they'll show their appreciationwith an almost deafening round of applause.

Finally that fatal moment arrived and the

orchestra, billed as Professor Nichni PropedychsRed Onion Jazz Babies, made with th e overturewhile master-of-ceremonies AC2 Bob Harvie, aformer Toronto radio announcer, stepped forthto get the show under way. The orchestra, inreality a Dixieland combo recruited from the newGander band, put the show on a I'.trictly rhythmicbasis with a sparkling and very refreshing ren-diction of "Honeysuckle Rose." The audience,now in a decidedly entertainment-minded groove,showed their appreciation to LAW Una Wilsonand LAC Pete Gagne for a clever skit titled"Nature Abhors a Vacuum." LAC Bill Carter wasnext on the line-up with a trumpet soIo-"Bodyand Soul." Carter will he remembered by many

Eastern Ontario dancers for his inspiring tum petwork with the Richard Avonde orchestra whoheld forth nightly at the Brant Inn. Bob Harviebrought down the house between each act withhis funny (and occasionally slightly pornogra-phic) stories of the Lou Holtz variety. As amatter of fact, Bob had 'em rolling in the aisles(until the Special Police came down and confis-cated the dice l)

Flying Officer Prentice offered two VictorHerbert ballads that made for easy listening whilePrivate Michael Race of the U. S. contributed tothe show with a danceroutine that was slightlyshort of super. (Watch for Mike and a chorus ofpulchritudinous W.D.'s in a forthcoming show.)

After two tuneful bits by the orchestra, aquiz was held with questions .prepared by theY.M.C.A. The winning team was presented withfive tickets each to the R.C.A.F. Theatre.

Cp1.John Bigham and Cpl. Jessie Roche of-fered a novel interpretation of a "Farewell ToArms"-depicting the marked difference betweenthe American and British farewell. LAC OzZarnke sang "Always In My Heart" and was en-cored not once, but twice, singing "It Started AllOver Again" followed by "There'll N ever BeAnother You."

It was at this point in the festivities thatProfessor Nichni Propedych was officially recog-nized as LAC Pat Riccio, one of the mainstays of

the reed section and aranging department of the

21

nevi' Gander KC.A.Y. Orchestra. Pat took up thealto saxaphone and "sent" the audience "out ofthis world" with his "Limehouse Blues" and"After You're Gone." Private Roger LaRose andLAC Alfie Scopp dosed the show with a jitteringroutine that might have captured honors in any

jitterbug-contest.Our' hats are off to Eugene Hill for a grandperformance. We'll be looking for bigger andbetter shows this forthcoming season and weknow that with our genial Y.lVLC.A.Director incharge of production we'll be treated to some top-drawer entertainment.

GUARD TURNS HUl\'TER

LAC "Stan" Preston, one of the SecurityGuards of this station recently had quite a night.While on his post late this evening he was both-ered by a low hooting sound. This incessant noiserather annoyed Stan. Looking around for the

cause he spied an object sitting' in a tree about ahundred yards from where he was standing.Finally he decided it must be the thing he waslooking for. At any rate in order to break themonotony of the shift Stan decided to take a shotat it.

One shot was sufficient to bring down "theThing." In the dusk of the evening even now hewasn't sure of what he had hit. Upon advancingto the spot where the object lay fluttering in thedust he found that it was an owl. Another shotfinished the giant bird.

The bird was brought back to the barracksand news of the kill soon spread around camp. Infact it spread to a former taxidermist who offered

to stuff the bird. So nowMr, Owl is just a lot ofstuffing.

AIRME~'S DANCES

The Airmen's Dance Committee announcedrecently that a certain amount of trouble hadbeen brough t to note. In the first place theystated that Senior ::.J.C.O.'shave been attendingthe dances. These persons had been sold ticketsby unscrupulous airmen, who were given the tic-kets free of charge and returned the favor byselling them. Pretty small chaps these.

Another matter brought to light was the factthat certain airmen are regularly crashing thedances by some means or other. Some break inthrough the windows and others by scroungingfake tickets, etc.

Due to the limited number of \V.D:'s on thisstation it is only fair to have a maximum of 150couples at the dance. Each week only 14;) ticketsare given out but recently there have been almostdouble that number of airmen at the dances.

The Airmen's dances are an excellent formof recreation but unless these above mentionedpractices cease forthwith the dances will bacan-celled. It's up to you. A word to the wise ISsuff cient.

Gir}: "I told you to stop kissing me."Airman: "T did-several times."


24/36

22

S/L R. C. WESTON

(Continued from Page 17)

offensive of the Battle of Germanyaugurs wcl l for h is ability to pilot thespeedy and formidable Spitfire andthe famed early night-fighter, theHurricane.

Trained in Ontario

His home town is St. John, N. B.

where he followed his hobby of suil-ing when he wasn't attending a civil

aviation course at the lJniver~ityofSaint John. He joined the then-ex-panding No. 117 Squadron whichused the Incillties and planes oJ themunic ipal Airpor t. It W


25/36

THE GANDER, AUGUST~SEPT.EMBER, 1943 23

tN-il~-I~II-'I~-ilill """""'~.-lr!ll-~I~-II.-IIII -ll~---'-.I:I.-'II -jr11-IIM-I!~-IR-dii_H~_I~n_ilR_"II_n~ ........ . IIII_nll_1I-'~-~_III1_n~-~~-IIR-~II-"R-II_ .. _t= I

I PADRE'S CORNER I+-ii~-IliI1'-'lI-! i''''''' '';H''_li!I_'']l_il''_IiII_I'''_''_~iN!_~ri_I~_Klr_'D_~'-~~-N ... -n-,p-II I-MII -'JI-rrff -II Il "-li lr-I IIl .-l tr, -"~-Kll -lI lt -r'~ _!!I ~_'_!ii _II""_.II -tI ~-11~'+

LEISURE TIME

F/L M. C. P. Macintosh

One of the problems which confronts per-sonnel all any Station is what to do during offduty hours. There are manv who think thatthere is little to do once the 'dav's work is overand as a result retire to their barracks or can-teens and there spend their leisure hours, Anold proverb comes in and says, "All work and noplay makes Jack a dull boy." How true that canbe, we know from experience. The constant at-tempt to do our work,-which is often routine

work and therefore of a monotonous note-andforget all other forms of work, sport or entertain-ment, almost invariably reveals itself in ... vorriedfaces, taut nerves and weary bodies. If everan attempt has been made to prevent this eviland to provide the means for constructive whole-some leisure duties and sports for airmen andairwomen, that effort has been made on thisStation. There are few departments which havenot been touched, and fewer possibilities whichhave not been probed.

In the realm of sport there are outside gamesand inside sports provided fat all who are at allinclined to participate. In the drill hall there arethe bowling .alleys, the pool room, the tennis

courts, badminton courts, basketball, bordenballtable tennis, punching bags, not to mention .th~distinct advantage that is ours in being' the proudowners of a splendid swimming pool.

For those who prefer to stimulate the mindthere is a well stocked library containing bookson biography, fiction, history, travel, sociologyeconomics, English, religion, reference and tech~nical, plus a miscellaneous assortment on manyother subjects. .

For those who wish to be entertained bv oth-ers there is what will ultimately become one ofthe best motion picture theatres' in the KC.A.F.,providing many of the latest high quality films.

To others who enjoy an evening of music

Mr. Eugene Hill Y.M.C.A., Supervisor, provide~at the Chapel an hour or more of recordingstaken from the great composers.

Nor does this exhaust the list of things ob-tainable and free for the asking. There are manywhose education was rudely interruped by thewar, and others too, whose education was inter-rupted by problems at home, and who did nothave an opportunity to go back to school,-somebecause they could not afford the time, othersbecause they could not afford the money, Atlast their dreams can come true. Tn a busv classroom in the drill hall, well qualified teachers arefound offering advice, and instruction in math-matics, shorthand, typing, English, art, science,

trade improvement classes and others, while somemembers have signed up for correspondenceclasses through the generous channels providedby the Canadian Legion and are enrolled forclasses in philosophy, psychology, economics, his-tory and other university subjects, which will bethe foundation for them in the post war worldwhen they enter university life.

Space will not permit to write of the otherattractions which await personnel in the leisurehours, the lakes,-teeming with fish, the barrenswith their plentiful harvest of berries, the count-less gifts which Nature has provided for the chil-dren of men.x-all these stir up in our hearts a

feeling of pride and satisfaction that we are for-tunate enough to be at C.A.P. 0. No, 4.

GET FIT AND KEEP FIT

For some days, at the bottom of each page ofthe D.R.O. you read this slogan : "Now is not thetime to relax." Of course not t 'When everythingis going well for the Allies, when the Victory isnearer everyday, it's time up more than ever, herein Gander, to do your best to get fit and to keepfit, morally and physically.

I still remember some very wise remarksgiven by W/C Belway, actual C.O. of No.1 "Y"Depot, concerning the necessary qualifications topossess a good morale and to be efficient in theService.

"Clean living: not just of the body but cleanliving also in your actions, your conduct and yourtru thfulness.

"High courage; to carry out any and all dut-ies assigned to you. Courage to stick to the joband see it through at whatever the cost.

"Initiative: the amount of initiative you dis-play will soon be noticed by your superior Officersand either favorably or adversely committed uponto higher authority.

"Intelligence: Don't develop an inferioritycomplex or adopt a defeatist attitude. If you arein doubt how to proceed, remember there is al-ways somebody who can tell you, Don't be afraidto ask.

"Alertncss : Always be on the look-out forsomething to do. Don't adopt the policy of "let-ting Joe do it." Remember that it is only by allpulling together that we are going to be vic-torious.

"Be steady and dependable, have decisivenessand observation; keep your eyes open and yourmouth shut. Don't criticise your Superiors forthey know better than you do what must andwhat must not be done."

Before all, have and keep the strong convic-tions of your faith, sticking to your Divine Creedas the Nazis and the Japs stick to their Creed of



26/36


27/36

2 5THE GANDER, AUGUST-SEPTEMBEH., 1943

lJu flrmn r tam

W/C YOUNG, JOHN MAITLANDC 939

S/L MACKENZIE, J. GRANTC 12929

FlO BILL, VICTOR EDWARDJ 668:3

LAC 'VARD, GORDONR 152186

AIRMANS PRA YER

Guide Thou our wings who battle forthe right-

And hear our prayer!

Pilot Divine, and Lord of all on high!Thine are the starry squadrons of the

sky!Lead us whose wings for freedom's

sake now soar,Into our hearts Thy faith and courage-

pour---And hear our prayer!

Father and Friend, in Whose almightyName -

We dedicate our lives to freedom'sflame,

Bless now our wings as on throughspace we wend!

Bless us who to Thy care our soulscommend-

And hear our prayer!

Set Thou our course whose trust is laidon Thee-

Oh, Thou Who chart est all eternity!Through cloud and sunshine, through

the darkest night,


28/36

THE GANDER, AUGUSTSEPTEMBER, 194326

STORM CENTRE Adv,ice To The Love lornby Cpl. M. L. Storm BY AUNTI FLO

n Duce's gone and done it.We always did suspect thathe was sticking out thatchin a little too far. Afterall, you can't go around witha chip on each shoulder andyour chin stuck out like asore thumb without- someone taking a poke' if' it.Even the "Decadent Democ-racies", as he was wont tospurn us in his more balmydays, can resist temptationand swallow pride for onlyso long. We, ourself, wereitching to do it many years

ag.o when be first began to prod the Wops awake andbless 'em with an inferiority complex. What now, 0 Wop!now that pappa's gone; are you going to talk turkey orhide behind the musty skirts of your ancient glory andtell us we are a bunch of brutes? Shades of Ethiopia weshould not drop bombs upon so old and venerable acivilization. Personally, we'd like to see a little morecivilization; the modern kind, with hot and cold waterand votes for everybody.

Well fellow Ganderites,we have a big surprise instore for you. The Ganderhas been extremely rortun-ate in securing the services

"of that noted expert in theaffairs of the heart, AuntiElo.> "To introduce Aunti

.quote her most famous slog-e an. "Rest in peace and let Aunti Flo solve all the,problems of your heart .. "And now without furtherado, here is Aunti Flo to

speak for' herself.

"My dear readers. It givesme a great deal of pleasureto be able to try to help you in any and all affairs of the

heart. It has been my privilege to help many hundredsof forlorn buds to blossom forth into the radiance of truehapp.iness with the "right" man. Won't you let me helpyou? '

Now my dear readers, here are a few letters fromsome of the many people I have been able to help.

Dear Aunti Flo:

I am a new arrival on this Station and have a veryperplexing problem on my hands. I am blonde, aboutfive feet tall, .and weigh 100 pounds, My eyes are blueand I still have my own teeth and they tell me that I amnot bad to look at, Oh yes! my age is 20 and my shape is

very comely. My officer would like to promote me, butI am afraid that after passing the present Drill TestBoard that I will become muscle bound and will lose allmy girlish charms. What shall I do? Shall I take achance on my figure and charms, or shall I stay as I am?

"BUNNY" PAIN.

. Our new Commanding Officer, Group Captain C. L.Antiis, OBE, had a little homely chat with us the othermorning. "Come in your work clothes," he said, "Andw;e"ll have a get-together in the gym," Or words to thateffect, anyway. The station personnel took him at his

wadi and went, and found, we hope, irispiration. TheCOmmanding Officer called us "one big family" andstressed the need of fellowship during our sojourn amidthis' isolation. Ease and friendliness flowed from himand.rtppled through the ranks like a beneficient Nile. Theharvest should be good. That, of course, depends entirelyupon the workers in the field, as is always the case. It isour station. It can be OUR happiness. Having the good.fortune to interview the Commanding Officer later in theday;" he reiterated his hopes and aspirations. "I like Gan-der," said he. "And I want everybody else to be, at least,happy here." With such leadership, how can we fail?

I Dear Bunny:

It would appear that your interest lies in someonewho has already been promoted .. All those who havebeen fortunate enough to pass the present Drill TestBoard .are muscle bound, hence I cannot see that youwould be sacrificing your future by going through withthe test. Good luck my dear, and let your conscience beyour guide.

Beneath an almond tree, upon a shell-seared Sicilianslope that looked towards Barrafranca, Time correspond-ent; Jack Belden, came upon a Yank who was guardinghiscolonel's radio. The air was full of dust and.death andthe occasional railroad roar and detonation of Nazirocketshells. In spite of all of which, the Yank soldierwas.brushing a mouth-organ across his Ups to the tuneof; "."Oh .Suzanna, don't you cry for me." He looked upat Belden . . . and winked!

AUNTI FLO.

Dear Aunti Flo:

You should see my George (pronounced Jarge)! Imet him on a five day pass at one of the local resortsand I really fell like a ton of bricks. He wants to marryme, but 'he hasn't worked for over three years. Should

(Continued on Page 27),:Which reminds us of a story that comes from

Middlesbrough; on the north-east coast of England. Itwas', during those hysterical days of the unforgetablehlitz, In a little house on a mediocre street lived an oldcouple. Their sOQS were at war and their daughters "inmunitions". They were alone. From above, the bombs

came down. The street. behind their little home was amess of rubble. "Come, lass," pleaded the husband."We'd better get in the cellar before they blow us tosmithereens." "What" ejaculated his homely wife, "Anleave my lovely kipper? '


29/36

THE GANDER, AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 1943 27'

THE GUARDS

A group of'the Security Guards serving on this station are shown in the above photo. From left to'right theyare, front row (seated) J_,AC McReynolds; LAC Saltel; LAC Royce: LAC Ferguson; LAC Cockburn; LAC Hueh-nergard and Cpl. Havis, D. P. Second row (seated) LAC Bayley; LAC Platt; LAC Preston: LAC Borosuik: LACSleno; LAC Wall\:er; LAC Howells and LAC Arenson. Third row (standing) F/Lt. Aires; F/S Ware; Cpl. EvanseLAC Peters; Cp]. Brault; LAC Shep,perd; LAC Davis B. R.; LAC Kirton; ,LAC Penney; LAC Galarneau; LAC Slum-ski; LAC Weir, J.; LAC lVIat,hison; LAC King; LAC Easor~; LAC Milligan and LAC Simpson. Back Row: LACShulman: LAC Thornto,u; I,AC Covell; LAC Irvine'; LAC Miller, G. J.; LAC Masse; LAC Thompson; LAC Mac-Donald and LAC Gurney. .

'VEENIE ROAST

The far cry of the wolves was heard thatcertain Saturday night of the Guard "weenieroast". By wolves we mean those two-leggedcreatures with a human abode. Such cries as"Where the devil are all the women? Who theH - - - is in charge of this affair ? and Somebodydo something, quick," were passed in front of theBarrack Block when word got around that mostof the women the gang had invited were postedout that same afternoon. Things were lookingvery black until the new group of W.D.'s, tir

rcaf gander base - sep 1943

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