RCAF Station St. Margarets
Encyclopedia
RCAF Station St. Margarets is a former Royal Canadian Air Force
station and later a Canadian Forces
detachment located in the community of St. Margarets
, New Brunswick
.
It was operational as a Pinetree Line
radar station from November 1953 to April 1988 and as a satellite tracking station from 1975 until its closure in 1989. It was involved in Operation Skyshield II
in October 1961 which involved tracking "Enemy and Friendly aircraft engaged in a North American wide mock air battle. Personnel from this station and others involved were restricted to base until 16 October 1961.
selected the community of St. Margarets for the location of a radar station in the early 1950s to close a key gap in air defence coverage. RCAF Station St. Margarets was constructed on what was then called the Old Yellow Road, today Highway 11
, approximately 5 km (3.1 mi) northwest of the county line between Northumberland County
and Kent County
and approximately 20 km (12.4 mi) southeast of the air base at RCAF Station Chatham. Construction began in 1951 under general contractor Diamond Construction and it went operational on November 1, 1953 as part of the Pinetree Line
network of radar stations when the ground control intercept operation was moved from RCAF Station Chatham.
During the 1950s and 1960s, RCAF Station St. Margarets was staffed by approximately 300 RCAF personnel and supported by approximately 100 civilians. Its location was designed to provide coverage of a large portion of the western Gulf of St. Lawrence as well as northeastern Maine, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island to complement RCAF operated Pinetree Line stations at RCAF Station Moisie to the north, RCAF Station St. Sylvestre to the west, RCAF Station Beaverbank
and RCAF Station Barrington to the south, and RCAF Station Sydney to the east. The United States Air Force
also operated several Pinetree Line stations further east at Stephenville
, Gander
and St. John's
on the island of Newfoundland.
Radio callsigns used by the St. Margarets radar station throughout its operation from 1953-1988 included "MOHAWK", "BROMIDE", "CHOPSTICK", "MIDWIFE" and "BILLYBOY".
The St. Margarets station consisted of several radome
s housing the early warning and ground control intercept radars, as well as supporting buildings including residences for personnel and a school. The primary lodger unit established at the station was No. 21 Aircraft Warning Squadron; this unit formed at RCAF Station Chatham on November 21, 1952 while the station was under construction and moved to St. Margarets on October 15, 1953. The station was operationally controlled by Sector Commander 2 ADCC, RCAF Station Chatham and was part of the Fredericton Sector of the Pinetree Line.
In August 1957 a new school was opened by the RCAF for children of personnel. It was named James Park School in honour of recently retired Air Vice-Marshal
Arthur Lorne James
. The Post Office Department
had established a post office at RCAF Station St. Margarets in 1954 named "Post Office RCAF St. Margarets." The name of this post office was changed in 1966 to "Post Office James Park" following the death of Air Vice-Marshal Arthur Lorne James in 1964.
Search radars installed at the facility included models AMES-11, FPS-3, FPS-502, and FPS-508. No. 21 Aircraft and Warning Squadron was renamed to No. 21 Radar Squadron on May 8, 1958. That year saw the implementation of a partnership between the USAF and RCAF to form the North American Aerospace Defence Command or NORAD; consequently many Pinetree Line radar stations were upgraded for automation and consolidation of intercept data. RCAF Station St. Margaret's radar equipment underwent an upgrade in the late 1950s and early 1960s with the operational implementation of the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) System on November 1, 1963. Under SAGE, the St. Margarets station collected, discriminated and transmitted its radar coverage data to the designated SAGE Control Centre in the Bangor NORAD sector at Topsham AFS
.
Air bases at RCAF Station Chatham and Loring AFB
in Maine were the nearest bases for interceptor aircraft that would respond to anything detected by the St. Margarets main radar. The SAGE upgrade in 1963 also saw RCAF Station St. Margarets become the designated Back Up Intercept Control - One (BUIC I) for the Bangor NORAD sector. This evolved to become a BUIC II site in 1966 which lasted until the end of 1968.
(RCN) and the Canadian Army to form the Canadian Armed Forces
. As part of the unification, many isolated radar stations comprising the Pinetree Line, Mid-Canada Line
and DEW Line were renamed to become separate Canadian Forces Stations using the prefix "CFS". However, in the case of RCAF Station St. Margarets, the facility's proximity to the air base at RCAF Station Chatham saw this particular radar station realigned to become a detachment of the base. The air base was renamed CFB Chatham
, thus the radar station was renamed to CFB Chatham, St. Margarets Detachment.
Under the BUIC III program, the St. Margarets facility was assigned to become a BUIC NORAD Control Centre (BNCC) in 1969. This saw No. 21 Radar Squadron renamed to No. 2 BNCC Squadron. By 1972, BUIC was winding down and St. Margarets became the only BNCC within the 22nd NORAD Region.
In 1974 the St. Margarets facility was selected as the site for a Satellite Tracking Unit (SITU) as part of Air Defence Command - reorganized into Air Command
that year. The SITU formed on July 7, 1975 at St. Margarets and supported NORAD's space defence role to collect, analyze and transmit satellite tracking data to the NORAD Space Object Identification Centre at NORAD headquarters in the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center (CMOC) at Cheyenne Mountain
, Colorado
. The SITU used a Baker Nunn satellite tracking camera system and this was augmented in 1978 by the Space Object Identification Telescope.
Through the early 1980s the St. Margarets facility functioned as the controlling site of the 22nd NORAD Region until the consolidated Regional Operational Control Centre (ROCC) for the realigned Canadian NORAD Region at CFB North Bay
in August 1984. At that time St. Margarets reverted to simply a long range radar site (in addition to the SITU) as its BUIC function was phased out.
In 1985 the Department of National Defence
announced that the Pinetree Line network of radar stations would be closed. The final day of operations for the radar equipment at St. Margarets was April 1, 1988. The SITU was relocated from the facility in 1989 and the property was decommissioned and declared surplus.
Today the facility has been renamed to James Park in honour of Air Vice-Marshal Arthur Lorne James
. James Park is operated by a local development authority which has sold or rented many of the residential units. Most of the military buildings have been demolished since the facility was decommissioned in 1989.
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
station and later a Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
detachment located in the community of St. Margarets
St. Margarets, New Brunswick
St. Margarets is a settlement in New Brunswick....
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
.
It was operational as a Pinetree Line
Pinetree Line
The Pinetree Line was a series of radar stations located across the northern United States and southern Canada at about the 50th parallel north, along with a number of other stations located on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Run by NORAD , over half were manned by United States Air Force...
radar station from November 1953 to April 1988 and as a satellite tracking station from 1975 until its closure in 1989. It was involved in Operation Skyshield II
Operation Skyshield
Operation Skyshield was a series of three large-scale military exercises conducted in the United States in 1960, 1961 and 1962 to test the North American Aerospace Defense Command defenses against Soviet air attack. The tests were intended to ensure that any attacks over the Canadian border or...
in October 1961 which involved tracking "Enemy and Friendly aircraft engaged in a North American wide mock air battle. Personnel from this station and others involved were restricted to base until 16 October 1961.
RCAF Station St. Margarets
The Royal Canadian Air ForceRoyal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
selected the community of St. Margarets for the location of a radar station in the early 1950s to close a key gap in air defence coverage. RCAF Station St. Margarets was constructed on what was then called the Old Yellow Road, today Highway 11
New Brunswick Route 11
Route 11 is a provincial highway in northeastern New Brunswick, Canada. The 430-kilometre long road runs from Shediac to the Quebec border near Campbellton at the Interprovinciale Bridge, following the province's eastern and northern coastlines....
, approximately 5 km (3.1 mi) northwest of the county line between Northumberland County
Northumberland County, New Brunswick
Northumberland County , having the largest area of any county in the province, is located in northeastern New Brunswick, Canada.-Geography:Northumberland County is covered by thick forests, whose products stimulate the economy...
and Kent County
Kent County, New Brunswick
Kent County is located in east-central New Brunswick, Canada. The county features a unique blend of cultures including Mi'kmaq, Acadian and English Speaking Settlers...
and approximately 20 km (12.4 mi) southeast of the air base at RCAF Station Chatham. Construction began in 1951 under general contractor Diamond Construction and it went operational on November 1, 1953 as part of the Pinetree Line
Pinetree Line
The Pinetree Line was a series of radar stations located across the northern United States and southern Canada at about the 50th parallel north, along with a number of other stations located on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Run by NORAD , over half were manned by United States Air Force...
network of radar stations when the ground control intercept operation was moved from RCAF Station Chatham.
During the 1950s and 1960s, RCAF Station St. Margarets was staffed by approximately 300 RCAF personnel and supported by approximately 100 civilians. Its location was designed to provide coverage of a large portion of the western Gulf of St. Lawrence as well as northeastern Maine, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island to complement RCAF operated Pinetree Line stations at RCAF Station Moisie to the north, RCAF Station St. Sylvestre to the west, RCAF Station Beaverbank
RCAF Station Beaverbank
RCAF Station Beaverbank was a long-range Pinetree Line early warning radar station operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force, located in central Nova Scotia near the community of Beaverbank. The site is now known as Beaverbank Villa.-Base history:...
and RCAF Station Barrington to the south, and RCAF Station Sydney to the east. The United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
also operated several Pinetree Line stations further east at Stephenville
Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador
Stephenville is a Canadian town in Newfoundland and Labrador on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland....
, Gander
Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador
Gander is a Canadian town located in the northeastern part of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, approximately south of Gander Bay, south of Twillingate and east of Grand Falls-Windsor...
and St. John's
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
on the island of Newfoundland.
Radio callsigns used by the St. Margarets radar station throughout its operation from 1953-1988 included "MOHAWK", "BROMIDE", "CHOPSTICK", "MIDWIFE" and "BILLYBOY".
The St. Margarets station consisted of several radome
Radome
A radome is a structural, weatherproof enclosure that protects a microwave or radar antenna. The radome is constructed of material that minimally attenuates the electromagnetic signal transmitted or received by the antenna. In other words, the radome is transparent to radar or radio waves...
s housing the early warning and ground control intercept radars, as well as supporting buildings including residences for personnel and a school. The primary lodger unit established at the station was No. 21 Aircraft Warning Squadron; this unit formed at RCAF Station Chatham on November 21, 1952 while the station was under construction and moved to St. Margarets on October 15, 1953. The station was operationally controlled by Sector Commander 2 ADCC, RCAF Station Chatham and was part of the Fredericton Sector of the Pinetree Line.
In August 1957 a new school was opened by the RCAF for children of personnel. It was named James Park School in honour of recently retired Air Vice-Marshal
Air Vice-Marshal
Air vice-marshal is a two-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in...
Arthur Lorne James
Arthur Lorne James
Air Vice-Marshal Arthur Lorne James CBE, RCAF was a Canadian air force officer who was instrumental in the evolution of the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II and the early years of the Cold War, leading to its close cooperation with the United States Air Force in the defence of North...
. The Post Office Department
Canada Post
Canada Post Corporation, known more simply as Canada Post , is the Canadian crown corporation which functions as the country's primary postal operator...
had established a post office at RCAF Station St. Margarets in 1954 named "Post Office RCAF St. Margarets." The name of this post office was changed in 1966 to "Post Office James Park" following the death of Air Vice-Marshal Arthur Lorne James in 1964.
Search radars installed at the facility included models AMES-11, FPS-3, FPS-502, and FPS-508. No. 21 Aircraft and Warning Squadron was renamed to No. 21 Radar Squadron on May 8, 1958. That year saw the implementation of a partnership between the USAF and RCAF to form the North American Aerospace Defence Command or NORAD; consequently many Pinetree Line radar stations were upgraded for automation and consolidation of intercept data. RCAF Station St. Margaret's radar equipment underwent an upgrade in the late 1950s and early 1960s with the operational implementation of the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) System on November 1, 1963. Under SAGE, the St. Margarets station collected, discriminated and transmitted its radar coverage data to the designated SAGE Control Centre in the Bangor NORAD sector at Topsham AFS
Topsham Air Force Station
Topsham Air Force Station is a closed United States Air Force station. It is located north of Brunswick, Maine. It was closed in 1969.-History:...
.
Air bases at RCAF Station Chatham and Loring AFB
Loring Air Force Base
Loring Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base that was under the operational control of the Strategic Air Command for most of its existence. In 1992, it was transferred to the newly-established Air Combat Command, and it was finally closed as an active Air Force installation in...
in Maine were the nearest bases for interceptor aircraft that would respond to anything detected by the St. Margarets main radar. The SAGE upgrade in 1963 also saw RCAF Station St. Margarets become the designated Back Up Intercept Control - One (BUIC I) for the Bangor NORAD sector. This evolved to become a BUIC II site in 1966 which lasted until the end of 1968.
CFB Chatham, St. Margarets Detachment
On February 1, 1968 the RCAF merged with the Royal Canadian NavyRoyal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
(RCN) and the Canadian Army to form the Canadian Armed Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
. As part of the unification, many isolated radar stations comprising the Pinetree Line, Mid-Canada Line
Mid-Canada Line
The Mid-Canada Line, also known as the McGill Fence, was a line of radar stations across the "middle" of Canada to provide early warning of a Soviet bomber attack on North America. It was built to supplement the less-advanced Pinetree Line, which was located further south...
and DEW Line were renamed to become separate Canadian Forces Stations using the prefix "CFS". However, in the case of RCAF Station St. Margarets, the facility's proximity to the air base at RCAF Station Chatham saw this particular radar station realigned to become a detachment of the base. The air base was renamed CFB Chatham
CFB Chatham
Canadian Forces Base Chatham or CFB Chatham was a Canadian Forces Base located immediately south of the town of Chatham, New Brunswick, Canada. Parts are now operating as Miramichi Municipal Airport since 1974 with a partial runway available .From 1970 until 1985 Chatham had a Base Rescue Flight...
, thus the radar station was renamed to CFB Chatham, St. Margarets Detachment.
Under the BUIC III program, the St. Margarets facility was assigned to become a BUIC NORAD Control Centre (BNCC) in 1969. This saw No. 21 Radar Squadron renamed to No. 2 BNCC Squadron. By 1972, BUIC was winding down and St. Margarets became the only BNCC within the 22nd NORAD Region.
In 1974 the St. Margarets facility was selected as the site for a Satellite Tracking Unit (SITU) as part of Air Defence Command - reorganized into Air Command
Canadian Forces Air Command
The Royal Canadian Air Force , formerly Canadian Forces Air Command, is one of three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
that year. The SITU formed on July 7, 1975 at St. Margarets and supported NORAD's space defence role to collect, analyze and transmit satellite tracking data to the NORAD Space Object Identification Centre at NORAD headquarters in the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center (CMOC) at Cheyenne Mountain
Cheyenne Mountain
Cheyenne Mountain is a mountain located just outside the southwest side of Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S., and is home to the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station and its Cheyenne Mountain Directorate, formerly known as the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center .Throughout the Cold War and...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. The SITU used a Baker Nunn satellite tracking camera system and this was augmented in 1978 by the Space Object Identification Telescope.
Through the early 1980s the St. Margarets facility functioned as the controlling site of the 22nd NORAD Region until the consolidated Regional Operational Control Centre (ROCC) for the realigned Canadian NORAD Region at CFB North Bay
CFB North Bay
Canadian Forces Base North Bay, also CFB North Bay, is an air force base located at the City of North Bay, Ontario about north of Toronto. The base is subordinate to 1 Canadian Air Division, Winnipeg, Manitoba, and is the centre for North American Aerospace Defense Command operations in Canada,...
in August 1984. At that time St. Margarets reverted to simply a long range radar site (in addition to the SITU) as its BUIC function was phased out.
In 1985 the Department of National Defence
Department of National Defence (Canada)
The Department of National Defence , frequently referred to by its acronym DND, is the department within the government of Canada with responsibility for all matters concerning the defence of Canada...
announced that the Pinetree Line network of radar stations would be closed. The final day of operations for the radar equipment at St. Margarets was April 1, 1988. The SITU was relocated from the facility in 1989 and the property was decommissioned and declared surplus.
Today the facility has been renamed to James Park in honour of Air Vice-Marshal Arthur Lorne James
Arthur Lorne James
Air Vice-Marshal Arthur Lorne James CBE, RCAF was a Canadian air force officer who was instrumental in the evolution of the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II and the early years of the Cold War, leading to its close cooperation with the United States Air Force in the defence of North...
. James Park is operated by a local development authority which has sold or rented many of the residential units. Most of the military buildings have been demolished since the facility was decommissioned in 1989.