Stories related to the NWT and Y Radio System
It is the personal anecdotes, memoirs and accounts of events that will give personality to the official history. We are asking anyone who wishes to contribute in this way to send in your story. Don't worry about whether you are a good enough writer. If you feel you need help in that regard we will be pleased to assist you in editing. The important thing is to capture the memories, diaries and notes before they are lost forever.
Contents
Stories
The following are stories related to the Northwest Territories Yukon and Radio System:
- The Official History of the NWT&Y Radio System by WO1 Cal Vince
- The Work of The Royal Canadian Corps of Signals in the Field of Radio Communication in Canada - NWT and Y - by Major Steel
- The North West Territories Radio System - by Major Steel
- A Northern Adventure: The Mad Trapper of Rat River by "Nash" Neary.
- How It All Began: RCSigs in the North by Rex Terpening
- "Wop" May's Hunt for Albert Johnson. Flight Log, and speech by "Wop" May
- Down North: A Dependent's Notes of Interest by Jean Watts
- The Day the Yanks Bombed Dawson (newspaper clip from The Standard)
- Legacy Notes: Broadcast Stations operated by the NWT&Y RS
- Vignettes: Anecdotes from NWT&YRS Days
- Oil for Victory: The Canol Project by Murray Lundberg
- The Search for Levanevsky by Viktor Yeletsky
- The Last Flight of Will Rogers and Wiley Post
- A Signaller's Life on the Northern Stations by Vince Cavanagh (WO II Retd.)
- A Civilian Operator with the R.C. Sigs by Doug Brabner
- Memories of The North by Bill Rogers
- Memories of the NWT&Y RS by Chuck Owens
- The Lost Patrol
- Exercise Moccasin : Excerpts from Sgt. Dick Watts' letters home
- Exercise Muskox : Notes and links on the exercise from various sources
- Tales from the Territories: by Peter Sinclair
- Early History of Station VEA Dawson City by WO Frank Heath
- Plane Crash at Beaverlodge: "The Venture", Urainium City
- The Clandestine Beginnings of CFYT.by Dan Davidson. Klondike Sun, August 8th, 1997.
- Canadian Army Signals: Big Job in Northland The Drumheller Mail, Wed. May 11th 1949
- Voices from the Past. The Yellowknifer, August 25th, 2006 by Andrew Raven.
- Radio Station Opened at Great Bear Lake, Edmonton Journal Article, April 1, 1932
- New Wireless Plant Opened in Northland, Edmonton Bulletin Article, August 16, 1933
- First in the Field. JP Croal on first Defence Research Board establishment in arctic 1945/46
- Gris Griswolds Daily Journal: a Signallers daily journal at Fort Smith 1928-30
Vignettes
Shorter stories and 'tidbits' are captured on our Vignettes Page.
Books
The following published works are about the NWT&Y or are related to it even if obliquely. If any of our readers wish to recommend other such writings about, or located in, the NWT&Y during the four decades between 1920 and 1960 we would be delighted to add them to our list of recommended readings.
- Visitors to our Stories Page will note the inclusion of two new books on subjects relating to Canada's northland in the era of the NWT&Y Radio System - in this case, aviation - and because there is very little direct involvement of RC Signals personnel in those stories you may ask "why include them?".
- When this history project first launched, all there was to work with was WO Cal Vince's official history. Any popularized version of military history needs "people" stories so others were invited to submit their reminiscences. It soon became apparent that in order to get a full appreciation of what the RCCS signallers encountered and endured during their service on the System it would be necessary to put it all into a community context. Therefore it was decided to also include stories of the communities, the industrial enterprizes and the service industries - hence the inclusion of those fascinating books written by Jack Lamb and Rex Terpening.
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Bent Props and Blow Pots by Rex Terpening
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My Life in the North by Jack Lamb
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Bush Pilot with a Briefcase by Ronald A. Keith
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The Mad Trapper of Rat River by Dick North
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