90 YEARS AND COUNTING THE HISTORY OF CANADIAN MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS Major John A. MacKenzie Canadian Forces Communications and Electronics Museum UPDATED: 17 May, 1996 DEDICATED TO THOSE WHO WENT BEFORE That their accomplishments may never be forgotten and That the lessons they learned may always be remembered. This history, still under development, is produced as an abbreviated record of the Communications and Electronics Branch of the Canadian Forces, its predecessors and related defence electronics industries. It has been designed as a ready reference and to support other, more detailed, histories pertaining to specific areas of military C & E history. It has been compiled by: Author: Maj J.A. MacKenzie Contributors: Capt D.M. Brien, Former C & E Home Station Adjutant Sgt K.W. Brown, C & E Branch Kit Shop Supervisor CWO J.C. Browne, 1 CMBG HQ & Signal Squadron Mrs M.F. Chambers, Former CFSCE Chief Librarian Maj F. Fillion, Former C & E Branch Secretariat Mrs L. Grantham, Directorate of History Ottawa MWO D.R. Hildebrand, Curator C & E Museum Mrs C. Imeson, LaSalle Secondary School WO J. Juteau, SSF Signal Squadron Historian Mrs C. Kellins, LaSalle Secondary School Sgt R.A. Koopman, Air Force Telecommunications Association Pte J.A. MacKenzie, Reserve Electronic Warfare Squadron Mrs E.S. McArthur, LaSalle Secondary School WO1 S.A.E. Reading, (Retired) MCpl E.A. Sketcher, Former 1 CDHSR Historian Col P.H. Sutton, C & E Museum Senior Researcher Mrs C. Wartman, CFSCE Librarian/Archivist Cpl L.A. Watson, Reserve EW Squadron Use of this history is subject to the following conditions: - this history may be used, copied or reproduced in its entirety or in part for educational purposes without further permission of the author;
- this history may not be copied, reproduced or published in its entirety or in part for commercial purposes without the written permission of the author; and
- the Canadian Forces Communications and Electronics Museum must be given credit as the source of the information in any copy of this history.
CHAPTER 1: IN THE BEGINNING 1867 - 1913 Early communications requirements and activities, Yukon Telegraph Service, Canadian Engineers Signal Service and its development. CHAPTER 2: THE BIRTH OF THE CANADIAN SIGNALLING CORPS Formation of Canadian Signalling Corps, developments from 1903 to 1913, lead up to World War One. CHAPTER 3: WORLD WAR ONE 1914 - 1918 Military communications events and important dates during the war. CHAPTER 4: BETWEEN THE WARS 1919 - 1939 Evolution of early military communications, North West Territories and Yukon Radio System, Forestry Service, mapping and charting, birth of RCAF Signals, early RCN shore stations and preparing for war. CHAPTER 5: WORLD WAR TWO 1939 - 1945 Canadian communications and important events during the war. CHAPTER 6: THE COLD WARRIORS 1946 - 1989 North Atlantic Treaty Organization participation, United Nations operations and Canadian communications development since World War Two, integration and the new C & E Branch. CHAPTER 7: TOWARD A NEW WORLD (DIS)ORDER 1989 - Collapse of the Warsaw Pact, Canadian military downsizing as part of the "Peace Dividend", peace keeping and peace making in a destabilized world. |