Lease to the Royal Canadian Navy (1941-46)

In 1939, as part of Britain’s Allied forces, Newfoundland joined World War II against Nazi Germany and its allies.

To aid the war effort, the Newfoundland Commission of Government leased the Harbour Grace airstrip to the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). In July 1941, the RCN established a High Frequency Direction Finding (HFDF) station there.

RCN radio operators tracked transmissions between German U-boats and provided bearings on their positions. The Harbour Grace station worked in conjunction with others located across the North Atlantic.

When operators achieved a successful bearing, the Royal Canadian Air Force would immediately dispatch a flight to the area in hopes of bombing an enemy vessel.

A remittance from the Department of National Defence’s Naval Service Treasury Office detailing their yearly lease of the Harbour Grace airstrip, 1944.

 
‘Z’ work, or ‘radio fingerprinting,’ also took place at the Harbour Grace HFDF station. This task consisted of identifying wireless transmitters by their individual radio operators and the unique characteristics the signals produced, using the rhythm of their Morse code transmissions.

The HFDF station at Harbour Grace consisted of two buildings, one for operations, the other for direction finding. The conditions at the site were poor, and operators often complained about the cramped quarters and lack of running water. Community residents billeted RCN operators.

Memorably, the RCN was stationed in Harbour Grace during the ‘Great Fire’ on August 17, 1944. The fire started in a jam preserving factory.

According to officers’ first-hand accounts, the community afterwards resembled a battle zone. The fire destroyed the community’s historic downtown and left many residents homeless. RCN officers significantly aided the community during its difficult recovery effort.

The Royal Canadian Navy’s “watch” at the Harbour Grace airstrip, 1944.

 
On May 21, 1945, the Canadian Naval Service approved the closure and disposal of its facility at the Harbour Grace airstrip. The Airport Trust Company later purchased the station’s assets in 1946.

Enjoy this interview with Patrick J. Collins about the Navy at the airstrip (with transcript).