A Canadian Wireless Story

by Eric Olsen VE3GGO

The Royal Canadian Corps of Signals (RCCS) were instrumental in training hundreds of wireless personnel across Canada in WW2. They provided important communications in several theatres of war. Without proper communications you do not win battles.

This story is about one of their Signallers or Signalmen, a young 19 year old from the Montreal area name Bob McGee. Bob was posted with RCCS to Germany after the war with the peace keeping forces. When a bit of leave came along, he rented a car and took off to fulfill a dream visiting Switzerland and the mighty Alps.

Regretably there was a car crash and this young fellow was seriously injured with a severed spine. Many long stays in hospitals in Europe ensued and eventually he was returned to Canada and admitted to a long term care facility in Sherbrooke, QC just south of Montreal.

The local RCCS rallied around and installed a complete amateur radio station with exterior "hard wires" so as to avoid interfering with the hospital's electrical systems into Bob's room where he was confined to bed. They then aided him in obtaining his amateur license and he was issued the call VE2DNH ( darned nice hobby ) is what Bob smilingly says.

Now several years have gone by.. he is now 61.. and he has enjoyed several thousand thrilling contacts on the air in this marvellous hobby even though he has little use of his arms and legs and requires daily shots of morphine for pain.

I hooked up with Bob one evening a few years ago on the Sandbox Net, 7063.5, 6.30-8.30 p.m. daily 365 days a year.When he briefly told us the above story, I asked him if he might have fun seeking VEs across Canada for the CANADIAN PROVINCES AWARD also known as Candians Talking to Canadians. When he said an enthusiastic "sure ", I mailed him an information package as our club has done to over a thousand VEs from coast to coast to coast. His only problem would be logging the contacts, but he said he would record them on a tape recorder and mail in the tape for attestation. A couple of years go by and I meet Bob again on the SANDBOX NET. In answer to my enquiry, he regrets that it was a difficult task recording these QSOs even though he was remaining active on the air. My reply was what an Canadian ham would say; " Forget the tape recording. We know you have made more than enough VE contacts to earn the 300 points necessary for the GOLD Award. "  Therefore, the club computer under the expert guidance of Larry VE3LGH and his lovely BMW (beautiful married woman .... better than XYL? ) Vicky, punched out the GOLD Award on their computer beautifully inscribed with this tribute: "Let it be known Bob McGee, VE2DNH is being honoured by his peers in the Canadian amateur radio fraternity for an excellent operating endeavour, contacting by radio several amateur radio stations in various Canadian provinces earning 300 points. "

We are proud to have Bob as a member of this coast to coast Canadian fraternity.

Heritage Amateur Radio Club Cobourg/Port Hope On.
Awards Chairman Eric Olsen VE3GGO

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