Duties of a Signaller

Heroes Remember

Duties of a Signaller

Transcript

Interviewer: And what was the nature of the duties that you then had? Well, they didn't have any signal equipment, but first of all I had to learn to drive a truck. That was because being a signaller your wireless set was inside the truck, and you had, and all the equipment, so you had to be able to drive the thing. If you couldn't drive it, forget it. So we took the driver's course, and I'll tell you it was a very strenuous driver's course. Some guys didn't pass it. You had to be on the ball. Interviewer: How many men would be involved in the signals operations for the 35th Anti-Aircraft? There'd be two per troop, two for... I was in "C" troop, and Boyco, which was my partner, he's from Alberta, and there were two in each troop, three troops. That's six, plus two in Battery headquarters, so that's eight for Battery. And there are three Batteries. And I don't know to this day whether Regimental headquarters had any signal personnel. Interviewer: The purpose of the signals operation in each Battery was for what purpose? For relaying information of incoming enemy aircraft, or our own aircraft in order to not fire at them. So, then from the, we would get the message on the wireless set and we would then relay it to the guns by telephone. We had wire, I'll tell you a story about the wire, but we had telephone wire going out to each gun. And it was one hell of a job when you were keeping moving all the time, economy wise you had to bring that wire back in. We got that after a while we got fed up with it and we used to leave it and get new equipment issued.

Description

Mr. McCrindle describes learning to drive a truck and his duties as a signaller. He explains the purpose of the signals operations in a Battery.

David McCrindle

Mr. McCrindle's father immigrated to Canada in 1911 and served during the First World War with the Black Watch of Montreal. He stayed in Scotland after the war and returned to Canada when David was two. Mr. David McCrindle quit school during the Depression as he couldn't afford the tuition. He worked for a Jeweller for $6.50 weekly and in June 1940 joined the Non Permanent Active Militia (NPAM) on nights and weekends. On January 9, 1941, his 19th birthday, he joined the "Woodstock Detail" and trained in Woodstock, Ontario. Mr. McCrindle went to Britain and trained as a signaller. He participated in the Italian Campaign and returned to Canada after the war.

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