https://declassified.library.utoronto.ca/files/original/5cca49bad013b82c5a62000bd7ac50c7.pdf 74ca4adae08d79dacff4b3f5e4a14a41 PDF Text Text D e f e Document disclosed under the Access to Information. _, &&§mtrltto?_ae / -rt QeKJ^titl/dWScces a I'information ILS COPY • OTTAWA FILE * Ym typhi*- L*T Despatch No... .'.$. I). September 1 3 , 1 9 5 0 . ^ hTncvxiTY TO d CLASSIFICATION amid-i • Date FROM: THk SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, CANADA THE CANADIAH AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES, WASHXHOTON. TO: Reference: Stationing of U.S.A.F. 43rd Medium Bomber Group at Goose Bay. Subject: The following, for your information, is an account of the arrangements made in thla connection last month with the United States Embaasy in Ottawa. \ Cop Les Referred To. . • .— - • No. of Enclosures Post; File 2* On the afternoon of August IS, the United States Embassy enquired whether there would be any objaction to the U.S.A.F.»a 43rd Medium Bomber Group, then understood to consist of sixty-five B-M's and B-50*s, being moved to Ooosa Bay within tha next two or three daya for a six-week period of "routine training". Some 1400 personnel would be involved in this move. Also, aa acme of the bombers to be stationsd at Oooas Bay would be making landings at Harmon Air Force Base (the leased base at Stephsnville, Newfoundland), an additional 350 porsonnel would be poated to tha latter field. The U.S.A.F. had indicated that immediate Canadian approval was desired because certain reserve air transport personnel required to transfer the Group*s equipment to Oooss Bay would only be available during the following week. 3* The aame afternoon, a message was received by the R.C.A.F. from Air Vice Marshal Campbell indicating that the U.S. Joint Chiefa of Staff had deoided to approve despatch of the Group aa recently as the previous day. In tha circumstances, while the State Department had been informed only that the Group would be engaged in routine training, the impression was at once gained in Ottawa that the main purpose of the move was to deploy the aircraft to Labrador against a possible general emergency. 4. The matter waa raised in Cabinet which was meeting at the time and, later in the afternoon, with Mr* Claxton* s approval, the United States -iabassy waa Informed orally that "the U.S.A.F. had explained to the R.C.A.F. the object of the move and that, in the circumstances, it had been approved for a six-week period". 5. On August 19, the Chief of the Air Staff reeeived a further message from Air Vice Marshal Campbell quoting a letter he had received from General Walsh, U.S.A.F. member, Permanent Joint Board on Defence. Thie letter contained additional Information. Xt explained that the 43rd Bomber Group, whloh comprised 45 aircraft, would be accompanied by a tanker squadron of 80 planes and that the airlift to Goose Bay and Harmon of the 000255 �£1 Document disclosed under the Access to Information Acl Document divulgue en vertu de la hoi sur I'acces a I'information ft " nation PILE COPY < OTTAWA FILE • No. Despatch No. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION Date........ FROM: THk SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, CANADA TO: Reference: Subject:.. . g necessary personnel and equipment would be carried out by some eighty C-46 Commando aircraft. Xt atated that the bombers would be stationed in Labrador for six weeks "for familiarisation of the area northeaat of Gooae Bay" and that "flying will accordingly be primarily in that area." 6. General Walsh's letter also quoted the following portion of a paper on which the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff had baaed their decision: Copies Referred To No. of Enclosures Post File "Recent Joint Chiefs of Staff decisions have committed a oonalderable portion of the Department of Defence airlift to the Far J£ast. Joint Chiefs of staff decisions have authorised certain strategic Air Ccesaand deployment to the Far Bast and United Kingdom. The cotanitraent of airlift has been so extensive that, in the event of a general emergency, Strategic Air Command deployments under current war plans would bs dangerously delayed. General LeMay has, therefore, requested that the Forty-Third Bomb Group and two tanker squadrons be rotated to Goose Bay commencing 24 August, 1950." Xt is therefore not improbable that the United States authorities will ask permission to leave these aircraft at Goose Bay for a further period. 7/ X should appreciate it if this despatch were not shown to the Canadian Joint Staff since a copy of the signal giving the text of General Walsh's letter was given to an officer of thla Department on a personal basis. Incidentally, the fact that some of the most important informatlon regarding tills proposal was given to Ottawa through Service channels-combined with a atatement by an officer of the U.S. iSmbaasy on August 18 that the U.S.A.F. had proved unwilling to provide the Canadian Desk of the State Department with some of the further information we had requested on receiving the proposal - would seem to suggest that at leaat some in the U.S.A.F. are reluctant to trust the State Department with detaila of plans for the deployment of Strategic Air Command units. SBCAi-TAH? OF STATE FOR JSXTERHAL AFFAIRS. 000256 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource External to WashDC D-2710 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 13-Sep-50 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived RG25-A-3-b, File number: 50195-40, pt 1 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CDAC01811