[Milsurplus] Coast Watchers

[Hubert Miller]

-----Original Message-----
From: milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net <milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net> On Behalf Of Hubert Miller
Sent: Sunday, April 28, 2019 12:29 PM
To: Milsurplus at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] Coast Watchers

A Seattle friend of mine last year on visit to BC, I think Victoria ? last year, send me some photos of some kind of "Fort ....", an observation post and possibly searchlight location.
I just now looked for the photos but can't find. Probably you already know about this ? 
In Washington and Oregon, the beach watch was done by the Coast Guard. Using Forest Service type radios, model S and ( not sure at moment ) type SF or SFX ?  ( I do have the source books. ) The Forest Service radios were chosen over standard military issue radios as they were lighter. 
Attu Island had a white woman schoolteacher and her "radio operator" husband. I believe this would have been just some kind of civilian boat radio, operated from a rechargeable battery. Maybe something like a Jefferson-Travis 25 "ranch portable radio".  The husband was murdered by the Japanese invaders. I read a recently in the WSJ a review of a book on the Aleutian campaign. The book author is quoted as saying the occupation was "gentle". I wrote a rejoinder stating that the "occupation" only lasted 3 months until the 42 Attu native people were deported to Japan. 25 returned after the war, an approximate 40% loss rate from effects of malnutrition. A higher mortality rate than among U.S. 
military POWs under the Japanese, which was about 27%. My letter was not published. 
IIR, Kiska had a 3-man U.S. Army weather reporting team which was also captured. I have reason to believe the radio used there was the BC-669  ( SCR number fails me at moment. ) -Hue 

>----Original Message-----
From: milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net <milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net> On Behalf Of Tom Brent
Sent: Sunday, April 28, 2019 9:06 AM
To: Milsurplus at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Milsurplus] Coast Watchers

The recent discussion of coast watcher radio activities and use of the Australian 3BZ has reminded me of a somewhat similar undertaking on the coast of British Columbia during the early days of World War II. The west coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands was remote and largely uninhabited territory and military thinking of the day suggested the Japanese navy might be seen "going by the door" if an attempt was made to invade the west coast of North America. Radar stations had been ordered but before they could be built a stopgap measure of stationing personnel at multiple locations on the coast of the Queen Charlottes was instituted. Each detachment consisted of 3 men, a radio operator, a cook and "a man competent at living off the land".  Of course the enemy from the other side of the Pacific never came nearer than the Aleutians but I'm sure the remoteness and harsh weather provided ample challenge. 

These observer detachments will be the subject of future historical research by me, I would dearly love to know what radios they used. Before that happens however I need to finish digging into the WW II signals intelligence activities in the Victoria, BC area. That project has been on hold since my wife and I started building our new home, also located on an island on the British Columbia coast. 

Any tidbits of info on these west coast radio activities would be appreciated.

Regards to all.

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