When researching for writing an
History of Monitoring in Canada, I came across one of those history
keepers, Ernest Brown who worked at the Ottawa Monitoring station.
More of him will come up on this web site, pending the book.
Here are some lines, extracted from personal correspondence and adapted
for the web by Laval,
September 2005.
 Ernie
Brown graduated from high school in 1939. Trained as a radio
operator at the Toronto Canadian Electronics Institute, he got his 2nd Class radio operator
Certificate in 1941 to henceforth
serve as second 'Sparks"
on the
Dutch vessels SS MAASDAM and MV
TUVA, both torpedoed in the North Atlantic
while he was aboard.
He joined DOT in Ottawa
in Jan. 1942 and
was with the
crowd at the Ottawa Monitoring station, with Jim
Gilmour who eventually became shift supervisor before Ernie left the station. 
In
Feb. 1943 , Ernie transferred
to Air Services in the Yukon,
on the Northwest Staging Route.
(
a log-built ops building ).
In 1944,
he moved out to the Prairies on Radio Ranges
at Swift Current and Dafoe in Saskatchewan.
He became OIC
of the Fort Churchill Radio
Range in 1948, while Art
Bambrick was OIC of the Marine Radio there. On
to Regina
in 1953, then into
the Winnipeg
Regional Office as a Technician in 1955.
Moved on
to pursue his career in Ottawa
in 1960. More can be learned of his
adventures on his web site .
Ernie retired at the end of 1976.
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Quarter Century Wireless Association
Inc.
National Capital Chapter 70 - Ottawa,
Canada
ORVAL ERNEST (ERNIE)
BROWN – VA3OEB QCWA #29090
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Education / Employment
History |
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1941 |
Graduated from Canadian
Electronics Institute, Toronto, with 2nd Class Certificate of
Proficiency in Radio. |
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1941 |
Radio operator on SS MAASDAM of Holland America Line. This ship torpedoed and sunk June 26,
1941. |
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1941 |
Assigned to MV TUVA, also of Dutch registry. This ship also torpedoed and
sunk Oct. 2, 1941. Time for a career change. |
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1942 |
Employed by Department of
Transport as Radio Operator at Ottawa Monitoring Station, intercepting
German wireless traffic. |
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1943 |
Transferred to Edmonton
Region. Assigned to Aishihik, Y.T. Radio Range Stn. Duties included CW
communications with other stations. |
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1944 |
Transferred to Winnipeg
Region. Assigned to Dafoe, SK, Radio Range Station. |
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1948 |
Promoted to Officer in
Charge, Fort Churchill, MB, Radio Range Station. Duties included CW
communications with The Pas, MB. |
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1953 |
Promoted to Officer in
Charge, Regina, SK, Radio Range Station. |
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1955 |
Promoted to Radio Technician
in Winnipeg Regional Office. Duties included maintenance of station
equipment at Radio Range stations in the Region, and installing new
equipment when required. |
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1958 |
Selected for Radar training
to maintain radar systems to be installed at major airports in the
Region, (5 sites). |
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1960 |
Promoted to Technician,
Electronic, in Ottawa Headquarters of DOT T&E Section, to deal with
maintenance of radar systems at airports across Canada. |
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1966 |
Promoted to Chief
Instructor, Telecommunications & Electronics, in the Air Services
Training School, Ottawa, ON. |
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1974 |
Assigned to Special Projects
in the Telcom Bureau of DOT. |
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1975 |
Named Senior Advisor,
Manpower Development in the Telecom Bureau of DOT. |
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1976 |
Retired at end of year after
35 years service with DOT. |
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Amateur Radio History |
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1948 |
First licensed as VE5AM in
Dafoe, Saskatchewan. Assigned VE4CP at Fort Churchill, MB. |
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1960 |
Assigned VE3ICP on moving to
Ottawa, ON. |
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1977 |
Joined OARC. Served
as Director in 2003-4. |
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1994 |
Obtained “initials” call
sign VA3OEB. |
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1997 |
Joined QCWA and SOWP. |
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Member of RAC and was a
member of CARF. |
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In retirement, portable
operations from a motor home became a major interest from 1978 to 2003. |
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2013 |
Presented with 65 Year licensed
Golden Certificate and pin at the May 2013 dinner meeting.
Moved
to Stouffville in the Toronto area to be near family. |
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2014 |
Received the Bletchley Park
Commemorative Badge award from Her Majesty's Government and GCHQ in
recognition for his service at Ottawa Wireless Station monitoring for
U-Boat radio traffic during WWII. |
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2014-04-06 |
Biography prepared by VE3XK with assistance from VE3VC |
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Obituary - Avis de décès
Orval Ernest "Ernie" Brown
17 September 1920 - 27 September
2018 |
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Merchant Marine Sparks, Ham Radio Operator VA3OEB
Peacefully with his family around, Ernie passed away on Thursday September, 27,
2018 at the Margaret Bahen Hospice, Newmarket. Ernie was predeceased by his
loving wife Pearl. Dear father of Sharon (Don) Roach, Eric (Johanne), and Glen
(Diane). Loving grandfather of Alan Roach, Christine (Sean) McBride, and Greg
Roach. Delighted great grandfather to Brendan and Declan McBride. Ernie was
predeceased by his brothers Joseph and Clarence, and by his sisters Ruth, Grace
Black and Irene Turner. Ernie will be missed by his nieces, nephews and cousins.
In his 98 years, he made many friends including within the United Church of
Canada, Quarter Century Wireless Association, and Stouffville Creek Retirement
Centre.
Friends and family are invited to pay their respects at O’Neill Funeral
Home, 6324 Main Street, Stouffville (905-642-2855) on Tuesday, October 2 from
10-11 a.m. Service will be held in the Chapel at 11 a.m. Interment will take
place in Capital Memorial Gardens, 3700 Prince Wales Drive, Ottawa Thursday,
October 4, 2018 at 2 p.m. . Donations to the Salvation Army, Red Cross or to the
Margaret Bahen Hospice in lieu of flowers would be gratefully appreciated.
Arbor Memorial
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Links - Liens
Ernie's Website
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