| Aircraft Detection Corps Newfoundland | |
|---|---|
 The Defense Medal has been awarded for service in the Aircraft Detection Corps (Newfoundland). | |
| Active | 1940 - 1943 |
| Country |  |
| Type | Civil defence organisation. |
| Role | Aircraft recognition and reporting (1940 - 1943) |
| Engagements | World War II |
The Aircraft Detection Corps Newfoundland was created by the Commission of Government of the Dominion of Newfoundland.
Newfoundland was a British dominion from 1907 to 1949. The dominion, situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast, comprised the island of Newfoundland as well as Labrador on the continental mainland. Before attaining dominion status, Newfoundland was a British colony, self-governing from 1855.
Aircraft Detection Corps Newfoundland was an all-volunteer civilian unit meant to observe for suspicious planes and ships. Some participants have qualified for the Defence Medal. [1]
The Defence Medal is a campaign medal instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945, to be awarded to subjects of the British Commonwealth for both non-operational military and certain types of civilian war service during the Second World War.
The Commissioner of Defence for Newfoundland was L. E. Emerson. In 1942 he amalgamated the Newfoundland Aircraft Detection Corps with the Canadian Aircraft Identity Corps.
The Aircraft Identity Corps was a Canadian civil defence organisation operating between 1940 and 1945. The corps's mission was to report suspicious aircraft and guard against German, Japanese, and Italian attack. The use of observers was deemed important because radar was not yet in widespread use.
In the spring of 1942, the Aircraft Detection Corps volunteers received manila envelopes with a letter from L. E. Emerson, Commissioner of Defence for Newfoundland stating that "Aircraft Identity Corps Newfoundland" would be reorganized as an instrument of the Royal Canadian Air Force. In the same package was a letter from Flight Lieutenant H. H. Graham, who was the commanding officer of Torbay Airport (No. 1 Group R.C.A.F. St. John's). The envelope had glossaries of airplanes and ships; an Aircraft Identity Corps identity card and instructions. At war's end the volunteers also received a brass Volunteer Aircraft Observers button for his lapel pin and certificate of thanks from Canada's Department of National Defence.
The Royal Canadian Air Force is the air force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2013, the Royal Canadian Air Force consists of 14,500 Regular Force and 2,600 Primary Reserve personnel, supported by 2,500 civilians, and operates 258 manned aircraft and 9 unmanned aerial vehicles. Lieutenant-General Al Meinzinger is the current Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force and Chief of the Air Force Staff.
Canada is a country in the northern part of North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering 9.98 million square kilometres, making it the world's second-largest country by total area. Canada's southern border with the United States is the world's longest bi-national land border. Its capital is Ottawa, and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. As a whole, Canada is sparsely populated, the majority of its land area being dominated by forest and tundra. Consequently, its population is highly urbanized, with over 80 percent of its inhabitants concentrated in large and medium-sized cities, many near the southern border. Canada's climate varies widely across its vast area, ranging from arctic weather in the north, to hot summers in the southern regions, with four distinct seasons.
The Department of National Defence, commonly abbreviated as DND, is a Canadian government department responsible for defending Canada's interests and values at home and abroad.
