Canadian Forces Station Debert (also CFS Debert) was a Canadian Air Force and Army facility located in Debert, Nova Scotia. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Mission AIRCOM is responsible for all aircraft operations in the Canadian Forces enforcing the security of Canada's airspace and providing aircraft for supporting the missions of Land Force Command ( LFC) is responsible for army operations within the Canadian Forces. Debert is an unincorporated farming community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia (ˌnəʊvəˈskəʊʃə ( Latin for New Scotland; Alba Nuadh Nouvelle-Écosse is a Canadian province located on Canada 's It was also used as a major communications centre and home to a "Regional Emergency Government Headquarters" complex. Today the site of the Airbase and Army barracks is owned by the Government of Nova Scotia and administered by the Colchester Regional Development Authority under two industrial parks: Colchester Park, and Debert Air Industrial Park.
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Debert Military Camp
Following the outbreak of the Second World War in the fall of 1939, the first Canadian units began shipping through the port of Halifax however the end of the Phony War in spring 1940 required a massive ramp-up in Canada's land forces in Europe. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The City of Halifax (est 1841 is the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County The Phoney War, also called the Twilight War by Winston Churchill, der Sitzkrieg in German ("the sitting war" a The sheer volume of soldiers who would be embarking through Halifax required staging facilities for training and marshalling combat units before embarking on the troop ships.
To meet this requirement, the government announced that existing facilities at Camp Aldershot near Kentville, Nova Scotia and Camp Sussex near Sussex, New Brunswick would be upgraded to handle the requirements of housing and training brigade-size units. Land Force Atlantic Area Training Centre Aldershot (also LFAA TC Aldershot) is a training facility for Land Force Atlantic Area of Canadian Forces History Kentville owed its location to the Cornwallis River which downstream from Kentville becomes a large tidal river The Sussex Military Camp, frequently shortened to Camp Sussex, was a training facility for the Permanent Active Militia and Non-Permanent Active Militia later known as the Sussex (2006 population 4241 is a Canadian town in Kings County, New Brunswick. A brigade is a Military unit Echelon: is In spring 1940, the government also began purchasing additional land in Debert for a division-size training and marshalling facility adjacent to those lands previously purchased in 1938 by the Royal Canadian Air Force for an aerodrome. A division is a large Military unit or formation usually consisting of around ten to thirty thousand soldiers
Located on the Montreal-Halifax main line of Canadian National Railways, the flat plain surrounding Debert Station were considered ideal for an army staging facility in addition to an aerodrome. Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec The additional benefit that it was located only 100 km north of Halifax.
On August 9, 1940 the first engineering units arrived at the site and began work at clearing the forests and laying out what would become the Debert Military Camp (also referred to as Camp Debert). Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Employing 6,000 civilians and thousands more military members, the engineers cleared the trees and burnt the plain before building streets, sewer and water services, electricity, and buildings over an area of 80 square kilometres. The camp was bisected with named avenues and numbered streets having innumerable quonset huts, mess halls, warehouses, canteens, and other buildings.
The surrounding community of Debert virtually exploded in growth overnight with movie houses, restaurants, bars and other businesses being set up and the economic effects spilled over into neighbouring Truro. Truro (2006 population 11765; Urban area population 22777, conglomeration area population 45777 is a Town in
Camp Debert was the final staging area for units embarking from Halifax and was the location where the majority of troops received and trained with their personal weapons. For these purposes a large ammunition depot was built as well as extensive firing ranges. Component units arrived at Camp Debert from across Canada and were organized into larger formations before being carried by trains to troop ships at Halifax, usually at night in black-out conditions.
All five divisions of the Canadian First Army were housed (all, or in part) at Camp Debert prior to departure for the European Theatre during the Second World War. List of Canadian divisions in the Second World War 1st Canadian Infantry Division 2nd Canadian Infantry Division 3rd The First Canadian Army was the senior Canadian operational formation in Europe during the Second World War. The European Theatre of Operations ( ETO) was an area of heavy fighting across Europe during World War II, from Nazi Germany's Invasion of Poland World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including In addition, the Canadian 7th Infantry Division was formed at Camp Debert, although its volunteer troops went overseas as reinforcements rather than an intact combat unit. The 7th Infantry Division of the Canadian Army was mobilized in the spring of 1942.
Following the war, Camp Debert was used in the repatriation of troops returning from Europe before undergoing significant downsizing with the majority of training and marshalling areas being decommissioned. In 1948, Camp Debert was reactivated and hosted several active army units during the 1950s.
- 3rd Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (1948-1958)
- 12th Regional Ordnance Depot (1948-1958)
- 31st Ordnance Ammunition Depot (1948-1965)
- Royal Highland Regiment of Canada (1950-1952)
RCAF Station Debert
In the fall of 1938 the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) purchased land for constructing an aerodrome on the north shore of Cobequid Bay near the farming community of Debert. An aerodrome is an area on land or water (including any buildings installations and equipment used for the arrival and departure of aircraft Cobequid Bay is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy and the easternmost part of the Minas Basin, located in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.
Construction of the aerodrome, which would be named RCAF Station Debert, began in the fall of 1940 and was completed in April, 1941, coinciding with the construction of the army's adjoining Camp Debert. The airfield itself consisted of three 4,200 foot runways arranged in an overlapping triangle.
RCAF Station Debert was one of several similar facilities constructed in the Maritime provinces in support of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan and operational coastal patrol requirements. The Maritime provinces, called the Maritimes in local English (or the Canadian Maritimes by non-Canadians is a region of Eastern Canada The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, also known as the Empire Air Training Scheme, Empire Air Training Plan, Commonwealth Air Training Plan
Following the war, RCAF Station Debert underwent some downsizing but continued to support active flight operations as a training, refueling, and maintenance base until 1954 even though no operational squadrons were stationed there.
In 1960, the RCAF transferred its aerodrome to the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) which used the facility for aircraft carrier landing practise in support of naval aviation aircraft stationed at nearby Royal Canadian Naval Air Station (RCNAS) Shearwater. For the history of Canada's naval forces after 1968 see Canadian Forces Maritime Command The Royal Canadian Navy ( RCN) was the An aircraft carrier is a Warship designed with 12 Wing Shearwater, is located in Shearwater, Nova Scotia on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour in the Halifax Regional Municipality. Also in the 1960s, some unused hangar space at the aerodrome was used to house a medical equipment supply depot which was used by all three branches of the armed forces.
On February 1, 1968, the merger of the three service branches into the unified Canadian Forces saw the end of flight operations at the Debert aerodrome and in 1971 the Department of National Defence designated 4800 acres (19 km²), consisting of the aerodrome and the majority of the training area used by the former Camp Debert, as surplus. Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Canadian Forces (CF ( French: Forces canadiennes) are the unified Armed forces of Canada, governed by the National Defence The provincial government purchased this land for development into the "Debert Air Industrial Park" while the aerodrome continues to be used as a municipal airfield, known as Debert Airport. Debert Airport is located near Debert, Nova Scotia, Canada and has three runways
The Maritime "Diefenbunker"
In 1958, at the height of the Cold War and the infancy of the ICBM threat, Debert was selected as the site for 1 of 6 communication centres and "Regional Emergency Government Headquarters" complexes being located across Canada. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the The Debert facility would be the only such complex built in the Maritime provinces. The Maritime provinces, called the Maritimes in local English (or the Canadian Maritimes by non-Canadians is a region of Eastern Canada
A small part of Camp Debert was proposed to be used for the complex along with supporting surface structures and personnel housing. Construction began in 1960 on an underground 2-storey bunker (approximately half the size of the CEGHQ, located in Carp, ON) capable of withstanding a near-hit from a nuclear explosion (an approx. A nuclear explosion occurs as a result of the rapid release of energy from an intentionally high-speed Nuclear reaction. 1-1. 5 mile radius). The underground building had blast doors at the surface, as well as extensive air filters (mainly against biological, chemical and radioactive contaminants). Underground storage was built for food, fuel, fresh water, and other supplies for the facility which was capable of supporting several dozen people for weeks. These facilities, nicknamed "Diefenbunkers", were administered by the Canadian Corps of Signals. The seven Emergency Government Headquarters (commonly referred to as Diefenbunkers) are Nuclear fallout shelters that were built across Canada at the height
Opening in 1964, the Debert facility was already dated, since ICBM targeting had improved to the point where a direct hit was possible on the bunker, however it persisted as a Provincial Warning Centre (for Nova Scotia), staffed by the 720 Communication Squadron, along with the space for the emergency government. Antenna farms were dispersed from the bunker and were located on the shores of Cobequid Bay in nearby Masstown as well as in the Cobequid Hills near Londonderry. Cobequid Bay is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy and the easternmost part of the Minas Basin, located in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Masstown is a farming community located approximately 17 kilometers from Truro, Nova Scotia. The Cobequid Hills, also sometimes referred to as the Cobequid Mountains, is a Canadian Mountain range located on the mainland portion of Nova Scotia Londonderry is an unincorporated community located in Colchester County, Nova Scotia, Canada, formerly called Acadia Mines.
On February 1, 1968, the merger of the three service branches into the Canadian Forces saw the Diefenbunker and support facilities, the last remnants of Camp Debert, change its name to Canadian Forces Station Debert (CFS Debert), in keeping with the naming convention for minor military facilities across Canada. Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Canadian Forces (CF ( French: Forces canadiennes) are the unified Armed forces of Canada, governed by the National Defence
In the 1970s, CFS Debert, as with most Diefenbunker facilities across the country, was downgraded further as the number of personnel were reduced. Attempts to find other uses for the remaining military facilities took place through the 1980s with militia reserve units training at CFS Debert.
The end of the Cold War and reduction in the ICBM threat, as well as the Diefenbunker's obsolescence, saw all remaining military personnel removed from CFS Debert by the mid-1990s. In 1998 the Department of National Defence finished all environmental assessments and decommissioned the facility, transferring the facility to "Colchester Park", a local development authority.
Today the only remnant of a once-vast military presence in Debert is a small-arms firing range used by militia reserve units from Cumberland, Colchester and Pictou counties. Cumberland County is a County in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Colchester County is a County in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Pictou County is a County in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. In 2005, the Royal Canadian Air Cadets acquired the bunker for its Regional Gliding School (Atlantic) Headquarters. Air Cadets ranging in age from 15-18 train there on the ITAC (Introduction to Aviation Course) or Glider Pilot Scholarship programs. These courses are staffed by members of the CIC Reserve component and some Reserve members.
Debert Museum
The Debert Military Heritage Society keeps the memory of Debert's military history alive with a small museum located in "Colchester Park". This museum is currently run independently and has a diverse collection of militaria from both World Wars as well as The Cold War. A world war is a War affecting the majority of the world's most powerful and populous nations Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the The museum features items donated by members and family members of the Canadian and British militaries, including uniforms, decorations, communications equipment and documents. The society also conducts public tours of the "Diefenbunker" for several days each year.
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