Whitby Free Press, 1 Feb 1978, p. 10

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PAGE 10, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1978, WHITBY FRE RESS Camp x seçrets being revealed afiter 35 years Cont'd F rom P. 7 establ»suent of Sir William's Canadian base. The administrative headquarters for BSC-'s Canadian operations was established in a suite in the prestigious Toronto head office building of the Canadian Bank of. Commerce. Using the greatest discretion,, Drew-Brook with, Vining's assistance established this operational base" . . with the utmost co-operation of the Canadian goverl-' ment and the R.C.M.P." From this base and utilizing Drew- Brook's and Vining?' extensive connections* within. the Toronto business community an ever expandingý range of espionage and counter..espionage ac tivities were planned and executed. An early task in Drew-Brook's words was. to locate, appraise and purchase a property to meet -Sir Wýilliam's very special requirements". Drew-Brook and Vining were advised by Stephenson 's couriers from Manhattan that the clandestine working site must combine diVerse topographic and climatic features, including ease of sedurity, suitability for "special" training operations and long distance radio installations, as well as accessibility from B.S.C., I-eadquarters in Ne,York. A number of Canadian locations were considered. Decisive in the'fxnal choice were reco mmen dations ýmade by communi- cations experts from the University of Toronto who settled on an isolated stretch of farm land located on the north shore of Lake Ontario between the City of Oshawa and the Town of Whitby. Drew-Brook and Vining had found Camp X, which was to be, in Sir William's words, "the clenched fist preparing for the knock out". THE-SINCLAIR FARM "Glenrath". in 1940, the home of the late Robert Sinciair was a magnificent country retreat featuring a large AttenMidwy tn Heny t. igShion Radhtby PHONE 723-8124 WHITBY, ONTARIO: Whltby Mal, P.O. Box 241. UiN 581 YSWE HAVE CHARTER FLIGHTS TO . MANCH ESTER DUBLIN BEL FAST farmhouse' and eight bedrooms, parlour, living. room,' spacious country style kitchen, two large barns, f1eldstone root cellar and deep artesian wells. The property, consisting of two-hundred and seventy-five secluded acres, ideally suited BSC's requirements; private with dense stands of >chestnut and bush providing a northern windbreak and privacy barrir, accessible from Lake Ontario with a comn- . mandingz lakefront vista with majestic shoreline bluffs-and a broad sandy beach, reasonably near to Toronto, for logistical and tactical support and to Oshawa for rest and recreation yet sufficiently, isolated for effective, security. Through a nominee, to avoid suspician, Drew-Brook ,quietly assembled this, and neighbouring properties. It is recorded that the Sinclair land was sold, "at a low price ($12,000', personally provided by Sir William), to a stranger". Sir Willliam's trust and sense of urgency-had been fully repaid. by Drew-Brook in one masterful and complex manouevre. CAMP X - CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATIONS Construction of Camp- X by the Canadian Corps of Engineers was rapid, the Camp being completed within 3-4 months during the summer of 1941. Barracks were erected, barns and sheds were converted to serve the clandestine arts of espionage and a small-arms shooting range was concealed in the earth béneath the agent's barracks. Virtually indistinguishable, at first inspection, from a number of other small Canadian Army camps this installa- tion had somne extraordiiiary features: Hydra - short wave (15 MHZ)transmitter/receiver whose "massive rhombic antennae could originate or pluck coded Morse traffic from the ionosphere to or from England, was inconspicuously housed in a wooden shed. Cover for the sudrlen emergen ce of the masts was provided by the brilliantly 'successful Toronto investment broker, was en- titled "ýto.sit this one out", having'sustained a se vere back injury as the result of' an air crash in 1918. Instead and ti ,SPite of the pain and suffering 'that resuited from hi prev ious injury, this outwardly modest mani dedicated bis enormous organizational talents and creativity in aiding the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation who guaruedly expWanect their pregence as evidence of the Corporation's continuing efforts to serve local subscribers. A lecture hall was constructed. One devoted to a know your enemy display of uniforms, regalia, and weaponry of the Axis forces included aIl ranks of the German armed forces. Other features of the building i ncluded facilities. for the extensive planning and rehearsing of "special opera- tions". Material and supplies were collected from ail over North America to assist in mounting realistic simulations of proposed clandestine operations. For the detailed re- hearsal of the eventuallysuccessfuîassassinationofHeydrich (described in A Mari Called intrepid) numer-ous motor cars were subjected to being driven into trip wires stretched aeross Thoruton Road and 'not a few were blown to pieceb, as various types of explosives wore tested for their effectiv- ness. A Communications Building was constructed to contain the most sophisticated equipment available. So extensive were BSC's communications requirements that in addition to the transmitting and receîiving capabilities of the CampX network, Britishi Security were to require cable capacity costing in excess of one million dollars a montli. For the agent's. training an obstacle course was con- structed tlirough, which> the agents suffered the most rigorous. and intensive training. Specialty equipment was often received from American, manufacturers on occasion obtaîned with the direct intervention of President Roosevelt. Corningq Glass received a request for a sheet of bullet proof glass some six feet in light and tliree feet wide. Behind this glass agents would stand while live ammunition was fired directly at themn from short range. o be continued next week.... Downtown meeting The first. 1978 meeting of the Central Business District ~î Improvement Area Coimmit- tee was lield at the Municipal Building on TuesdayJanuary <At that meeting, reports were given on the results of a symposium -on downtown cores %which was held in Toronto last November, and was attended by a number of Committee members. .The points raised by speakers from Cobourg, St. Thomas,Paris, St. Catherines, Lindsgy, Elmira snd Pertolia were reported upon as they ,related to downtown corse. It was decided that the Committee wôuld have a breakfast meeting todsy and invite *to that meeting a speaker from an area -that had experienced downtown redevelopment. It was the wish of the Committee that positive action be taken in 1978, the first step of which would be to open discussion with some- one who bas had practical experience in areas of vital CAMP X FOUNDER HONORED Durham Region Chairman Walter Beath,Oshawa Alderman Alan Dewar, Whitby Mayor Jim Gartshore and Oshawa Mayor i Potticary presented the freedom of the three municipalities to William Stevenson (at right) at the Oshawa Armories last Wednesday, to be delivered to "The ýMan Caled Intrepid," Sir William Stephenson. Mn. Stevenson, Sir Wlliam's personal aide, presented a photograph of Sir William and lady Stephenson to the Camp X project team, and Intrepid's publisher Julian Muller presented autographed copies of "A Mani Caled Intrepid." Mr. Stevenson announced the NBC television is plan- ning a four-part seies this faîl on "Intrepid." Free Press Photo by Bilan Winter Pauline Pauline Johinson was FITNESS MEMBERSHIpE AVAILABLE UNTIUI FEBMRAI 28# 1971 MU t$ 125.00) (1 YEA R) INCLUD-ES: COMPLETE FITNESS TEST AND PERSONALLY DESIGNED PROGRAM; FULL USE' 0F GYM, SAUNAS, WHIRLPOOLS AND LOUNGE NOWI For NIIEMESM: FRE SQUASHLq SSOcNS- WITH ADULI FULL MEAABERSHIPS - $300" OR LADIES SPECIAL MEMBERSHIPS - $150" ST., WNITSY PUOI:668-"86 Johnson portrayed s super-tourist', and one of people knev et , Canada's most colorful esrly lu impos women pioneers. on worse re Pauline Carey, who por- the length trays lier life in co-operation Upper Cana with acton Philip Shepard, i5 recitals, bec also a remarkable woman, as sional perfoi Svisitors will be able to see for 30 - the sanr themselves wheu Ms. Carey îy, at whici sud Mr. Shepherd perfonm at Raeth the Central Brandi of the Mcaeth WhitbY Public Library on change lier fi Wednesday, February 8 at audiecea 8 p.m. adecsa' The performance ,which is her performn free to ail visitorsis sponsored î olijon anf by the ibnary and the Central teLfeo Ontario Regional library She began System with grants from th career in1 Miuistny of Culture andl Studio [ahi- Recreation and the Outario and bas sinci ArtsCoucil.- -plays by Stni Using period costumes and ly se ash pro pe rtiesMs. Carey and M. yshwa Sheplherd give an authentic Aonny Sum pontrayal of the life and Jnon ent times Of this fascinating Antohanete woman. In an age when "Omlp hn television and radio were un- alumnus of heard ofPaulineJohnison wIS Tete n unique ini that 80 many TUeaie, nd at library Feb'. 8 w. hier. ssible westher sud >ads, she travelled and breadtli of acda giving poetny ,oming a profes- nrmer at theageof ne age, incidental- i she met Walter eman who was to îfe. 'y lias delighted ross Ontario with iances of Pauine 1a "sister" 's-how, Auna Jameson. liher professional Toronto a t the rheatre Company, ,e plsyed noics in ndberg, Chekov, ters. More recent- seen in 'Sonie mer Songs"' by bert, and as in Herber's d the Heno." hepherd is an f the Garrett 1bas spent some mad, where, out of hundreds, he was selected to be in the National Youth Theatre Company. Mrs. Anne Hope-Brown Chief Libranian of the Whitby Public Library, said that Ms. Carey's performances last year in several public libranies in the Region were welî- re- ceived. "We think many people wiII wsnt to enjoy- this fine show, and that they'll also benefit from another per- spective of Canada's history," she said. MWAIE WINT .Gi SAT- LONDON PRESTWICK SHANNON, AMSTERDAM FRANKFURT YUGOSLA VIA MALTA When you make a booking, at John Grigg's Travel, ask about our 'You CouId de A Big Winner Draw/' For the convenience of our customners, we are setting aside Mon. Tues. and Wed.evenîng appointments in our office or at your home. qw QWF

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