LEST WE FORGET 249 KETURAKIS (SHARP), Geraldine Jesamine “Billie” WWII Air woman recalls wartime experience Billie (Sharp) Keturakis says the fact that her brother, Alex, was in the RCAF had some bearing on her own decision to join the Women’s Division of the Air Force. “Either that or an office job that had no appeal,” said Billie, who served from April 1943 to October 1945. When Billie first joined up it was suggested that she train for Photography or Fighter Control, after basic training, since she had her Grade 12, plus a business course. She chose the latter trade. Rockcliffe Air Base, near Ottawa, served as Billie’s home for three months while she took basic training, plus her Fighter Control course. “I vividly remember the Sgt. Major as he hollered ‘Hup! Hup!’ as we marched and marched while he tried to turn us into a smart marching unit – while our new shoes created blister after blister,” said Billie. “Uniforms were issued there with not much worry about how they fit – something we all remedied later. The lingerie that was issued was hilarious – we kept it for ‘kit inspection’ only. Since Fighter Operations were on the east or west coast bases only, Billie chose the west coast upon completing her course. She went to Western Air Command in Vancouver. “Our workplace was not on an airfield, but in what had been a posh Golf Club on Jericho Beach,” said Billie. “We had living quarters in a nearby building that housed deaf people. Our shifts covered 24 hours a day.” In Vancouver, Billie’s unit was responsible for flight paths of planes throughout BC. She says the Fighter Control operations rooms had one or two balconies overlooking the main room where a huge plotting table with grid map of the area was situated on the main floor. On that table, they followed flight paths of aircraft by receiving their positions via headsets from Direction Finding Stations. Each plane was marked with a metal stand, showing its number and kind. The plane’s flight path was also marked with red, yellow and blue markers that were placed on the table with magnetic rods. Each colour spanned five minutes. Billie says a transfer to Patricia Bay airport, north of Victoria, “was great.” “There we worked in a building that was hidden on Mt. Newton, which necessitated travelling back and forth to base in ‘stake trucks’ for most of us,” she stated. “We worked 24-hour shifts and there was only room for the officers to stay on the mountain overnight when planes weren’t flying.” Billie says their 24-hour shifts began at noon one day and ended at noon the next day. In the summer, with long daylight hours, the group headed for work at noon, returned to barracks at 10 p.m. and went back at 3 a.m. until noon the next morning. “Then we had 24 hours off and every three shifts had 48 hours leave,” she said. “In winter, with short daylight flying hours, we were the envy of many on the base – work noon until five or six and next morning seven until noon.” Billie and other members of their team lived in two-storey H huts at Patricia Bay, a short block from the runways. “After a sleepless week on arrival there, the drone of aircraft nearby was never heard – in fact, none of us heard one crash nearby,” she said. Twenty-two WD’s shared each of eight rooms in the shift-workers’ building, sleeping in double bunks, and because Fighter Operations had three different shifts working, Billie says there always seemed to be someone sleeping. Daytime sleeping, she added, was difficult because there were no blinds or curtains on the windows. (continued)
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