Pepperrell Air Force Base - Wartime Operations

Wartime Operations

Lt. Col. J.J. Yates assumed command of Fort Pepperrell on November 28, 1941 and was replaced on December 2 by Colonel Paul N. Starling.

Fort Pepperrell expanded significantly after the United States entered the war with the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. During late 1941 and early 1942, multiple units left the temporary tent city to fill the new military base until capacity was reached on February 27, 1942 when the final unit, the headquarters of Newfoundland Base Command moved from temporary facilities at 44 Rennie's Mill Road, completing the evolution. The base held approximately 5,500 personnel and it, along with other US military facilities in Newfoundland such as Naval Station Argentia, Fort McAndrew, and Stephenville Air Base were placed on a war alert. Extensive exercises and maneuvers took place in Newfoundland during the summer and fall of 1942.

Beginning with the 21st Signal Service Company, the US military began to link up the USS Edmund B. Alexander with the temporary shore establishments. The communications link to Naval Station Argentia from St. John's was later installed and then across the entire island to Stephenville Air Base, thus providing a permanent dial telephone system between the bases.

Between May 1, 1942 and December 15, 1942, the Argentia-Holyrood Road was constructed and 500 miles (800 km) of telephone communication extended across Newfoundland. One such difficult link in the cross country communication line was the 110-mile (180 km) stretch from Stephenville to Port aux Basques. The 2,000-foot (610 m) Long Range Mountains were crossed and wires were stretched over the top. Siberian huskies were used to tow sleds with heavy equipment up the dangerous slopes of the mountains. The task was completed with a telephone network far surpassing anything Newfoundland had ever had.

On December 12, 1942 a number of servicemen were killed in the Knights of Columbus Hostel fire.

On January 7, 1943, Brigadier General John B. Brooks assumed command of the Newfoundland Base Command and on March 15 of the same year, work was completed at Fort Pepperrell. St. John's Harbour, one of two ice-free ports on the island during the winter months, was engaged in unloading supplies necessary to maintain the Newfoundland garrisons. During the war years, all supplies shipped to other US military installations in Newfoundland were processed through Fort Pepperrell before being forwarded on the narrow gauge trains of the Newfoundland Railway.

On October 10, 1944, Brigadier General Samuel Connell arrived at Fort Pepperrell and assumed command of the Newfoundland Base Command, and in November 1944, the first man to be called on temporary active duty status left the Newfoundland Base Command for the Zone of Interior. On February 8, Headquarters Company, St. John's Area, was formed and the Headquarters Detachment discontinued. On December 23, 1945, Colonel Albert Warren assumed command of the Newfoundland Base Command.