One of the many examples of co-operation between Canada and the United States during the Second World War was the joint operation of the Goose Bay, Labrador, airfield. Selected in the summer of 1941 as a favourable site, the vast, sandy plateau near the outlet of the Churchill River was rapidly transformed into an important link for the transfer of aircraft and supplies via Reykjavik, Iceland to Prestwick, Scotland.
As radio communication was unreliable, especially in bad weather, a control truck at the head of the runway was essential to prevent mishaps at the often busy Goose Bay airfield. To assist aircraft in landing and taking off, a panel truck or van was used as a mobile control tower. From a glass-enclosed cupola built into the roof of the truck, an operator gave the pilot either a red or green signal with an Aldis lamp.
This painting, Control Tender, Goose Bay, Labrador, is by A.E. Cloutier, an official RCAF war artist who did most of his wartime work in Newfoundland and along the coast of Labrador.
Courtesy: Canadian War Museum, National Museum of Man, National Museums of Canada (S83-214)
