AlliedAviationin"OldGander"v2

(byRobertGPelley,2020-10-04)bobsganderhistory.com

AftertheendofWorldWarII,civilianairlinesstartedusingGanderasarefuellingstop,astheyflewbetweenNorthAmericaandEurope.Mechanicalproblems,bigandsmall,couldputanaircraftinjeopardyandgettingtotheclosestairportwasanurgentmatter.Gettingplanesandpassengersbackintoskywasjustasurgent.Evenroutinecleaning,providingfoodandthelikehadtobedonequicklyandefficiently.Forthesereasons,airlinecompaniesbroughtinorhiredlocallymechanics,dispatchers,cleanersandotherstafftogetthejobdone.Asageneralrule,eachcompanydiditsownthing.TheGander terminalwasharboured in theoldRAFFerryCommandHanger22,adjacent towhichwas the largerhangar21whichwas reservedas space for aircraftmaintenance.ThisphotoshowsthePanAmmaintenancesectionofhangar21in1946-48.

People inGanderand inotherpartsof theworld,especiallyNewYork, startedaskingquestions about this cumbersome maintenance. Is there any difference between aWright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone engine on a TWA Constellation and a Pan AmConstellation? Is cleaning the latrines on a KLM planemuch different from cleaning

thoseonanAirFrance?Maybetherewassomewayofsharingtheload,makingthingscheaperforeveryone.InNewYork,atbothIdlewild(Kennedy)andLaGuardiaairports,acompanybythenameof theAlliedMaintenanceCorporationwasalreadyoffering rampservices. Alliedhadbecome interested indoing thesame inGanderandtaskedaMrLesGettel,a formertechnicalsargentintheUSAAF,todothejob.TheairlinescompaniesinGanderbeingthesameasthoseinNewYork,inter-companydiscussionsweresimplified,sowhenMrGettelarrivedinJuly1949,allwentsmoothly.Duringtheyear1949-50,Alliedservicedupto50airplanesonacertainworkshifts.Ofaround1400-1500aircraftamonth,aboutonethirdwasTWA,withjustunderthatforPanAm. Atonepoint,AlliedAviationServiceCompanyofNewfoundlandLimitedhadaround250employees,butisunknownifthisincludedpersonnelonotherairportssuchStephenville. This service included everything from aircraft repair, ticket services,baggageloadingtoshowingmovieswhenaircraftgotheldover.ThephotosbelowshownAlliedrampoperations:

ServicinganRAFCanberra1951infrontofhangar21

BOACStratocruisermid1950s

PanAmericanDC-7late50s

OnemightwonderhowgoodtheseAllledmaintenancefellowswere.Theyamongthebestintheworld!Thoseoriginallywithanairlinewerecompany-trained.Forexample,TWAmechanicswenttotheschool inKansasCity,Missouri. ButnonewebetterthantheNewfoundlanders.They had learned their trade under the orders of Joe Gilmore, chief of RAF FerryCommand'swartimemaintenanceandconsideredasthebestmaintenancemaninFerryCommand(forwhichhewasawardedaMBEbyKingGeorge.)Here isaphotoofhimandhisassistant,SammyBlandford,whobecameAllied'schiefmechanic,around1943.

To see how good theywere, first have a look at the two photos below, showing thestarboardsideofaplaneandthenthebrokenwingjustinsidetheinboardengineontheportside.Thisaircraftlandedfasttoofardownonaslipperyrunwayandcrackedupinaditch.

AccordingtotheofficialDOTincidentreport,thisaircraftwasconsideredaswrittenoff.However Gander`s highly trained Alliedmechanics repaired it.... and it flew 10moreyears!When companies moved to Gander, they were given different buildings for theirpersonnel.HoweverwhenpersonneltransferredtoAllied,theystayed intheiroriginalresidencesratherthanregroupinginasinglebuilding.It isthereforehardertoidentifyOldGander'sAlliedpersonnel.Howeverthefollowingnameswerefound:

DickGaulGABulris

GeorgePearceSammyBlandfordMichaelNoonan

RayCarter

HaroldKipperChesleySparkesGeorgePetrieCharlesTaylorPeterKellandGeorgeVase

The next photo shows three other Allied personnel in February 1960, namely HughLacey,RexPrimmerandRoySaunders.

Though the new terminal open in 1959, everything did not suddenly and magicallymove thereallatonce.Thisphoto from1960 is in fact fromtheold terminalarea ,inwhichAlliedwasorganizedasfollows:ºAircraftMaintenance,Hangar21ºEquipmentShop,Hangar21ºManager'sOffice,Hangar22ºOperations,Hangar22ºStores,Hangar22ºTicketsOfficesforBOAC,PanAm,TWA,SAS,Sabena,Hangar22ºCommissaryºWeightsandBalance(Manager'sResidence,70RooseveltStreet)Alliedhadoffices thereuntil the late1970s,whenanothermaintenancebuildingwasbuiltjustsouthofthepresentGanderterminal.Allied continues tooperate inGander,providing service toanewer classof travellersandairplanes.