JOHN
W. MCCALLA VE3DH QVWA # 3927 (SK)
John grew up on the Niagara Peninsula.
Education / Employment History
John graduated from Ontario Agricultural College in
Guelph, Ontario with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture degree, specializing
in Chemistry. He served a two-year fellowship in Chemistry at OAC, then joined
his father on their fruit and vegetable farm.
1940 – He joined the RCAF Signals Branch to begin a
19-year career in the RCAF. Served most of the war on staff at all four RCAF
Wireless Schools.
1943 -1944 – Posted as Signals Officer to Eastern
Area Command HQ (Halifax) and then to Gander, Newfoundland.
1944 - After taking a six-month radar conversion
course he was posted to the RCAF Radar School at Clinton, Ontario
1945 - 1949 - After the war he was posted to
RCAF HQ (Ottawa) in the Ground Training
Directorate, and finally as Senior Staff Officer in charge of all RCAF
Electronic Training.
1949-1951 - Posted to No 6 Repair Depot (Trenton)
1951-1954 – Canadian Joint Staff – London, England
– Senior Telecommunications Liaison Officer.
1954 - 1959 – RCAF HQ (Ottawa) Deputy Director of
Communications.
1959 – He retired from his RCAF career
1959 - 1972 – Civilian Electronics Engineer until
Integration of Services in 1972.
Amateur Radio History
After a couple of years playing with Ford spark
coils and crystal detector John applied for an amateur radio certificate.
1924 - He was first licensed as VE3DH at St
Catharines, Ontario.
Since 1959 John was active from Ottawa on CW and
SSB with an SB-102. He always liked CW traffic-handling and QSO Parties and
contests though not a serious contester. He reported regularly into the
Ontario-Quebec CW Traffic Net.
John was a member of the American Radio Relay
League and held ORS, OTC, WAS, WAC and
has an ARRL 30-WPM Morse Code Proficiency Certificate (limited by hand-writing
speed as he couldn’t type).
John was a member of QCWA and one of the twenty-one Charter Members of Chapter 70.
He passed away in 1979.
Biography
prepared by VE3XK 2010-10-25