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37-484: Namao may refer to: CFB Edmonton , a Canadian Forces Base in Sturgeon County adjacent to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada located in the hamlet of Namao. Namao, Alberta , a hamlet in Sturgeon County, Alberta, Canada Namao, Alberta (designated place) , a designated place in Sturgeon County, Alberta, Canada The Namao a research ship based on Lake Winnipeg formerly
74-406: A 4,200-metre (13,780 ft) runway, 12/30, it was designated an emergency Space Shuttle landing site by NASA . In 1968, when Canada's armed force branches were amalgamated , RCAF Station Namao was redesignated Canadian Forces Base Edmonton (Lancaster Park) and was under command of the new Air Transport Command and later Air Command . Federal Government budget cuts forced the command of
111-500: A Canadian Coast Guard vessel. Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Namao . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Namao&oldid=869484292 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
148-558: A command at Ladd Field and Nome where their pilots were trained to take over the aircraft and fly them to Krasnoyarsk in Siberia and on to various fronts in western Russia. The first group of Russian pilots arrived at Nome on 14 August 1942 on their way to Ladd Field. Along with the pilots were civilians from the Soviet Purchasing Commission and a group of Red Air Force mechanics. Most were located at Ladd, with
185-459: A few kilometres south from where CFB Edmonton would eventually be established. The airfield was established in 1927 as a private and commercial interest by bush pilots , with support from the Mayor of Edmonton , airfield namesake Kenny Blatchford , opening a few months after he ended his term as mayor with his election as a Member of Parliament representing the city. The airfield became important to
222-913: A few who used the route. President Roosevelt considered holding a summit in Fairbanks in 1944 to meet with Stalin , however the location was subsequently changed to Yalta in the Soviet Union. Also the route provided a means over which the Russians moved intelligence agents and classified information obtained illegally in the United States. The Soviets, claiming diplomatic immunity , routinely moved large numbers of suitcases in batches of 50 or more, their contents diplomatically sealed. The Russians who arrived in Alaska also frequently visited shopping areas in Fairbanks and Nome, and contingents visited
259-508: A maximum of eight per day, but fewer for misbehaviour. In 2018 the number of inmates had declined, and the 25-cell prison sat empty most of the time. [REDACTED] Media related to CFB Edmonton at Wikimedia Commons Northwest Staging Route The Northwest Staging Route was a series of airstrips, airport and radio ranging stations built in Alberta , British Columbia , Yukon and Alaska during World War II . It extended into
296-577: A secondary group at Marks Field. The first Lend-Lease aircraft, a group of twelve A-20 Havocs, arrived at Ladd on 3 September 1942. The first Russian pilots, after five days of training on the aircraft, took off for Nome and the long trip to the Eastern Front. Initially the USAAF provided the initial training on how to operate and maintain the Lend-Lease aircraft. Later, after an experienced cadre
333-594: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages CFB Edmonton 3rd Canadian Division Support Base Edmonton , formerly known as and commonly referred to as CFB Edmonton is a Canadian Forces base in Sturgeon County adjacent to the City of Edmonton in Alberta , Canada. It is also known as Edmonton Garrison or "Steele Barracks". The history of CFB Edmonton begins at an airfield called Blatchford Field ,
370-612: Is home to some of the most prestigious and experienced units in the Canadian Military. The 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry , along with elements of Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) and 1 Combat Engineer Regiment (all part of 1 CMBG) were chosen to be a part of Canada's military response to the September 11, 2001 attacks and were deployed on combat operations to Afghanistan (including Operation Anaconda ) in 2001 and 2002. Units from
407-641: The Bering Sea to Siberia , and eventually over to the Eastern Front . The US-Canadian Permanent Joint Board on Defense decided in the autumn of 1940 that a string of airports should be constructed at Canadian expense between the city of Edmonton in central Alberta and the Alaska-Yukon border. Late in 1941 the Canadian government reported that rough landing fields had been completed. With
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#1732790299655444-686: The Cold War , RCAF Station Namao was used by the United States Strategic Air Command , which constructed a "Nose Dock" capable of servicing the nose and wings of heavy jet bombers and tankers on the south side of the airfield. The station also hosted the Edmonton Rescue Coordination Centre , and served as home base for United Nations Food Aid flights, delivering aid to Ethiopia , Somalia , and Bosnia . Because Namao at that time had
481-641: The 140 miles or so between Fort Nelson and the Liard River flight strip") The route of the Alaska Highway , which was built to provide a land route to Alaska, basically connected the airfields together. Edmonton became the headquarters of the Alaskan Wing, Air Transport Command. Two routes were developed from the United States, which met at Edmonton, Alberta , from which the aircraft were ferried to Ladd Field , near Fairbanks, Alaska where
518-687: The American-built aircraft were to be turned over to Russian flight crews. Marks Army Airfield , near Nome, Alaska was 500 miles closer to Russia, but was ruled out because the United States feared it was too vulnerable to Japanese attack. One route originated at Great Falls Army Air Base , Montana, where aircraft bound for Russia were ferried from their manufacturing plants in Southern California . The other route originated at Minneapolis, Minnesota , where Wold-Chamberlain Airport
555-479: The CFB Edmonton today is to field a general purpose combat-effective mechanized brigade group, or any portion thereof, ready for deployment to a minimal-intensity battlefield in accordance with assigned tasks. CFB Edmonton is the headquarters of 3rd Canadian Division , the highest army authority in western Canada, and 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (1 CMBG), the only Regular Force brigade group in
592-925: The Red Air Force. Transport aircraft were made up of predominantly, the Douglas C-47 Skytrain , also supplied in great numbers. The Bell fighters and the B-25 Mitchells were flown up to Ladd via Minneapolis; the C-47s and A-20s came up via Great Falls. A handful of other aircraft types, North American AT-6 Texan trainers, some North American Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighters, three Republic P-47 Thunderbolts and one Curtiss C-46 Commando transport were also ferried to Russia. The aircraft were supplied with Russian language operations and maintenance manuals, as well as painted in Red Air Force camouflage colors and national markings. The Russians set up
629-471: The Soviet Union as the ALSIB ( AL aska- SIB erian air road). The route was developed in 1942 for several reasons. Initially, the 7th Ferrying Group , Ferrying Command, United States Army Air Corps (later Air Transport Command ) at Gore Field (Great Falls Municipal Airport) was ordered to organize and develop an air route to send assistance to the Soviet Union through Northern Canada , across Alaska and
666-690: The Soviet Union under Lend-Lease. Fighter aircraft were Bell P-39 Airacobras , and later its successor, the Bell P-63 Kingcobra , which were favored by the Red Air Force who used the two types with great success. The majority of the P-39s shipped to the Soviet Union were the definitive Q-models. Bombers included the Douglas A-20 Havoc light attack bomber and North American B-25 Mitchell medium bombers that were also sent to
703-725: The air station to be transferred to the Canadian Forces Land Force Command in 1994. CFB Edmonton (Lancaster Park)/18 Wing Edmonton was redesignated CFB Edmonton . Although both runways are still visible they are no longer in use except for a 148 ft × 492 ft (45 m × 150 m) section of 03/21 used by helicopters. In 2010–2011, Government of Canada announced the construction of new facilities for visiting Canadian Armed Forces members training at CFB Edmonton (3rd Canadian Division Support Base Edmonton (3 CDSB)). These units are headquartered at CFB Edmonton: The principal function of
740-510: The aircraft manufacturing plants in the United States. They maintained a strict decorum and politely paid for their purchases, sometimes in old US gold certificates . Many luxury items were bought and shipped back to the Soviet Union on the Lend-Lease aircraft with the hope that they would reach their final destinations in Russia. Most of the Russian pilots were experienced combat veterans who saw
777-905: The airports and a means for transporting essential supplies to the Alaskan outposts. In response, the United States Army began building the Alaskan Highway . Neither the Eleventh Air Force , nor the United States Army, nor the Lend-Lease aid to the Soviet Union could wait for the Alaska Highway to be completed. The long route through the Caribbean to Brazil , Nigeria , Egypt and Iran
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#1732790299655814-724: The base were deployed to Kandahar , Afghanistan, as part of the Canadian Forces command takeover in that area as well. Units from Edmonton were also deployed on domestic operations such as to assist with the Red River Flood in 1997 (where the entire 1 CMBG was deployed) and, more recently, as a part of Operation Peregrine in response to the forest fires in British Columbia in 2003. Units from CFB Edmonton were also deployed on numerous peacekeeping operations, including to Bosnia and Kosovo , among others. At
851-554: The end of March 2010 there were 4,237 regular military , 905 reserve Class A, B, and C forces, and 665 civilian workers at CFB Edmonton. CFB Edmonton has around one-third of the Canadian army's fighting power. In February 2012, it was reported that the Alberta Government had been in contact with the federal government and military officials in Ottawa and Edmonton over the use of the runway for MEDIVAC flights with
888-539: The end of the war when the Canadian Government took it over. With time, RCAF Station Edmonton also developed severe limitations at Blatchford, and on 1 October 1955 all RCAF Squadrons and support units were transferred to the "new" RCAF Station Namao . Blatchford Field was turned over to the Edmonton municipal government and became the commercial Edmonton City Centre (Blatchford Field) Airport . During
925-493: The ferrying mission as a respite from their combat missions. They were generally reserved, and political officers were sent to Alaska to ensure their loyalty. As the Pacific War wound down, the wartime marriage of convenience between the capitalistic and communist countries was coming to an end. In 1945, the United States and Soviet Union were about to embark on a Cold War and the Russians departed Fairbanks shortly after
962-456: The old airfield could not be expanded because of its proximity to the city of Edmonton, the U.S. Government built a new air facility at Namao , about 11 km (6.8 mi) north of the city. The United States Army Corps of Engineers built two runways at the base, 03/21 and 12/30, both 2,100 m (6,890 ft) long and Canada's longest at the time. The Americans ran the Namao airfield until
999-681: The opening up and development of the Canadian north, while also cementing Edmonton's place as the "Gateway to the North". During the Second World War , Blatchford Field became a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) training station under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan . No. 16 Elementary Flying Training School (No. 16 EFTS) and No. 2 Air Observers School (No. 2 AOS) used the aerodrome. The RCAF also ran No. 4 Initial Training School (No. 4 ITS) which
1036-414: The outbreak of war, American lines of communication with Alaska by sea were seriously threatened and alternative routes had to be opened. The string of airports through the lonely tundra and forests of northwest Canada provided an air route to Alaska which was practically invulnerable to attack, and it seemed to be in U.S. interests to develop them and open a highway which would at once be a service road for
1073-553: The planned closure of Edmonton City Centre Airport . Alberta Deputy Premier Doug Horner said that he had spoken with the Minister of National Defence , Peter MacKay , and the Minister of Public Works , Rona Ambrose for further discussion. It was ultimately decided to operate all medical flights out of a purpose-built facility at the Edmonton International Airport . On June 7, 2013, the base hosted
1110-837: The raising of a rainbow flag to kick off Edmonton Pride , the first time that the flag was flown on a Canadian military base. CFB Edmonton also participated in Operation Unifier in Ukraine , 2015–2016. In August 2016 CFB Edmonton troops joined the NATO mission in Poland , Operation Reassurance . < CFB Edmonton is also the location for Canada's only military prison . The prison hosts all military offenders serving disciplinary sentences longer than 14 days. Prisoners are forbidden to speak with other inmates, smoke or have visitors until they earn 112 marks, which are given out at
1147-408: The region. The base is at Steele Barracks (named for Sir Sam Steele ) just north of the city. The area formerly known as CFB Griesbach within the city itself is no longer operational. All buildings and land having been sold and are no longer Crown assets. The final closure was announced by Minister MacKay in 2012. The base as a collective is an important part of the community surrounding Edmonton and
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1184-676: The station. During the war, the airfield was a major factor in supporting the Allies of World War II , becoming a staging point for the U.S. defence of Alaska , as well as a major waypoint of the Northwest Staging Route supplying equipment and aircraft to the Soviet military . Aircraft had to be ferried and transport aircraft used the aerodrome to support the construction of the Alaska Highway . Air traffic increased significantly and flying activities were becoming hazardous. Since
1221-559: Was a ground school at the University of Alberta . No. 16 EFTS closed in 1942 and No. 2 AOS closed in 1944. After No. 2 AOS closed, the station formally became known as RCAF Station Edmonton . Many RCAF squadrons and units were located here, including a survival school and the RCAF Winter Experimental Establishment (WEE). A United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) B-29 bomber detachment also used
1258-404: Was developed, the Russians assumed the responsibility. The Russians also meticulously inspected each aircraft, and would reject any aircraft that presented the slightest problem. The USAAF was then left with the chore of correcting them. It was sometimes quite exasperating, as the USAAF would work long hours of overtime to get the aircraft into first-class condition so that all the Russians had to do
1295-428: Was fly them from Fairbanks to the Eastern Front. The ALSIB and Northwest Staging Route also provided a diplomatic route between Washington, D.C. and Moscow. Diplomats, high political figures and countless other government officials shuttled back and forth along it in transports during the war. Wendell Willkie , Vice-President Henry A. Wallace , Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov , and Andrei Gromyko were but
1332-583: Was unworkable, nor could aircraft be flown via Greenland or Iceland . A huge program of airport construction and road making, therefore, was undertaken. The Alaska Highway was but a part of the defenses provided for the Northwest North American frontier. Much less is known about the great air route leading from the United States to Alaska through Canada. Airfields were built or upgraded every 100 mi (160 km) or so from Edmonton, Alberta to Fairbanks, Alaska ("the longest hop being
1369-660: Was used as an aircraft staging point for aircraft manufactured in the Midwest and northeastern United States. The Minneapolis-Edmonton route, however was turned into a transport route only by the end of 1943, with aircraft ferrying operations being shifted to Great Falls. In addition to the Lend-Lease aircraft, Alaskan Eleventh Air Force aircraft were also ferried up the NSR, with the aircraft being flown to Elmendorf Field , near Anchorage from RCAF Station Whitehorse upon their arrival. Three main types of combat aircraft were ferried to
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