Fort Pepperrell
Construction of Fort Pepperrell Army base at St. John's, like that of Fort McAndrew
(adjacent Argentia), resulted from the 2 September 1940 Destroyers-for-bases deal between
the United States and Great Britain. An American Board of Experts selected the Pepperrell
site in mid September 1940 and in October United States Army engineers began topographical
surveys, soil sampling, and field examination. Native labourers handled construction from
December 1940 to May 1941, at which time Newfoundland Base Contractors, a consortium of
United States concerns, assumed responsibility. Permanent structures were completed by
March 1943.
In January 1941, the transport ship Edmund B. Alexander arrived at St. John's
with the first American troops to occupy wartime Newfoundland. Accommodations were not
yet available at the base site so personnel remained onboard until May 1941 when a
temporary camp was erected. Camp Alexander as it was named, provided housing and
facilities for approximately 1,000 troops. Late in 1941, with new barracks now completed,
troops began the move to Fort Pepperrell and Camp Alexander was dismantled.
Construction of Fort Pepperrell, ca. 1941
The initial plan and design for Fort Pepperrell called for accommodations for a
garrison of 3,500 troops, however, the military increased this figure to 5,500 early in
1942. The duties of the garrison (designated the Newfoundland Base Command) included the
defence of United States bases, St. John's harbour and area, and the airfield at nearby
Torbay. In so doing, the Army established harbour defence fortifications on Signal Hill
(St. John's) and a radio intelligence station at Snelgrove. Seacoast defence facilities,
infantry sites, and searchlight batteries were located along the coastline at Red Cliff
Head, Middle Cove, Torbay, Pouch Cove, Cape Spear, Flatrock, Robin Hood Bay, Logy Bay,
Outer Cove, and White Hills. The Army also operated a filter center at Fort Pepperrell
where data was collected from radar air warning sites at Cape Bonavista, Allan's Island,
Cape Spear, St. Brides, and Fogo Island.
Following World War Two some U.S. bases were inactivated while others, like Fort
Pepperrell (designated an Air Force Base in 1946), were operated at reduced strength. The
Cold War, however, demanded a new build-up in strength on the North Atlantic route. The
American Government saw the protection of the northeast area as paramount, being a direct
route between the United States and Europe and therefore the most likely route of attack.
The northeast area was strategic for weather observation and forecasting, and being
adjacent the shipping lanes, as a base for anti-submarine operations.
To meet defence needs the Northeast Air Command (NEAC) was activated in 1950. As the
air component of the United States Northeast Command (USNEC), NEAC's mission was two-fold:
"to defend the northeast approaches to the United States and Canada and to provide
air base and route support for the Strategic Air Command, Military Air Transport Service,
and other friendly forces deploying through or staging from the NEAC area."
Essentially, NEAC included all air force installations in Newfoundland, Labrador,
and Greenland. Air force bases within this Command included Harmon (Stephenville) in
Newfoundland, Goose Bay in Labrador, and Narsarssuak, Sondrestrom, and Thule in Greenland;
Command headquarters was at Pepperrell Air Force Base.
Cpl. Dell Parker (left) and Sgt. Gay "enjoying" the Newfoundland weather,
Pepperrell Air Force Base, 1960 (Cabot Tower visible in the background)
Under the Canada-United States Radar Extension Plan, construction of the Pinetree chain of early warning sites commenced in
the early 1950s. The easternmost portion of Pinetree sites became the responsibility of
NEAC. These installations augmented defence capabilities which at the time included
Fighter Interceptor Squadrons (FIS) based at Goose Bay, Harmon, and Thule. In
Newfoundland, radars were located at Pepperrell, Red Cliff, White Hills, Harmon, Gander,
and St. Anthony, and in Labrador at Goose Bay, Cartwright, Hopedale, and Saglek Bay. Prior
to these permanent sites becoming operational temporary stations were established at
Pepperrell, Red Cliff, Harmon, Goose Bay, and McAndrew Air Force Base (adjacent Argentia).
In 1957, NEAC was inactivated and Pepperrell became headquarters for the Air Defence
Command's 64th Air Division. Phase out of the base started in 1958. The United States
officially closed Pepperrell in August 1961 and returned the property to Newfoundland.
Fort Pepperrell (Pleasantville), 1998
[Home]
[Argentia][Botwood][Gander][Goose Bay][Harmon[Torbay]