title: "The Technical History of LCDR (ret’d) G.S. Tarum Combat Systems Engineer from 1962 to 2010"
description: ""
published: "2017-04-20 13:02:57"
modified: "2017-04-20 15:54:00"
author: Gerry Tarum
categories: []
tags: history, written
slug: "lcdr-tarum-story"
layout: "post.jade"
permalink: "/articles/technical-history-of-lcdr-tarum-story/"
index: “true”

The Technical History of LCDR (ret’d) G.S. Tarum Combat Systems Engineer from 1962 to 2010

An Overview Assembled by LCDR Tarum for CNTHA

posted by Don Wilson

Version date: 2016-04-20

Preamble

This is a description of the employment of a small team of technical personnel led by LCDR G. Tarum responsible for installation and maintenance of communications and other electronic systems associated with DDH 280 and AOR Class ships.
This also included maintenance support of all ship borne systems and equipment. Time period was from 1962 to 2010.

Aboard HMCS CAPE SCOTT Jul 1962 to 1965 (Rank PlLT4) - we conducted trials of Combat Systems, primarily Radar Repeaters and
Navigational Aids, on ships coming out of refit or regular operational Sea Trials where I was the designated expert. I also
directed installation of 500 Watt HF radios in 205 Class ships which were under conversion. This installation was normally
performed by HMC Dockyard Halifax, but with the assistance of ships staff we completed seven installations successfully in
half the time normally taken.

During 1962 HMCS CAPE SCOTT went into a minor refit in Lauzon at Davie Shipyard and the communications and Radar equipment
was updated and set-to-work by myself. At that time I also installed a 500 Watt HF radio with Dockyard assistance.

When HMCS CAPE SCOTT sailed to Easter Island to take a team of experts to look at the historical figures myself and two
other technicians manufactured six sets of cables used for installation of a Sonar System in Air Force Surveillance Aircraft.
This was a Task that had been contracted out previously. There was considerable pressure exerted to make sure Naval
Technicians could perform the manufacture based on drawings provided by NDHQ. We successfully completed the cables in less
time than allotted and the systems were installed and performed successfully. While in Halifax, HMCS CAPE SCOTT accompanied
the fleet on spring exercises in the Bermuda area and repair parties completed repairs on all systems which would normally be
done by the Dockyard. During the exercises I was in charge of the Electronics repair party from HMCS CAPE SCOTT and not only
did repairs on all electronic systems but conducted trials on systems in the accompanying ships.

In April of 1965 I was promoted to Commissioned Officer and after an Officers Training course in CFB Cornwallis was posted to
the Electrical Division at Fleet School. I was employed as an instructor in Communications and Radar equipment and was
designated as the Divisional Officer for all electronic technicians on course in the Fleet School. This in itself was a full
time job. I was the MARCOM representative when NDHQ eliminated the Electronic Technician (LT) trade and made all technical
personnel User/Maintainers. The decision to eliminate LT’s was made by NDHQ and an Air Force officer delivered the message to
me. I informed all LT’s on course for whom I was their Divisional Officer and it caused a lot of discussion with the Admiral
(MARCOM). A lot of upset was caused among existing LT’s and many problems were caused by introducing personnel from User
trades into the new User/Maintainer trade with people who had very little technical training. Several ex-Radar Plotters (RP)
operators were injured working on High Power HF Transmitters and one was reported to have been killed from touching the live
antenna of a 500 Watt transmitter while it was operating.

In April of 1967 I was posted to NDHQ Ottawa as a DMCS-6 communications project officer. I was the project officer for the
design, drawings, procurement, installation, set-to-work and trials of communications equipment for DDH 280, AOR (HMCS
PRESERVER and PROTECTEUR), Auxiliary vessels and 257 Conversion Ships. In addition I conducted installation and set-to-work
of Communications equipment in HMCS OKA.NAGAN and ONONDAGA (0 Class submarines) at the RN Chatham Dockyard in the UK. There
were considerable problems with drawings because the Chatham Drawing Office was responsible for making working drawings
without any experience in Canadian drawing standards. Installation of the HF radio transmitter on ONONDAGA was delayed a
week due to an error in the remote control drawing which had been prepared by Chatham Drawing Office. This error was very
difficult to find and required many hours of additional night time work for myself finally determining that ash from a
cigarette made a “U” look like a “W” when the drawing was printed out for the Remote Control box of the AN/ARC 505.

The installation of equipment during the build of the DDH 280’s over the period 1969 to 1975 at Sorel and Lauzon was a very
demanding task. I obtained two large trailers from the Air Force which were set up as work shops at MIL in Sorel and Davie
Shipyard in Lauzon. I had two ChiefLT’s, one at each shipyard, who were on site to resolve problems and assist in setting up
the command console. The LT’s were posted to the RNO establishment and administered by them. We did initial testing of the
new UHF radios in the trailers before installation and also any other communications equipment that required repairs during
trials. I was able to get several of the standby ships crews to help with set-to-work and they were a very good addition to
the team. The communications console was very problematic, particularly for HMCS ATHABASKAN in Lauzon. All the multi-pin
connectors had been installed by electricians from the construction industry who had no experience with installation of 35
pin connectors. As a result, during an extremely hot two weeks in August, when the shipyard closed for vacation, myself and
the team removed and re-installed every connector before the console would perform to specs. The other three ships had some
problems but nothing like HMCS ATHABASKAN however, when she went for Acceptance sea trials the Communication Systems
performed totally to operational requirements it was the only system that performed perfectly. It was not the same for 3 or
four of the other systems. The Machinery Control System broke down several times during trials, the gas turbine engine did
not work and had to be replaced and the ship was dead in the water several times due to other equipment breakdowns.

I was on travel status from DMCS 6 while my family remained in Ottawa and I travelled back and forth from Ottawa on weekends.
I lived in a trailer while in Quebec and my wife was left in Ottawa for a total of 4.5 years with three children to bring up.
In the winter of 1971, 186.6 inches of snow fell and travel by car back and forth was very risky at times.

During the build of CFAV QUEST in 1968 I designed and purchased a communications system for the vessel and did the set-to-work
and trials in Vancouver. The system was based on merchant marine equipment and there were considerable problems getting it to
work to the different standards. The wire antennas for transmission required modification in order to get maximum output during
set-to-work trials. Sea trials were completed several months later by the Dockyard and the complete system worked as required.

The crypto system in 257 Conversion ships, being converted in HMC Dockyard Victoria at the same time, experienced a lot of
problems and required considerable overtime effort. The team of myself and personnel from the Dockyard Crypto shop figured out
all design problems and got the system operational. This helped tremendously for the other conversion ships.

In June of 1973 I was posted to the Electrical Engineering section (LENO) of Ship Repair Unit. My responsibilities were
associated with evaluation and resolution of problems reported in failure reports in Combat Systems from all classes of ships
and auxiliary vessels. I also conducted sea trials on a prototype sounding receiver developed by Defence Research Establishment
Ottawa (DREO) and fitted on HMCS FRASER during a port visit to Lunenburg. While FRASER was approaching I was able to get a ride
on the ships helicopter which flew over Lunenburg to drop leaflets announcing the ships visit and open house. The trial was
successful and I did a second evaluation of the receiver in HMCS PROTECTEUR during a supply mission to French Village in Haiti.
The ship was loaded with school supplies, desks etc., for a school which was being built by the Catholic church. There were also
considerable medical supplies and canned food as well as telephone poles to get power to the church. The ship’s doctor and
dentist held a two day clinic where they diagnosed numerous cases of TB and pulled hundreds of teeth. The night before the ship
sailed for home the natives held a party for the crew with food that consisted of a goat and rice barbecue with Garbage pails
full of over proof rum. Needless to say it was quite a party. We had stopped in Norfolk on the way to Haiti and the ship had a
St. Patrick’s Day party with green beer for invited guests from the naval Dockyard. Also quite a party! The sounding receiver
passed the set-to-work trials successfully.

I went to sea for a week in HMCS ONONDAGA, off Osborne Head Gunnery Range, to perform an antenna pattern test on their HF
antenna mast. What an experience. On the way out of Halifax harbour, during the first dive, the cover on the emergency escape
hatch came loose and the sub had to do an emergency surface. We sat on the surface bobbing around for 11 hours while a tug came
out to tow us back into harbour. We sailed again the next day without any problems. It was like living in a travel trailer. All
the officers slept and ate in a small room and everything had to be put away after being used. I slept on the couch where
everyone sat while eating. For being aboard ONONDAGA I became an honorary submariner. We also had problems doing the antenna
pattern because of the old system at Osborne Head, but completed the trial. Everyone at home said I smelled like diesel oil
when I got back.

I was informed in May of 1975 that I was to be posted to Fleet Maintenance Group (FMG) as the Senior Repair Officer (SRO) and
Project Manager for the movement of all FMG equipment from CAPE SCOTT to a new facility adjacent to the Submarine Squadron.
Prior to going to FMG I attended a 60 day computer programming course on the underwater Combat System at Combined Support
Division. I learned all about the SQS-501 and also that I did not want to be a computer programmer. Prior to my appointment to
FMG I also presented a military paper to MARCOM on the concept of amalgamation of three agencies consisting of technicians on
disability status doing trials and awaiting postings. I submitted my documentation to MARCOM and I was given the task of
implementing my recommendations while I was moving FMG from HMCS CAPE SCOTT to a workshop within HMC Dockyard and getting it
up and running. I visited NDHQ to discuss filling the 110 billets which existed on paper and was quite successful.

In July of 1975 I took over as SRO and Deputy Commanding Officer of FMG. The move of all repair equipment, including a foundry,
took six months and it was a very demanding job for myself and several senior chiefs. But once all the delays, associated with
getting efficient Dockyard assistance were finished, FMG was in business. The facility was opened by the NATO chairman and
eventually designated as a NATO repair facility which provided support to STANAVFORLANT in Halifax, Bermuda, Puerto Rico and
other US ports by repair party whenever required. With DDH 280 FMG technicians and total support from the Admiral in Maritime
Command we were able to perform tasks that sailors had never done before. This included a snort mast replacement in a submarine,
main feed pumps in destroyers (including one from a NATO nation), rewind of electric motors, temporary repair of superstructure
on an AOR after an accident in Puerto Rico, and replacement of obsolete parts on pumps and motors by moulding new parts in the
foundry. We also produced all ships badges and memorabilia presented by ship’s captains to visiting ships and dignitaries.

FMG sent repair parties for technical support during major exercises, when designated by MARCOM, and the capabilities of the
shipwrights on site, after the accident in Puerto Rico where HMCS PROTECTEUR ran into a jetty, proved to be outstanding. I was
observing the benefits of repair parties and was able to provide guidance and support to the team. My report to Senior Officers
in MARCOM on return to Halifax was well received.

We received numerous commendations and my Engineer officer (Lt (N) Duncan Leslie) was awarded the Order of Military Merit for
his outstanding capabilities. After three years FMG had proven that sailors can perform any repair required to keep the fleet
operational. There were a lot of complaints from SRU about FMG taking jobs away and FMG was eventually disbanded and the
personnel moved to the Ship Repair Unit.

After three years at FMG I was posted to NDHQ (July 1978) as section head of DMCS 8 an Electronic Warfare Engineering section
of eight engineers. It was very interesting because the CANEWS EW system was under development to combat the threat faced from
the Warsaw Pact. I attended several EW courses in Europe and became involved with NATO’s Project Group 25. Group 25 was to
design and purchase mobile vans which simulated the Warsaw Pact electronic signature and were to be carried on NATO ships for
training operational staff. While at the first meeting of Group 25 I met the RN Captain who had been selected as the Group’s
Head. He was looking for an engineer to help set the team up in RNAS Yeovilton to design, purchase, and get the team
operational in a hangar in Yeovilton. He knew I had the right background and experience and asked me if I was interested and I
was. I returned to Ottawa and was able to find an available temporary billet from DMCS and do the necessary paper work to get
posted for three years to the Maritime Electronic Warfare Support Group (MEWSG) at RNAS Yeovilton. I was the project engineer
responsible for preparing the van specifications, buying the equipment through the Royal Navy, designing and setting up the
equipment facilities and being the maintenance officer once the project was in operation. The personnel had not been identified and were intended to come primarily from the USN out
ofFEWSG in Norfolk Virginia.

Two of the potential staff, myself and a US Navy commander were stationed at Northwood, UK, CINCHAN headquarters, and spent
many hours making sure the personnel had all been identified, contracts issued for vans and equipment, and making sure workshop
and equipment facilities were ready to go. We also spent a lot of time in Brussels solving many problems associated with
establishing a new project and finally preparing to return to Canada. The MEWSG project became operational around 1985 but was
disbanded when the Cold War ended.

I was posted to the Canadian Patrol Ship (CPF) program in July 1983 as the manager of the maintenance team set up to resolve
any problems during construction. It was a job that was exactly the same as I had done several times before so when Sperry
offered me a marketing job associated with the CPF program I resigned from the Navy and joined Sperry, managing CPF support
services for sale to Paramax. Sperry had a contract to design and build distribution and control boxes for all systems in the
CPF. These boxes were designed and built at the Sperry plant in Rockland, ON and I was involved in the contract negotiations
ith Paramax and after success with negotiations regarding price and delivery I assisted with the design, testing and
installation of 40 or 50 individual boxes for each CPF. I also was tasked with selling airborne equipment built by Sperry in
Phoenix Arizona and was successful in selling airborne navigation systems to the Canadian Air Force for their helicopters.

In June of 1986 I was hired by Computing Devices as a military marketing manager for the Standard Display which they were in
final negotiations with Litton Systems and DND for sale to the Navy for the DDH 280 ships for the Tribal Class Update and
Modernization Project (TRUMP). There were considerable problems with the final design of the display and I was involved in
helping with resolution of the associated computer problems. We did final testing of the display in the Paramax CPF training
facility in Montreal and the Standard Display was installed in all 280 's and subsequently in the Canadian Patrol Frigate.

In 1994 I went to work for ADGA working on closure of the Naval Radio Station in Newport Corners, NS. Then shifted to Coast
Guard projects such as the study of the maintenance procedures being used by Coast Guard technicians, wrote a manual for
Director General Ships (DGS) and several proposals, including costs, to Coast Guard HQ for new ships. While working for ADGA
a problem was identified with the cataloguing of the remotely controlled surface target (Barracuda) built by Meggitt in
Alberta and used by the Navy for training operational personnel. I was asked to take on this responsibility and until July
2010 re-wrote the systems manual and catalogued every item for entry into the stores system. Prior to that I had not been
involved in cataloguing so had quite a task ahead of me which I in fact completed. In July of 2010 I was let go by Meggitt
due to a misunderstanding and decided to stop working for DND. I was 75 years old and was ready for retirement.

November 2016