Serving in the Dominion of Newfoundland

I never met Gord Misner in person. He was serving his country Canada in the Dominion of Newfoundland 11 years before I was born. He served on the Table Mountain at Cape Ray. Growing up here we could look up and see that old Radar on the Mountain top and wondered about the men who put it there. Stories were told about Americans who built it and very little mentioned of the actual men who really built it. ( The men of the RCAF.) It was not until I obtained Internet service in 1997 before I could do any research on the old Radar. Before that it was just the stories circulating from the older locals in the area and no photos or names of the Servicemen were known. It was years before my searches began to yield good results. An E-Mail from a lady in Ontario (Madeleine Misner)told me her husband served at Cape Ray.Soon after stories and photos started along with a few phone calls. I asked the local paper to do a story on Gord and they did. (Story,click here) Soon afterwards his son (Les Misner) came from Ontario to Cape Ray with a friend and we went to the old Radar Site to place a living Memorial for Gord. (Blog Story,click here) Yesterday I received an E-Mail from Madeleine Misner and it stated, " "Dear Wayne,Just thought you should know that Gord passed away last Tuesday June11. It was peaceful and he is at rest. His wife for 66 years.Madeleine." Gordon Misner might of been the last of his group. When I usually find info now it comes from family members who go through old Diaries or letters and Google the words "Table Mountain or Cape Ray." They have contacted me and sent stories and photos over the years but it was an E-Mail from Madeleine that really started showing the Deeds of those who served there. May 25-2008 We noticed your request for info re Table Mtn. and the RCAF during ww2. Well, my husband served there from Nov. 43 to Dec. 44. He even helped bring the frozen American back to the camp. He speaks of the extreme winds and has many letters which he sent to his mother from there. There were many stories which he has recounted over the years to me and we have many pictures as well. He was in the RCAF but does not remember any Jim Irvine being there. Thank you Gordon Misner for serving our Country and helping with the History of Cape Ray.

Yesterday i had the privilege of escorting Les Misner and Ron Hunter a friend of his to the top of the Table Mountain over looking Cape Ray and The Gulf Of St. Lawrence. Les is the son of Sgt. Gordon Misner R168439 who spent 14 months of his life there during WWII. Gord Misner operated and maintained the Radio equipment during his service there.

Ron snaps a shot of Les placing a plaque for his father at the old WWII Radar.



Les flew in from Ontario and drove from St, Johns to Cape Ray where i met him beneath the mountain. Before we began our ATV ride to the top Les phoned his mother to say he was going to the Radar and would phone his father from that location. When we arrived Les sat beneath the Radar and phoned home to Ontario. The Wreckhouse winds gusted as Les dialed and the moment he had been waiting those months for was not quite what he expected.




His mother had to tell him the news she didn't mention earlier. Gord,his father, age 87, had fallen earlier and broke his hip. He was in the hospital and would have to have surgery soon.Ron and i walked to the edge of the mountain to view the scenery and Les talked to his mother. A moment so long awaited was not quite what neither of us really expected.
(Gord had surgery last night and seems to be coping well.)

Some photos of yesterdays excursion.