Personifying the Electrical Department - one of the youngest, and huskiest, offspring of the Royal Canadian Navy is HMC Electrical School in HMCS "Stadacona", Halifax. In less than three years, the Electrical School has grown to such a stature that, insofar as facilities for theoretical and practical training in all phases of electrical engineering are concerned, it is regarded as second to none, anywhere.

The school is located in the large, modern building that served as a WRCNS block during WWII. Sharing the building is HMC Communication School, which occupies one third of each of two floors. Departmental approval for the establishment of the Electrical School was given in September, 1945, and an Officer of the Electrical Department visited the electrical and electronic training schools in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. His assignment was to examine their equipment and facilities and to see that installations for the projected RCN school were the most modern and efficient possible.

In June, 1946, the renovation and fitting out of the building assigned to the school was begun. An important factor here, and one that enabled the school to develop its facilities rapidly, was the availability of large quantities of surplus electrical and electronic equipment at the end of the war. The function of the Electrical School is to train officers and men of the Electrical Department in the technical aspects of all naval electrical equipment, including radar, radio, Asdic and fire control fitted in HMC ships, shore establishments and aircraft.

In addition, familiarization and special courses are given to officers and men of other branches. The school is divided into the following main sections:

Theoretical
This section is responsible for the fundamental training in mathematics and physics essential to an intelligent assimilation of electrical training.

Basic Workshops
All officers and men of the Electrical Department spend many hours of their qualifying courses in the school's well-equipped machine shops, learning or increasing their skill in the use of power and hand tools. Particular stress is laid on this phase of training in the case of the Electrical Technician who is now responsible for the mechanical duties previously carried out by the Electrical Artificer, this latter branch having been absorbed into the Electrical Technician Branch in February.

Power
Electrical Technicians are trained in this section. Their syllabus consists of the following subjects: Asdic, fire control, low power, high power, workshop, teletype, gyro, transmission systems, remote power control, logs and plots, theoretical and practical workshop instruction.

Electronics
This is the Radio Technicians' section. Their subjects include: Radio communication, radar, radio aids to navigation, radio teletype, theory and practical workshop training.

Air Electrical Section
This section is only now nearing completion but will be fully equipped in time to undertake conversion and qualifying courses for men of the Air Radio Mechanic and Air Artificer (L) Branches who have been transferred to the new, Radio Technician (Air) and Electrical Technician

(Air) Branches of the Electrical Department.
The Air Electrical section is divided into two sub-sections as follows:
(i) Air Radio
This is the Radio Technician (Air) section and the syllabus will cover airborne radar and radio, carrier borne radio and radar equipment for aircraft control, air station radio and radar, theoretical and practical workshop instruction.
(ii) Air Electric
This is the Electrical Technician (Air) section and the syllabus will include instruments, lighting, ignition systems, generators, fire control, theoretical and practical workshop instruction.
The Air Mechanics (L) will remain in the Air Department and be transferred, to the Air Fitter Branch. The Electrical School will train these men in electrics to whatever technical standard is required by the Air Department.

ELECTRICAL OFFICERS

On graduating from university it is intended that all Electrical Officers shall serve for a short time at sea and then carry out training in industry. This will be followed by a 12-month  course in the Electrical School which will cover all phases of installation, maintenance and operation of naval electrical and electronic equipment. After a period of general service there will be opportunities for the Electrical Officer to undergo further training to specialize in one of the following subjects: Fire control, communication engineering, detection (including radar, Asdic and radio and electronic aids to navigation),  air electrics radar and radio, and electrical systems and fitting. Even as a specialist, however, the importance of a thorough general electrical knowledge and experience will not be lost sight of, in order that the Electrical Officer may hold appointments where all round electrical ability is required.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROMOTION

The avenue of promotion from the lower deck to commissioned rank in the Electrical Department is open to all men who show the required standard of technical knowledge and general ability. At the present time nine men from Electrical Branches are attending Universities to obtain their degree in Electrical Engineering and be commissioned as Acting Sub Lieu-tenants- (L); six Chief Petty Officers and Petty Officers of the Electrical Technician Branch are undergoing courses for Warrant Electrical Officer and six Commissioned Electrical Officers have been promoted to Lieutenant (L) and will undergo courses in HMC Electrical School whenever they can be spared.

MEN OF THE ELECTRICAL DEPARTMENT

The formation of the Electrical Department was announced in September, 1945, but it was not until January, 1947, that training courses began in the Electrical School with the first course of Electrician's Mates. In July, 1947, a number of men were transferred to the Electrical Department from the Communication, Torpedo and  Anti-Submarine Branches. This was necessitated by the allocation of complete responsibility for 'the installation, maintenance and repair of all electrical and electronic equipment to the newly formed Electrical Department. All of these men required courses to broaden their technical knowledge, so a program of conversion courses for SDI's, HSD's, TGM's, LTO's, Tels., etc., was planned.

A total of 195 men required courses of an average length of 50 weeks. Of that number only 35 still have to be drafted to the school for courses. It is anticipated that this conversion program will be completed by September, 1950. This is in addition, of course, to the normal qualifying courses for advancement. The recruiting and training of men of the Electrician's, Mates branch is such that the school's staff is taxed to capacity. It is from this branch of the Electrical Department that men are trained for transfer to either the Electrical Technician, Electrical Technician (Air), Radio Technician or Radio Technician (Air) Branches.

To qualify for transfer to one of these branches an Electrician's Mate must have undergone a six-months' electrical course in the Electrical School, have served a minimum of 15 months in the Ordinary rating and 18 months in the Able rating, have at least one year sea service and be recommended for transfer to the Technician branch of his choice. This 33-month service period, during which the Electrician's Mate acquires experience in every phase of the Electrical Department's duties ashore and afloat, may be likened, to an apprenticeship. This is when, on the basis of experience, gained, he will decide in what field of electrics or electronics he would like to make his service career.

After that decision has been made and he has been accepted for course, he will undergo approximately 68 weeks' training to qualify him for transfer to a Technician branch. This method of selection and training produces the best type of technician and, of primary importance, one who has interest in his specialization. During his apprenticeship time, the Electrician's Mate is not just a bag carrier or replacer of lamp bulbs; he is an important part of the maintenance team. In preparation for this, his six-month course in the Electrical School has equipped him with a grounding in the basic principles of electricity and electronics, plus a good practical knowledge of ship equipment and systems.

There is no place today in a maintenance team for any but the well trained technical man, since simplicity does not, unfortunately, go hand in hand with technical development, and ‘rule of thumb' methods of maintenance cannot be applied to Naval electrical or electronic equipment. Transfer to a Technician Branch is at present achieved at the Leading rating. The Radio and Electrical Technician are by training and employment the highly skilled technicians of the Electrical Department and as such are awarded Trade Group IV at the Petty Officer First Class rating. Advancement in these branches depends upon ability to pass examinations and competency to carry out the duties of the higher rating.

However, it's not all work when ashore for a course. The Electrical School is active in sports and social events and an elected committee organizes and encourages widespread participation. Four inter-part sports championships were won by the school in 1948 and it is hoped the record for 1949 will be even better.

OFFICER IN CHARGE

The Officer in Charge of the Electrical School is Commander (L) H. G. Burchell, who holds a B.A. in physics and mathematics, is a member of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers and the Institute of Radio Engineers and has the further qualification of having spent a year in post-graduate work in pedagogy [1] specializing in technical training and vocational guidance. A sports enthusiast, he has been largely responsible for the keen and active interest taken in games by the men attending the school. He himself has been particularly active as a hockey and softball player.

Notes:

[1] Pedagogy is the art or science of teaching, education or instructional methods.
 

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July 4/08