Other Memories of the 50’s Barney Graham remembers arriving in Wainwright in 1949 to reconnect the phone exchange for training exercises. “I was supposed to be there about 10 days. You know, some 30 odd years later, I am still here. It was kind of amusing. We just went on and on and on, assuming it was only a temporary thing. I think it has more stability now, but every year we expected that would be the end of it… Just year by year, we always expected it to close. Those were the terms under which I came down here, that I was only going to be here temporarily.” Jack Morgan, mentioned earlier as one of the store owners whose building was damaged in the Buffalo Cafe incident, went on to become owner of Morgan’s Dept. Store in the same location. There were no hard feelings after the storefornt window was broken, Jack says. He was paid for the damages and no more was necessary. Jack became an associate member of the Officers’ Mess in the 50’s and remembers numerous functions he and his wife attended that remain “good times” memories for them. As a member of the Chamber of Commerce for years and a Town Councillor, Jack believes the relationship between camp and town was very cordial. The camp’s presence in the community has enhanced commerce and employment for Wainwright for fifty years now! Gregor and Doris McCluskey of Wainwright had a front row seat for the showdown at Buffalo Cafe. At that time, they lived over Walker’s Jewellers with their apartment windows right above the ruckus. Things were definitely rowdy but Gregor said they weren’t threatened by the disturbance so merely took in the scene from their overhead viewpoint. Doris also remembered attending some of the hostess dances which were held during the forties, before she was wed. She had been employed at the newspaper office when Mr. Huntingford, the owner, had become a candidate to travel to Ottawa in hopes of establishing a military post here. William (Bill) Carsell Jr., previously mentioned in this chapter, and presently a fireman at camp, remembers selling newspapers to the tented training camp at Wainwright prior to the POW camp being established. He often sold up to 500 papers in one fell swoop! Bill’s father, William Carsell, was a photographer in Wainwright and his visual contribution to the area’s history pages is admirable. Col Jim Stone now retired in Victoria, married a girl from the Wainwright area so had good reason to remember the place. He commanded 2 PPCLI, the first battalion to serve in Korea, and was in Wainwright training as militia prior to that, in 1949 with HUSKY II. What he remembers most about this particular exercise is how Wainwright weather certainly showed the troops a realistic winter indoctrination. Temperatures dropped off the thermometers that winter! As mentioned in BUFFALO III account in this chapter, after returning from Korea, “Big Jim” played the bad guy, and used every trick in the book. CWO V.R. Clare Pomeroy, MMM, CD, now retired in Wainwright was first posted here from August 1956 to 1959 as S/Sgt at #229 Workshop, RCEME. What is vivid in his memory of that time is the Centurion re-lube project. Beginning in September 1958, Clare was in charge of coordinating the work order for the first mechanical project of this nature outside a base workshop. Man hours totalled 33,000 to repair 44 tanks and re-lube 17 Centurions. For the re-lube, the entire tank was stripped, each trade servicing the areas of their expertise - instruments, weapons, body, paint, engine, radio, etc. From the turret to the tracks, the huge machine was completely overhauled. The turret, its mounting, the engine, transmission, clutch and on to the bottom were all removed for inspection, repair and lubrication. The tracks were broken and all support wheels, bogies, and bearings were replaced or re-lubed. Even the hull that surrounds the tank’s troops was cleaned and painted. Well done lads!