The Forest Commandos

[Music] la this motion picture is respectfully dedicated to Canada's Great flying fraternity the bush Pilots whose work a day jobs call for constant risks beyond the line of duty fighting forest fires making daring Northland rescues and mercy flights help prepare these winged Heroes for their important roles in the development of the Royal Canadian Air Force and the charting of the Alaska Highway proudly we salute the memory of major Jack leech one-legged Royal flying core ace of World War I Who as a bush pilot found final sleep on the fog bound shores of Lake Superior and the memory of his son flight Sergeant Tony leech who fought and died for Canada in this war to the leeches Father and Son true heroes of the Skies may God bless you today other flyers like these are performing brilliant aerial assists to the Ontario fire Rangers those famous Forest Commandos who sometimes number as many many as 2,000 men particularly during a bad fire to this Valiant Army Goes the vital task of protecting and preserving Ontario's most precious treasure that Timber Empire which lies nearly midway between the Atlantic and the Pacific this is Canada nine great provinces and two great territories all richly endowed with one of Nature's most valued gifts trees and the vast forests of Ontario help make Canada a prime producer of choices Lumber and even larger producer of the raw materials used in Wood pulp products throughout the world Yes trees are Ontario's number one natural resource and her foremost [Music] industry here is one of the hundreds of Sawmills that help to process the tremendous output of over 50 million Woodland Acres the power of modern machinery is exerted upon the Earth's Priceless Bounty soon to take new and magical forms pre-fabricated houses mosquito bombers equally deadly PT Vats and from this pulp pile raw materials for Plastics gunpowder motor fuel chemicals and other numerous necessities of War and Peace incidentally Ontario is one of the largest producers of news print exclusive exclusively serving great Metropolitan dailies and many Canadian Publications but Ontario's Scenic splendors and Rich resources like those of her sister provinces are eternally battling dangerous enemies the spruce budworm is responsible for damage running into staggering figures Bush and forest fires each year inflict incalculable losses leaving black desolation like this human carelessness is chiefly responsible thoughtlessly discarded cigarettes and neglected campfires the main causes of fires like [Music] this yes between the Flames the insects and destructive tree diseases Ontario's gorgeous vacation lands counting thousands of lakes stocked with trout Vass piic Pike and muscal lunge her six extensive provincial marks bountifully groomed by nature for the pleasure of the tourist her Wild game and lumber and Pulp product Timber all must be constantly protected from their natural enemies the air arm of the forest Commandos is the provincial Air Service here one of the sea planes is broken out of its hanger meet Bill McCormick veteran Bush pilot yes bill could could Spiel many a hair raising tale of exciting Northland exploit but now we find him supervising the conditioning of his Sleek little Stinson and presently he's heading for one of the air bases strategically placed throughout the northern part of the province scattered over the timbered territory is a network of 284 Lookout Towers each spindling to a height of 80 to 100 ft from these Vantage points thousands of acres are under constant and careful scrutiny continually the Power Man surveys his section through powerful binoculars have a look for yourself at a spot some 35 mil away there's no privacy here even for this ojibway Indian Bell as she does a bit of homework a large scale map of the District covers the table which is also equipped with a sighting instrument called an alade shortwave radio and telephone are near at hand soon we'll show you how the tower man uses all these things meanwhile bill has been flying on toward that Northern Airbase it's a lonely Outpost and the local residents are hungry for this exciting glimpse of the outside world the one Glimpse they may have for the next 6 months here by pre-arrangement Bill meets George Phillips former noted Bush pilot and fery command Captain who spent part of his military service in a fishy French North African internment camp mustered out of RAF blue George has become a district Forester now he asks Bill to take him on an inspection [Music] [Applause] [Music] tour F campers and real bacon on the fire oh brother Bill and George have spotted the smoke and that means investigate [Music] one of George's many duties is acting the official host to campers sorry boys that fire is too open have to put it out quick water is the answer and plenty of it to make [Music] sure particular C this George but here's one campfire that won't start anything bigger now for the proper place to build another no bonfire either but just a small well-protected Blaze to fry one's bacon and not one's beer before he leaves George tacks up a sign just to remind all campers what could happen continuing along the trail George spots a balsom tree that appears to have been attacked by the spruce budw the forest takes specimen samples from the Evergreen and sends them down to the Dominion entomologist who Rees Lees the box and inspects its contents yes George was right the samples show the larvi of the spruce Bud work and protective measures must be quickly taken tree spraying with insecticides from aircraft is being employed experimentally but selective cutting which removes undesirable trees is the most effective method of meeting the Menace according to Forest experts during our degression George has been continuing along a narrow Trail watch this an illegal trap look out someone's coming and not an eager beaver either but our old enemy the [Music] poacher good work George the Royal Canadian Mounted Police could use you now while George takes his prisoner to the nearest Provincial Police Headquarters and Bill continues on that aerial inspection tour let's look in at the forest ranger station at go a sleepy little settlement of professional Hunters Trappers and those who cater to their needs the infrequent caller will find a church a school a general store and boarding house skirting the dirt streets and speaking of the cows proverbial contentment here's a small herd grazing contentedly in the shade of the gogama hotel it must be about milking time though because the big boss Joel aflam has come to collect his wandering Dairy while at a nearby lookout tower high above the rolling Timberland the tower man follows his monotonous routine suddenly the glasses pick up smoke smoke the ominous signal flag of threatened disaster turning quickly to his alidade a towerman takes a reading estimates the location and reports his findings to the Chief Ranger at [Music] go hello Pete at Eagle Mountain Tower hurry up Pete you old flag pole sitter what's that smoke over near shining Tree Lake watch your rating 175 okay Pete keep us posted we'll get on it right away now to find that reading on a map meanwhile another Tower reports and by the simple method of intersection the chief Ranger determines the exact location of the blade placing a tack to Mark the Spot another tack goes into a map in the district Foresters office where we find our old friend George Phillips on the job as always in gogama the sirens scream out their call for firefighters while at the gogama Docks an expert loading crew awaits the arrival of hastily summoned planes Harry the chief Ranger brings down more equipment as Bill our Bush pilot brings in his OA y minutes later the hastily summoned oax plane arrives and equipment and Provisions are speedily loaded pumps pickles pickaxes and petroleum hes and ham and eggs and bread and butter and beads all needed to fight a fire and feed the firefighters and here's joola flam again lifting a 150lb pump outfit as though it were a featherweight just as the planes are loaded the chief Rangers crew of forest Commandos arrives but wait I almost forgot Emma the ojibway squa who hasn't missed a forest fire in the last 10 years heave ho [Music] boys it's no easy trick to lift the heavily loaded planes especially when canoes are strapped to their pontoons at 2,000 ft the speeding firefighters look down upon the scene of last year's big blades they note The Irregular pattern the fire followed the small amount of Green Forest that was Spar a mute challenge to do better this time the plains race on toward the tower powering smoke here's how it looks 30 m away through the windshield of ox it's closer now and getting bigger by the minute roaring down over shining Tree Lake the PLS Circle The sething Inferno this is a crown as well as a ground fire a strong wind Fanning the Flames so violently that they're leaping from Treetop to Treetop and also spreading over the ground through the slash or dry brush after a quick survey from the air the pilots make short Landings at the point most accessible to the fire line the first toore is Harry the chief Ranger who organized the starting Crew He heads into the bush with one of the smoke Chasers the rest of the crew quickly follow Harry selects this spot as a relay point marks a tree which will be recognized by the others and then pushes on through the bush the first pump crew arrives at an inland Creek one man sets up the engine and another prepares to string the holes the relay crew is close behind and quickly assembles the equipment as for Emma she brings up the rear and a 90 lb canoe arriving at the fire line Harry orders the installation of a Siamese hose connection which will send water in two directions soon the lead in hose from the creek is filling the canoe while the second pump forces the water toward the fire line transforming the limp hose into a rising python noting that the fire has reached serious proportions Harry dispatches a runner to radio George for more help and here comes good old Emma [Music] back at the gogama Docks the planes are reloading with more men and supplies to be flown to shining Tree Lake and quickly put ashore soon these vital reinforcements are pouring into Harry's headquarters established several hundred yards from the Raging Fire some of the men are put to digging a fire break to check the flames spreading along the ground others have broken up into smaller fighting [Music] units boy it must be hot in there to make this gang leave in such a hurry meanwhile George has received Harry's radio call for help and takes off in his little moth plane while at the Roaring fire line the desperate battle goes on here's a pack pump a one-man unit used to put out spot fires behind the line before they can get going like this George arrives over the scene of action surveys the fire spread from 200 ft and sees that even more men are needed he calls out a forestry cord attachment of the regular Canadian Army and Speedy Gas cars that race toward a spot from which the onrushing fire can be flanked while additional Manpower drawn from nearby Lumber camps swarms ashore from Great Northern barges and other craft and as the Gallant firefighters battle through the Blazing night the news of their struggle pushes even the war off Ontario's front pages soon after Dawn George makes a personal inspection of the Flaming front informs Harry that the fire is fast becoming a configration go Gama itself is threatened and frantically its old men and young boys start a fire [Music] bre first to be evacuated are the school children wait a minute don't leave Johnny customers and employees quickly Evacuate the Hudson's Bay trading post as the village rushes to escape yes even our cameraman is in a hurry the priest takes a hasty of the women and children in his Parish organizing the emergency Exodus then suddenly at fire line headquarters the news is better the blaze in this sector is now under control go Gama safe weary Rangers file into camp for their first rest in over 24 hours Harry gazes up at the sky sees Gathering rainclouds definite and deeply gratifying signs of complete victory over the smokey Inferno below the outside world rejoices at the great news but back in 1941 go wasn't so lucky then the Flames leveled The Village to the ground carefully groups of forest Commandos Patrol the burned over area the ashes still smolder and the tired firefighters walk weily through the charred ruins ready to beat out any sudden flareup Harry directs the work of these mop-up Crews dispatching two units along the dying fire line many Fighters will be kept at the scene until the last dangerous spark is extinguished later at the gogama Docks Bill the pilot congratulates Harry and George on a job well done but Bill has also done great work and to all those Gallant Bush Pilots those flying aces of the famous Forest Commandos whose work a day jobs call for constant risks beyond the line of duty we proudly dedicate this picture [Music]