National Capital Chapter 70 - Ottawa, Canada
VE3NQ Biography 
John McGrail - SK - QCWA# 12279 (Silent Key)
Background
Education / Employment History
- John grew up in Outremont (Montreal), Quebec and attended schools there
- 1935 – He received the Commercial Radiotelegraph Certificate of Proficiency
- 1935 - John spent the summer as a wireless operator aboard several ships.
- 1936 - He joined Canadian Marconi Radio Stations CFCF AM and CFCX - Short Wave. Maintained the transmitters and operated Trans-Canada Network Master Control. When CBC was formed in 1936 he continued for 10 months until they had their own facilities , effectively being one of the first three CBC Network Master Control operators.
- 1937 - Installed the broadcast facilities and Ground-Air Control at Boucherville for the Imperial Airways Short Empire Caledonia 2 and Cambrai Flying Boats.
- 1940 - Joined Canadian Pacific Air Services as Radio Supervisor at St Hubert, QC and later Gander, Newfoundland.
- In 1941 CPAS at Gander was renamed RAF Ferry Command. He was Communications Specialist aboard a B-24 Liberator searching for the German Cruiser Prinz Eugene, the day the HMS Hood was sunk. Following a Celestial navigation course, John flew many ferry flights on B-24 and Mosquito via the North and South Atlantic routes.
- In 1942 he was radio-navigator on a B-24 ferry flight from San Rafael, CA to Australia via Oahu, and Fiji. This was a first. Even the Pan Am flights only went to New Zealand.
- 1943 - He was radio-navigator on a Hudson bomber on a Ferry Command route trial from Western Canada via the North Pole to Scotland. Pilot was Don MacVicar VE4PH
- 1946 - John returned as Chief Engineer for radio station network from 250W to 50 KW.
- 1947 - Joined Canadian Commercial Corpn (Ottawa) soon to be Department of Defence Production in the Electronic Purchasing Division.
- 1950 - John became General Manager of World-Wide Airways in Dorval, QC, working for Don McVicar (now VE2WW) when WWA were doing supply flights for the Mid-Canada Line and later DEW Line.
- 1954 - John joined Raytheon Canada (Waterloo) as Contracts Sales Manager.
- 1957 - He joined Canadair (Montreal) and was posted to California as Resident Purchasing Manager working on the F5 aircraft program for Canada and Netherlands.
- 1972 - Retired. In 1977 he returned to Canada.
Amateur Radio History
- 1935 - John was first licensed in Montreal as VE2BP
- 1957-1977 Operated as VE3NQ/W6 in California
Additional Information
John joined QCWA and received his “50 Year Licensed” Golden Certificate and lapel pin in 1986.
He died August 30, 2003 at age 90 years.