Hank Siemans

AIRMAN, BROADCASTER & RADIO PERSONALITY

A Brief Biography - by Dan Rooks
Hinton, Alberta
March 5, 1996

INTRODUCTION

This article describes the career of Hank Siemens, an Airman in the Royal Canadian Air Force and Canadian Armed Forces with an emphasis on his volunteer radio broadcasting contribution.

It is written by Dan Rooks of Hinton, Alberta, an aviation enthusiast specialising in Canada's Air Force during the cold war period.

HANK SIEMENS, AIRMAN - BROADCASTER - RADIO PERSONALITY

Hank Siemens was a Saskatchewan boy, born at Balgonie and raised at Indian Head where his father worked in a tree nursery. He Joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1951 and became a career Airman, serving, in many interesting places and holding, a variety of responsible positions.

Basic training took place at Aylmer, Ontario. Airframe Technician training was next at Borden and his first posting, was 42 Air Navigation School, RCAF Station Winnipeg,

At that time the Korean War was on and Hank was assigned to special duty with 426 Thunderbird Squadron at McChord Air Force Base, Washington State, USA. There he worked as a crew member on North Stars flying supplies and personnel to Japan for duty in Korea and bringing, wounded back home.

Then it was back to Winnipeg for a brief period and on to Moose Jaw for Harvard maintenance. It was during this time that a NATO student flying a Harvard collided with a Trans Canada North Star over Moose Jaw with high loss of life. Hank was among RCAF personnel detailed to locate wreckage and bodies. Although he did it with professional fortitude, the memories of that tragic accident remain to this day.

Hank next went to CJAT Rivers where he initially worked on the Mk 5 and 6 Austers and the L- 19 with the First Light Aircraft (Army) School. Other duties included maintenance on the P-51 Mustang, crewman on Dakotas, Flight Engineer on C-119 Flying Boxcar and helicopter experience on the C-47, S-51 and S-55. Training on these machines took him to Fort Rucker, Alabama and Fort Worth, Texas for maintenance courses.

His first overseas posting was to 3 Fighter Wing, Zweibrücken, Germany in 1959. There he worked on Sabres with 434 and 427 Squadron until 1962. It was then Hank became involved as a volunteer broadcaster with CFN Radio. It was also during this period that Hank had the honour of serving with the elite Canadian Sabre team that represented Canada at the Guynemer Trophy Shoot. The RCAF fellows won it hands down a number of years running, over all other NATO Air forces. In fact they won it so often some air forces refused to compete any longer. This was during the "glory days" of the RCAF when it was recognised as the best air force in Europe.

Returning to Canada in 1962 he was stationed at Gimli until 1965 when the opportunity for another posting at 3 Wing came up. There was no problem deciding what to do and Hank served there until Zweibrücken was closed out in 1969, an event that Canadian Service personnel and German Nationals alike still look back on with sadness. The bond that had -grown between the Canadians and Germans was very strong, and parting was hard. It was back to Canada again, this time with 434 Squadron at Cold Lake where he served until retirement in 1975.

Now to highlight Hank Siemens broadcasting career.

Canadian Forces Network was in full swing when Hank Siemens arrived at 3 Wing, Zweibrü:cken in 1959. It was a rather exclusive organisation and took some time to break into but this was eventually accomplished with the help of Ken Haslam, CBC representative.

At that time CFN-Zweibrücken was only a 10 watt source but coverage still included the base and enough of the surrounding area to service the Americans, the German Army Base, the French Garrison, the local German civilians and Canadian families living off base. This system actually incorporated a high power WWII control tower transmitter that was run on reduced power. One day something went wrong, and the pro-ram went out full strength. It was heard all over continental Europe and Britain and the response was great. Calls came in from listeners in France, Italy, Germany, England and Norway wondering where they could get CFN full time on the dial. They really liked the country music and those "cute Canadian accents".

The radio station at Zweibrücken consisted of an open studio where live bands could perform, a recording studio where programs were prepared and the main broadcasting studio. The only real "pro" equipment in the early days were the turn tables. There were a few old recorders that took the seven inch reels but later on some big pro recorders that would carry ten and a half inch reels became available. Hank and a few other fellows designed a broadcasting board equipped with different mikes and turntables for the que system. This resulted in a professional look and feel which was a great morale booster.

Eventually the number of Canadian Forces Radio stations grew. They were:

• CFN-Metz France. Headquarters of #1 Air Division
• CFN-Marville France. #1 Fighter Wing.
• CFN-Grostenquin France. #2 Fighter Wing,
• CFN-Zweibrücken Germany. #3 Fighter Wing.
• CFN-S Baden Söllingen, Germany. #4 Fighter Wing.

Radio personnel were volunteers, except for CBC representatives and some station managers. During the early days there was a shortage of qualified people resulting in the station only being, on the air for part of the day. The first shift ran from 5 A.M. to 9 A.M. and the second went from 5 P.M. to midnight. Later, when the original volunteers felt confident to pass on their expertise it was decided to train dependants to help. Many wives and students pitched in and soon the whole day was filled with programs.

A typical day went something like this; The morning would begin with O' Canada followed by the familiar greeting - "Good morning, this is CFN Zweibrücken in Germany beginning a new day of broadcasting...". Ron Kitson would begin with a one hour opener followed by Hank Siemen's Early Bird show featuring country music to 9 A.M. The ladies then ran to lunch time with a variety program and an Airman would do a Prime Time Noon Show. The afternoon was handled by more dependants - including the young people doing Be-Bop or Rock and Roll. At 5 P.M. servicemen would be back to carry the show to midnight when the station signed off the air.

Most programming was organised by volunteers. Hank Siemens, for- example, would often take advantage of a quiet studio from 1 to 6 A.M. on Sunday mornings to prerecord parts of his daily early morning show. This gave him the opportunity throughout the rest of the week to have coffee or a light breakfast during the first part of the show while the pre recorded tape was running, and he would be refreshed to go "live" a bit later on.

CBC programs were obtained in a number of ways. Some were flown over from Canada via Comet, Yukon or Hercules aircraft. The Northern Service of the CBC came in by short wave but this was not always reliable. Sometimes atmospheric conditions would result in a poor signal and the news would not be available. At those times listeners would hear a familiar refrain "we are unable to bring you the CBC news this morning, in it's place - recorded music".

The weather forecasts came directly from the weather office. The Meteorologist would be on live every morning and the show hosts would give hourly updates.

Inspirational programming was appreciated as well, especially by patients and staff of 3 Wing Hospital who were unable to attend regular church services. It was a fair system with the Roman Catholic's featured one Sunday and the Protestant's the next. Other Christian programs were also aired and one of these led to an embarrassing moment for Hank. He had started a disk going and decided to make a quick trip to the mess to fill his thermos with coffee. While he was away the system malfunctioned and the message started to repeat. It was an an especially fiery sermon and was being concluded by a warning that people following certain lifestyles - if they did not change their ways - would almost certainly "go to hell - go to hell - go to hell..." Phones were ringing off the hook when Hank returned to the studio but it was all taken in good humour. One listener remarked that there should be no confusion whatever of the consequences of living, that particular lifestyle.

There were other glitches as well. One time Hank had done what he considered one of his best shows ever. Everything was perfect - records all went on right, tapes were queued properly, there were no mistakes in speaking. However, the equaliser transformer had blown and unknown to Hank the broadcast was not going out over the air. After about an hour a caller alerted him to this. Another time a young lady trained in the art of broadcasting had reached the point where she was giving her first preamble to the news. Instead of saying "..and here is the CBC news..." she nervously blurted out "..and here is the CBC booze...". It created a good laugh among listeners and staffers alike.

Some broadcasters would travel to different events to record music and interview performers. Hank was very aggressive in this and obtained excellent material for use in his Trail 98 Show. This show featured the sounds of a train and the latest in Country and Western recordings and interviews.

One of the best places to meet and record artists was the American USO shows which brought in top notch talent. Hank interviewed and recorded such greats as Elvis Presley, Porter Wagner, Little Jimmy Dickens, Johnny Cash, Norma Jean, Roy Acoff, Hank Snow, Burl Ives, Liberace, The Four Aces, The Inkspots, Johnny Ray, Hank Thompson and the Brazeau Valley Boys, Dean Martin, Big Red Daddy Sovine and the Carter family.

An eight hour trip to Hamburg landed him an interview with the British actor James Mason. An evening of tossing back the suds in a drinking establishment with Elvis Presley cost Hank and his buddy a couple of weeks wages but the contact was just great. Another time, while working with the Carter family, Hank and Rob Wilson saw there was a problem with the performers being able to keep their schedule of three shows that night. The two young Airmen rose to the occasion in the best tradition of the RCAF - they scooped June, Helen and Inita Carter to ride in their car. Someone else was left to look after Mother Maybelle and the band. With Hank leading the way, the Carter's made all their performances on time that night. They were very grateful and gave the boys and the RCAF a public vote of thanks for a job well done. A visit to Vera Lynn's home for tea was another treat as well as a private meeting with Connie Francis. To top it off Hank Snow and Hank Siemens became good friends and kept in close contact over the years.

The Station was funded by NPF meaning- Non Public Funds. Every month they received a bit of money which was used to purchase recordings, especially in the early days, as there were no free promos then. Hank took it upon himself to contact record companies with the reward of starting to see complimentary copies rolling in. Over a period of time a good library was built up to suit all tastes, including Western, Jazz, Concert, Be Bop and Rock n' Roll selections.

Country and Western music was a big favourite with the Canadians and Americans and surprisingly, the German Nationals. They liked it so much that a group of young people started a club called the Zweibrücken Hillbilly Saloon Club. Hank Siemens, Rob Wilson and Mac McDunna attended meetings and encouraged the group.

Request and dedication shows were very popular and a good indicator of what people were interested in. One time Hank played a request for the Hank Locklin recording - Send Me the Pillow You Dream On. At this time Hank also had a second voice he used occasionally on his country music shows. The voice was an imitation of old "Pops" the janitor and he often berated Hank when he made mistakes or just offered him advice when he thought he needed it. He also bugged Hank for dedications for his girl friend Claudette. This was very popular with the listeners and on the occasion of the Hank Locklin request "Pops" said he wished someone would send him the pillow they dreamed on. Within a few days Hank was flooded with pillows of all shapes and sizes and some of the comments written on them even made old Pops blush. It was a lot of fun!

Hank Siemens was a dedicated radio personality. Not only did he volunteer many hours for regular broadcasting, programming and station management, he also dedicated extra time on special events and holidays. For the 15 years he was associated with Canadian Forces Broadcasting, he gave up leisure time in the Christmas season to provide round the clock broadcasting on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve and New Years Day. This would consist of a mix of seasonal music and taped greetings from dignitaries including Her Majesty The Queen, the Station CO and the Squadron CO's. To show their appreciation many service personnel and Germans would send gifts of food, fruit and wine to Hank while he was on his lonely Yuletide vigil. The station provided full coverage of the annual Christmas parade in downtown Zweibrücken. The event was sponsored by the Canadians and each section and Squadron would participate with floats and treats. The Wing had a Herc come in with goodies which were distributed during the parade. It was a great time enjoyed by all.

Hockey was a high priority with listeners. As a result CFN Radio broadcast games from the various NATO bases. Zweibrücken was home to the famous RCAF Flyers and this gave the station a big edge with the fans. At that time, in the sixties, European countries were really getting into hockey, with West Germany leading. There were good rinks available and a lot of fellows with experience to take advantage of them. It was high calibre hockey, appreciated by all who watched. The arena at Zweibrücken was named the Peter Cunningham Memorial Arena in honour of a Sabre pilot who got hockey going on the base. He was killed in one of the early Air Division Sabre crashes. Remote broadcasting from the arena was very popular and German commentators would translate for the local German community.

Many of the volunteers got "on the job" training from CBC personnel. They were taught how to present themselves, speak properly and maintain professional broadcasting techniques. Hank supplemented this training with a Radio and Television Announcers Course while stationed at RCAF Station Gimli between tours at 3 Wing.

Hank worked with a lot of good people over the years. Some names are Tom Jenkins (Bandmaster and Station Manager, Ken Haslem (CBC Rep), Peter Murphy (Later a CTV anchorman), Andrea Steer and Andrea MacKenzie (both Station Managers), Sgt Ken Pells (Station Manager), Gordy White, Grant Ulliot, Rob Wilson, Mac McDunna, Dave Godfrey, Al Wiens, John Godfrey, Rick Pawlik, John Sully, Pamela Yates, Mike Sykes, Mike Masterani, Mike Macahunyak, Max Weiger (had a show called Waxing With Maxing), Ken McDonald, FIL Castle (Station Manager), Ken Nichols (Technician), Bill Roach, Ron Kitson (Later to go pro in Kitchener), Fred Straw (went pro at CIJV Penticton), Sgt Benny, Larry Smallback, Paul Hofer (Technician), Gord McKenna and George Brazier, all dedicated to entertaining the folks who served so far from home.

Hank was instrumental in getting the radio station at 4 Wing Baden Söllingen on the air as well. In 1961 he came to know a Sgt Dave Peters of Telecom Ground who was interested in broadcasting. Peters and a few other fellows had a little room in barracks that was used as a makeshift studio. Lack of support previously caused it to fold and in 1961 they were trying to make a comeback. The only equipment they had was on loan from other servicemen and they were off to a very slow start. Realising help was needed Sgt Peters approached Hank Siemens who was at 4 Wing on temporary duty. Hank saw the need and reacted. He began by sharing advice and expertise but didn't stop there. Always willing, to go the extra mile he returned to Zweibrücken and got together a bunch of records and tapes for the boys at Baden. Much of this was purchased with his own money. This was supplemented with CBC tapes and gave 4 Wing the start it needed. With assistance from Base Fund, Baden Radio progressed rapidly and provided excellent service for many years. When 3 Wing closed in 1969 most of the equipment and supplies went to Baden along with a number of experienced personnel and this was a real bonus.

Returning to Canada in 1969 Hank was stationed at Cold Lake, Alberta where he began as an announcer with CHCL 1450 progressing on to be the Chief Broadcaster and Station manager.

Retirement in 1975 didn't mean Hank was through with radio. Quite the contrary. He went Professional, working at CKOK Penticton and CKOO Osoyoos, B.C. He is now fully retired except for dubbing tapes and doing other favours for his many friends at his home studio. He and his wife Lotte live in Okanagan Falls B.C. Their son Mike is a Warrant Officer stationed at National Defence Headquarters, Ottawa.

Awards in the broadcasting business were just one way people expressed their thanks to volunteers like Hank. While at 3 Wing in 1968 he received a service award for outstanding service to the community. Another came while at CFB Cold Lake and then, after retirement, Hank accepted another while attending the CFN anniversary at Lahr, Germany in 1991.

Thank you Hank Siemens - Airman, Broadcaster and Radio Personality for the many hours of great entertainment. You did the RCAF proud.