Written by: Jade Edwards-Modry
I’m an avid (obsessive) record collector. So, when volunteer Steve Finkelman told me about a legendary bundle of 16-inch records that were lost somewhere in the museum collection, I knew I had to find them. Thus began a year-long hunt for records of unusual size. Every once in a while, I would search a room from top to bottom, and when I had searched the whole museum, I would go back to the same rooms and continue searching. I asked many people about them, including volunteers, coworkers, museum tenants, and the former museum curator.
I was mostly told that they were last seen in the AV room, a space they no longer occupied. When the former curator told me that they would have been moved to the vault, I almost gave up, having searched it multiple times. In a final fit of determination, I asked the curator, Ryan, if he could help me look through the vault and lend me an extra pair of eyes. When searching, we noticed the slightest bit of a plastic bag sticking out on top of a box on the top shelf, almost completely obscured from sight. Ryan pulled the bag down to reveal a bag full of large records.
The storage for them was abysmal: stored in a plastic bag with a paper towel between each record, and on top of that was one of the cardinal sins of record collecting — they were stored horizontally face-down on each other. But wait! Record collectors rejoice! There was no significant warping, limited scratches and they were fairly clean. I built them a box out of coroplast where they are now safely stored upright and officially accessioned.
Why are the records so big? At the time these records were used, shellac 78-speed records dominated the industry, which could hold between 3 and 5 minutes of playtime per side for the most commonly 10 or 12-inch sized shellac records. In the early 1930s, radio stations needed to accommodate more play time for their broadcasts and the best solution was the simplest solution, they made the records bigger. (Okay, well there is a bit more to it than that. The transcription discs also differed in material, often using vinylite, and in their cutting methods.) These 16-inch records, also known as transcription discs, were produced to be extra-large to accommodate about 15 minutes per side to host up to a half-hour total broadcast. Transcription discs were never sold to the public and were only distributed to radio stations. Our transcription discs were produced by the Armed Forces Radio Service and were sent internationally to be played for US military personnel working abroad to keep morale high.
Steve had told me that CKUA had once been interested in a collaborative project with the museum and that they still had their transcription disc player. In 2017, CKUA also published an article researched and written by Anna M. Rebus about transcription discs, the CKUA player and their collection (available here), which further confirmed their potential interest and ability to help. I reached out to CKUA, and they were eager to help us digitize them with their player. Additionally, they invited me to speak with Grant Stovel about the records on their Remembrance Day broadcast. The interview is available here.
Not only was I excited for the opportunity to talk about these rare records, but also for the opportunity to introduce Edmontonians to some of the lesser-known history of Edmonton’s relationship with the US Armed Forces during World War Two.
Things most Edmontonians do not know but should: Edmonton was massively shaped by its aviation history. In 1927, Blatchford Field was established as Canada’s first licensed airfield. By the time WWII had started, Edmonton was identified as a key location by Canada and the United States for its Northern position and well-established airfield. At times during the war, Edmonton had the busiest airport in the world, functioning as a port for the United States and other allies. Bonus fun fact, on the house: CKUA operated in 1927 as Canada’s first public broadcaster.
Some background history: In 1941, the U.S. Lend-Lease Act was signed, allowing military aid to allies, including aircraft to the Soviet Union. Following this was the development of the Northwest Staging Route (NWSR): a series of airstrips, airports and radio ranging stations extending through Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, and Alaska, and then further into the Soviet Union as the ALSIB (ALaska-SIBerian) air road. In 1942, Canada required financial and logistical assistance from the U.S. to facilitate the NWSR. The U.S. then activated the Air Transport Command Alaskan Wing, which was stationed at Blatchford Field in Edmonton, handling logistics, maintenance, training, and operations for efficient aircraft movement. A massive amount of USAF personnel moved to Edmonton at this time. By the end of the war, around 8000 aircraft were sent to the Soviet Union through Edmonton, and Joseph Stalin said that without the Lend-Lease program, his country would have lost the war.
A concern for the United States during WWII was the maintenance of morale for all its personnel abroad. They formed the Morale Service Division, renamed the Special Services Division, tasked with maintaining the morale of all army personnel stationed internationally. This division formed the Armed Forces Radio Service, which used transcription discs sent to remote locations to play radio broadcasts to all their personnel abroad. The broadcasts were varied and included popular culture talk radio, interviews, music, radio comedies and more. They would often involve famous musicians, athletes, and Hollywood stars including Frank Sinatra, Humphry Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Jane Russell, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Dinah Shore, Judy Garland and more. Their most famous regular broadcast shows were Mail Call and Command Performance. We have five in our collection: Boston Symphony #14, Sports Interview, “Your Radio Theater”, The Aldrich Family Broadcast, and The Great Gildersleeve.
Edmonton received many of these transcription discs and around 1942, Edmonton radio stations CKUA, CJCA, and CFRN began using the transcription discs to broadcast morale programs for U.S. troops in Edmonton up to Alaska via telephone lines and by shortwave radio. While broadcast by telephone line, no one in the Yukon could take or make any phone calls, but why would they want to? The show was on! The programs were not only engaging for the U.S. personnel, but Edmontonians also began tuning in by shortwave radio. This fostered a shared wartime experience between civilians and military personnel who were engaging with, listening to and excited about the same programs. It also provided Edmonton with a uniquely direct window into U.S. media.
In 1945, the lend-lease program was cancelled, and in 1946, the CFWH radio station in Alaska was transferred from the U.S. Army to the Canadian Army. That year AFRS broadcasts were officially discontinued in Edmonton, and radio stations published thank yous to the AFRS for the collaboration and to all of the engaged listeners around Edmonton. In 1948, Columbia Records introduced the vinyl LP (long-playing) records that we know and love today. They could hold over 20 minutes of audio per side through the magic of microgrooves and finalized the already growing obsoletion of transcription discs.
Stay tuned for videos of the digitization project and a video directed by Steve, showcasing our collection and the excitement around this project. For the record, I had a lot of fun doing this research. Thank you to the wonderful folks at CKUA, Steve Finkelman, Sarah Svanda, and Ryan Lee.
Timeline
Pre-War and Early Developments
● 1927: Blatchford Field established as Canada’s first licensed airfield, laying the groundwork for northern aviation.
● Early 1930s: Invention of Transcription Discs.
● 1933: Grant McConachie forms United Air Transport, establishing freight routes in the north, which later influenced the Northwest Staging Route.
● 1940: Canada-U.S. Permanent Joint Board on Defence recommends a northern route for moving aircraft; Blatchford Field is identified as a key location.
1941: Establishing Lend-Lease and Strategic Routes
● February 1941: The Canadian Department of Transport takes over the construction of McConachie’s airstrips at Fort St. John, Fort Nelson, and Watson Lake while improving airfields at Grande Prairie and Whitehorse. Concurrently, the United States begins expanding its bases in Alaska to strengthen North American defense.
● March 11: The U.S. Lend-Lease Act signed, allowing military aid to Allies, including aircraft to the Soviet Union.
● Northwest Staging Route (NWSR): Development begins, with plans for airstrips and facilities from Alberta through Alaska, extending into the Soviet Union (ALSIB route).
1942: Expanding the Route and U.S. Involvement
● April: Canada seeks U.S. financial and logistical help for NWSR airfield development.
● June 20: U.S. Army Air Force activates Air Transport Command (ATC) for Northwest Staging Route logistics.
● November 1: ATC’s Alaskan Wing, headquartered in Edmonton, takes operational control, making Blatchford Field a major hub for aircraft and supplies to the Soviet Union.
1942-1945: Blatchford Field Operations and Local Impacts
● 1452nd AAF Base Unit: Stationed at Blatchford Field, handling logistics, maintenance, training, and operations for efficient aircraft movement. Blatchford base also directly supplied and facilitated the making of the Alaskan radio station CFWH.
● Infrastructure Expansion: Aircraft Repair Limited (later Northwest Industries) was contracted to repair aircraft in facilities at the north end of Blatchford Field. Aircraft were also modified to operate in extreme weather conditions from rudimentary Soviet airfields.
● Local Economy Boost: Edmonton’s workforce supports airfield operations, leading to economic growth.
1942-1945: Broadcasting and Morale Services Begin
● CKUA Radio and Morale Programs: CKUA, CJCA, and CFRN in Edmonton begin using transcription discs to broadcast morale programs for U.S. troops up to Alaska via telephone lines and by shortwave radio.
● Community Engagement: CKUA broadcasts also reach local Edmonton listeners, who were tuning in via shortwave radio — fostering a shared wartime experience between civilians and military personnel.
1945-1946: Post-War Changes and Technological Shifts
● End of Lend-Lease: The Lend-Lease program concludes in September 1945; about 8,000 aircraft delivered to the Soviet Union through Edmonton.
● 1946: CFWH radio station in Alaska, initially operated by the U.S. Army, is transferred to the Canadian Army.
● 1946: AFRS broadcasts are discontinued in Edmonton, and radio stations publish thank yous to the AFRS for the collaboration and to all of the engaged listeners around Edmonton.
1948 Onward: Legacy and Technological Advances
● 1948: Columbia Records introduces LPs (Long-Playing Records) using microgrooves in vinyl, replacing shellac 78s as the standard for recorded media. 12-inch LPs can hold over 20 minutes of audio per side!
● Post-War Impact: Infrastructure developed for the NWSR supports future commercial northern aviation and defence strategies, influencing Cold War-era joint military efforts.
Today
● CKUA Legacy: CKUA still exists and has been running since 1927, when it operated as Canada’s first public broadcaster. It still has an operational transcription disc player and a significant archival library.
● Alberta Aviation Museum: The museum operates at Blatchford Field’s Hanger 14 (formerly the WWII No 2 Air Observer school) and has more than 22,000 artifacts in its collections, including the 5 transcription discs. The museum is also in the process of restoring a Bell P-39 Airacobra that crashed outside of Wetaskiwin in transport from the US to the Soviet Union. Visitors can get restoration tours and view it on Tuesdays and Thursdays