Breaking New Ground—Stories from Defence Construction Breaking_new_ground | Page 58

The RCAF Station at Zweibrucken,
Germany, seen from the air in February
1955, was one of several facilities built for
1 Air Division in Europe in the 1950s.
Project: The Move from France
to Germany
In 1966, the President of France, Charles de Gaulle,
announced that France was withdrawing from the
integrated military command of NATO. This prompted
the departure in 1967 of all NATO forces from France,
including the Royal Canadian Air Force’s move from
France to Germany and the move of DCL’s European
office from Paris to Lahr, where 1 Air Division had been
relocated, taking over the headquarters for French
forces in Germany.
During the first year, military housing was scarce and
in poor condition. One of the contracts awarded during
1967–68 and scheduled for completion the following
year was a contract for the rehabilitation of 996 PMQs at
Lahr. Coupled with other requirements, these transfers
led to a substantial increase in the construction DCL
carried out for the Canadian military in Europe.
Following the transfer of the DCL office, a local branch
of the German design agency established a team at
Lahr airfield. Additional responsibilities were handed
over to DCL at this time, as it took over construction for
the Canadian Army Brigade in Europe.
48
Harald Emmerich recalled the situation they faced on
the airfield in Lahr:
The airfield buildings were in deplorable condition.
There were no kitchens or washrooms that could be
used. All of the buildings, roadways and taxiways had to
be completely restored. To add to the difficulties, the
German Construction Agency, which was to carry out
the construction work in accordance with Article 49 of
the SOFA, had no previous experience working with
Canadian engineers. Moreover, the Canadian engineering
contingent from Metz had no previous experience
working with the Germans. The Canadian and German
systems for doing construction work differed significantly
and there were no guidelines on how to proceed. The
work was further hampered by the lack of available,
qualified contractors. Since the German Construction
Agency was overloaded with this additional Canadian
work, DCC began to carry out repair and maintenance
work under direct contract.
He also explained the fundamental differences between
operating in Canada and in Germany:
In Canada, DCL engages consultants for design and
then tenders the work to a general contractor, while, in
BREAKING NEW GROUND
DEFENCE CONSTRUCTION CANADA