Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion www.ns.legion.ca 163 KELLS (SMITH), Ruth May WWII & KOREA Ruth was born in Springhill, Nova Scotia in 1925. She started working for the Department of Defence until she enrolled in the Royal Canadian Air Force on December 4, 1943, as a Wireless Operator. She completed her basic training in Ottawa and attended the #1 Wireless School in Montreal, graduating in 1944. Her postings were to RCAF Station Penfield Ridge, NB; RCAF Station Yarmouth, NS; ADHQ in Halifax; and then on to NDHQ in Ottawa where she was released on October 12, 1945. On release, Ruth moved to Toronto and was living there when she received a call asking her to re-enlist for an interim period from February to December 1946. Without hesitation, Ruth re-enlisted and was stationed at RCAF Dartmouth, NS until her discharge in 1946. On release, Ruth moved to her new home in Vancouver, BC where she worked with Hayes Manufacturing Co as a stenographer. In 1947, once again, she received a phone call, the Department of Defence requested her to travel to Prince Rupert, BC as a Wireless Operator for surveillance of foreign countries communications for Directorate of Special Radio Activity (DSRA). DSRA was an arm of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) where the work was focused on the Russians. In 1948, Ruth, along with the other Wireless Operators, was transferred to Victoria and then to an installation outside of Vancouver in 1950. In 1952, Ruth was voluntarily released from the RCAF and returned to Nova Scotia where she worked with Maritime Tel and Tel in Truro. Again, Military found her and needed her skills; she was asked to report to Ottawa to resume Wireless Operations at Leitrim during the Korean Conflict and remained there until she decided to resign and request an administrative position at NDHQ in December 1956. Ruth then worked at Army Budget as a secretary and joined the RCAF Reserve, 2416 Squadron. While on weekend training at RCAF Station Foymount, the Administration Officer offered her the position of Civilian Personnel Officer (CPO) where she had 110 civilian employees to administer. Then Foymount requested that the Army Budget allow Ruth to transfer to Foymount and Ruth was transferred to RCAF Station Foymount. That following July, the Chief Civilian Personnel Officer in Montreal requested her to fill in for the CPO at RCAF Station Bagotville where she worked for six weeks and was then offered the position full time. She could not accept as she would soon be getting married to Lieutenant-Colonel Wesley Kells on March 30, 1957, and she gave birth to their son David on March 11, 1958. Submitted by Centennial Branch #160, The Royal Canadian Legion
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