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CAPE RACE
WIRELESS AND HF/DF STATION
The station of Cape Race was built by the Canadian Marconi Company and opened on November 17, 1904 and operated till 1965. The station was located on the southeastern tip of Trepassey Bay. This is the first point or last point of land in North America that vessels pass due to Great Circle routing for Trans Atlantic voyages. There was a major light station there and it was a logical place to locate the "new technology of wireless". The original call sign of the station was CE until 1912 when it became MCE and eventually VCE. "VCE" was internationally known for its aid to navigation, but came into prominence in 1912 at the time of the Titanic disaster. 705 persons were saved and owed their lives to the value of the Marconi invention. Wireless was again instrumental in the saving of 650 lives from the burning "Volturno". Among other events of major importance was the Newfoundland sealing disaster of 1914 and the wreck of the "Florizel" on February 28, 1918. A Direction Finding station was also opened at Cape Race during the hostilities of WWI, in 1915. The East Coast DF service was then offered from Chebucto Head, Cape Sable, Canso and Cape Race (NL). The DF service from Cape Race was discontinued in 1961. (Source: Marine Radio Communications and Traffic Services History in Canada)
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