This space has been intentionally left blank in anticipation of finding a suitable photo to match this pages content

Some unscheduled Army/Air co-operation resulted from a brush fire, which broke out near a runway about mid-day of 20 July. The O.T.U. fire party tried to check it, but the blaze soon assumed serious proportions, and No. 123 turned out all its fire pickets.  The 14th Division's fire officer was flown over the scene and soon about 3000 men were engaged in combating the flames.  For a time the Military Hospital was in danger, the strong wind blowing blazing embers across the fire breaks which the toiling men cut. After hours of work the situation was finally brought under control.

In August 1942 the 11th Division began to move overseas.  No. 123 Squadron was very sorry to say good-bye to Gen. Worthington; they had found him very easy to work with and hoped that they might get oversees soon to co-operate with his division in action.  After the departure of the 4th, the Squadron worked with the 7th Division under Maj. Gen. P.E. Leclerc.  It also did a few schemes in co-operation with the Royal Canadian Navy, working with submarines and corvettes.

Another view of the Derbert's flight line

Photos source: 439 Sqn archives

While engaged on one exercise with the Navy on 31 August P/O R.C. Johnson experienced an engine failure due to an air lock in the lubrication system.  Thinking that the Lysander was on fire he instructed his air gunner, F/S (Flight Sergeant – equivalent to a Sergeant Major in the Army) T.W. Clarke, to bale out and Johnson then made a forced-landing near North Bedeque in Prince Edward Island. Although the Lysander tore down about 150 yards of fence, it received little damage other than buckled pants on the port wheel and S/L Ranking flew the aircraft out without trouble.