First Army Air Support Course

Photo source: 439 Sqn archives

In addition to its work with the Army and housekeeping activities for the RAF the Squadron also had close liaison with local Air Cadet squadrons. Parties from No. 77 (Truro) Squadron paid visits to Debert, and in the summer of 1943 a group of 75 officers and cadets from No. 92 (New Glasgow) Squadron held a ten-day camp at the station.  Mention might also be made of some liaison with the Canadian equivalent of Hollywood when the Squadron did some flying for a "Canada Carries On" film,

Reference was made above to Arty/R "shoots” with the Army.  The first shoot was carried out in the last days of June 1942 when a detachment of five Lysanders and crews was sent to Tracadie, New Brunswick, to work with the Support Group of the 4th Division.  After preliminary training on the ground, several shoots were completed and "everything went like clockwork; the wireless communication worked perfectly, the pilots had their procedure down pat and the scheme was an unqualified success”. While the detachment was away the governor-general arrived at Debert in his aircraft on a brief informal visit.

 In July No. 123 began giving Army Air Support Courses to train officers from Army units across the country. These courses continued at about monthly intervals, the twelfth being given in August 1943. For more senior officers several Brigadiers Army Staff Courses were also conducted by the squadron.