Remembering the Telegraphist Air Gunners
Commemorating the 65th Anniversary of the Arrival of Telegraphist Air Gunners in Yarmouth
December 28, 2007
65
years
ago
in
December
of
1944,
the
first
group
of
Telegraphist
Air
Gunners
of
the
Fleet
Air
Arm
of
the
Royal
Navy
arrived
in
Yarmouth,
Nova
Scotia
from
England, to begin their training during the Second World War.
From
shortly
before
Christmas
of
1942
until
the
spring
of
1945,
No.
2
TAGS
(Telegraphist
Air
Gunners
School)
of
the
Royal
Navy
trained
Telegraphist
Air
Gunners
at
East
Camp.
The
school
could
accommodate
approximately
480
TAGs
at
a
time.
Most
of
the
TAGs
were
from
England,
with
a
few
from
Canada
and
elsewhere.
The
first
Course
to
arrive
was
Course
#
45A.
The
“A”
denotes
courses
trained
at
in
Yarmouth,
NS,
versus
course
numbers
without
the
“A”
that
represent
courses trained at Lee-On-Solent near Portsmouth, Hampshire in England.
This
65th
Anniversary
reminds
us
of
the
importance
of
remembering
and
the
Wartime
Heritage
Association
will
be
restoring
the
Memorial
bench
on
the
former site of East Camp later in 2008-2009.
The
bench
was
placed
near
the
monument
in
1989
by
the
East
and
West
Camp
Association
with
an
inscription
that
reads,
"East
Campers
Say
Relax
and
Enjoy".
Over the years, the condition of the wooden bench has deteriorated.
The
monument
itself
was
placed
on
the
site
of
East
Camp
in
September
of
1988.
Wartime
Heritage
has
concluded
consultations
with
Veterans
who
were
members
of
the
East
and
West
Camp
Association
and
the
Telegraphist
Air
Gunners
Association
to
ask
for
their
input
on
the
restoration and they agreed. These Veterans served at either East or West Camp during WWII.
East Camp WWII Monument and Bench
East Camp WWII Monument
Telegraphist Air Gunners, Course 45A at East Camp