TAG Course 59A - February 1944 Yarmouth, Nova Scotia played an important role of being the only place other than England that trained Telegraphists Air Gunners during World War II. February 1944 Course 59A had 38 young men from the United Kingdom of the Fleet Air Arm Royal Navy at East Camp, RCAF Station Yarmouth. The course actually had 39 young men. One UK exception was a Canadian, born in Ontario, Canada, Robert Norman Edward "Windy” Geale. Some TAGS in the UK called him “Canada” ands he was also fondly referred to as “Windy” since his last name is Geale (pronounced ‘gale’). He decided to join the Fleet Air Arm Royal Navy and he was shipped to England. He opted to become a Telegraphist Air Gunner and was soon off to HMS ST. VINCENT to start his TAG training. At the end of three months he found out that he was in the top half of the course and drafted to Canada. “Frankly”, says Windy, “at the time I was not impressed”. His first impression of East Camp, was “this isn’t a naval base it’s an air force base”. The Fleet Air Arm was essentially the “Air force of the Navy” so this impression is understandable. He moved into the bottom floor of a block, which fronted onto the raised parade ground with a road running alongside. Situated on one side of the parade ground was a large Hangar used for PT and basketball. The TAG School was across from his hut where he soon ‘’got back into the Navy”. Asked about memories of East Camp, Windy remembers one day looking out as a blimp came in for a landing and suddenly but slowly it folded up in a lump on the Tarmac (This incident was the crash of a US Naval Blimp). He remembers that the Swordfish were great aircraft and you could always tell the amount of experience your pilot had. Junior pilots wound up the wheels, all 167 turns themselves while more experienced called for the student TAG do this for them. After gaining his ‘wings’ in Yarmouth, training at East Camp, he went back to the UK via New York and Le Havre, France. He remembers seeing a bit of the residue of the battered ports of France and German POWs unloading allied ships. “Then it was off to the Operational Training Unit to work up in a FAIREY Barracudas, a great dive Bomber with horrible PR, for the Pacific”, says Windy. “My pilot was a Chief Petty Officer Pilot, one of the very best I have ever flown with”. “When the war came to a sudden end the Observer disappeared back to Canada and my pilot, Ray Carter and I finished to OFT with another Observer. At the beginning of 1946 I joined the Fleet Carrier HMS Formidable, in Portsmouth and left it in Colombo, Ceylon to wait for my Squadron, 827, a Barracuda squadron to return from South Africa in HMS COLOSSUS a Light Fleet Carrier. In my career I was to fly from 5 Light Fleet Carriers, the last being HMAS Melbourne. Joined the squadron up country in Ceylon at RNAS Katakarunda and it was back to flying in Barracudas.” After a long and fascinating Naval carrier of forty-three years, Bob “Windy” Geale went on to become Honorary Curator of the Australian Museum of Flight in Nowra, New South Wales, Australia where he also resided.

Course Photo - 59A February 1944 Geale (2nd row, 2nd from left)

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