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80 year old Bass Drum.
1924
Bethany United Church, Carbonear, NL

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This was the original base drum of the 589 Carbonear Air Cadet Squadron. It was originally a Boy Scout drum that was discovered in a closet in the United Church College school. On the inside rim was the date 1924. It was played at the first Annual Inspection in 1955. The drum was 30 years old before the cadets acquired it. This particular drum still exists today and is the property of the 589 Squadron.

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Annual Inspection, 1955.
20 May 1955
U.C. playground, Carbonear, NL

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Mr. Darrock MacGillivary, past President of the Air Cadet League of Canada and part of the inspecting party, told the cadets this flag was presented by the Air Cadet League of Canada in recognition of their maturity as a squadron. Training Officer Roy Noel accepted it on behalf of the squadron. The Wing Commander described the flag which has a blue background with the Ensign at the top left and the Air Cadet Emblem in the other corner. He reminded the cadets to always live up to the noble traditions of the flag.
The MacGillivary Shield, awarded each year to the best Newfoundland Squadron, was named after Mr. Darrock MacGillivary.

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Original flag.
28 May 1955
Carbonear, NL

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The original flag, presented by Darrock Macgillivary in 1955, still exists today and is 50 years old. On it are the Royal Canadian Air Cadet emblem and, in the top left corner, the Red Ensign. It is presently the property of the 589 Air Cadet Squadron.

Audio Transcript:
My name is Fred Saunders, and I was one of the first 40 cadets to enroll in 589 Carbonear Squadron. Friday night was parade night. We would assemble in the gym, in the basement of the old Alfred Penny Memorial Hall, and fall in at 7 pm. The officers, accompanied by any visiting dignitaries and Sponsoring Committee members, would carry out an inspection; and you made sure before you left home that you were in spit-and-polish shape -- uniform neatly pressed, shoes glistening, brass buttons shined, and looking generally presentable including a haircut with no long hair showing beneath the cap. It was at the time when the Elvis Presley ducktail haircut was popular among boys who had the hair for it, but not many got away with it until the summer holidays, and then, only if you were unfortunate enough not to be picked to attend summer camp. Following inspection, the Commanding Officer or his designate would announce the activities for the night. There was usually two training sessions that each cadet was assigned to attend. High on the agenda was drill, which was a necessary part of discipline training and required to get us in shape for street parades. There were other activities such as first aid, rifle shooting, sports in the gym, films on Air Cadet and Air Force activities, and band practice. If you had a uniform problem, you went to see Johnny Clarke in the supply room during the break or after the parade was over. All the facilities in the school had to be returned to the state in which they were found, before we went home, and some of the cadets were assigned that task after the parade was over at 9:30.

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Before Annual Inspection, 1955.
20 May 1955
U.C. playground, Carbonear, NL

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The Annual Inspection of May 20, 1955 was not a warm affair as indicated by the ice in Carbonear Harbour.

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Before Annual Inspection, 1955.
20 May 1955
Carbonear, NL

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Not only was there ice in Carbonear Harbour but there was also snow left on the ground from the previous winter, as can be seen to the left of this group of cadets.

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Summer Camp, 1955.
2 August 1955
C.F.B. Greenwood, NS

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Fourteen cadets were picked to attend Greenwood summer camp in August, 1955. This would be the first summer camp where 589 Carbonear Squadron would represent itself. The cadets were Dave Thomas, Carl Penney, Dunc Jerrett, Reg Parsons, Ray Penney, Edgar Clarke, Gerald Homer, Ern Cole, Jim Penney, Anthony Moores, Ralph Moore, John Janes, Fred Saunders, and Al Butt. They were accompanied by Lloyd Powell, Roy Noel, and Hudson Davis. The cadets thoroughly enjoyed the parades, nightly movies, swimming, visiting the communities in the Annapolis Valley , and making new friends.

Audio Transcript:
My name is Fred Saunders. In our first summer camp as a squadron, we excelled in just about every organized activity we participated in -- including softball, volleyball, and track and field events. We had a top-notch group of cadets, and we believed in ourselves. There was no holding us back, and we were named the best squadron in summer camp, having won the softball and volleyball championships and tying for first place in track and field. In addition to our winnings, we had a great time and lots of fun. Summer camp was something you looked forward to all year. If you were fortunate enough to be selected to attend, you were advised in the late spring by the Commanding Officer and given a list of clothes and necessities to bring with you. You stuffed it all in a duffel bag; and usually in the first part of August, along with the other selected cadets, you were bussed to Torbay where you spent the night in one of the barracks and flew out the next day to Greenwood, Nova Scotia. On arrival in Greenwood, you were assigned to your barracks and told to report for parade the next morning in the Parade Square. On the first or second day in camp, you were given a physical examination by the Medical Officer and allowed time to settle in and get familiar with your surroundings. Camp was very competitive. There were usually several other squadrons in attendance from Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. You were assessed daily on your performance as an individual and as a squadron. The competition was very keen, as each squadron wanted to be the best in camp; and that meant you had to have clean barracks, clean orderly kit and bunk area, and good behaviour. The camp ended with a sports day which featured softball, volleyball, and track and field. Carbonear was the top squadron in camp on several occasions over the years, mainly because the cadets and the officers always aimed high to be successful with lots of good times and good clean fun, along with the pranks and the carrying on. The whole experience was most enjoyable and the memories stay with you for the rest of your life. It was while traveling by an old RCAF flying boxcar, from Torbay to Greenwood, that we had our first experience with the dangers of flying. Somewhere over the ocean, between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, we heard a loud bang. The RCAF crew on the plane rushed to the windows to look out to see what had happened. We were all advised to remain in our seats with our seatbelts buckled. Everyone was assured that there was no serious problem. When we arrived in Greenwood, it was announced that a propeller had cracked and that the affected engine had to be shut down. That, we realized, had accounted for the fire trucks and the ambulances in attendance on the airfield when we landed.

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Shooting Instruction.
8 August 1955
C.F.B. Greenwood, NS

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The boys of 589 did not have a firing range in the first year of operation. However, one was accomodated in the basement of the College at the begining of the new cadet year in the fall of 1955. The cadets took instruction in rifle shooting at summer camp and soon became some of the best shooters in Newfoundland and Canada.