Beavers -
Facts and Trivia
For those who may
not know or may have left Wagga/the RAAF early in the
piece, below are some facts about our course that helps to make the Beavers a
bit different in a special way.
·
At the start of our time at Wagga
Wagga in January 1961, we had a course complement of
137, of course that was after Frank Grimshaw had
finally arrived after the rest of us had already been there for some time!
·
A total of 138 people could call themselves Beavers
though. Les Hanigan from the Tulips was back-coursed
to the Beavers during our second year but was subsequently discharged.
·
Beavers graduated with 99 of us happily leaving Wagga Wagga at the end of 1963.
Nevertheless, six of those who didn’t make it through appies,
still stayed in or rejoined and ended up having a career in the RAAF.
·
Beavers were the last course to complete a three
years training course at Wagga Wagga.
·
Beavers were the last course to live in wooden
wartime huts and have a cold dash through the Wagga
frosts to the showers and loos in winter.
·
Beavers were the last course to wear the blue
apprentice triangle and the first to wear the new shoulder flash. (By the way,
the blue triangle dates from World War I when it was worn by the
Australian Flying Corps to distinguish them from the rest of the ‘ground’ Army)
·
Beavers were active participants on the last
apprentice graduation parade where the 303 rifle was carried when we were the
support squadron on the Tulip’s (14 course) graduation parade.
·
Beavers were the first apprentice course to carry
the then new
·
Beavers were probably the only course to have two
Warrant Officer Apprentice for the graduation when Frank Argaet
had a dizzy turn as a result of an old hockey injury right at graduation time
and Russ Cross was promoted and given the job of leading the parade.
·
Beavers were the first apprentice course to mount a
guard-of-honour for the Monarch when we formed the
guard at Fairbairn in February 1963 both when the
Queen arrived in Australia and again on her departure a couple of weeks later.
·
Terry Gould was the last continuously serving Beaver
to get out when he was discharged in 1992
·
Bob Greenacre was the last
full time serving Beaver when he got out in mid 1999. He had spent some time
out as a civvie and had rejoined.
·
17 Beavers made it to Warrant Officer before leaving
the service
·
20 Beavers were commissioned with two reaching Wing
Commander, 12 Squadron Leader and 6 making Flight Lieutenant before resigning.
3 of those commissioned were Kiwis
·
Only 3 of the Australians commissioned were pilots
so most of us stayed firmly on the ground.
·
Beavers became a group of long servers with some 78
of us serving for 20 years or more.
·
Latest advice in 2000 is that Brian Camp and Gavan
Greaves, although they have both been out for some years, are still members of
the active reserve and are hoping to sneak through to 40 years service.
·
Rob Wilson has also been active in the Reserve with
the Air Training Corps and after getting out as a Warrant Officer has now risen
to the rank of Wing Commander.
·
Beavers were the first course that did not have to
be posted to an Aircraft depot after finishing apprentices though most of us
still scored a Depot as our first posting.
·
Beavers were the first course to have a course
mascot to hand over to the succeeding course when we handed over
·
On graduation, the Beavers had 21 apprentices who
held apprentice rank. We had two WOFFs, three FSGTs, nine SGTs and seven CPLs.
·
After first year and the move over to the brick
blocks, what ever happened to the apprentice canteen though we did benefit by
having some of its profits from our first year channeled towards the cost of
our Graduation Ball