Miscellaneous

Basic Electronics Mechanic (BEM)
Basic Electronics Course (BEC)
Photos – 1950-1962


We understand that these photos were taken on the first day of the course, which for the most part, was a Monday. We have also been advised that these photos were not "graduation photos" since they were taken at the beginning of the course and there were some trainees that did not graduate.


The route to graduation that was in effect in Clinton in 1953 involved a two week introductory course called "Basic Electronics" "BE". If your written exam results were above a certain threshold (75% or 80%) - you continued training as a "Basic Electronics Mechanic" "BEM". If you were grades were below the threshold, you continued training as a "Performance Checker".

Training as a "BEM" covered basic radio and radar theory. Building projects such as a six tube radio was a futile attempt to learn how to solder without destroying everything in reach of the 100 watt soldering iron tip.

When you completed the "BEM" training, your entire "BEM" course would be selected for equipment training in one of "Comm Ground", "Comm Air", "Radar Ground", "Radar Air", or "Armament Systems".

Those that went the "Performance Checker" route from "BE" went directly to "Communications Performance Checker Ground" "CPCG" or the "Radar Performance Checker Ground" "RPCG". Training for "Performance Checkers" was devoted to equipment operation and maintenance. After a year or so in the field, the "PC" returned to Clinton or some other facility such as Ryerson in Toronto for training to the technician level. They ultimately graduated as "Communications Tech Ground".

There has been some indication of a "Primary Science Course" "PSC" in the mid to late 1950s. When candidates for BEM arrived at Clinton, they were tested for their knowledge of mathematics and science. If it was adequate they were loaded onto the BEM course right away. If it was inadequate, however, they were loaded onto the "PSC" course, which was designed to bring them up to a level at which they would stand a reasonable chance of getting through the 26-week BEM course. It appears that the "PSC" course was of one or two weeks duration.


Basic Electronics Mechanic (BEM)
Basic Electronics Course (BEC)
Photos - 1950-1962

Course # Date Courtesy Of

BEC 290

19 Mar 1962 Bill Cairns

BEC 285

5 Mar 1962 Phillip G Frankland

BEC 271

15 Jan 1962 Larry Wilson

BEC 266R

8 Dec 1961 Art Venables

BEC 265

8 Dec 1961 Benoit Gallant

BEC 255

4 Nov 1961 Richard Malin

BEC 250R

23 Oct 1961 Stan Managh

BEC 240R

28 Aug 1961 Joseph Girard

BEC 239

21 Aug 1961 Harry Smith

BEC 231

26 Jun 1961 Wilf Holywell

BEC 212

6 Feb 1961 Don Souter

BEC 210

16 Jan 1961 Garry Bennett

BEC 209

9 Jan 1961 Peter Hiebert

BEC 207

12 Dec 1960 Andre Cantin

BEC 200

30 Oct 1960 Yvon Aspireault

BEC 197

3 Oct 1960 Bob Kane

BEC 193

18 Jul 1960 Gary Schlesinger

BEC 190

20 Jun 1960 Bill Powley

BEC-X

18 Jan 1960 George Foster

BEC 174

7 Dec 1959 Bob Gohier

BEC 172

5 Oct 1959 Dick Drew

BEC 170

28 Sep 1959 Jim Frey

BEC 169

21 Sep 1959 Ernie Ackroyd

BEC 140

4 May 1959 Mitch Mountain

BEC 136

13 Apr 1959 Robert Kennedy

BEC 127

23 Mar 1959 Jack Stuart

BEC 35

12 May 1958 Raymond Parker

BEC 14

17 Feb 1958 Garry Miner

BEM 184

26 Nov 1956 Harold Stacey

BEM 148

1956 Larry Wilson

BEM 96

Apr 1955 Harrison Agnew

BEM 83

1955 Ron McShane

BEM 76

1954 Tom Cheeseman

BEM 74

1954 Ted Flood

BEM 50

4 Jan 1954 Ron McShane

BEM 48

21 Dec 1953 Ron McShane

BEM 47

14 Dec 1953 Ron McShane

BEM 46

7 Dec 1953 Ron McShane

BEM 45

23 Nov 1953 Ron McShane

BEM 44

17 Nov 1953 Ron McShane

BEM 41

31 Aug 1953 Ron McShane

BEM 37a

6 Jul 1953 Ron McShane

BEM 34

Jun 1953 Rene Pfaiffer & Ron McShane

BEM 33

1953 Ron McShane

BEM 32

1953 Ron McShane

BEM 31

1953 Ron McShane

BEM 30

1953 Ron McShane

BEM 24

1953 Ron McShane

BEM 21

1953 Ron McShane

BEM 20

1953 Ron McShane

BEM 19

1952 Ron McShane

BEM 16

1952 Ron McShane

BEM 5

1952 Ron McShane

BEM 1

1952 Ron McShane
PSC-38 27 May 1957 Chuck Tanner
PSC-27 18 Mar 1957 Mike Bitten
PSC-14 31 Dec 1956 Ernie Killen

 


Return to Top of Page

Updated: February 3, 2005