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.