Squadron History

Recent History

The resurrection of 59 Squadron number was through the efforts of the 759 Squadron Sponsoring Committee and came about due the increasing numbers at 759 made it very difficult to parade out of their Local Headquarters. The wish to use the old “59” number was in reverence to the original Squadron established in December of 1941 and also the “59” has a tie to the new parent Squadron 759. After receiving the Squadron Charter in October 2014, 59 Vancouver Royal Canadian Air Cadets now identifies itself as the newest Air Cadet Squadron in the Lower Mainland.

59 Vancouver Rotary Squadron being inspected by Chinese Counsel Chao Li at Cambie Street Grounds (currently a EasyPark Parking lot in front of Beatty Street Armoury) in April 1944.

 Approval to form 59 Squadron was given by the RCAF on November 21st, 1941 and 59 Squadron (sponsored by the Vancouver Rotary Club) was known as Vancouver Rotary Squadron and it received its Charter on December 29th, 1941.The application to form the squadron stated that the first Commanding Officer was to be Mr. S.B. Plummer and the first Chair of the Sponsoring Committee was to be Mr. A.P. Allison. In its early years the Squadron paraded out of King George High School and on December 29th, 1941 the Squadron strength was 80 Cadets. Sponsorship of the Squadron remained with the Rotary Club until October 1946 when it was taken over by Branch 176 of the Royal Canadian Legion and the Air Force Association. It should be noted that in October of 1942 the Squadron formed a drum and trumpet band with 15 trumpets.

It should be noted that both 57 and 59 Squadrons were part of the Vancouver High School Air Cadet Wing even though they were both formed before the Wing was approved. (Application to for this Wing was made on September 15th, 1941). The Wing was to be made up of the Vancouver High School Air Cadet Squadrons and to be known as The Vancouver High Schools Air Cadet Wing. The original Squadrons that were to be part of the Wing were: 57 (Jaeger) Squadron from Vancouver Technical School; 59 Squadron; 364 Squadron from McGee High School; 365 Squadron from Kitsilano High School; 366 Squadron from John Oliver High School; 367 Squadron from King George High School; 368 Squadron from Britannia High School; 369 Squadron from Lord Byng High School and 370 Squadron from Prince of Wales High School, the final school listed on the application is King Edward High School but no record of a Squadron has been found to date. Each Squadron was to continue parading at its own school but would gather for Wing Parades and activities as deemed necessary.

Records indicate that the number of cadets on strength ranged from 80 in December of 1941 to 65 in December of 1943 and then to a high of 94 in October of 1944.

With the cessation of hostilities at the end of the Second World War many of the High School Squadrons shut down and the remaining Squadrons 57, 59, 111 and 135 Squadrons banded together and formed what was to become 1 Wing on December 16th, 1946. At this time 59 Squadron paraded at Jericho Beach. At some point between 1946 and 1964 No 1 Wing was disbanded and the Squadrons became their own entities once again.

With the impending closure of Jericho Beach Air Station the Squadron was forced to move once again. At the same time 57 Squadron had to relocate and application was received, at the Air Cadet League of Canada office to amalgamate the two Squadrons.

On October 15th, 1964 an application was received by the Air Cadet League of Canada to merge 57 and 59 Squadrons under the new number 753 Squadron. Approval for this merger was granted on December 7th 1964. The new Squadron paraded out of the Beatty Street Armoury until the Squadron was disbanded on October 3rd, 1972.