Garvon Kable has died aged 93. He was born in Chatswood Sydney in 1923 and educated at Parramatta Intermediate then Fort Street Boys’ High. He joined the Australian Army at age 18 in October 1941 but after three months training transferred to the RAAF early 1942 as an Aircraftman and commenced flying training at Narrandera NSW.
In March 1943 he commenced training under the Empire Flying Training Scheme in Ontario Canada, in Harvard then Anson aircraft, and finished his training as a Sergeant Navigator.
After further training in Wales and England he joined 49 Squadron flying operational missions over Germany in Lancasters based at Syerston in Nottinghamshire and Fulbeck in Lincolnshire. By this time he was a Flight Sergeant Navigator; missions included Wurzberg, Hamburg, Wesel, Nordhausen and Berchtesgaden. In 1945 he flew POW repatriation flights to England. He was promoted Warrant Officer in June 1945.
He had married an English girl Brenda from nearby town Newark in June 1945 she followed him to Australia with their baby in the war bride ship Atlantis. Garvon left the RAAF in April 1946 to commence teacher training at University of Sydney. After some teaching he joined the RAN as a Lieutenant (Observer) in August 1949.
After initial courses at HMAS Cerberus Garvon was back in England to commence training in preparation for the commissioning of HMAS Sydney in 1951 as part of 817 Squadron flying Fairey Firefly aircraft. He was embarked in SYDNEY during her deployment to the Korean War flying 134 hours of bombing, strafing and patrol missions.
After general seaman training ashore and at sea he was back in England in 1954 training in Sea Venoms for the Commissioning of HMAS Melbourne as Senior Observer 808 Squadron which he later commanded.
After his flying career he held a variety of positions; Ops Officer Melbourne and Albatross, staff courses in USA and UK, Assistant Director of Plans, Directing Staff School of Land/Air Warfare, Naval Member of Joint Planning Staff, Commissioning Executive Officer HMAS Stalwart and Director of Naval Recruiting. He was the Naval Attaché in Djakarta for two years 1970-72.
Garvon was promoted Commander in 1959 and Acting Captain in 1970 and made Honorary Captain on retirement in 1973.
Garvon and Brenda retired to their home in Avalon Beach in 1973 and he spent the next 37 years leading environmental protection action around Pittwater and his beloved Northern Beaches with amazing success. His list of environmental wins is still talked about and appreciated today and form a lasting legacy. Brenda’s community work was recognised with the award of an OAM and she was the Guest of Honour at the new 808 Squadron Commissioning in 2013; the squadron conducted a flypast at her funeral in 2015.
