raf halton apprentice records

The AET scheme ended in June 48 1993 with the graduation of the 155th Entry, which also marked the end of apprentice training in the RAF. Having passed this course I was sent to 90 squadron of 3 Group, Bomber Command, then stationed at Tuddenham, Nr Mildenhall in Suffolk. Neville Lee. This was a new air-crew category specifically for the four-engined bombers then coming into service. On 25 July 1952, No 1 School of Technical Training, RAF Halton received the highest accolade that any unit in the RAF can receive the award of a Queens Colour. These certificates were awarded for achievement in all aspects of trade and academic training. Journey through our timeline to discover more. These rules are necessary for your own benefit, apprentices were often told by their superiors. It was, I believe, the largest of its kind in the world. We are interested in the apprentice scheme run at RAF Halton No1 Technical Training School from 1922 until closure in 1993. This payment, An Apprentice on a familiarisation flight in a Hawker Hart 1936, seems to the Committee to be unnecessary. AETs were trained as dual-trade airframe and propulsion technicians and initially followed the National Certificate curriculum in their academic training as their predecessors had done. To my mind, the future of this great Service depends largely upon Halton; the boy of today is the fellow who will man the RAF tomorrow. Established in 2008. He would get me to take endless star-shots and he continuously consulted his GEE box - a very useful early electronic navigation aid. Want to know what life was like during the War? A group of dedicated retired service personnel and proud ex-Brats came together to ensure that the story was told of how thousands of boys were trained to levels of excellence which led to them to make huge contributions to the Royal Air Force, to science, and to Great Britain. Super Moderator. His role was to assist the pilot to manage the complicated systems in these more advanced aircraft. Thousands of former apprentices made senior officer rank and many more Flight Lieutenant. Considering they were the two professions most apprentices had spent three years avoiding at Halton and Cranwell, a surprising number became vicars and policemen. The Halton Apprentices Contribution to WW II. Dear Royal Air Force, When will the RAF conduct a full investigation into the sexual abuse and cover up of such by staff at RAF Halton during the years of it's existence. Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. The original Aircraft Apprentice (AA) training started in 1920 and continued until December 1966, with the graduation of the 106th Entry. You can help us achieve lasting recognition for ex-Halton brats by making a gift to RAFHAA in your will. Given that, at the end of the war, only some 20,000 apprentices had graduated from Halton, it is clear that their contribution to WW II had been impressive and this was acknowledged by many senior commanders. The first entry under the scheme will take place early in 1920 at Cranwell and move 10 to Halton as soon as permanent accommodation is ready.. The most famous of the aircraft apprentice alumni is Air Cdre Sir Frank Whittle who gave the world the jet engine. We provide commercial Boys from the age of 15 took a series of highly competitive exams and tests, and the select few were invited to join the most exclusive boarding school of its time. Thank you. Watermead He died in 1950, polio, having left the RAF in approx.1949. He was rescued only to be shot down again a few weeks later and killed. However, because of its heavier build, the Sterling did not have the performance of the Lancaster and were eventually replaced by them on Main Force targets. By the end of 1919, 26,000 of the 27,000 serving RAF officers had been discharged, and it is largely their service details which are held in this series. This one marked the graduation of the 20th Entry in July 1932. more so than on Mondays when they were usually faced with a crop of charges resulting from apprentices enjoying themselves beyond lights out on Saturday nights. Oct 2004. Flight Engineers accounted for more than 400 of these names. In his memorandum, Permanent Organization of the Royal Air Force, which was presented to the House of Commons as a White Paper by Secretary of State Winston Churchill in December 1919, Trenchard placed great emphasis on the importance of training, particularly of skilled ground crew. In 2007 he created the Station Archives. The oldest living member of the Association is awarded the honorary title "King Brat" as a mark of respect. Two entries a year were planned. The arranging of individual and entry visits to Halton House, The Trenchard Museum and the Apprentice Archives are other services provided to members of the Association. The population expanded and by the end of 1917 some 14,000 air mechanics were trained. Once you have catered for your loved ones, a generous bequest would help us achieve our Heritage plans. The museum was named in honour of the man who is regarded as the Founding Father of the Royal Air Force, and also who founded the Aircraft Apprentice scheme with which the good name of Halton has often been synonymous. In 1917 there was an expansion of technical training in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), and Halton became the main training unit for aircraft mechanics. One of these, MRAF Sir Keith Williamson, a Cranwell 67 apprentice, became CAS, and several others served on the Air Force Board, including Air Chf Mshl Sir Michael Armitage who was AMSO in the early 1980s and has been the Patron of the RAF Halton Apprentices Association since its foundation in 1980. One, Sir John McGregor, left the RAF as a sergeant after WW II, emigrated to Hong Kong where he joined the colonys Civil Service in a lowly position and made his way up the promotion ladder to become head of the Hong Kong Executive Council and adviser to the last Governor, Mr Chris Patten, during the negotiations leading to the transfer of the colony to China in 1997. The reduction of training time reached its nadir with the early graduation of the 39th entry in April 1940 after only 21 months. They were the true heroes of the piece, becoming SNCOs and warrant officers whose training taught them never to accept second best in keeping our aircraft serviceable and safe. Once you have catered for your loved ones, a generous bequest would help us achieve our Heritage plans. For the first 50 years of the scheme apprentices were classified as minors and their officers and SNCOs acted in loco parentis. Details of HLF award to RAF Museum Hendon. 6d. When the expansion of the RAF began in the mid-1930s, ex-apprentices, as Trenchard had planned, formed about 50% of the trained strength of the Service. A pass mark in all aspects of his trade training was an absolute for an apprentice to graduate. Recipients should note that e-mail traffic on MOD systems is subject to My thoughts on the Stirling - being a very robust aircraft and fitted with Hercules air-cooled engines, it was much the safer aircraft in which to fly. Here she met my Grandfather, Squadron Leader William Henry Edwards DFC. We are now on Facebook. Patron - Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Armitage - ObituaryClick here. In an article he wrote for the Halton Magazine while in Halton Hospital for a short period in early 1944, Whittle explains the advice he was given by a flight sergeant physical training instructor which enabled him to add three inches to his height, enough to be accepted for the 8th Entry in September 1923. These targets were small and did not reveal themselves by searchlight / flak etc, hence accurate navigation was needed. Gp Capt Min Larkin CBE MRAeS Min joined the RAF as an aircraft apprentice in 1949. Our Heritage plans are extensive and likely costly. These are a daily record of events in each Command or Force entered on form 540, often with appendices which contain documents illustrating and expanding the record. Its trainees graduated as LAC with many of them still less than 17 years of age. HRH The Duke of Gloucester reviewing the nal graduation parade, that of the 155th Entry in June 1993. 1 The curriculum was a mix of traditional schooling and technical apprenticeship in the various air force trades such as engine maintenance and repair, and airframe rigging. Aylesbury Reunion and other photographs. About Us. In order to find the thousands of skilled men demanded by the rapidly growing Service, the RFC expanded its training programmes, basing these new units wherever suitable sites could be found, an unavoidable but random process that scattered the schools across the country. These publications are free to members and assist in keeping us all in touch. it gained a reprieve with the introduction of the Apprentice Engineering Technician (AET) scheme. Public opinion over the recent scandals of child sexual abuse in institutions is now demanding that full Inquiries be carried out. My first flight was in an Avro Tutor 2 seat biplane at Halton airfield. Well known to all those who follow air shows around the country is one of the nations most skilled display pilots, Air Mshl Cliff Spink, who was a Halton aircraft apprentice in the 104th Entry. Sqn Ldr Donald Finlay, of the 12th Entry, a triple Olympian well known to the public as one of the countrys top athletes, commanded Nos 41 and 54 Sqns in the Battle of Britain shooting down four enemy aircraft and winning a DFC. Are you the owner of any commercial copyright on this page? Passing out parades were always impressive. If we wish to publish summaries on-line or in print, what are the restrictions? We did not charge him with being improperly dressed, recalled Air Cdre M J Evans, one of five former Halton apprentices who returned to command the station. However, the latter improved with the opening of large training workshops in 6 early 1918 which had been rapidly constructed with the help of thousands of German POWs. A National Certificate, or at least a B Grade pass in the final school examinations, was sufficient to qualify an apprentice academically for commissioning: a C Grade was the minimum requirement for graduation. Why Forces War Records? One or two of the photos, have all the names on the back, a group, with names, is dated 28th Aug. Cosford. In 1930 he won the first of his 8 Amateur Athletic Association titles and represented his country at the Empire Games. Several hundred ex-apprentices serving on these engagements at the start of hostilities were, however, retained in flying posts. Leadership and management experience were Time-expired airframes were used to provide hands-on experience. Finlay arrived at RAF Halton as an Apprentice in 1925. Notable among them was Sgt Gray of the 20th Entry, an observer, who was, along with his pilot Fg Off Garland, awarded one of the first two air VCs of WW II. The first four intakes trained at Cranwell, and it was not until January 1922 15 that the first cohort arrived at Halton to become the 5th Entry. . We are the largest and fastest growing community of UK forces veterans on the web with over 500,000 members! The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources. Add a Name to this List. He has also told us in Family . Join Date. When control of the Fleet Air Arm passed to the Royal Navy in January 1937 it lacked the facilities for training its own aircraft engineering apprentices. . During our time HRH Duke of Kent (Prince George) came round workshops to inspect our work. A.C.I/LAC Donald George Porritt MU/MEF 107 B Squadron. With the rapidly growing numbers now joining the Service, thousands of ex-apprentices ,who had been corporals for years, suddenly found themselves racing through the ranks to SNCO and warrant officer, providing a vital source of experienced technical supervisors on front line squadrons, maintenance units and as instructors for the increasing number of technical training schools. Age 15- 17 for a a three year course. Your donations keep this site and others like it running. Uniquely, at the moment (2016) two former Halton Craft Apprentices hold high executive 69 positions in the two principal RAF Charities: Air Mshl Sir Dusty Miller 210th, is President of the Royal Air Forces Association, and Mr Lawrie Haynes 216th, CEO of Rolls Royce Nuclear and Marine, is Chairman of the Trustees of the RAF Benevolent Fund. Interestingly, at the critical stage of the development of the engine which was to power the first flight of a British jet aircraft, Whittle requested and received the support of four ex-Halton apprentice engine fitters to help out in his workshop at Power Jets. While many of their colleagues were fighting in the air, thousands of former apprentices were working tirelessly on the ground to ensure their aircraft were in fighting condition. He was in Egypt by June 1941. Because of lack of accommodation at Halton, the school was originally located at RAF Cranwell in 1920. 29th June 1941 she joined HQ 14 Group. From 3rd November 1943 to 14th November 1943 she was detached on course to W.O.S Windemere in the Lake District. Just before reaching her destination, which had been given to our navigator verbally just before take off, he alerted me to go aft, open the rear bottom escape hatch, attach her package to the static line, get her in position to jump (after also attaching her parachute to the static line). The museum also records the background to Apprentice training at the Halton camp through examples of the tools, work and test pieces completed by Apprentices. In 1969 a one-year Mechanic Apprentice course was introduced starting with the 401st Entry. His name is Ian Henderson cairms and joined the 81st RAF Halton apprentice. Sadly, he would also become one the RAFs youngest casualties when he was killed in an accident while a member of a team salvaging a Dornier shot down at Eaton Socon in the closing days of the Battle of Britain, a month short of his 17th birthday. Some of the rules were reasonable for boys below the age of 18, such as Apprentices are to take a bath twice a week and Apprentices are prohibited from visiting public houses and consuming alcohol. One of the oddest rules was, Females are not to attend the monthly Apprentice dances. This reflects contemporary societys deeply conservative approach to sex before marriage. CORPORAL Served from 1959 - 1973 Served in RAF Apprentices. RAF Malton. In 1919 Lord Trenchard established the No. One of the main difficulties facing the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) from its foundation in 1912 was a shortage of air mechanics. This kind of improvisation could not provide all of the men the RFC needed and rationalisation of the training machine became an urgent requirement. From 1919 to 1993, the No 1 SoTT was based at RAF Halton and from 1920 until 1993 the School was the home of the Aircraft Apprentice Scheme. If you are not the intended recipient or there are problems Our . Although offered a five year engagement in the RAF, most opted to leave the Service. The Halton Apprentice label soon became synonymous with aeronautical engineering excellence, a reputation that rapidly gained international recognition particularly in the aircraft Industries. Halton made us the people we are today. He trained at RAF Halton as an aircraft apprentice, known as Trenchards Brats. A world-class RAF hospital on the doorstep ensured their medical 20 and dental care were second to none, and spiritual needs were more than well looked after; but few enjoyed the compulsory church parades every other Sunday! This Colour is unique in being the only one to be awarded to a youth training school in any of the armed forces and, having been received from Her Majesty by a sergeant apprentice, a unique custom was established that it may, on occasions, be carried by an NCO. (05798215). He remustered to aircrew as an Air Signaller/Air Gunner in 1953 and was commissioned as an Air Electronics Ofcer in 1959. What courage! Royal Air Force HAA Whittle initially applied to join the 7th Entry at Halton in January 1923 but failed the medical owing to his lack of height. The 40th Entry, which enlisted in August 1939, was the largest ever with 1,285 boys taking the Kings shilling. In 1919 Lord Trenchard established the No. On school days we had various subjects including aerodynamics and technical drawing. The types of missions which my squadron undertook while I was with them are described below: To meet the immediate need for these 61 skills, volunteers were invited from the 35th, 36th and 37th Entries to transfer to the Royal Navy, and 160 of Haltons apprentices answered the call. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than 261373 your information is still in the queue, please do not resubmit, we are working through them as quickly as possible. On-going research indicates that 1,000 have been awarded State Honours. please Printed from https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/records_of_raf_halton_apprentice on May 01, 2023 15:11. AETs enjoyed the highest level of aircraft engineering training during the life of the various 49 apprentice schemes. Below are just some of our members who have served at RAF Apprentices. We never failed to drop our load. By the early 1970s, RAF apprentice training had reached a crossroads. The Halton trained men have provided the nucleus on which the great expansion of the air force was centred. The introduction of the four-engined bombers in 1941 brought an urgent need for an additional crew member, a flight engineer. Most notable of these was Cliff Michelmore who was an aircraft apprentice in the 32nd Entry which graduated from Halton in 1938. He commanded the whole apprentice population and also enjoyed the privilege of commanding his Entrys graduation parade, and parades for visiting VIPs and Royalty. Bucks HP19 0GF. Technical training at Halton was divided into three distinct, but closely co-ordinated departments: Trade, Academic and General Service Training. Through war-time and peace-time, being honoured by the Queen and honouring a Prime Minister, welcoming trainees from around the world and moving to bases across the UK since 1920, the RAF Apprentices have been part of significant events in history. If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small Scarlett remained in post until 1924 which enabled him to oversee the 8 transformation of a temporary wartime military camp into the beginnings of a permanent RAF station. This tribute is situated in front of the old schools at RAF Halton, near to St. Georges Church (hyperlink) and was unveiled by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 31st October 1997 . Bombing - apart from the first two, our bombing missions were confined mainly to the near coast of France. You have only to look at the promotions and honours gained. Subsequently the RN sent 400 directly recruited Fleet Air Arm apprentices to train with the 38th to 41st Entries. It is tomorrow we must prepare for and so the success of Halton as the birthplace of the RAF, mind and spirit is of the most vital importance. Early morning a boy went to cookhouse and brought back a bucket of tea and biscuits known as gunfire. Posts. Run by Volunteers and powered by Alaveteli. Apprentices were not allowed time to dwell too much on 19 their personal thoughts, as evenings and most of the weekends were taken up with room cleaning, inspections and parades. Although thousands of former apprentices had very successful careers in the RAF, many did not reach their full potential until life beyond the Service. When RAF Halton closes (circa 2025), the Association wants to create a Heritage centre in St George's Church where the contents of the . A site to help anyone submit a Freedom of Information request. The rear gunner reported seeing both parachutes open but as we were very low and had to fly straight on, that was all we saw. Recent discoveries include six George Cross and thirteen George Medal winners among the former apprentice fraternity. I will happily attempt to copy some of the photos if needed. Above, a Wallace, 605M (previously K3664) and, To keep abreast of technical developments Halton had state-of-the-art Blenheims to work on as early as 1937. is a registered charity in England and Wales (1076346) WhatDoTheyKnow also publishes and archives requests and responses, building a massive archive of information. Despite the harsh standards of discipline, most ex-apprentices are only too willing to tell you about the occasions when they broke bounds, climbed in and out through windows stealthily in the dead of night, to avoid being caught by patrolling RAF Police. He was flying in Catalina VA713.Coded L for Leather. We had 2 year course, not 3 as it was wartime. The move to Halton coincided with the 5th Entry in January 1922 when the rank of Aircraft . I would love to know what happened to this very courageous lady. Initially, aircraft apprentices graduated as an Aircraftman Second Class (AC2), an Aircraftman First Class (AC1), or a Leading Aircraftman, (LAC), depending on their final trade test results. We also have our Entry Window in St. George's Church at RAF Halton. The aircraft industries were naturally the first port of call for many ex-apprentices where they made magnificent contributions on the shop floor, at all levels of management, and in the boardrooms. After the introduction of a new trade structure in 1951, all aircraft apprentices graduated as junior technicians with some gaining accelerated promotion to corporal. Dennis died in 1942, in an aircraft accident. Their adult status was recognised by the discontinuance of the apprentice NCO ranks and the removal of all apprentice insignia from uniforms. There is a label at the Imperial War Museum which reads;- To see photographs of our reunions and of ex 78th entry members . The 103rd Entry has an active Association and has held a number of reunions. The first TA intake (the 107th Entry) started training in October 1964 but, along with many others in the Service, they were dismayed in April 1965 when the Wilson government scrapped the TSR2 programme. On the 17th May 1945 they were married in St Nicholas Church in Witham, Essex. On the few occasions she spoke about her war service she expressed that they were some of the best times of her life. 1, Pipit Gardens The limiting factor to this huge expansion turned out to be not a shortage of aircrew, nor of aircraft manufacturing capacity, but rather a lack of skilled groundcrew of which more than a dozen were needed to maintain each front-line aircraft. Sgt App F M Hines of the 63rd Entry receives the Colour for No 1 School of Technical Training from HM Queen Elizabeth II on 25 July 1952. services through our wholly owned subsidiary Perhaps the most resented rule, especially by older apprentices in their third year of training, was lights out at 21:45hrs, when their former school chums were still out enjoying themselves with their girlfriends. Welcome to the Brit-Gen forums. The MOD has taken steps to keep this e-mail and any attachments free from recording and preserving recollections, documents, photographs and small items. This scheme ended in 1972. Bill Liddle. He went on to say that apprentices would form 40% of all ground crews in the Royal Air Force, and 62% of all the skilled tradesmen. please notify the sender and then delete the e-mail (and file(s) if In 1943 hundreds of boys, many orphans, were driven out of Poland by Hitler and, after a tortuous journey through the Middle East, ended up in the UK. Until 1951, this mark also governed the rank at which an apprentice graduated. However, because the permanent barrack building 72 programme at Halton had fallen behind schedule, this entry was trained at Cranwell. If you can provide any additional information, please add it here. He argued that the best way to ensure that, . The arrival of the first RAF Commandant, Air Cdre F R Scarlett CB DSO, in December 1919 heralded many improvements to all aspects of boy training, in particular the tightening of disciplinary standards which had been allowed to drift downwards after the armistice. Most pre-war apprentices soon attained LAC rank but, following the Great Depression, from the late 1920s to the start of WW II, many did not advance beyond corporal, unless selected for flying training. . Other tours included, Apprentice Flight Commander at Locking, avionics development at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, and Deputy OC Brawdy. Under these circumstances it would appear that, if any payment is to be made, it should be made by the parents of the boys, and not by the State.. All of my Grandmother`s duties from now on were in Code & Cypher work. Block 3. So be careful when telling your RN friends this 62 snippet as they can get very upset to learn that the junior Service, in the form of Halton apprentices, provided an important element of the foundations on which the carrier force developed into a vital arm of the nations capability in WW II and beyond. Schools', as it was known by apprentices, was held in a purpose-built college building which had a well-stocked library and excellent engineering science laboratories. At the end of the war, November 1918 . Like this page to receive our updates. The RAF apprentice and flight cadet training schemes were the backbone of the Royal Air Force in the years leading up to, and during and immediately after, the Second World War, and I'm sure Min Larkin (Halton Apprentices Archivist) will give a good account of the huge contribution Halton's ex- apprentices made to our service, both on the . Former Halton apprentices were ideally suited to this new challenge and volunteered for it in their thousands. On 25th October 1942 she moved to RAF Hurn near Bournemouth, Hants. While ex-Halton apprentices who became high achievers contributed much to its legacy, Trenchards original aim in founding the apprentice scheme was to produce a cadre of wellmotivated, highly trained airmen capable of becoming competent supervisors in the direction of work and control of men. At the end of 2017, only 45 ex-AETs were still serving, of whom some twenty were holding commissions, with several at senior officer level and seven at air rank. The site has been in use since the First World War but is due to close by December 2027. We also have our own garden of remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum. World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII 1939 1945. The aim of the two studies was to match the growing complexity of aircraft and their systems, particularly those associated with the projected TSR2, with ground crew who had the ability to diagnose faults in systems which cut across the traditional trade boundaries. However, they soon proved capable of taking on trade supervisory roles. Indeed some AETs were married during training, had children and lived in MQs. Their success in the air and on the ground pays a finer tribute than any words of mine to the standard of Haltons achievements. Marshal of the Royal Air Force Viscount Portal, Halton throughout the years has made an outstanding contribution not only to the RAF but to the country as a whole., Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Dermot Boyle, One thing is absolutely true, the air battles of Burma were won in the classrooms and workshops at Halton; won not just by knowledge and skill of your maintenance crews, it was won by the spirit that Halton produced. Admiral of the Fleet Earl Mountbatten, Halton has given the Royal Air Force not only its hard core of efficient technical NCOs and airmen but also a magnificent core of officers many of whom are in high rank in all branches of the Service. Air Marshal Sir John Whitworth Jones. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. and a limited company (03277032). provided through resource and initiative training, field exercises at summer camps and the Apprentice NCO scheme. a week. The Origins of Boy Service in the RFC and RAF. This custom continues at RAF Cosford today, 75 the current home of No 1 School of Technical Training, where young men and women are trained as aircraft engineering technicians on a modern apprenticeship course. The RAFs previous reliance on maintenance by repair was being superseded by a new concept of repair by component change. 12-08-2021, 8:00 PM #2. christanel. It is still unclear what my Grandmother's duties were in Code and Cypher. It was clear that Trenchard wanted highly skilled men at a price the Service could afford from its very meagre budget, and men who would foster an Air Force spirit. This website is paid for out of our own pockets, library subscriptions and from donations made by visitors. Menu RAF Halton Apprentice Christmas Dinner 1954. 1 School of Technical Training at RAF Halton (see aircraft apprentice) which remained at the Station until it moved to RAF Cosford in the early 1990s. Cliff Michelmore, ultimately became the anchor man for BBC TV news and current affairs programmes. Nevertheless, I feel justified in saying that the experiment has richly justified itself. We can reunite you with your friends who served at RAF Apprentices and we have a wealth of information on different units, bases and ships in the site. Some apprentices clocked up cricket type scores in days of Jankers, but someone had the good sense to rule that punishments awarded for youthful offences were to be erased from apprentice records on graduation. It withstood crash landings better and, whereas the Rolls-Royce Merlin engines with which the Lancaster were fitted were magnificent engines, they were liquid cooled and just a bullet or two in the cooling system would rapidly put the engine out of action; whereas I have known air-cooled Hercules engines still give out some power even with a cylinder shot away. After leaving the RAF, many ex-apprentices turned away from engineering altogether and forged successful second careers in other professions including medicine and the law. D. Bell made this Freedom of Information request to Ministry of Defence This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and

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