addressed. On 25th October 1942 she moved to RAF Hurn near Bournemouth, Hants. The Operation was an Anti-submarine patrol, which took off from RAF Pamanzi, at 04:20 hrs on Tuesday 8 September 1942 but crashed minutes later, with the loss of all crew. monitoring, recording and auditing to secure the effective operation of The majority of these pilots became aircraft captains, two making notable contributions to the introduction of the Blind Landing System. - RAF Halton during the Second World War -. 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! 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. To keep abreast of changes in RAF engineering practice, four different types of apprenticeships were introduced over the lifetime of the scheme. Peter was an expert astro-navigator, in fact after we finished our operational service, he went to the Air Ministry and produced a training manual on the subject, which was used as a basic training manual for years afterwards. Block 3. The top rank, normally flight sergeant apprentice, was in effect the head boy of the School. Initial trade training was carried out in the workshops and later in a mix of workshops and on redundant aircraft positioned on the airfield. His recommendation to the Air Ministry of distinctive coloured hatbands was approved in 1920 and this too became a permanent feature of an apprentices uniform. The Halton trained men provided the nucleus on which the great expansion of the Air Force was centred surely the efficient maintenance of aircraft has also been one of the outstanding features of the war, and that has been made possible by the Halton training of our men. WhatDoTheyKnow also publishes and archives requests and responses, building a massive archive of information. It was on one of these drops, I think the one dated 29th April, that we took a passenger with us. Gp Capt Min Larkin CBE MRAeS Min joined the RAF as an aircraft apprentice in 1949. Welcome to the Brit-Gen forums. The 13 year old became a University lecturer with a PhD. He became Sergeant 570858 of 209 Squadron RAF Volunteer Reserve. He would get me to take endless star-shots and he continuously consulted his GEE box - a very useful early electronic navigation aid. As the rudimentary methods of training RFC tradesmen hitherto were unlikely to meet the massive new manpower requirement, it soon became clear that the RFC would have to train its own air mechanics. The MOD has taken steps to keep this e-mail and any attachments free from General Service Training was an important part of the curriculum, because, once he entered productive service, an apprentice was expected to gain rapid promotion and command men. on to dismantling engines first De Havilland Gypsy engines, then Rolls-Royce Kestrel and Merlin engines and reassembling them, also Bristol Pegasus radial engines, carpentry, blacksmithing, pipework etc. please It was, I believe, the largest of its kind in the world. 1 School of Technical Training. She was on a on-way trip, we at least had a chance of getting home! RAF Recruitment | RAF Medic | Royal Air Force Trenchard Museum - Visit Buckinghamshire Aylesbury He has also told us in Family . AC1. In the latter respect, two Cranwell apprentices excelled, one becoming a bishop and another followed in Lord Trenchard's footsteps by becoming head of the Metropolitan Police. 103rd Entry Association - 103rd Entry Aircraft Apprentices RAF Halton Many friends were made, lost and extremely difficult times were had. 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. Dear Air CmdSecCS-RAFParliBusiness (MULTIUSER). Mine Laying - it may not be generally known but at least three quarters of all mines laid within enemy waters were dropped by the RAF. 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. 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. However, because the permanent barrack building 72 programme at Halton had fallen behind schedule, this entry was trained at Cranwell. RAF Halton apprentice graduation prizes: The Pioneer Trophy | The A high proportion of TAs were commissioned in the engineering branch. Super Moderator. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. The Halton Apprentice label soon became synonymous with aeronautical engineering excellence, a reputation that rapidly gained international recognition particularly in the aircraft Industries. The January 1973 Entry, the 123rd, was the first to undertake AET training. Raf halton hi-res stock photography and images - Alamy Most notable of these was Cliff Michelmore who was an aircraft apprentice in the 32nd Entry which graduated from Halton in 1938. These rules are necessary for your own benefit, apprentices were often told by their superiors.
