2235 (Deal) Sqdn
Joined in about 1959 and left in 1962 to join the Royal Air Force as an apprentice at RAF Locking.
Great time as a cadet:
- enjoyed the drill (!)
- enjoyed the day and night exercises 'playing' at soldiers in the local countryside, especially the challenges associated with map and compass navigation
- enjoyed firing the 303
- enjoyed local flying: including flying in a Chipmunk around the Kent coast and doing aerobatics above my home (to the envy of my sea cadet friends)
- enjoyed glider flying and gaining solo licence (although well under age)
- enjoyed learning about wireless comms and morse code (still reasonably proficient)
- enjoyed learning about radar.
I mention wireless and radar at the end because these were my over-riding areas of interest and why I joined the RAF. This was due in no small measure to the encouragement of one of the civilian instructors who gave so much of his time to share his own enthusiasm, including sharing his own amateur radio set with us, as well as the 1154/1155 service sets belonging to the squadron.
Sorry for the ramble but they were good days and it is about time I acknowledged them.