St Athan 40th Entry B/E 50 years Ago
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St Athan 40th Entry B/E 50 years Ago
24th of May 1960, after leaving home on my sixteenth birthday three days earlier, I signed on the dotted line and agreed to dedicate the next 12 years (9+3) to Her Majesty´s pleasure. Anybody else out there celebrating this anniversary?
The first pay parade to collect a ten bob note as a "welcome" to the RAF, the two corporal D.I.s in ITS who played good cop, bad cop and each of whom turned out to be the opposite of his role?
The first letter from home and running to the bog so your new mates wouldn´t see the tears as a giant wave of homesickness rolled over you.
A few weeks later feeling as happy as you revelled in your new fitness level and learned about aircraft and how to fix them. (The red pen came later in the course)
Happy days and still in touch with some who collected the Queen´s shilling on the same day.
S37
The first pay parade to collect a ten bob note as a "welcome" to the RAF, the two corporal D.I.s in ITS who played good cop, bad cop and each of whom turned out to be the opposite of his role?
The first letter from home and running to the bog so your new mates wouldn´t see the tears as a giant wave of homesickness rolled over you.
A few weeks later feeling as happy as you revelled in your new fitness level and learned about aircraft and how to fix them. (The red pen came later in the course)
Happy days and still in touch with some who collected the Queen´s shilling on the same day.
S37
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Mine was in 76.... just a weee whippersnapper compared to you
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Congrats Shack37. The 96th Entry Aircraft Apprentices, RAF Locking are having their 50th anniversary reunion in September this year. 50 years ago today, I was at RAF Cardington being "tested" for entry. It seems an awfully long time ago.
Currently run an Internet forum at 96th Entry, RAF Locking - Index . We have 123 members registered on the forum out of the original 180 plus who signed on the dotted line 50 years ago. Lots of photos of parades, events and RAF Locking from 50 years ago also on the Forum. Check out the Gallery.
Currently run an Internet forum at 96th Entry, RAF Locking - Index . We have 123 members registered on the forum out of the original 180 plus who signed on the dotted line 50 years ago. Lots of photos of parades, events and RAF Locking from 50 years ago also on the Forum. Check out the Gallery.
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15 1/2 year old Sled Dog ( just a pup then ) 30th Entry St Athan Feb 1957. Similar experience as Shack ref first letter from home. Sgt DI, little Welshman known as " Sgt Ugg", who after getting us ready for Passing Out parade in Aug 1958 suddenly became "human". Overall, good memories.
B/E
June 10th 1958,34th entry at Cosford before going to St Athan in August,the Empire games were being held in Cardiff and atheletes were accomodated at St Athan.
Biggest thrill was being allowed in the hangers at Cosford on the first day and allowed to sit in all the aircraft therin.
Biggest thrill was being allowed in the hangers at Cosford on the first day and allowed to sit in all the aircraft therin.
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Shack37,
In January 1961 I arrived at No 4 School of Testicle Straining as a flight commander. I don't remember which squadron but seem to recollect black and green chequers on the boys hatbands. On the whole a great bunch of kids but the job was just not my cup of tea so went back on a fighter posting again as soon as opportunity presented itself. I enjoyed myself organising the Chipmunk flying. All B/Es were given the chance to have air experience flights and we had four (I seem to remember) Chipmunks for the task. They were flown by any of the qualified pilots which included the C of E padre who had been a FAA aviator in an earlier life. Occasionally we nipped over to Locking to give their boys a trip. Normally an Anson turned up to get them airborne but they enjoyed the Chipmunks more.
I found some of the bull ridiculous.At the first four weekly wing meetings I attended the wg cdr, two sqn cdrs and umpteen flt cdrs couldn't decide if the dustbins outside the BE's huts should be painted in squadron colours or the wing colour. I lost my rag and said what is wrong in leaving them unpainted? They fulfill their job the same. That remark went down like a lead balloon but the whole project was quietly forgotten.
I can't believe it is nearly fifty years ago. East Camp doesn't appear on Google Earth!
In January 1961 I arrived at No 4 School of Testicle Straining as a flight commander. I don't remember which squadron but seem to recollect black and green chequers on the boys hatbands. On the whole a great bunch of kids but the job was just not my cup of tea so went back on a fighter posting again as soon as opportunity presented itself. I enjoyed myself organising the Chipmunk flying. All B/Es were given the chance to have air experience flights and we had four (I seem to remember) Chipmunks for the task. They were flown by any of the qualified pilots which included the C of E padre who had been a FAA aviator in an earlier life. Occasionally we nipped over to Locking to give their boys a trip. Normally an Anson turned up to get them airborne but they enjoyed the Chipmunks more.
I found some of the bull ridiculous.At the first four weekly wing meetings I attended the wg cdr, two sqn cdrs and umpteen flt cdrs couldn't decide if the dustbins outside the BE's huts should be painted in squadron colours or the wing colour. I lost my rag and said what is wrong in leaving them unpainted? They fulfill their job the same. That remark went down like a lead balloon but the whole project was quietly forgotten.
I can't believe it is nearly fifty years ago. East Camp doesn't appear on Google Earth!
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26er wrote:
Us Locking guys had our own Varsity. See below - airborne in 1961:
Occasionally we nipped over to Locking to give their boys a trip. Normally an Anson turned up to get them airborne but they enjoyed the Chipmunks more.
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26er
If you were recently returned from Malaya having got a GSM for monkeyshooting you may have been my Flt Cmdr.
Black and green were ITS, red and blue check were 2 Wing. My first flight was in the Anson flown by a Master Pilot who took great joy in dropping the nose sharply frequently whilst looking back at his passenger´s faces to watch the colour change. After ITS we went to 2 Wing where a new DI Sgt arrived. Unfortunately he was single with apparently little social life. Many a night he would arrive in the billet when we were in full bull bore, snatch the broom from somebody´s hands and start demonstrating rifle drill.
Sometimes makes you wonder why you look back and.
If you were recently returned from Malaya having got a GSM for monkeyshooting you may have been my Flt Cmdr.
Black and green were ITS, red and blue check were 2 Wing. My first flight was in the Anson flown by a Master Pilot who took great joy in dropping the nose sharply frequently whilst looking back at his passenger´s faces to watch the colour change. After ITS we went to 2 Wing where a new DI Sgt arrived. Unfortunately he was single with apparently little social life. Many a night he would arrive in the billet when we were in full bull bore, snatch the broom from somebody´s hands and start demonstrating rifle drill.
Sometimes makes you wonder why you look back and
.
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Bob C
http://s0.geograph.org.uk/photos/35/...4_459ef242.jpg
Both sets of Married Quarters and the MGR still exist, everything else (including the rubble) as been taken away and now it's a fenced-off and overgrown wilderness. First went there almost 39 years ago, popped in last year for a looksee.
Both sets of Married Quarters and the MGR still exist, everything else (including the rubble) as been taken away and now it's a fenced-off and overgrown wilderness. First went there almost 39 years ago, popped in last year for a looksee.
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matkat nutloose, also me arrived at Saints August 1976 for my AmechP course number of which escapes me.
I started my A Mech P course about the end of April 76, were you there for the missing trainee WAAF, she was on all the news channels, bus drivers had seen her catching a bus, she was seen at railway stations, the SIB were involved in the search but would struggle to find their own arses, the RAF searched the whole of Saints, lines of bods walking across the field, on Hangar roofs, under all the heating paths, the whole place was turned upside down and was a media frenzy.... I walked the length and breadth of the airfield on the search.............
She was eventually found shacked up in a barrack block with someone over on the permy side, often wondered if his or her feet have reached the ground yet.....
I was in the block by the runway, opposite the Wraf one and by the mess
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Signed the dotted line 6th June 1972, arriveing at Swinderby a couple of days after, 6 weeks later and well practiced at polishing floors with a bumper, we were let loose for a few days before I headed off to Saint Athen for 12 weeks to become a baby rigger, cannot remember AAM number, but our posting date on completion was 1st November.
6 years later I was back in the training mode, this time at Halton, AAF24, I do remember that the FT's were not too popular as we had experiance of the real RAF and did not respond how apprentices did.
Example :- 1st day in classroom reading corrosion booklet, Flt Lt walks through the door ( recognised as ex Ch Tech from Saints
), he asks who was senior man, and askes him what normally happens when an officer enters the room, everybody thinks that for his rank - nothing, but he has other ideas, first of many bo((okings that we got over the next 6 months, but we all got through 
.
6 years later I was back in the training mode, this time at Halton, AAF24, I do remember that the FT's were not too popular as we had experiance of the real RAF and did not respond how apprentices did.
Example :- 1st day in classroom reading corrosion booklet, Flt Lt walks through the door ( recognised as ex Ch Tech from Saints
), he asks who was senior man, and askes him what normally happens when an officer enters the room, everybody thinks that for his rank - nothing, but he has other ideas, first of many bo((okings that we got over the next 6 months, but we all got through .
Cosford
October 1956 , 29th Entry.
Was it that long ago?
I was 15 1/2 years old.
Mixed memories, finding our feet, thought we were the bees knees.
Whole life in front of us, would do it all over again.
OPF
October 1956 , 29th Entry.
Was it that long ago?
I was 15 1/2 years old.
Mixed memories, finding our feet, thought we were the bees knees.
Whole life in front of us, would do it all over again.
OPF
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who after getting us ready for Passing Out parade in Aug 1958 suddenly became "human"
It worked.
The attachment that we all retain with our entry, be it at Halton, Locking or Saints, proves how powerful and effective was that indoctrination.
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All that bulls*t was designed to instill a sense of comradeship. "All for one and one for all". Our Entry is the best, we stick together.
It worked.
The attachment that we all retain with our entry, be it at Halton, Locking or Saints, proves how powerful and effective was that indoctrination.
It worked.
The attachment that we all retain with our entry, be it at Halton, Locking or Saints, proves how powerful and effective was that indoctrination.
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Nutloose, I arrived in August 76 was in the block to the left of the bottom of the road, you would have been on the right IIRC?
As for the valley commandos I could not possibly comment on that
As for the valley commandos I could not possibly comment on that
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42nd Entry RAF St Athan Jan 61 - Jul 62 (1943xxx)
26er
Perhaps we met! My flt cdr was one Flt Lt McNabney GM (Nav (I think)) in ITS and one Flt Lt Ansty (ex Pathfinder Observer) once on 4 Sqn (don't know how I remembered that). Looking back it was a tremendous experience and an excellent training programme. Hard to imagine we too celebrate 50 years in Jan 11. RAFBE website worth a look. Found, by absolute chance, a fellow 42nd entry BE whilst doing volunteer driving after retirement. We call each other by our last 3, nobody else knows what the h*ll we mean!
I do remember Cpl Degg DI ("beds will be made up as laid down").
Started as a BE but the enlightened air force kindly sent me to college and commissioned me later on. Spending 18 months as a flt cdr on IOT was one of my better appointments, just short of the sqn cdr and PSO tours some years later.
Per Ardua Ad Astra ("Through hard work to the pictures" as we used to say!)
Pip pip
ON
Perhaps we met! My flt cdr was one Flt Lt McNabney GM (Nav (I think)) in ITS and one Flt Lt Ansty (ex Pathfinder Observer) once on 4 Sqn (don't know how I remembered that). Looking back it was a tremendous experience and an excellent training programme. Hard to imagine we too celebrate 50 years in Jan 11. RAFBE website worth a look. Found, by absolute chance, a fellow 42nd entry BE whilst doing volunteer driving after retirement. We call each other by our last 3, nobody else knows what the h*ll we mean!
I do remember Cpl Degg DI ("beds will be made up as laid down").
Started as a BE but the enlightened air force kindly sent me to college and commissioned me later on. Spending 18 months as a flt cdr on IOT was one of my better appointments, just short of the sqn cdr and PSO tours some years later.
Per Ardua Ad Astra ("Through hard work to the pictures" as we used to say!)
Pip pip
ON