Boy Entrants & Apprentices Like to comment?
I enlisted at 16 1/2 and joined my first squadron on my 17th birthday, working on the mighty Phantom. Very soon I was much more worldly experienced that the guys I went to school with and I'm sure that I grew up much quicker and to quote the cliché, it made me a man.
My son at the same age was several years behind in terms of development.
I notice that most of the replies are not from soldiers and maybe there is something to be said for not sending under 18s off to war, especially as they are deemed not old enough to drink alcohol or vote.
However, nothing wrong with putting them through training and of course the earlier you start, the easier it is to mould them into what you want.
My son at the same age was several years behind in terms of development.
I notice that most of the replies are not from soldiers and maybe there is something to be said for not sending under 18s off to war, especially as they are deemed not old enough to drink alcohol or vote.
However, nothing wrong with putting them through training and of course the earlier you start, the easier it is to mould them into what you want.
The British Army used to have a number of training regiments for Junior Leaders, where entrants from the age of 15 were trained until entering adult service at 17 and a half. The expectation was that these young men would go on to form the rump of the SNCO cadre in later life. This system was replaced by the Army Foundation College at Harrogate. Army Foundation College.
Last edited by diginagain; 20th May 2013 at 20:04.
Iain - re apprentice "wheels". When I had a shop I was always being asked for these. They are quite hard to get hold of, probably because as they were of the sew-on variety a lot either got lost or chucked along with the tunic/battledress. I'm not trading any more but I bet if you put them on a well-known internet auction site you'd find bidders. Probably only a few ££ each but it all goes to top up the pension!
Last edited by Tankertrashnav; 20th May 2013 at 20:54.
I joined in January 1969 as a Craft Apprentice at Halton. I was 15 years and 2 months. And, having completed a 2 year 3 month airframe course, was posted as an acting AC2 Fitter for 1 month as I was not allowed to be a Jnr Tech until I was 17 years and 6 months old. Coming from a small village I had the choice of becoming a farm worker (with all the major prospects that offered) or getting into something I was very keen on, aircraft. Anyway I eventually completed 30 years service, medical discharge after Driver Airframe decided to do Aero's without letting us know down the back. I made so many great friends during my time, and still regularly get in contact with mates in Aussie, New Zealand and even Belgium. I owe a great deal to all of my friends for making my career and life so rewarding. It's hard to put your finger on it, but once you've experienced it, it's hard to forget. Oops, rambling a bit methinks. I'll go have a lie down 
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I so nearly joined the British Military at 17, instead I went to
Australia. Still took an Ex RSM now Capt/Adj to knock me
into shape / the rough edges off.
I think it would still give lots of people in the future a chance
as has been shown my many of the posts on here.
Australia. Still took an Ex RSM now Capt/Adj to knock me
into shape / the rough edges off.
I think it would still give lots of people in the future a chance
as has been shown my many of the posts on here.
As most here will know it was Lord Trenchard who created the RAF and the Apprenticeship scheme and, I believe, also Cranwell.
He was not considered an academic when young and I read he nearly failed the officer entrance exam to the Army.
I often wonder if it was that lack of education that heightened his later ability to observe how to channel youthful free-spirit and energy into a positive for good.
In 1952, I was just over 15 when I joined RAF Halton as an Apprentice and 18 when I graduated. About 5 years later I was commissioned and later left the RAF and joined a commercial international airline. Prior to retirement I flew on B747's for 10 years.
I still recall the banner we read every day that stated "The aim of the Apprentice training is to provide a body of men with technical ability, strength of character and sense of loyalty, from which future NCO's and Officers may be selected" ......not verbatum!
I can honestly say that every decision or choice I've made, whether in professional or social life, has been influenced by my time as a 'brat' at RAF Halton.....so thank you Lord Trenchard...your creation led me to my very happy and productive life.
He was not considered an academic when young and I read he nearly failed the officer entrance exam to the Army.
I often wonder if it was that lack of education that heightened his later ability to observe how to channel youthful free-spirit and energy into a positive for good.
In 1952, I was just over 15 when I joined RAF Halton as an Apprentice and 18 when I graduated. About 5 years later I was commissioned and later left the RAF and joined a commercial international airline. Prior to retirement I flew on B747's for 10 years.
I still recall the banner we read every day that stated "The aim of the Apprentice training is to provide a body of men with technical ability, strength of character and sense of loyalty, from which future NCO's and Officers may be selected" ......not verbatum!
I can honestly say that every decision or choice I've made, whether in professional or social life, has been influenced by my time as a 'brat' at RAF Halton.....so thank you Lord Trenchard...your creation led me to my very happy and productive life.
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I joined in '67 as DE and did time as a fitter with 38gp at RAF Benson, I was privileged to know and work with some great people including a few who joined "without the option", coming from establishments which might be defined today as "corrective". 
Still sitting at SAC after more than 10 years service, these "boy entrants" had achieved almost miraculous turnarounds in their lives and were reliable, dependable and experienced well beyond the normal SAC role. They had seen service in some of the armpits of the Middle East which are possibly on a par for inhumanity with our more current expeditions
I believe that they truly recognised the opportunities that had been "afforded" them and were grateful that somewhere a "beak" had set them on the right path.
Ohh for a little foresight from our current crop of "juvenile" magistrates and the government.
Imagegear
Still sitting at SAC after more than 10 years service, these "boy entrants" had achieved almost miraculous turnarounds in their lives and were reliable, dependable and experienced well beyond the normal SAC role. They had seen service in some of the armpits of the Middle East which are possibly on a par for inhumanity with our more current expeditions
I believe that they truly recognised the opportunities that had been "afforded" them and were grateful that somewhere a "beak" had set them on the right path.
Ohh for a little foresight from our current crop of "juvenile" magistrates and the government.
Imagegear
I have always struggled with this question.
Like many others I reported to Stalag Luft Locking at the age of 15 1/2 and followed the then usual career path of Cpl. @ 21, Sgt. @ 25 and Ch/Tech @ 30. I had also signed on from my original 12 years to complete 22 years and thought I was doing pretty well. Some years later, I signed on again to complete to age 47 but due to changes in circumstances, both service and domestic, I PVR'd to leave at my original 22 year point. Determined not to go into defence electronics, I joined an oil and gas production company as a control systems engineer and was amazed to find that, after only 12 months, I was earning double as much as I had as a Ch./Tech. not only that but I didn't have the responsibility of 50+ juniors to worry about. I thought that this was great until I looked around at my contemporaries, on the same salary, and realised that they were all in their mid, late 20s and I was 41. I had some great times in the RAF but when I was in my mid 20s as a newly promoted SNCO with a wife and 2 children, I had really struggled to make ends meet.
Some years later, when I was 53 and having 13 1/2 years under my belt, the company I worked for introduced a volutary redundancy / early retirement plan which, if you were over 50, you were crazy not to take. It was service dependent and I walked away with a "gratuity", 6 x what MOD had paid me after 22 years, I also got an immediate pension 50% higher than the RAF one, in fairness, the RAF one regained parity a couple of years later when I had repaid my commutation and the index linking kicked in.
I am now retired and have been out of the "mob" for longer than I was in but I still can't decide if that 1961 train journey from Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare was the correct one. I am happy with how things turned out but I do think that in practical financial terms, things could have been better had I missed the train.
Mind you, for 20 of my 22 years, I had a great time until a large grey / hemp thing, with bulbous radomes, front and rear, came along.
Like many others I reported to Stalag Luft Locking at the age of 15 1/2 and followed the then usual career path of Cpl. @ 21, Sgt. @ 25 and Ch/Tech @ 30. I had also signed on from my original 12 years to complete 22 years and thought I was doing pretty well. Some years later, I signed on again to complete to age 47 but due to changes in circumstances, both service and domestic, I PVR'd to leave at my original 22 year point. Determined not to go into defence electronics, I joined an oil and gas production company as a control systems engineer and was amazed to find that, after only 12 months, I was earning double as much as I had as a Ch./Tech. not only that but I didn't have the responsibility of 50+ juniors to worry about. I thought that this was great until I looked around at my contemporaries, on the same salary, and realised that they were all in their mid, late 20s and I was 41. I had some great times in the RAF but when I was in my mid 20s as a newly promoted SNCO with a wife and 2 children, I had really struggled to make ends meet.
Some years later, when I was 53 and having 13 1/2 years under my belt, the company I worked for introduced a volutary redundancy / early retirement plan which, if you were over 50, you were crazy not to take. It was service dependent and I walked away with a "gratuity", 6 x what MOD had paid me after 22 years, I also got an immediate pension 50% higher than the RAF one, in fairness, the RAF one regained parity a couple of years later when I had repaid my commutation and the index linking kicked in.
I am now retired and have been out of the "mob" for longer than I was in but I still can't decide if that 1961 train journey from Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare was the correct one. I am happy with how things turned out but I do think that in practical financial terms, things could have been better had I missed the train.
Mind you, for 20 of my 22 years, I had a great time until a large grey / hemp thing, with bulbous radomes, front and rear, came along.
Last edited by The Oberon; 21st May 2013 at 17:38.
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@Oberon,
Maybe you stayed in too long.
Service pay was never the best, the possibility of a pension at 40 was better than civvy st. Then you managed to get a 2nd pension.
I came out after the original 10, on my 28th birthday, with only £50 as a thanks and goodbye.
8 years later I was living in a bigger house than my neighbour, who was a Wing Co. from Church Fenton
Maybe you stayed in too long.
Service pay was never the best, the possibility of a pension at 40 was better than civvy st. Then you managed to get a 2nd pension.
I came out after the original 10, on my 28th birthday, with only £50 as a thanks and goodbye.
8 years later I was living in a bigger house than my neighbour, who was a Wing Co. from Church Fenton
ex boy
Joined in 1958 at 15 yrs 11 months!Finished training at 171/2 and found I didnt get mans pay until I was 18,also could not put up my SAC rank until 18!!Discovered that a ordinary recruit joining at 18 only did 18 wks training for the same job,very odd I thought!my 12 years also did not start until I was 18 and no I dont think it was exactly explained at attestation time!Apart from that I enjoyed being on Coastal Command but not Khormaksar and even Oakington began to pale after 5 years and still at SAC so out I came on borrowed money 1Now almost retired and making a fare whack working overseas on all sorts of projects in Commissioning.
Siseman
I think the incident would not fit well in this thread, more fitting in a thread on "a silly thing happened to me on the way from a conflict", perhaps also, I would not like to imply unprofessional actions on behalf of people I really admire. That said, my training at Halton was something I was always proud of. Imagine if you can coming home on leave from Halton, for the first time, to a small Staffordshire village. On the day, I had spent the morning rigging the elevator controls on a Piston Provost. By 1700 hours I was at home, and, having a chat with old school mates. No one would believe that I had been doing something with a real aircraft only that morning. That sort of thing gives one a bit of a kick of pride. That pride, hopefully not overdone, followed me through my service career. I was always proud of being an ex Halton Apprentice, and feel that many branches of the service respected all apprentice schools. Particularly when as a C130 GE, I worked with some great FEs and Pilots and Navs (even the odd Loadie, and there were some odd ones
)
Smudge
I think the incident would not fit well in this thread, more fitting in a thread on "a silly thing happened to me on the way from a conflict", perhaps also, I would not like to imply unprofessional actions on behalf of people I really admire. That said, my training at Halton was something I was always proud of. Imagine if you can coming home on leave from Halton, for the first time, to a small Staffordshire village. On the day, I had spent the morning rigging the elevator controls on a Piston Provost. By 1700 hours I was at home, and, having a chat with old school mates. No one would believe that I had been doing something with a real aircraft only that morning. That sort of thing gives one a bit of a kick of pride. That pride, hopefully not overdone, followed me through my service career. I was always proud of being an ex Halton Apprentice, and feel that many branches of the service respected all apprentice schools. Particularly when as a C130 GE, I worked with some great FEs and Pilots and Navs (even the odd Loadie, and there were some odd ones
)Smudge
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Attended Cardington for assessment when still 15 and was at Locking when 16. Thought it was the pig's rear end back then, but in hindsight best thing that ever happened to me.
Recently had to get a police "working with children" clearance to enable me to do some mentoring with a 17 year old. By 17 I had crossed rifles on my sleeve as a marksman, and was a dab hand with a Bren. Wasn't long after that I found myself playing silly buggers with Vulcans at Finningley. We grew up fast in those days.
Just thinking about the Coronation Pub in Weston-Super-Mud. The bar lady would serve us half tots of whatever we fancied from what was on offer behind the bar, and this whilst still sixteen. And a pint of scrumpi and wedge of cheddar with half a crusty loaf bread, what more could a youngster want.
Recently had to get a police "working with children" clearance to enable me to do some mentoring with a 17 year old. By 17 I had crossed rifles on my sleeve as a marksman, and was a dab hand with a Bren. Wasn't long after that I found myself playing silly buggers with Vulcans at Finningley. We grew up fast in those days.
Just thinking about the Coronation Pub in Weston-Super-Mud. The bar lady would serve us half tots of whatever we fancied from what was on offer behind the bar, and this whilst still sixteen. And a pint of scrumpi and wedge of cheddar with half a crusty loaf bread, what more could a youngster want.
Last edited by alisoncc; 22nd May 2013 at 10:43. Reason: spelling
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As you can guess by my pprune 'nickname' I can relate to a lot of the posts above - with regards to my Service career becoming an RAF Apprentice was the best decision I ever made, closely followed by taking a commission.
However, it was Alisoncc's post that really sunk home: I remember going for a pint with my Dad on the first Sunday I was allowed home after joining aged 16 and getting served because in landlord's eyes (himself an ex-RN boy)
"If he's old enough to serve the Queen, he's old enough to drink in my pub!"
Now in my second career I have 24/25 year oldsworking for me, some still living at home. By that age, I was on my second overseas tour as Cpl.
What opportunities and happy memories.
However, it was Alisoncc's post that really sunk home: I remember going for a pint with my Dad on the first Sunday I was allowed home after joining aged 16 and getting served because in landlord's eyes (himself an ex-RN boy)
"If he's old enough to serve the Queen, he's old enough to drink in my pub!"
Now in my second career I have 24/25 year oldsworking for me, some still living at home. By that age, I was on my second overseas tour as Cpl.
What opportunities and happy memories.
Last edited by Once A Brat; 22nd May 2013 at 11:31. Reason: spelling
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Seeing as I started the thread, may I be allowed to celebrate, before the date clicks over?
Today is the 61st anniversary of the 16th Entry of Radio Trades Boy Entrants being inducted at RAF Yatesbury.
Today is the 61st anniversary of the 16th Entry of Radio Trades Boy Entrants being inducted at RAF Yatesbury.
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Interesting in the paper today about Free schools run by ex mil people
are to open.
Troops in the classroom as Britain's first military-style free school gets the go-ahead | Mail Online
are to open.
Troops in the classroom as Britain's first military-style free school gets the go-ahead | Mail Online
