Boy Entrants 39th to 49th Entries

[DonExAir]

Shack37

40th, D Flt (Instruments), 2 Sqn?, 2 Wing.

2 Sqn would be correct and 2 Wing as well as 40th were on west camp in proper blocks not slumming it in the old wooden huts on east camp.
If the 43rd are anything to go by, D flt would be correct as the inst. guys were with the armourers.
Thanks for the info Shack.
Don.

[chevvron]

Originally Posted by DonExAir

Hi Chevvron,

At last another training base in the early '60s! Do you know your brothers last 3 or at least his last3 band eg .1945...(301 to 600 or 601 to 900+)?
Maybe Hereford will post as well and I will know when I am.
Regards,
Don.

1945550 as far as I recall.

[DonExAir]

Aaron

Thanks for the extra info. Sad to hear about your brother.
Regards,
Don.

[DonExAir]

Handsfree

A man from Castle Donnington/East Midlands Airport. I was based there for a while in the 80s.
Yes, I am a little confused - not unusual these days - I assume that you are posting for another ex-boy.
It also looks as if he was commissioned later at some stage as his letter is at the end of his number not at the beginning. I wonder if it was just a matter of the letter being moved when he passed out of OTU? Do you know which entry he joined at Hereford. Was it 48, 49 or 50th?
Thanks for passing on his information, at last a Hereford Boy, I am getting there - maybe!
Best regards,
Don

[AARON O'DICKYDIDO]

DonExAir

I forgot to mention that I was Hereford.

Aaron.

[Shack37]

40th, D Flt (Instruments), 2 Sqn?, 2 Wing.

2 Sqn would be correct and 2 Wing as well as 40th were on west camp in proper blocks not slumming it in the old wooden huts on east camp.

Hi Don, we were still occupying the wooden huts at "graduation" (Nov 28th 1961). The move to 5* accommodation must have come later.

[DonExAir]

Thanks Aaron,
I do have that but thanks.
Don.

[DonExAir]

Shack37

Hi Don, we were still occupying the wooden huts at passing and leaving. The move to 5* accommodation must have come later.

It must have been the 42nd and/or the 44th that were pampered.

Regards,
Don.

[pmills575]

I was in the last entry of Air Radar Mechanics at Cosford, May 1962 to December 1963 Service Number 1947575. We had our first reunion in 2013 after 51 years!.

[DonExAir]

I was in the last entry of Air Radar Mechanics at Cosford, May 1962 to December 1963 Service Number 1947575.
Hi pmills thanks for the post. What was the entry number? I thought that 51st was the last but that was probably another base.
Regards, Don.

[pmills575]

Well that was b****y silly of me to leave out the entry number. It was the 46th entry at Cosford. It was definitely the last of the Air Radar Mechanics, we were told that there were too many Radar mechanics and at a meeting held just before we passed out offered the chance to re-muster into a variety of trades. One or two took up the offer as I recall.

[oldpax]

As an aside to all this I met an ex 13th entry (Cosford)air wireless mech .Lives in Bangkok ,I met him in my favorite second hand bookshop in Pattaya ,wants more of my old "Growler"copies!!

[ian16th]

As an aside to all this I met an ex 13th entry (Cosford)air wireless mech

13th Air Wireless never went anywhere near Cosford.

All of their training was at Yatesbury.

[DonExAir]

pmills575

It was the 46th entry at Cosford. It was definitely the last of the Air Radar Mechanics, we were told that there were too many Radar mechanics and at a meeting held just before we passed out offered the chance to re-muster into a variety of trades. One or two took up the offer as I recall.

Thanks Peter/Paul/Patrick?!,
Did it only effect the Air Radar trade or did the boy entrants of other trades continue at Cosford until July '65, the 51st entry?
Regards,
Don.

[ian16th]

It was the 46th entry at Cosford. It was definitely the last of the Air Radar Mechanics, we were told that there were too many Radar mechanics

There were probably to many AIR Radar Mechs.

I know of ARM's who had to re-muster to Ground Radar to get their fitters course.

This probably was at least partially caused by the decision in 1952 to centralise all B/E training at Cosford.
Cosford didn't have any facilities to train GRM's. The Yatesbury u/t GRM's that had not started 'gears' were re-mustered to u/t ARM's.
The move to Cosford was delayed until the 15th Entry, the last that included GRM's, had passed out in 1953.
It seems as though the idea of centralisation was soon changed as some trades were moved to St. Athen and Hereford.

[AARON O'DICKYDIDO]

BE Training Camps

I think the BE training camps were;

Hereford
Compton Bassett
Cosford
Kirkham
Locking
St Athan
Yatesbury


Aaron.

[DonExAir]

Aaron BE Training Camps

I think the BE training camps were;

Hereford
Compton Bassett
Cosford
Kirkham
Locking
St Athan
Yatesbury

Thanks for that info Aaron. Do you know when the last Boy Entrants passed out of each camp, which main trades and which S. of T.T. they were?
I have the details for St. Athan only.

Regards,
Don.

[4mastacker]

Originally Posted by DonExAir

[............... Do you know when the last Boy Entrants passed out of each camp, which main trades and which S. of T.T. they were?
I have the details for St. Athan only.

Regards,
Don.

Hereford (3 S of TT)- 51st Entry (July?) 1965. Clerks/Suppliers/Cooks.

[DonExAir]

Originally Posted by 4mastacker

Hereford (3 S of TT)- 51st Entry (July?) 1965. Clerks/Suppliers/Cooks.

Thanks 4Mastacker,
Two down - five to go!
Don

[Geordie_Expat]

Cosford 51st 1965 Telegs and Photogs?


I was 303rd Craft apps from May 65 and the 51st were still there.