Medically fit potential recruits were offered training in the trade of their 12 choice, or one the selectors thought more appropriate for them. He would get me to take endless star-shots and he continuously consulted his GEE box - a very useful early electronic navigation aid. He had laid firm ground on which Trenchard was able to build his aircraft apprentice scheme. AETs enjoyed the highest level of aircraft engineering training during the life of the various 49 apprentice schemes. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources. A large number of these men are senior Air Vice-Marshals and Air Commodores running the highest technical ofces in the Air Force. necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the department. D. Bell made this Freedom of Information request to Ministry of Defence Perhaps the most resented rule, especially by older apprentices in their third year of training, was lights out at 21:45hrs, when their former school chums were still out enjoying themselves with their girlfriends. The first entry under the scheme will take place early in 1920 at Cranwell and move 10 to Halton as soon as permanent accommodation is ready.. Established in 2008. A high proportion of TAs were commissioned in the engineering branch. Given that, at the end of the war, only some 20,000 apprentices had graduated from Halton, it is clear that their contribution to WW II had been impressive and this was acknowledged by many senior commanders. The first 400 RFC boy mechanics enlisted at Farnborough in May 1917, shortly followed by further intakes at Blandford. Well known to all those who follow air shows around the country is one of the nations most skilled display pilots, Air Mshl Cliff Spink, who was a Halton aircraft apprentice in the 104th Entry. Was she captured by the Germans? The site has grown as people send in old photos of those days . In 1930 he won the first of his 8 Amateur Athletic Association titles and represented his country at the Empire Games. CHIEF TECHNICIAN Served from 1969 - 1993 Served in RAF Apprentices. The Royal New Zealand, Pakistan, Ceylon and Royal Rhodesian Air Forces, and the Burmese, Malayan and Venezuelan Air Forces all sent boys to Halton to train alongside British apprentices. Their success in the air and on the ground pays a finer tribute than any words of mine to the standard of Haltons achievements., One thing is absolutely true, the air battles of Burma were won in the classrooms and workshops at Halton; won not just by knowledge and skill of your maintenance crews, it was won by the spirit that Halton produced., Halton has given the Royal Air Force not only its hard core of efficient technical NCOs and airmen but also a magnificent core of officers many of whom are in high rank in all branches of the Service., 2021 The Old Haltonians | All Rights Reserved. Our Heritage plans are extensive and likely costly. This was, in effect, a direct replacement for AA training, but required lower academic qualifications on entry. Our navigator, Peter Ashford, was excellent; throughout every flight, even when he knew fairly certainly where we were, he continually checked his calculations. The museum also records the background to Apprentice training at the Halton camp through examples of the tools, work and test pieces completed by Apprentices. The two views shown are the front and reverse faces of 'The Tribute'; a sculpture which is located in front of Kermode Hall, previously Patron - Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Armitage - Obituary, The Royal Air Force Apprentices' Association (RAFHAA), the Old Haltonians, was. It was a point of honour for apprentices to break 27 as many of the rules as they could, hopefully without getting caught. Ironically, the TAs gradated in the rank of Junior Technicain but unsurprisingly, produced the highest number of commissioning candidates. This kind of improvisation could not provide all of the men the RFC needed and rationalisation of the training machine became an urgent requirement. However, the latter improved with the opening of large training workshops in 6 early 1918 which had been rapidly constructed with the help of thousands of German POWs. For many years this sign was displayed in a prominent place in each of the Workshops Bays. In 2007 he created the Station Archives. After leaving the RAF, many ex-apprentices turned away from engineering altogether and forged successful second careers in other professions including medicine and the law. RAF Database Global Search: Enter a name, number or an Aircraft Serial to search all our databases! Halton apprentice pay account sample sheet. For the first 50 years of the scheme apprentices were classified as minors and their officers and SNCOs acted in loco parentis. However, many apprentices believe that this antiestablishment activity contributed as much to the development of the famous Halton Spirit as did all of the communal living, sporting activities, marching with bands and discipline. 20th Apr 2023 - Please note we currently have a huge backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. Through war-time and peace-time, being honoured by the Queen and honouring a Prime Minister, welcoming trainees from around the world and moving to bases across the UK since 1920, the RAF Apprentices have been part of significant events in history. It was in the earliest days of the aircraft apprentice scheme that the term Trenchard (or Halton) Brat came into vogue, initially as a term of derision used by old sweats who took a rather jaundiced view of these clever young upstarts who were destined for rapid promotion to corporal. Records of the Royal Air Force | The National Archives We never failed to drop our load. Halton apprentice training gave many a boy from a humble background the chance to aspire to heights not normally expected of him. On the 17th May 1945 they were married in St Nicholas Church in Witham, Essex. 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. . This new school was under the 2 direct control of the War Office and commanded by Lt-Col Ian Bonham Carter. AET Prevett, the Parade Commander, was so chuffed, he wore a wheel on both arms. Some became top surgeons and a few served on the Crown Court circuit. Top 10 most popular library books since 2016. He is buried at Diego Suarez War Cemetery, near the town of Antsiranana, on the western shore of Diego Suarez Bay, on the north-east coast of Madagascar in Antsiranana War Cemetery. Printed from https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/records_of_raf_halton_apprentice on May 01, 2023 15:11. Duty RAF Medics provide airfield medical crash cover and pre-hospital emergency care. Aircraft Apprentice Scheme - Wikipedia Records Search now. Gp Capt Min Larkin CBE MRAeS Min joined the RAF as an aircraft apprentice in 1949. 24 This contained a myriad of rules which severely restricted an apprentices freedom to spend what precious spare time he was allowed as he might wish. The Royal Air Force Apprentice scheme began in 1920, having been devised by Chief of the Air Staff Hugh Trenchard and approved by Winston Churchill. Some who graduated as LACs 33 in the 1920s were given immediate further training at Henlow and took up their first appointments as corporals. Once you have catered for your loved ones, a generous bequest would help us achieve our Heritage plans. Aylesbury Trenchard Museum - About Us A group of dedicated retired service personnel and proud ex-Brats came together to ensure that the story was told of how thousands of boys were trained to levels of excellence which led to them to make huge contributions to the Royal Air Force, to science, and to Great Britain. The majority of these pilots became aircraft captains, two making notable contributions to the introduction of the Blind Landing System. On 25 July 1952, No 1 School of Technical Training, RAF Halton received the highest accolade that any unit in the RAF can receive the award of a Queens Colour. Ironically, many of the apprentices serving at this time were keen to see these symbols of their past heritage restored. If you have a general question please post it on our Facebook page. Among them were Sqn Ldr Ben Bennions, Wg Cdr Taffy Higginson, Flt Lt Geoffrey Sammy Alford and Gp Capt Frank Carey. Halton Apprentice Roll of Honour - rafcommands.com The Oath of Allegiance. Finlay arrived at RAF Halton as an Apprentice in 1925. Halton Apprentice Roll of Honour This is now on the net www.oldhaltonians.co.uk then look in the Tribute section. 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 Trenchard Museum aims to preserve and display items that relate to the history of Royal Air Force Halton. The aim of the two studies was to match the growing complexity of aircraft and their systems, particularly those associated with the projected TSR2, with ground crew who had the ability to diagnose faults in systems which cut across the traditional trade boundaries. Air CmdSecCS-RAFParliBusiness (MULTIUSER), Download a zip file of all correspondence, Employers from which applications originate, IT Apprenticeship and traineeship employers. We are interested in the apprentice scheme run at RAF Halton No1 Technical Training School from 1922 until closure in 1993. recording and preserving recollections, documents, photographs and small items. By the mid 1920s Halton apprentices were serving on aircraft carriers, then under the control of the Royal Air Force. The TA course, although relatively short-lived, offered unprecedented career opportunities for those apprentices who completed it. On 14th October 1945 she resigned her Commission and left WAAF Service. This theme was very shortlived and was terminated after ten intakes. caused as a result of any virus being passed on. Perhaps our founder Lord Trenchard summed up his, and the legacy of Halton in a speech he gave in the House of Lords in December 1944 on the air campaign during the war. Although offered a five year engagement in the RAF, most opted to leave the Service. We had a station church, swimming pool, workshops and school buildings. For the many who were selected for promotion it gave greater responsibility as they progressed through the ranks. In January 1917, following the impressive part played by the RFC in the great battles in the previous year, the Army Council authorised its expansion to a total of 106 squadrons (86 to be in France) and in July this was almost doubled to 200. In 1922 the school moved permanently to RAF Halton and was fully operational by 1926. The Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Hospital Halton, was the first Royal Air Force hospital to be built that was dedicated to air force personnel.Located on what was then the largest of the RAF camps at RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire, England, the hospital treated over 20,000 patients during the Second World War and was the first place in the world to use penicillin on a large-scale. Captain Eric Poole was the first pilot to land an aircraft using the system while carrying passengers and Captain Charles Owens was the first to land an aircraft using it with Her Majesty the Queen on board. the system and for other lawful purposes. 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. photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. With an average of 2,000 boys in residence at any one time, the establishment of RAF Police at Halton, known as Snoops to apprentices, was higher than normal. is the Royal Air Force's aircraft engineering school. Of the five ex-apprentice flight engineers who flew in the Dams Raid, only one returned. Monica was one of the first residents there. 12-08-2021, 8:00 PM. Your help would be gratefully received. On the few occasions she spoke about her war service she expressed that they were some of the best times of her life. Through this website, exhibitions and the media, the story of the boys who were propelled to excellence is relived by those who are proud to call themselves Trenchards Brats. All of my Grandmother`s duties from now on were in Code & Cypher work. Royal Air Force Apprentices were a breed apart, a cut above, a group of boys who went on to become highly skilled craftsmen and airmen. AC1. Here she met my Grandfather, Squadron Leader William Henry Edwards DFC. This custom continues at RAF Cosford today, 75 the current home of No 1 School of Technical Training, where young men and women are trained as aircraft engineering technicians on a modern apprenticeship course. From 1919 to 1993, the No 1 SoTT was based at RAF Halton and from 1920 until 1993 the School was the home of the Aircraft Apprentice Scheme. It is located near the village of Halton near Wendover, Buckinghamshire. Your Association is determined that the role of ex Halton apprentices in the military history of our great nation is recognised by future generations. He died in 1950, polio, having left the RAF in approx.1949. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Every November we organise the annual Apprentices Service of Remembrance at the Halton Tribute. We would overfly the target, not circle around, to ensure we did not attract attention. There is a RAF plaque to remember the Halton apprentices, at the National Memorial Arboretum, in Staffordshire. Recently, a member asked if we still accepted bequests or legacies and how he should proceed if he wished to make such an arrangement. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than 261373 your information is still in the queue, please do not resubmit, we are working through them as quickly as possible. These publications are free to members and assist in keeping us all in touch. I can just remember her small white face behind her goggles as she dropped into the night. 1 School of Technical Training at RAF Halton (see aircraft apprentice) which remained at the Station until it moved to RAF Cosford in the early 1990s. Above, a Wallace, 605M (previously K3664) and, To keep abreast of technical developments Halton had state-of-the-art Blenheims to work on as early as 1937. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Sgt. The Apprenticeship Scheme was launched in October 1919, when selection examinations were held around the country. This scheme, which included Sir Frank Whittle "father of the jet engine", trained . Halton Apprentices - The State Awards and Honours, Wing Commander Taffy Holdens inadvertent flight in Lightning XM135, The Stained Glass Windows of St. George's Church (Part 2), The Stained Glass Windows of St. George's Church (Part 1), The Halton Grove at the National Arboretum, The Halton Tribute to the Apprentice Scheme, The official contact address for the RAFHAA is as follows: Most notable of these was Cliff Michelmore who was an aircraft apprentice in the 32nd Entry which graduated from Halton in 1938. Royal Air Force HAA Here is the appropriate extract, Some of your Lordships will remember that after the last war we set up in the Air Force a very large training School at Halton.