Sgt Samuel Butterfield destroyed eight enemy aircraft in 14 days of intensive operations in May 1940 accounting for four EA on a single day before being shot down himself over the Channel. The original Aircraft Apprentice (AA) training started in 1920 and continued until December 1966, with the graduation of the 106th Entry. One of the main difficulties facing the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) from its foundation in 1912 was a shortage of air mechanics. 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. Activities of 38 Group were towing of gliders and dropping of parachutists. A pass mark in all aspects of his trade training was an absolute for an apprentice to graduate. The statements expressed in this e-mail are personal and do not It's run by ex-apprentices mostly too, so some of them may have some personal knowledge. The Wartime Memories Project is a non profit organisation run by volunteers. Many former apprentices who trained as pilots and flight engineers continued to fly with civil airlines. Just before reaching her destination, which had been given to our navigator verbally just before take off, he alerted me to go aft, open the rear bottom escape hatch, attach her package to the static line, get her in position to jump (after also attaching her parachute to the static line). attached) from your system. The standards of behaviour expected of AETs when off duty was similar to that required from all RAF personnel. 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. I was confirmed in the station church. However, because the permanent barrack building 72 programme at Halton had fallen behind schedule, this entry was trained at Cranwell. General Service Training was an important part of the curriculum, because, once he entered productive service, an apprentice was expected to gain rapid promotion and command men. If we wish to publish summaries on-line or in print, what are the restrictions? The Imperial War Museum holds all of his documents including his flying log, photographs of his funeral & personal potographs letters etc. . Neville Lee. This site uses cookies. At the end of the war, November 1918 . These rules are necessary for your own benefit, apprentices were often told by their superiors. The January 1973 Entry, the 123rd, was the first to undertake AET training. Passing out parades were always impressive. This scheme ended in 1972. With ever increasing numbers now volunteering for the RAF, the size of Halton intakes ballooned, in 1936 reaching over 1,000 boys per entry. The brass wheel badge, worn by all RAF boy recruits for some 75 years, to distinguish them from men, had been introduced in April 1919. Need more information, contact the General Secretary by email to. Now with some 4,000 boys on strength Scarlett wanted an additional distinguishing feature on their uniforms to facilitate immediate recognition of the sections (later wings) to which they belonged. Apprentice Flight Commanders were always busy during lunch hours hearing charges but never. It is located near the village of Halton near Wendover, Buckinghamshire. Halton received its first . It is not just about the quality and depth of professional training but the development of personal qualities and friendships that have shaped the whole of our lives. It was, I believe, the largest of its kind in the world. This theme was very shortlived and was terminated after ten intakes. But the cost issue resurfaced in a Commons debate in 1926 when MP, Sir Frank Nelson, pointed out that 230, which was estimated to be the cost of training an apprentice, is probably more than it costs a parent to send a boy to any of the four or five leading public schools of England. He went on to complain that, these apprentices at Halton get 1s a day pocket money, which, when they number 3,000, will cost the country 55,000 a year, and even now it costs between 30,000 and 35,000 a year. But, once again, the point was not pursued. . Age 15- 17 for a a three year course. They have records for every single engineering apprentice that went through RAF Halton. To see photographs of our reunions and of ex 78th entry members . Dennison Pierce Broomfield 209 Squadron (d.8th Sep 1942). The trust was set up to commemorate the centenary of the inception of one of the most fore-sighted and innovative schemes in British military history. Of the Halton apprentices who achieved air rank, thirteen were knighted. Block 3. 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. We also have our Entry Window in St. George's Church at RAF Halton. They eventually found their true vocations with the advent of the Nimrod and the Tornado in the early 1970s. 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. Some of this Entry were only 16, officially still boys but now serving as airmen on the front line. The museum is named in honour of Marshal of the Royal Air Force Viscount Trenchard, who is regarded as the Founding Father of the Royal Air Force, who also launched the Aircraft Apprentice scheme which brought worldwide recognition to RAF Halton. 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.. Halton made us the people we are today. These publications are free to members and assist in keeping us all in touch. We also have our own garden of remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum. Halton apprentice training gave many a boy from a humble background the chance to aspire to heights not normally expected of him. On arrival at Halton, apprentices were signed-on for twelve years from the age of 18, allocated accommodation and kitted out and they very soon found their lives falling into a well-ordered routine governed largely by bugle calls. These grew out of early artillery and engineers' experiments and manoeuvres with balloons as described concisely by Swinnerton in Family Tree Magazine (2000). Dear Air CmdSecCS-RAFParliBusiness (MULTIUSER). Super Moderator. Bucks HP19 0GF. after leaving RAF Halton, but whilst stll serving in the Royal Air Force, click here. It was clear that Trenchard wanted highly skilled men at a price the Service could afford from its very meagre budget, and men who would foster an Air Force spirit. Uniquely, at the moment (2016) two former Halton Craft Apprentices hold high executive 69 positions in the two principal RAF Charities: Air Mshl Sir Dusty Miller 210th, is President of the Royal Air Forces Association, and Mr Lawrie Haynes 216th, CEO of Rolls Royce Nuclear and Marine, is Chairman of the Trustees of the RAF Benevolent Fund. Notable among them was Sgt Gray of the 20th Entry, an observer, who was, along with his pilot Fg Off Garland, awarded one of the first two air VCs of WW II. Below are just some of our members who have served at RAF Apprentices. Although thousands of former apprentices had very successful careers in the RAF, many did not reach their full potential until life beyond the Service. All of my Grandmother`s duties from now on were in Code & Cypher work. Reunion and other photographs. Then on 25th November 1943 she moved to RAF Ringway near Manchester, 38 Group. The reduction of training time reached its nadir with the early graduation of the 39th entry in April 1940 after only 21 months. His recommendation to the Air Ministry of distinctive coloured hatbands was approved in 1920 and this too became a permanent feature of an apprentices uniform. The Halton trained men have provided the nucleus on which the great expansion of the air force was centred. Search the Royal Air Force officers' service records 1918-1919 ( charges apply) online for officers who served in the Royal Air Force during the First World War ( AIR 76 ). Add a Name to this List. We had to polish all our floors, clean bathrooms. Under the guidance of his Flight Commander and the NCO instructors, he was taught drill, physical training and Air Force Law. A world-class RAF hospital on the doorstep ensured their medical 20 and dental care were second to none, and spiritual needs were more than well looked after; but few enjoyed the compulsory church parades every other Sunday! This request has been closed to new correspondence. 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. Public opinion over the recent scandals of child sexual abuse in institutions is now demanding that full Inquiries be carried out. Need more information, contact the General Secretary by email to secretary@rafhaa.co.uk. RAF Database Global Search: Enter a name, number or an Aircraft Serial to search all our databases! Under these circumstances it would appear that, if any payment is to be made, it should be made by the parents of the boys, and not by the State.. Sadly, he would also become one the RAFs youngest casualties when he was killed in an accident while a member of a team salvaging a Dornier shot down at Eaton Socon in the closing days of the Battle of Britain, a month short of his 17th birthday. Your help would be gratefully received. John Rogerson. provided through resource and initiative training, field exercises at summer camps and the Apprentice NCO scheme. 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. The idea was to create future leaders of the technical branch with an appreciation 51 of the challenges faced by aircrew. All other recruits were enlisted, or commissioned, into the RAFVR. The most famous of the aircraft apprentice alumni is Air Cdre Sir Frank Whittle who gave the world the jet engine. A.C.I/LAC Donald George Porritt MU/MEF 107 B Squadron. a week. The 74th Entry Graduation Invitation. This kind of improvisation could not provide all of the men the RFC needed and rationalisation of the training machine became an urgent requirement. Under the continuing pressure on manpower another very important decision for the future of the RFC was taken; it was decided to recruit boys. Rowland James George Bazell B Flight 90 Squadron. After brief service with No. Come with us to discover more about Trenchards Brats as we hear first hand accounts of their stories, see how life was for these young men and marvel at the legacy they left. These targets were mainly coastal gun emplacements and launching sites for the V-weapons. is the Royal Air Force's aircraft engineering school. If you can provide any additional information, please add it here. Academic training was comparable with that of a good technical college and was to National Certificate level. Below are just some of our members who have served at RAF Apprentices. Royal Air Force HAA Ironically, the TAs gradated in the rank of Junior Technicain but unsurprisingly, produced the highest number of commissioning candidates. Journey through our timeline to discover more. We are now on Facebook. Thank you. 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. He set an RAF record for the 120 yards High Hurdles in his first race, and represented his country at the High Jump whilst serving as an aircraft apprentice. Lord Trenchard was proud of, and took a keen interest in, his apprentices at Halton and visited them often at work and play. However, this did not prevent them from being commissioned, with some attaining air rank and others filling senior appointments in industry as we shall see later. Most notable of these was Cliff Michelmore who was an aircraft apprentice in the 32nd Entry which graduated from Halton in 1938. In an article he wrote for the Halton Magazine while in Halton Hospital for a short period in early 1944, Whittle explains the advice he was given by a flight sergeant physical training instructor which enabled him to add three inches to his height, enough to be accepted for the 8th Entry in September 1923. please He remustered to aircrew as an Air Signaller/Air Gunner in 1953 and was commissioned as an Air Electronics Ofcer in 1959. Although offered a five year engagement in the RAF, most opted to leave the Service. In order to find the thousands of skilled men demanded by the rapidly growing Service, the RFC expanded its training programmes, basing these new units wherever suitable sites could be found, an unavoidable but random process that scattered the schools across the country. Patron - Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Armitage - ObituaryClick here. In March 1920 No 1 School of Technical Training was established at Halton, the future home of aircraft apprentice training. 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. He was in Egypt by June 1941. They gave of their best in the inter-war years, during WW II, throughout the Cold War and in peacetime, in all theatres, in all circumstances and rightly earned the sobriquet, The Backbone of the Royal Air Force. It is as an apprentice engineering school that Halton is best remembered, and indeed revered, not only in this country but across the industrial world. From the outset of his training he became a member of a society based on the orderly pattern of RAF life in wings, squadrons and flights, where he learned the give and take of community living, and developed a feeling for the customs and traditions of the Service. concurrently with the TA scheme. A high proportion of TAs were commissioned in the engineering branch. This meant contending with masses of search lights, flak, fighters, shot and shell. Records Search now. Supply Drops - again very small targets often just a map reference in the middle of a wood. After the introduction of a new trade structure in 1951, all aircraft apprentices graduated as junior technicians with some gaining accelerated promotion to corporal. In his memorandum, Permanent Organization of the Royal Air Force, which was presented to the House of Commons as a White Paper by Secretary of State Winston Churchill in December 1919, Trenchard placed great emphasis on the importance of training, particularly of skilled ground crew. Gp Capt Min Larkin CBE MRAeS Min joined the RAF as an aircraft apprentice in 1949. The information was collated from graduation records, confirmed by research at the PMA. Oct 2004. Although many boys were later transferred to 5 Cranwell, where permanent accommodation was available, several thousand remained at Halton undergoing in equal measure, drill, physical training, fatigues and technical training for which only basic facilities were available. His name is Ian Henderson cairms and joined the 81st RAF Halton apprentice. The whole estate was purchased by the British Government for the nascent Royal Air Force at the end of the First World War for ?112,000. Their adult status was recognised by the discontinuance of the apprentice NCO ranks and the removal of all apprentice insignia from uniforms. Having passed this course I was sent to 90 squadron of 3 Group, Bomber Command, then stationed at Tuddenham, Nr Mildenhall in Suffolk. Sqn Ldr Donald Finlay, of the 12th Entry, a triple Olympian well known to the public as one of the countrys top athletes, commanded Nos 41 and 54 Sqns in the Battle of Britain shooting down four enemy aircraft and winning a DFC. and a limited company (03277032). The 103rd Entry has an active Association and has held a number of reunions. AIR - Records created or inherited by the Air Ministry, the Royal Air Force, and related bodies; Division within AIR - General records of the Air Boards and Air Ministry; AIR 2 - Air Ministry and Ministry of Defence: Registered Files; Subseries within AIR 2 - Non-coded sequence (files registered from 1953, with some earlier files) I can just remember her small white face behind her goggles as she dropped into the night. Also in 1919, Halton House - a French style mansion built by Lionel de Rothschild . Several hundred ex-apprentices serving on these engagements at the start of hostilities were, however, retained in flying posts. Many of the latter 64 forged very successful careers in industry and academia. 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. His role was to assist the pilot to manage the complicated systems in these more advanced aircraft. Established in 2008. In January 1920, the 1st Entry of 235 recruits began their three-year apprenticeship at Cranwell, whilst permanent accommodation was being completed at Halton. History of the Royal Air Force. This Colour is unique in being the only one to be awarded to a youth training school in any of the armed forces and, having been received from Her Majesty by a sergeant apprentice, a unique custom was established that it may, on occasions, be carried by an NCO. You have only to look at the promotions and honours gained. Whittles final examination results along with those of 40,000 other former 73 Halton apprentices are preserved at the Trenchard Museum Archives at Halton. Leadership and management experience were Time-expired airframes were used to provide hands-on experience. For example: The consistent technical excellence of the RAF has rested upon the skill and high devotion to duty of those who learned at Halton their trades and first formed their sense of duty. These targets were small and did not reveal themselves by searchlight / flak etc, hence accurate navigation was needed. A Definitive History of the RAF Aircraft Apprentice Scheme - Min Larkin, The consistent technical excellence of the RAF has rested upon the skill and high devotion to duty of those who learned at Halton their trades and first formed their sense of duty. The Royal Air Force Halton Apprentices' Association is a registered charity (No 292523) and operates within the rules of the Charity Commission., As a member you will have access to the Association membership database (subject to GDPR restrictions) which may well be able to assist you in renewing your friendships with past colleagues of your entry or your time at Halton. My first flight was in an Avro Tutor 2 seat biplane at Halton airfield. Despite the harsh standards of discipline, most ex-apprentices are only too willing to tell you about the occasions when they broke bounds, climbed in and out through windows stealthily in the dead of night, to avoid being caught by patrolling RAF Police. He was flying in Catalina VA713.Coded L for Leather. 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. It was a great experiment and was bitterly criticised at the time. 1 School of Technical Training. He argued that the best way to ensure that, . Of the five ex-apprentice flight engineers who flew in the Dams Raid, only one returned. The Halton trained men . The cost of running Halton was a contentious issue in the early days. is a registered charity in England and Wales (1076346) The majority of these pilots became aircraft captains, two making notable contributions to the introduction of the Blind Landing System. The Wartime Memories Project is run by volunteers and the free to access part of the website is funded by donations from our visitors. Helping people find out more about their relatives wartime experiences since 1999 by Your Association is determined that the role of ex Halton apprentices in the military history of our great nation is recognised by future generations. Permanent workshops were constructed to house the RFC's many trades. The RAFs previous reliance on maintenance by repair was being superseded by a new concept of repair by component change. Printed from https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/records_of_raf_halton_apprentice on May 01, 2023 15:11. . AET Prevett, the Parade Commander, was so chuffed, he wore a wheel on both arms. However, on-going research is continually uncovering hitherto unknown awards. Many of the initial Halton transferees were killed in various sea battles during the war; fifteen went down with HMS Glorious at the end of the Norwegian campaign in 1940. A National Certificate, or at least a B Grade pass in the final school examinations, was sufficient to qualify an apprentice academically for commissioning: a C Grade was the minimum requirement for graduation. To my mind, the future of this great Service depends largely upon Halton; the boy of today is the fellow who will man the RAF tomorrow. Other tours included, Apprentice Flight Commander at Locking, avionics development at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, and Deputy OC Brawdy. 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. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. 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. On the few occasions she spoke about her war service she expressed that they were some of the best times of her life. 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. 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. The arrival of the first RAF Commandant, Air Cdre F R Scarlett CB DSO, in December 1919 heralded many improvements to all aspects of boy training, in particular the tightening of disciplinary standards which had been allowed to drift downwards after the armistice. A shorter course meant a cheaper one, which no doubt pleased the Secretary of State for Air, Winston Churchill. Bill Liddle. Some former apprentices ended up as BBC TV stars. Our These boys are not only extremely well lodged, fed, and clothed, but are taught trades which will be useful to them in after-life. Run by Volunteers and powered by Alaveteli. Included in the syllabus was English and general studies which covered, in some depth, the history of the RAF. Wairarapa New Zealand. The arranging of individual and entry visits to Halton House, The Trenchard Museum and the Apprentice Archives are other services provided to members of the Association. On the 22nd July 1941 she was posted to RAF Peterhead in North East Scotland, aFighter Station. He had laid firm ground on which Trenchard was able to build his aircraft apprentice scheme. Once you have catered for your loved ones, a generous bequest would help us achieve our Heritage plans. This was, in effect, a direct replacement for AA training, but required lower academic qualifications on entry. SERGEANT Served from 1962 - 1975 Served in RAF Apprentices. CORPORAL Served from 1959 - 1973 Served in RAF Apprentices. Former Halton apprentices were ideally suited to this new challenge and volunteered for it in their thousands. On-going research indicates that 1,000 have been awarded State Honours. Sgt App F M Hines of the 63rd Entry receives the Colour for No 1 School of Technical Training from HM Queen Elizabeth II on 25 July 1952. D. Bell made this Freedom of Information request to Ministry of Defence Its trainees graduated as LAC with many of them still less than 17 years of age. Serious consideration was given to terminating it altogether, but after considerable debate in the upper echelons of the Engineer Branch. The maximum age of recruitment of apprentices was raised to 18 and, exceptionally, 21. They spent most of their first year at Halton and Cranwell settling into their new country and learning English. Aylesbury 2nd May 2009, . the training of our mechanics in the multiplicity of trades necessitated by a highly technical Service is to enlist the bulk of our skilled ranks as boys, and train them ourselves. In the latter respect, two Cranwell apprentices excelled, one becoming a bishop and another followed in Lord Trenchard's footsteps by becoming head of the Metropolitan Police. 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. services through our wholly owned subsidiary 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. Donate and support our work. We are interested in the apprentice scheme run at RAF Halton No1 Technical Training School from 1922 until closure in 1993. On the 13th of January 1931, a month shy of his 16th birthday, my father started a three-year apprenticeship at the Royal Air Force's No. AETs were trained as dual-trade airframe and propulsion technicians and initially followed the National Certificate curriculum in their academic training as their predecessors had done. Halton apprentice pay account sample sheet. 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. His name is Ian Henderson cairms and joined the 81st RAF Halton apprentice. HRH The Duke of Gloucester reviewing the nal graduation parade, that of the 155th Entry in June 1993. Sgt. The Queen Inspecting the Escort Squadron, the 63rd Entry, escorted by Group Captain Don Finlay the parade commander. Your donations keep this site and others like it running. By the end of 1919, 26,000 of the 27,000 serving RAF officers had been discharged, and it is largely their service details which are held in this series. Over the years, some members have made bequests to our Association in their wills in preparation for their final postings. Ironically, many of the apprentices serving at this time were keen to see these symbols of their past heritage restored.
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