No
1 School of Technical Training, RAF Halton, Aylesbury, Bucks
STOP PRESS - a 203rd entry Paver has been laid at the Halton Grove at the National Memorial Aboretum at Alrewas, plus pavers for J/T Paul Bricklebank (d1967) and W/O Geoff Hoyland (d1999), who both died in service.
STOP PRESS - To mark the passing out of the 83 apprentices, the 45th anniversary reunion will take place at Llangurig in mid-Wales on 7-10 June 2012. A good turnout is anticipated as many ex-brats of 203 entry attended the RAFHAA triennial reunions in September 2004, 2007 and 2010 and the several entry reunions that have been held over the last few years. Details of the next reunion are available from Tony Missen, who lives in Hirwaun, Aberdare, in South Wales. Tony is the entry secretary. Details are also posted on the 203rd entry's Facebook page and the Old Haltonian social network
This is the unofficial web site for ex-apprentices of 203 entry, No 1 School of Technical Training,
RAF Halton (1965 - 1967), which has been produced by Stuart Morgan. 203 entry joined the RAF in May 1965, the third entry of Craft Apprentices. We passed out
on
At the 2007 entry reunion a decision to purchase and install a stained glass window in the St George's Church at RAF Halton was made by the 29 ex-brats who attended the reunion. The window commemorates the entry. This window was installed at the beginning of September 2007. A dedication service and entry reunion was held at Halton in April 2008 to coincide with the 41st anniversary of our passing out parade. Entry reunions have taken place on an annual basis since then.
Over the years some members have gone to the their final postings. Regrettably, Ian Ash, Paul Bricklebank, Jim Glass, Geoff Hoyland, Dave Skingsley, and Dave Still are now deceased.
As the craft apprentice scheme started, the Wilson Government was just at the point
of cancelling the production of TSR2, one of the most advanced bomber aircraft
in the world, and ordering F111 aircraft from the US. The development of TSR2 had created the need to train technicians in new methods and in a shorter
period than previously undertaken. The
new breed of aircraft technicians were to be trained as in two years, unlike the
three year training of aircraft apprentices.
However, the craft apprentices would still pass out as Junior
Technicians, the same rank as the aircraft apprentice scheme. When 203 entry was recruited, TSR2 was scrapped and a hasty rewrite of the syllabus was made, thus enabling the new Craft Apprentices to do the same work, on passing out, as the aircraft apprentices. However, like TSR2, the decision to buy F111 aircraft was also scrapped - in 1968.
The entry list and details of
first postings
In our last months at Halton a few of the
riggers were asked by Chief Tech Flint (ex-40th entry), who was an airframes
instructor, if we would help to build a couple of sledges for an expedition to
At the end of the training period, brats from 203 entry made a daring plan to sent a detachment to the Royal Military College at Sandhurst to borrow a cannon. After a recognisance mission, the cannon was duly taken silently in the dark of the night, from under the noses of an army guard, and transported on a trailer to the Henderson parade square at RAF Halton. The following morning, the entry were duly paraded and punished for this audacious prank. Rather than apologise to the Army, the entry made a donation to a charity - the RAF Benevolent Fund!! Details of the heroic prank were widely reported included entries in the Bucks Herald and RAF News (dated 6 May 1967).
Members of the entry still recall with great pride the escapade that nearly ended in all members of the entry being court martialled.
RAF Halton Apprentices Association [RAFHAA], membership of which brings considerable benefits, including entry to the tri-ennial reunion of the RAFHAA. Stuart Morgan is a member of Council of RAFHAA and The Editor of The Haltonian magazine.
More than 50 ex-brats of 203 entry are still in touch with each other, some via Skype, but mainly via e-mail. The last known e-mail contact addresses are shown below (click on the relevant link)
Dave Brankin
Roger Swan
Tony Rudge
u/t airframes fitters:- Aldus, John B; Baker P W; Beman Dave T B; Binfield, Geoff H (retired Wg Cdr); Birt, Mick J; Bowyer R T (ex-202 entry);
Brankin, Dave G; Brassett, Dave; Bricklebank, Paul M (killed in a motor cycle
accident Sept 1967) - Mal Chapman went to the funeral; Chapman, Mal A; Collins, Rich P; Confue, Fred; Coulson, Mick; Cox, Mick A; Davidson, K G; Dyer, Ron A; Emerson, Chris (retd Sqn Ldr); Elsick, Peter J; Glass, Jim (deceased); Griffiths, Dave F L; Harris, Phil J; Harrop, Al E; Hirst, Stu; Hoyland, Geoff R (died October 1999, after playing table tennis); Iball A D (Tony); Johns David J; Lee, Terry G; Marshall, Norman K (Nobby); Medum, Ken; Missen A C (Tony); Moody, Vic G; Morgan, Stuart A (ex-202 entry); Musselwhite, E Peter; Pearson Ken J (known as Lugger Pearson for some reason unknown to me); Pilbrow R P (Bob); Pink, Brian D; Prist B D; Urmson, Al D; Wallace Dave A; Wright, Mervyn
u/t Electrical fitters:- Baker D J; Broadley, Phil M; Cook, Dave R M; Crates L J; Croxford, Colin; Davidson Jim C (Jock); Fusedale Stu D; Gooch, Dave R; Gregory, Barry D; Nutt, Dave; Power Hal A M M; Price T G; Quin, John; Rudge A W J (Tony); Russell, Pete L R; Skingsley Dave (deceased); Simpson W D (Bill); Thomas, C Alan
u/t Propulsion fitters:- Allen R W; Ash, Ian R (deceased); Aspinall, Andrew; Barton W J; Bee, Mick; Bradley E R; Brake N L; Chapman A E W; Coffield N; Every, Al G; Geach M C; Inskip R (Bob); MacLeod, Alan D; Maw M L; Mitchell, Duncan M; Morton, Glenn (retired Group Capt); Nelthorpe D; Nott, George D; Sanderson R; Smith D G; Still, Dave T (Died in Australia, 25 December 2007); Swan, Roger P; Tree G; Walsh F; Wilkinson, Terry J
Flt Lt Gilroy (killed in a Buccaneer crash) - Dave Nutt seems to have the best recollection of the incident.
Fg Off Ferrill (who was found not guilty of killing his wife in a shooting accident - it's true and the strange thing is he was a firearms
expert!), Sgt Bell, Sgt Carr, Sgt Hillary, Sgt Bernie Lawton (died in March 2007). Several members of the entry attended the funeral.), F/Sgt Whisky (last seen by Mal Chapman, after F/Sgt Whisky had been demobbed - trying to sell life insurance to Mal The last time I saw Mal on 20 April 2008, he still did not tell if he bought a life assurance policy. Mal is now a distinguished music producer and vendor of guitars to the most famous pop musicians in the world.)
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Copyright © Stuart A Morgan 1998 2011
