| Twenty Fourth Entry |
Have You Any Photographs Or Other Memories Of the 24th Entry RAF Administrative Apprentices? If So You Can E-Mail Them To: |
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| Photo Courtesy Of Norman Yates |
| Royal Air Force Administrative Apprentice Association |
RAFAA
| Multam A Parvo |
I have just had an email from Derek Gould, 23rd, saying it is 57 years since going to Halton for his medical prior to signing on at Hereford. I joined with the 24th but
the mention of Halton took me straight back to late 1954 when I went there for my medical and indoctrination. Mine must have been in November or early December,
1954.
The billet we were in was brick built, centrally heated and I seem to remember very comfortable. You can understand why we didn’t go to Hereford! Draughty
wooden huts and rusty stoves would not have been encouraging. Having been given money by our parents everyone had overdosed on chocolate and candy and
quite a few failed the urine test; somehow I passed. The failures had to not eat anything sweet and were retested the following day. I remember being interviewed
by Flt.Lt. Brian (Jingo) Jennings* and asked why I wanted to join; I had read the adverts and knew to answer about being part of a team, travel and learning a trade
etc.
I think we stayed there for 2 nights and the second evening we were split into trade groups. I had wanted to go into accounts but was put into secretarial. I think it
was a FS Davies (?) who gave us a rundown and told us how lucky we were. The following morning we were interviewed again about how long it had taken to get
from home to Halton. I remembered reading in one of the pamphlets about being eligible for an allowance if you had to travel more than 5 hours. That would have
been the first of many times that I altered the facts to suit the situation for RAF travel allowance.
When we were settling in to go to sleep at night, one of the more vocal, know it all types, regaled us with details of his sexual exploits with his girlfriend. I think we
all went to sleep a little bit more exhausted than we had been. Funnily enough he didn’t show up at Hereford on 5/1/55. I did. And would I do it again. In a heartbeat. I
think we all had some of the best years of the RAF.
Does anyone remember any more details of what happened to us. Where did we eat? We must have had more than a medical and one interview.
Ted Huntley
August 2011
the mention of Halton took me straight back to late 1954 when I went there for my medical and indoctrination. Mine must have been in November or early December,
1954.
The billet we were in was brick built, centrally heated and I seem to remember very comfortable. You can understand why we didn’t go to Hereford! Draughty
wooden huts and rusty stoves would not have been encouraging. Having been given money by our parents everyone had overdosed on chocolate and candy and
quite a few failed the urine test; somehow I passed. The failures had to not eat anything sweet and were retested the following day. I remember being interviewed
by Flt.Lt. Brian (Jingo) Jennings* and asked why I wanted to join; I had read the adverts and knew to answer about being part of a team, travel and learning a trade
etc.
I think we stayed there for 2 nights and the second evening we were split into trade groups. I had wanted to go into accounts but was put into secretarial. I think it
was a FS Davies (?) who gave us a rundown and told us how lucky we were. The following morning we were interviewed again about how long it had taken to get
from home to Halton. I remembered reading in one of the pamphlets about being eligible for an allowance if you had to travel more than 5 hours. That would have
been the first of many times that I altered the facts to suit the situation for RAF travel allowance.
When we were settling in to go to sleep at night, one of the more vocal, know it all types, regaled us with details of his sexual exploits with his girlfriend. I think we
all went to sleep a little bit more exhausted than we had been. Funnily enough he didn’t show up at Hereford on 5/1/55. I did. And would I do it again. In a heartbeat. I
think we all had some of the best years of the RAF.
Does anyone remember any more details of what happened to us. Where did we eat? We must have had more than a medical and one interview.
Ted Huntley
August 2011