The History Of The 101st Entry

The Royal Air Force Aircraft Apprentice Scheme was the brain child of Lord Trenchard it was to provide the boys with both technical and educational training. In January 1920 the first applicants sat the entrance exams; this was to ensure that ‘only the brightest applicants gained entry’.

Halton Camp near Wendover in Buckinghamshire had been selected as the ideal location for ‘The No.1 School of Technical Training’, but the site was not yet ready to accept apprentices, so the first four Entries were sent to R.A.F. Cranwell, thus in 1922 the 5th Entry became the first entry to begin training at Halton and in 1993 the 106th Entry were the last intake of ‘Aircraft Apprentices’.

Between those years, over 40,000, Halton or Trenchard 'Brats' as they became known, had graduated.

The badge of No 1 School of Technical Training incorporates a symbolic ‘Tree of Learning’ derived from the beech trees typical of the Halton area. The motto "Crescentes Discimus" can be translated to mean ‘’As we grow, we learn”.

In planning the Apprenticeship Scheme, the Air Ministry took their responsibilities towards the young boys seriously and it was considered necessary to provide some insignia to distinguish them from adult airmen "So as to check smoking and the forgathering of boys with men”. So the four-bladed propeller within a circlet, was manufactured in brass, it was worn on the sleeve of the left arm, and was at all times to be kept highly polished

In the spring of 1962, 119 keen young hopefuls arrived at Wendover from all around the world, included in their numbers were three members from the Royal Malaysian Air Force, and Royal Air Force members from the West Indies and Kenya.

Having sworn allegiance and signed on the dotted line, the group became to become the 101st Entry at The Royal Air Force’s No1 School of Technical Training at R.A.F. Halton

The ‘Entry’ was then treated to a trip to the barber (?) for a free hair styling ‘a' la RAF’. This was followed by a visit to the ‘Tailor’ to be measured, no one was ever sure why, as the clothing that was issued by the clothing store staff appeared to be pulled off the nearest shelf regardless of the size or shape of either the clothing or the apprentice.

That was the start of ‘Initial Training Weeks’. For a week or so they all marched around in ill-fitting denim overalls with berets sticking out the side of their heads like aircraft wings, before being issued with new itchy blue uniforms. ‘Smart new Best Blues’ were to follow at a later date.

The drill instructors, who yelled and screamed and sometimes praised, would certainly have told you, that it was they who made the Entry into what it became ...SECOND TO NONE (secundus ut nullus)

In the three years that followed the Entry spent time studying in the ‘Technical Workshops’, the Airfield, the ‘Academic School’ learning on the parade ground, the gym, the sports field and relaxing in the cinema, Aylesbury, the pubs of Wendover and on a never to be forgotten free camping holiday in the hills of Wales.

During those years, four members were discharged as ‘unable to maintain the standard of training’; three left for medical reasons and one was in hospital at the time of the final exams. One lucky former member of the 100th Entry joined the 101st Entry after he had recovered from a serious illness.

It had become a tradition at Halton that during the week of training that corresponded to the entry number a ‘prank’ would be carried out. In the 101st week the Entry attempted to borrow a stagecoach from a local pub, but were foiled by the local constabulary, they were however successful in placing on the parade ground a 7 ton Crimean War cannon gun (borrowed from the Royal School of Military Engineering) and a slightly smaller Navy gun ( borrowed from T.S. Arethusa) .

Hence the cannon in the Entry Crest.

The Entry graduated on April 14th 1965, of the 110 members who successfully completed the course, 11 members were recommended for commissions, amongst them was Kingsley Chester who was selected for Officer Training at RAF Cranwell and to train as a Navigator, tragically he died as the result of an accident the day after graduation from Halton.

The future saw some members complete 22 years of service, others left once they had completed their initial 12 year engagement or before. Many have gone on to fulfil various careers in civilian life all around the world.

We have managed to track down a large number of the original 110 who graduated, sadly we have discovered that five members have passed away, we are still looking for the remaining missing members