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Aviation History
1960
1960 - 0173.PDF
FLIGHT, 5 February 1960 173 CRANWELL'S EARLIEST DAYS A 40th Anniversary Reminiscence SUPERNA PETIMUS. The Cranwell motto. ... It is anambitious motto, and if we can only live up to it and seekthe highest things, whether they be merely top marks inone's class, the highest score in a cricket match, or highest marks towards cock squadron, we are moving in the right direction." These words, written as an introduction to the first number of the Boys' Wing Magazine, characterize the Cranwell spirit fostered by their author, Air Cdre C. A. H. Longcroft, CB, CMG, DSO, AFC, and his successors. During the First World War a piece of land was acquired near the small Lincolnshire village of Cranwell for the purpose of training RNAS pilots. Officially titled HMS Daedalus, the station opened on April 1, 1916, the choice of date providing inspiration for subsequent wits. By the end of 1918 its area embraced more than three thousand acres and in the intervening period many hundreds of officers had undergone courses of instruction on current types of aeroplanes as well as on rigid and non-rigid airships. It owes its recognition today to the far-sightedness and clearthinking of one who, as Maj-Gen Sir Hugh Trenchard, GCB, DSO, was reappointed Chief of the Air Staff on January 11, 1919. Hisprincipal task at that time concerned the reduction in size of the Royal Air Force and the provision of a scheme for its permanentreorganization on a peacetime basis. Among other recommenda- tions, he proposed the establishment of a Cadet College at Cranwelland Apprentice Wings at Cranwell and Halton for the training of boy mechanics. It was intended that boys of a satisfactory educa-tional standard should be eligible for enlistment from the age of 15j and undergo a three-year period of training. This scheme wasdesigned to provide a continuous, if sma.l, flow of well-educated young men of high technical proficiency into the various branchesof the RAF. Thus, on February 5, 1920, the Royal Air Force Cadet Collegeand School of Technical Training for Boy Mechanics came into being at Cranwell. The station was then divided into threeprincipal areas: East Camp, housed the Boys' Wing and Technical Training Departments; West Camp comprised the Cadet Collegeand Flight Sheds; and Lighter than Air, the third area, contained a large and a small airship hangar, a number of brick-built barrackhuts and a thriving pig farm which was part of the station economy. The huts were occupied only occasionally, when anoutbreak of scarlet fever or some such contagious illness required isolation for a period. The first Commandant was Air Cdre Longcroft, who hadalready had a distinguished career, having been commissioned into the Army direct from Sandhurst and seconded to the RFC in 1912,after obtaining his Royal Aero Club pilot's certificate (No 192) in March that year. Soon afterwards he made the first long-distanceflight by the RFC, non-stop from Montrose to Portsmouth and back to Farnborough in 7hr 20min. The Boys' Wing was commanded by Wg Cdr C. F. Kilner, DSO,and Wg Cdr R. H. Verney, OBE, was in charge of Technical Train- ing. Wg Cdr Verney had previously been Inspector of Engines,AID, and Chief Inspector in the Ministry of Munitions. His insistence upon quality before quantity, which became the rule ofjthe Cranwell workshops, doubtless stemmed from the valuable (experience he had gained in his previous appointments.I Lt-Col A. F. S. Caldwell, DSO, MA, was the first headmaster of |the Boys' Wing School and when he was transferred to Halton in[1922 he was succeeded in the headmastership by H. A. Cox, MA, "ate of Oundle School. On arrival the embryo mechanics were accommodated in dormi-tories and their first week was occupied with medical tests, a further examination to classify their educational standard and, forthose who survived, swearing-in for ten years' service and two years' reserve. Two suits of khaki were provided, one comprisingslacks and tunic with leather buttons for everyday wear and the By J. C. CORLETf other a tunic with brass buttons,worn with breeches and puttees for special occasions. The campbarber was kept busy; but, as most of his work was done with clippers,his customers were not kept waiting. Then followed a lengthy period of daily drill and PT. The instructors in these arts were mostlyex-guards NCOs, and the standard in arms drill, marching, saluting and general bearing was aimed at Brigade of Guards' level. It wasgenerally conceded that this aim was achieved, and in 1921 a detachment accompanied by the Boys' Wing band—trumpets,flutes and drums—gave a display of drill and marching at the Royal Tournament, Olympia, which was widely acclaimed. These same NCOs evidenced a curious unwillingness to acceptsome of the new tides of rank which had been introduced with the amalgamation of the RFC and RNAS into the Royal Air Force onApril 1, 1918. The CO was always referred to as Colonel Kilner and squadron leaders were called major. Flight lieutenants, how-ever, were always flight lieutenants and flying officers were called When proficiency on the barrack square had reached an accept-ably high standard, technical training was begun and the boys got their first introduction to the theory and practice of such trades asfitter aero-engine, jig and tool and motor transport, carpenter- rigger, coppersmith, turner, fitter armourer and draughtsman.Meanwhile, their classroom studies continued as they had pre- viously done, between drill and PT periods. They learned bypractical experience to erect and rig a D.H.9A, Bristol Fighter and two Avro 504Ks. A Monosoupape engine which had beenreconditioned in the training workshops was installed in one of the latter and a number of boys had an opportunity of air-testingthe efficiency of their work. A Vickers Vimy was allotted from Henlow on February 9, 1922, and many boys enjoyed their firstair experience in it. By now some thought was being given to spare-time activities,in addition to sport. A reference and lending library, which had earlier been established, was extended; a literary and debatingsociety was formed under the presidency of the headmaster and administered by a committee of Leading Boys. This was quicklyfollowed by the Boys' Wing engineering society, a camera club, rifle club, music society, wireless society and a model aircraft club.The long-awaited air-force-blue uniforms became available and were issued in exchange for one suit of khaki. The other wasretained for everyday wear and, though the issue of "best blue" had been eagerly awaited, much disappointment was expressed atits inferior quality. The tunics were ill-fitting and the breeches, unlike the well-cut cavalry type which had been handed in, werelittle more than baggy knickerbockers. The puttees were of the same coarse material and suffered from the added unattractivenessof frayed edges, while the greatcoats could only be described as voluminous. A bold and somewhat knowledgeable lad set to unpicking seams,pinning here, cutting there and sewing up again. A flat-iron was somehow acquired and soon he was in business (spare time),a walking advertisement for his own tailoring skill. He soon had his copyists, whose dexterity improved with each garment tackled,until eventually they had sufficient confidence to alter their own. These, for a time, were the barons who were enviously seen ona Thursday night entertaining themselves and sometimes charit- ably extending to their less fortunate brothers the price of "tea andwads" at the YMCA. An enterprising shopkeeper in Sleaford got in a stock of Fox'sputtees in air force blue. They were made of smooth cloth and cunningly cut so that they moulded themselves to the legs; buttheir wear on parade, except by officers, was quickly forbidden and the struggle to achieve a presentableappearance with the standard issue was resumed. Puttees had to be worn so thattheir top spiral finished two fingers' width below the kneecap, and the end of theputtee had to coincide with the seam of the breeches (a point for examination onparade inspections). Puttees were cursed things which refused to conform to anyknown law. If in putting on these "horse- The Vickers Vimy allotted to Cranwell from Henlow in February 1922
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