RAF HALTON 1953 - 1956

These pages consist of contributions from our members to the Club Newsletter,
and consist of Members Letters, Reminiscences of Halton, and their careers.

On the index at the Right, click on a name and enjoy...

75th Entry History

This is the start of what I hope will eventually be a much larger archive. Any Contributions gratefully received.

We Started on the 15^th September 1953, and finished on the 1^st August 1956. There were 343 of us started (588914 to 589256). We were told that we were the largest single entry since the war, and to accomodate us, the 74th entry had been moved from 1(A) Wing to 3(A) Wing. This disrupted the usual gap of a year between Entries in a Wing.

It was quite a shock to us, 15¼ to 17½ years old, many away from home for the first time, in an alien environment. Living by a set of seemingly illogical rules. (I was walking from 1 Wing down to the Post Office without my beret, when Joe the SWO stopped me. I couldn't understand why he was so incensed just because I had left my hat off!).

Gradually, with the gentle encouragement of our Drill instructors (and what they would do with their Pace Sticks) we learned........

Kipling expressed it best ......

" but day by day they kicks 'im, which 'elps 'im on a bit,
till 'e finds 'isself one mornin', with a full and proper kit,
Gettin' clear o' dirtiness, gettin' done with mess,
Gettin' shut of doin' things, rather-more-or-less."

The habit of 'Getting shut if doing things rather more or less' has stayed with me all my life.... probably with many of you too.
I still find myself at the end of a job saying "Is it right? Is it done properly?" and finding myself going back, until it is done properly.

Schools and workshops, learning to live together, 'Bulling' everything and cursing the D.I's, filled our on duty hours. Our off duty hours..... Sports, hobbies, charping and visits to the 'Tank' or the 'Astra (remember the 'tanner' crush and Fred Quimby?).

(WebMaster May 2002)