The 81st Entry
RAF Halton Aircraft Apprentices
Sept 1955 - July 1958

ISSUE No.18 - FEBRUARY 2009
81st ENTRY NEWSLETTER
Editor: Mike Stanley

The Memories of my time at Halton by Ken Williams (sometimes known as Taff)

I started in Block 5 Room 4 and after the changeover moved to 2 Wing, Block 7 Room 6

The Ed keeps asking for stories about our days at Halton and in the big world after passing out. My story is fairly basic as I tried to keep my nose clean most of the time and actually stayed to the bitter end doing 4 months short of 39 years (mad or what?)

I was educated (?) at Ludlow Grammar School where I spent 5 years working my way from the top of the form to the bottom, with no idea what I wanted to do after " O " Levels. We lived out in the wilds of Shropshire and at that stage I couldn't even spell RAF. There was an advert in the Radio Times for Aircraft Apprentices and I decided 'that's for me' and applied. It's a good job there was no mention of wars or fighting or you wouldn't have seen me for dust. I took the exam at school in a back room of the Chemistry lab and to my amazement passed. One question; Who was the father of the RAF? I put Flt/Lt Cunningham (I can only assume I meant Cats eyes) the only RAF name I could think of. Off to Halton for induction, where I found out I was colour-blind , so an aspiring leckie became a u/t. paraffin queen

I arrived at Halton on the Saturday (the village stationmaster said I'd never get there on a Sunday) so doing one more day than the rest of the 81st. Of course I did get a corner bedspace. By coincidence I met Taff Watkins, 74th, who hailed from Oswestry, Shropshire and claimed to know my sister who was a trainee nurse at nearby Gobowen. The other nineteen in room 4 arrived next day and the real business started, clothing issue, jabs and the Attestation. I can remember most of the names in that first room but I seem to have lost a few. I joined the Military Band having learned the euphonium at school. This got me out of some Saturday chores ("I've got band practice Flt.Sgt"). I remember one Sat in particular. Off I went to the band hut having laid my kit out ready for inspection in what I thought was the right way. When I returned I found out I'd been charged, as it wasn't up to standard. The bar of soap, which was a bit thin anyway, had been reduced to the size of a postage stamp. Whether this had been done before or after the inspection I never did find out (is there anyone out there who has a guilty conscience?). Anyway I got 7 days Jankers and possibly the first in the entry to be convicted. First Jankers parade of the day was 06.45 (which was the normal time for reveille and you couldn't book an early call) best blue and full webbing. On one of the days I was late going down to Maitland Guardroom, early call 06.45; it was a long way and I met the others coming back. Luckily they had persuaded the Snoop that I was very new and very little (5ft) and he booked me as present. Close call there!

Another not to be forgotten day was when my father suddenly died of a heart attack in February '57. Sunday afternoon playing darts in the 2 wing NAAFI the duty AA from 1 wing came looking for me. A friend of my mother had phoned with the news and he was sent to tell me (poor sod and I never knew who he was). The OO when contacted couldn't do anything that day so I saw Chiefy Lenz on the Monday and once I'd convinced him it was legit (I expect he did some checking as I had no proof) he got the ball rolling. The Sqdn Ldr couldn't make a decision, the Wg.Cdr was flying and I was sitting around raring to go. The big decision was should they send me home and bring me back before half-term or keep me for a day or so and give me an early start to half-term OR let me go home and stay until after the half-term, which was only 4 days away. They finally agreed the last option and off I went.

My experiences with motorcycles began with my late father's 500cc Norton with sidecar. My mother had to go to work and I used to go off on it, totally illegally; no insurance, driving licence or L-plates (did I say somewhere about keeping my nose clean). A police car followed me once but I must have looked competent because when I took the first available left turn, he carried straight on. When I did become legal with a provisional licence, (riding it solo by now) I managed to hit a Daimler head on. The rumours doing the rounds that I had been killed were unfounded; the bike was badly damaged though. The bike was repaired and I took it to Valley where after some overhauling I traded it in for a 1939 Austin.

Summer camp at Southport. I met a girl called Doris (all good clean fun) but my daughter-in-law read my diary scribblings, with my permission, and now calls all tarts, as in jam etc.,"Dorises". I was enjoying the camp until I was recalled to Halton thereby missing the night exercise amongst other things. The band needed me to play at a sports meeting, they were looking for quantity not quality. As you will remember we went to camp with everything we owned, including our bedding. You've guessed it! Me on a train from Freshfield to Halton via London carrying all that lot. The other passengers thought either I or my leaders were bonkers. I've no idea when I got back or how I got from Wendover, possibly by taxi the same as between stations in London.

I had two more clashes with the law makers: another 7 days Jankers for being involved in tipping rooks beds and 28 days loss of privileges because the half-term coach ran out of diesel and we were late back. Rough justice and not everyone got punished! Oh and 7 days for being late back from a 48hr pass; I got on the wrong bus from Richmond to Baker Street.

My time at Halton was fairly straightforward. Band practice, playing at boxing matches and various sporting events and Lord Mayor's Shows filling time playing football (another thing I did badly). Aylesbury on a Saturday, cinema, a meal in Janetta's and dances in the Town Hall. Of course I must have done some work, I got an ONC and an A2 pass from schools so I was just a late developer, or was it that I was made to work at Halton?

Finally pass-out came and off to Valley in Anglesey. There were 4 of us: Dave Sidgewick, Geoff Tomsett, Derek Hughes and me. Geoff and I went into the engine bay on Goblins, Dave to Rectification and Derek to ASF.

Enough for now: if anyone reads this I may continue with the saga.