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

ISSUE No. 7 - MAY 2006

Welcome to the seventh issue of The Journal of The 81st Entry.

The title of the Entry Journal "First and Last" came from an article I wrote for The Haltonian where I claimed that the 81st was the last entry to be recruited into, and trained as, an entry in the RAF Apprenticeship Scheme (albeit only for one term) I was shot down in flames as it seems that was not the case (although I maintain that we were the last of the old style entries). So I now use the Carlsberg Caveat when making claims for the entry. Here are some of those claims.

Probably the first Entry to have a Warrant Officer Apprentice rank.
Probably the first Senior Entry to go on an educational visit to Spain.
Probably the first Entry to have a member win the Halton Station Shooting Championship.
Probably the first Entry to have produced advertising stickers.
Probably the last Entry to have produced advertising stickers.
Probably there are other such claims that could be made for the Entry.


Let's hear them!

New Articles

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81st ENTRY BADGE
A message from Tony Birchenough

I've found a company who will make a run of Entry badges at a reasonable price, my one off being only £20. Although not wire the modern thread looks just as good. As it was modelled on an original embroidered version, in similar condition to that below, together with my original, much faded,wire version, it's not identical to those produced 50 years ago, but close enough in my opinion. Final price will be in the region of £8.50 to £12.50,depending on response. Payment by cheque with order please, SAE would save my old fingers from the need to write out all the envelopes. Please get you orders to me by the end of May as I will be placing the final order in mid June.

Tony can be contacted at :

tisaeb# supanet.com
(Substitute @ for #)

WORLD CUP 1966 - AT RAF GAN:
by John Gornall Inst Fitt (Gen)

As we are approaching another World Cup, here is a "Where were you when England won the World Cup?" story.

When the World Cup came round in 1966 I found myself stationed at RAF Gan, which everyone should know was the Transport Command staging post in the middle of the Indian Ocean half way between Aden and Singapore. As an avid soccer fan this was not the ideal place to be to witness the most momentous event in the history of English soccer.

With no satellite TV, no mobile phones and no daily newspapers to keep abreast of matches. Our only sources of information were the 15 minute BBC World Service sports broadcasts at 6.30 am local time reporting the previous days match results and the Sunday newspapers, which usually arrived on an RAF Comet every Thursday. Having dutifully worn my World Cup T-shirt every time England played, I felt I had done my bit for the team but the real test came on the day of the final when, amazingly, the BBC broadcast the commentary on the match. Tension rose as the German team equalized just before full time and we were on tender hooks as extra time progressed. Imagine the dismay half way through extra time when it was announced that it was now time for the World News and that the second half of extra time would be recorded!

We thought it was all over - it was till after the news. It was about 11 pm as we paced up and down in the dark outside the billet trying not to chew our nails too much and wondering if our watches had stopped. When the news was finally over the announcer came on the air with a voice full of emotion but without giving anything away and we were put out of our misery.

Eventually we received written material covering the match but I did not see the film of the whole game until just recently. As a footnote, I returned to the Maldives on holiday two years ago to celebrate my 65 birthday and while there took a flight down to Addu Atoll for three days to see if I could recognize the place. Although the RAF pulled out in 1976, many of the buildings are still the same, the MT yard, the Astra cinema and the Seco hut that was the church is now a mosque. What used to be the Sergeants' Mess is called the Equator Village Hotel. The rooms all have en-suite facilities but are basically the same buildings and the snooker table is still in with the framed rules of snooker and billiards still hanging on the wall. If any ex-Ganites would like to know more, go to the website www.gan.philliptsmall.me.uk for more info including articles by Brian Spurway and myself.

Where were you on that momentous day? Let's have your reminiscences