1919 RAF location details

[maggbill]

I have the record of a young boy who aged only 15, said he was over 16 years of age, and enlisted in the RAF in 1919  - was born in Aberdeen Scotland.  Need assistance with deciphering details of his last "Movements" and place of "duty".
In the attached snippet of records - under "Movements", he is initially in "Boys Section" then to "Cranwell" (presumably RAF Cranwell in Lincolshire?), then from "Cranwell" to " "Eastchurch" (presumed to be RAF, Isle of Sheppey, Kent?), then the last "movement" from Eastchurch to ? "D Sect of C" - really doubtful of this last bit.  Seemingly 3 days after the last ?movement, he "deserted".!! 
Can anyone help decipher?  He was from a Highland Traveller family, so finding him enlisting in the RAF was quite surprising - financial decision possibly as he was the oldest son of a family, whose father had been killed in action in France in 1916.

[MaxD]

The last part is HC - Halton Camp which was the home of No1 School of Technical Training (note the 1 S of TT (B - Boys) below right on his record).  D Sec being an element of the School.

MaxD

[maggbill]

Hiya Maxd,

Thank you very much for your knowledge and input.  Do you know, was the "Halton Camp" at Eastchurch?  Or Elsewhere?  Would it be that the boy would have done some "Basic Training" - like soldiers etc. do - and then go on to a "School of Technical Training" to learn the "aircraft hand/carpenter" side of things?  Would like to know if he "deserted" while down in Eastchurch - would have been an adventure for him to get back home!  Only 3 days after he was moved to "Halton Camp"??  As you can tell, my knowledge of military/airforce history is nil!

[medpat]

RAF Halton is near Wendover in Buckinghamshire. Nearest large town Aylesbury.

Apprentices started in 1922 but the technical school was already open in 1920.

I did my trade training there. There was the area for the apprentices away from main camp, main camp included medical and dental training units and medical staff for the RAF hospital there. The hospital when I was there was the centre for burns in the RAF. (The WRAF weren't suppose to be anywhere near any of the apprentices and of course we did as we were told)

My claim to fame when in the RAF was I met Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader at a RAF Halton summer fete.

[maggbill]

Hi Medpat,

Thank you for the  information about RAF Halton.  So my 15 year old boy came down from Aberdeen, sent initially to Cranwell in Lincolnshire, then to Eastchurch, Isle of Sheppey, then eventually to RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire from where he very quickly deserted.  Have his records, but wonder if there are any stories of what life would have been like there for these "boys" in the RAF, straight after WW1.  Reminds me of stories of other individuals in my research who were sent off to "The Mars Industrial Training ship" in Dundee (Great book available re this).... bit of a different story cos this boy decided to enlist, wasn't forced, could have seemed a big adventure, and an option for a few good meals a day and some training, but he quickly decided otherwise. 

[MaxD]

A Google search for RAF Apprentices will yield a number of results. Starter here:


https://www.210entry.com/about/

MaxD

[maggbill]

Hi there MaxD
Thank you for this link - and looks like there is quite a bit of info online.  So, if my boy had stuck to it, it looks like he would have been more or less in the first intake of boys to the Apprentice scheme. - He 'deserted" in January 1920.  Might do a search in old Aberdeen newspapers, to see if there were adverts seeking boys for the scheme?  Wonder how they were chosen, were there any academic prerequisites?  Don't know if education was high on the list for my guy.

[MaxD]

Look in newspapers right at the end of 1919 and into 1920.  A  number of articles in relation to the about to be introduced including one in the Aberdeen Press and Journal 2 Aug 1920.  These deal with entry from civilian life by way of competitive exam, he was already serving so his route in would have been different I suspect.

That said, schools also had a staff of general duty men, "cooks and bottle washers" to use a slightly derogatory term, to run the administrative side of the establishments and we can't tell from his record whether he was one of those.
MaxD

[maggbill]

Hi again MaxD
Have tried to have a look for Aberdeen Press... etc., - long time since I have used the archived newspapers.  Appears the Aberdeen Press and Journal not on Google archived newspapers?  Certainly see it on The British Newspaper Archives... and as you say, there are various articles, but I don't subscribe to it - maybe not worth it?
Other point is that this boy actually enlisted on 25th April 1919  - To Cranwell, then to Eastwich, and not even getting to Halton till 7th January 1920 - so does it seem that he deserted even before the actual "apprentices" scheme started?  That he wouldn't have got as far as "competitive exam".  Would there be "Attestation papers" for his enlistment in April 1919? or is that what this document actually is?