Milestones in the RAFAC

[incubus]

RAFAC = ATC & CCF(RAF) since the dawn of time, it isn’t a new organisation

Are we sure about that? Whatever the term used to describe RAFAC/ACO, were the ATC and CCF(RAF) considered to be under a single umbrella organisation since 1948 or were they initially fully distrinct, but lumped together at a later date?

[big_g]

they were ‘local’ groupings not much bigger than modern sectors and just called themselves Wings to sort of formalise and not wide geographic and administrative entities.
I say this as I remember speaking with a couple of old boys who were ADCC/ATC cadets on my old cadet squadron and they only ever had dealings with 2 other squadrons, arranging football matches and other competitions and they were part if a ‘wing’ of 7 squadrons, but never anyone of anything of the others. I suppose they had to rely on buses and trains as cars for the mass

No, they were wings… BUT it was set up not like today but more in line with numbers of squadrons. What is not West Scotland wing were originally about 4 wings…
A Sqn had to have at least about 150 cadets and a committee willing to fund to approx £75/year (this is from memory) before it got sqn status by the time the ATC was founded Glasgow was the biggest wing in the UK with over 7 squadrons and about 4000 cadets!!

My best friend is OC 32F (1st Scottish) Sqn and the information, pictures he has is pretty good including a visitors book Signed with in month the the ATC being formed by Chamier.

[tmmorris]

I’m not sure when the merger started but they were definitely separate organisations in 1948; as were the CCF(RN) and the SCC, which have continued to be entirely separate despite officers wearing the same rank braid. Indeed even the officers were RNR(CCF) and RNR(SCC), whereas ours have at least always been the same RAFVR(T) and now RAFAC.

The main CCF milestone you might want to mention in a history of just the ATC is the formation of the CCF in 1948; this led to the disbandment of many school based ATC sqns which were remustered as CCF(RAF) sections. At least one school still wears the old ATC sqn number on the brassard - and I’m thinking of doing the same at some point.

[daws1159]

Have to hope that they don’t reissue the Squadron number!

[tmmorris]

Indeed though new squadrons aren’t exactly the current preoccupation!

Hands off 1056 please…

[Scrounger]

^^^^^^This

[Moist_Van_Lipwig]

Have you asked if your squadron has a copy of the ‘History of the ATC’ DVD that was issued to squadrons a while back?

That would be a good place to start, as would Googling “ACP 31, Volume 1” and reading through chapter 1.

Depending on your angle, you may want to include the LaSER review, and the introduction of Sgt and FS as staff ranks, the gliding “Pause”, and the recent introduction of the Cadet Forces Commission.