FYI 1939 Glasgow wing had the largest amount of sqns and cadets.
I repeat 1939 Glasgow Wing… In case you missed it WING
Yes the corps was even back then grouped into
W I N G S
Whilst you would really like to have the sqn as your personal play thing we can all be glad someone out there has the unenviable position of trying to keep you in check…
Single Joint Cadet Force headed by one 1* on rotation. Single HQ. Single set of policies.
It’ll never happen, obvs.
Let’s not get too heated, please. Keep sticking to the original topic.
It’s also worth noting that some squadrons covered multiple locations. My old unit, 1064 (Honiton) was originally called 1064 (East Devon) and had buildings in Sidmouth, Axminster and Lyme Regis, as well as Honiton.
Indeed, as did ours - 1056 Sqn had two units based at Radley College (Radley College and Eastbourne College, who were here for the Duration), one at Abingdon School, and one at Abingdon Town (later 2121 DF then 2121 Sqn). The remnants of 1056 became CCF(RAF) sections in 1948.
@big_g We had a local “Wing” comprised of the 6 sqns that formed under ADCC and from '41 ATC, but Wings were not formally established until 1947/48. Note the word ‘formally’, the first ‘wings’ were an informal grouping, but the sqns seemed to their own thing. I imagine in large conurbations with lots of sqns close together it would have been easier. I got to know a bloke who joined my old cadet sqn in 1940 and he said they only really met other cadets when they did a weekend at one of the local RAF Stations. He did say there was boxing , football and athletics where sqns got together, but that was at most those close to the location of the activity as they could cycle or get on a bus. Imagine that today.
But my thing is losing Regions. I have seen through my working life ‘regional’ offices and associated management and lots of ‘middle management’ jobs go. Unless it’s a public sector job protection thing, Regions, RCs and other middles management roles could go and we’d not notice it. Outside in the real world the ATCs regional offices would have gone 20 years ago.
But it would take a really strong CEO, in our case CAC, to even say it out loud and I’m not convinced we’ve ever had one. The only one presented with this option, bottled it. The default for reducing anything is lose sqns, under the delusion of much discussed thinking.
Why do you say that? Region has a senior RAF Officer and possibly two CS, so a loss of 12 CS posts if you go down your route. Bid deal…,
Yawn…
Can WHQs make it happen already then? As that’s not my experience.
Nope.
But you can register for the update service FOC and then use that every 3 years.
If the website works at any point in the period you have to register…
I queried the process when applying to return to the organisation as my experience of doing them a number of times for football coaching was straightforward. Fill in online and take id to verifier which was county FA initially and then after a course club welfare officer was authorised. Told all RAFAC had to be on paper and go through MoD civil service team at Cheadle Hulme. Took them 2 weeks acknowledging receipt of form and ID proofs to start it processing and then I was unfortunately in one go the slower police force areas so took an age to get sorted.
I think the difference in experience is possibly RAF Vs RAFAC HQ processes but as soon as I got the certificate number through the portal I registered for the update service, free for volunteers and has to be done annually to keep it. You only have 30 days from issue of cert to register.
Expeditions are very hard to set up! The rest we can do. Its good they bought in the special certificate this year for the other 3 sections. I usually give my cadets section certificates to show they completed them to put in their portfolio. Although they arent the official ones as i cant afford to buy those.
Why not use the real thing; doesn’t your unit pay for them? If not, why not. Like you say, a great way of highlighting achievements
I’ve never known a unit pay for them, massive waste of money.
Hi,
I dont know where to get them from? They are not on D of E essentials. I have seen them somewhere.
I generally print certificates off quicker and cheaper. My Squadron raises money for minibuses etc. I was told they dont want to buy them. I also was told by ‘a uniform’ that cadets dont want the certificates. I disagree, but there you go.
Even at 30 I still have mine filed away… They mean something
They are - under certificates and badges? Just looked.
The Award Certificates are fantastic, but the individual section certificates are a waste of time for most cadets.