Welcome
to the web site of the 90th
Entry of Aircraft Apprentices at the Royal Air Force No 1 Radio School,
RAF Locking, from September 1958 to July 1961
In mid September of 1958 some 180 of us travelled to R.A.F Locking near Weston Super Mare in Somerset. All of us had passed the required exams to be trained in the radio trades of the R.A.F. The next three years were spent learning many different skills such as polishing floors and brass buttons, ironing uniforms , marching, rifle drill and how to avoid trouble. As well as the above we learnt electrical and electronic theory , fault finding on different types of equipment, workshop techniques and a lot more beside.
Sporting opportunities were good and the social life was not too bad. Remember in those days for the first year we were only allowed out in uniform and if you wanted to smoke your parents had to give permission. Entry to pubs was forbidden and no cars or motor bikes were permitted. This did not stop some of the more adventurous from sampling Somerset "scrumpy" and a few people found some friendly "locals" prepared to garage cars or motor bikes without the knowledge of those in charge.
Not all of us reached the final passing out parade in July 1961 but those that did left as either junior technicians or corporals in one of the three radio trades of Air Radio, Ground Wireless or Ground Radar.
A number of members have been traced and their names are recorded on the entry records page. This requires a password which is the Enttry Motto-All in lower case and no spaces
I would welcome any anecdotes,photographs or memories of our time at Locking and if you have any then please make contact with me and I will place them on the web page with your permission.
A photo gallery and "remember this" page has been set up and the link to these can be found on the entry records page.
The following photo taken in 1961 was sent to me by Malcolm Wilton-Jones. It replaces the original two photos supplied by Pete Bergman
Please complete the following form so we can identify you as an ex member of the 90th entry.
In mid September of 1958 some 180 of us travelled to R.A.F Locking near Weston Super Mare in Somerset. All of us had passed the required exams to be trained in the radio trades of the R.A.F. The next three years were spent learning many different skills such as polishing floors and brass buttons, ironing uniforms , marching, rifle drill and how to avoid trouble. As well as the above we learnt electrical and electronic theory , fault finding on different types of equipment, workshop techniques and a lot more beside.
Sporting opportunities were good and the social life was not too bad. Remember in those days for the first year we were only allowed out in uniform and if you wanted to smoke your parents had to give permission. Entry to pubs was forbidden and no cars or motor bikes were permitted. This did not stop some of the more adventurous from sampling Somerset "scrumpy" and a few people found some friendly "locals" prepared to garage cars or motor bikes without the knowledge of those in charge.
Not all of us reached the final passing out parade in July 1961 but those that did left as either junior technicians or corporals in one of the three radio trades of Air Radio, Ground Wireless or Ground Radar.
A number of members have been traced and their names are recorded on the entry records page. This requires a password which is the Enttry Motto-All in lower case and no spaces
I would welcome any anecdotes,photographs or memories of our time at Locking and if you have any then please make contact with me and I will place them on the web page with your permission.
A photo gallery and "remember this" page has been set up and the link to these can be found on the entry records page.
The following photograph
was sent to me by Paul Davess and shows the 90th entry at the
start of our time
at Locking.
The following photo taken in 1961 was sent to me by Malcolm Wilton-Jones. It replaces the original two photos supplied by Pete Bergman
Please complete the following form so we can identify you as an ex member of the 90th entry.