No 1 School of Technical Training (No 1 S of TT) is the
Royal Air Force'sThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
aircraft engineering school. From 1919 to 1993, the No 1 S of TT was based at
RAF HaltonRoyal Air Force Station Halton, more commonly known as RAF Halton is one of the larger Royal Air Force stations in the United Kingdom, located near the village of Halton near Wendover, Buckinghamshire....
and from 1920 until 1993 the School was the home of the Aircraft Apprentice Scheme. This scheme, which included Sir Frank Whittle "father of the jet engine", trained RAF
technicianA technician is generally someone in a technological field who has a relatively practical understanding of the general theoretical principles of that field, e.g., as compared to an engineer in that field. They are generally much more versed in technique compared to the average layman, or even the...
s on a 3 year course, the graduates of which were the best trained technicians in the RAF and would usually go on to become Senior NCOs.
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No 1 School of Technical Training (No 1 S of TT) is the
Royal Air Force'sThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
aircraft engineering school. From 1919 to 1993, the No 1 S of TT was based at
RAF HaltonRoyal Air Force Station Halton, more commonly known as RAF Halton is one of the larger Royal Air Force stations in the United Kingdom, located near the village of Halton near Wendover, Buckinghamshire....
and from 1920 until 1993 the School was the home of the Aircraft Apprentice Scheme. This scheme, which included Sir Frank Whittle "father of the jet engine", trained RAF
technicianA technician is generally someone in a technological field who has a relatively practical understanding of the general theoretical principles of that field, e.g., as compared to an engineer in that field. They are generally much more versed in technique compared to the average layman, or even the...
s on a 3 year course, the graduates of which were the best trained technicians in the RAF and would usually go on to become Senior NCOs. However, quite a few ex-apprentices went on the achieve Air Rank, as commissioined officers.
From 1964 the school trained craft apprentices on a newly developed 2 year long apprenticeship. 201 entry was the first of these Craft Apprentice entries. Sgt Craft Apprentice Glenn Morton of
203 entry was the first craft apprentice to receive a direct entry commission after graduating from Halton. The current senior serving member of the
RAF Halton Aircraft Apprentices Association is Air Vice-Marshal Nick Kurth CBE, who joined the RAF as a member of 231 entry.
The RAF Aircraft Apprentice Scheme was initiated by Lord Trenchard at the No.1 School of Technical Training, RAF Halton in 1922. Lord Trenchard started the 'Aircraft Apprentice Scheme' in 1920 at Halton camp, but the site was not ready to accept apprentices until 1922 (See Tribute). The first 4 Entries were sent to 'RAF Cranwell' and the first HALTON Entry was the 5th Entry in 1922. Between 1922 and 1993, when the scheme ended, over 40,000 young men known, more or less affectionately as Halton 'Brats' had graduated. 155 were the last entry to pass out in 1993.
In 1952 the No 1 S of TT received royal recognition when
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth IIElizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known informally as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,...
presented the School with a
colourIn military organizations, the practice of carrying colours, standards or Guidons, to act both as a rallying point for troops, and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt some 5,000 years ago...
. The colour was received on behalf of the school by the 63rd Entry of aircraft apprentices; the colour party being Sergeant Aircraft Apprentice (S/A/A) F.M. Hines, and identical twins S/A/A's Clive and Richard Grant.
From 1993 to the present, the No 1 S of TT has been based at the Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering, Cosford (formerly
RAF Cosford).
Commandants
- Air Cdre
Air Commodore is an air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
F R ScarlettAir Vice Marshal Francis Rowland Scarlett CB, DSO, RAF was born on 18 May 1875. He joined the Royal Navy in 1891 and in April 1913 he attended the Central Flying School. From that point onwards his military career was concerned with the delivery of air power, first in the Royal Naval Air Service...
8 Dec 1919 to 27 Feb 1924
- Air Cdre C L Lambe
Air Vice Marshal Sir Charles Laverock Lambe KCB, CMG, DSO, RAF was born on 10 May 1875. He joined the Royal Navy in 1891 and following a distinguished career in the Royal Navy he transferred to the Royal Air Force. In 1919 Lambe was selected by Lord Trenchard to sit on the Air Council and in 1924...
28 Feb 1924 to 31 Mar 1928
- Air Cdre I M Bonham-Carter
Air Commodore Ian Malcolm Bonham-Carter CB, OBE, RAF was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force.After his education at Haileybury, Ian Bonham-Carter was commissioned into the Northumberland Fusiliers in 1900. Bonham-Carter served in the 5th Battalion and then the 1st Battalion of the...
1 Apr 1928 to 30 Sep 1931
- AVM N D K MacEwen
Air Vice Marshal Sir Norman Duckworth Kerr MacEwen CB, CMG, DSO, RAF was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during the first half of the 20th century.-Army career:...
1 Oct 1931 to 26 Dec 1934
- Air Cdre J T Babington 27 Dec 1934 to 9 Jul 1936
- Air Cdre G R M Reid
- Air Cdre G B Dacre
- AVM O Swann
Air Vice Marshal Sir Oliver Swann KCB, CBE, RAF , born Oliver Schwann, was a leading figure in the Royal Naval Air Service and senior commander in the Royal Air Force during the first half of the 20th century....
- Air Cdre G B Dacre
- Air Cdre H G White
- Air Cdre J F Titmus
- Air Cdre N Carter
- Air Cdre J G Elton
- Air Cdre J G W Weston
- Air Cdre G N E Tindal-Carill-Worsley
- Air Cdre E D McK Nelson
- Air Cdre T N Coslett
- Air Cdre B Robinson
- Air Cdre D M Strong
- Air Cdre A C Deere
Air Commodore Alan Christopher "Al" Deere, DSO, OBE, DFC & Bar , was a New Zealand Spitfire pilot in the Battle of Britain and author of Nine Lives.-Early life:...
- Air Cdre H P Connelly
- Air Cdre R H G Weighill
- Air Cdre B Hamilton
- Air Cdre M P Stanton
- Gp Capt J P Downes
- Gp Capt O J Truelove
- Gp Capt M J Evans
- Gp Capt S P Rarsons
- Gp Capt R H Kyle
- Gp Capt S M Williamson-Noble
- Gp Capt I R Blunt
- Gp Capt R Brumpton
- Gp Capt G O Burton
External links