The Cranwell Electrical and Wireless School Boy Entrants Association

1971 - 2004

The CEWSBEA was formed at a meeting at Cranwell in November 1971.

Members were all ex-Boy Entrants, numbering just over 3000 in total, who trained at Cranwell between 1934 and 1940 as Wireless Operators in the first place, while later some trained as Electricians and Instrument Repairers.

At the end of the period, a few trained as Teleprinter Operators when Wireless Telegraphy was being replaced by Teleprinter lines for inter Group and Station correspondence.

Their service numbers cover the range 550000 to 554129, with the first dying recently in a Cheshire Home, and the last dying in action during the war.

Our research is not anything like complete, there are hundreds against whom we have "Nothing Known".

At the AGM in 2004 it was decided to disband the Association as it had had "reached the end of the road."

An article titled (Click to view) "Closure - A sad yet glorius day!" written by John Ward, the RAFBEA Archivist & Historian, appears on their web site.

On being notified of the closure of the CEWSBEA, the committee of the RAFBEA decided unanimously that all 1934-1940 boys would be afforded honorary membership of the RAFBEA if they so wished. Many accepted, as did Photographers (Farnborough) and Armourers (Eastchurch). All the pre-war lads are held in high esteem by the rest of the RAFBEA membership.

CEWSBEA Link

Dr. Lesley Robertson, daughter of 553355 WO A Robertson, one of the leading organisers of the Cranwell Electrical and Wireless Boy Entrants Association runs a web site which has a several pages devoted to the Cranwell and Electrical and Wireless Boy Entrants.

CEWSBEA Welcome Page

RAFBEA Links

RAFBEA Home Page and CEWSBEA Index Page

Activities

The Association used to hold an annual AGM and Re-union at Cranwell over a Saturday evening and Sunday morning, usually being accommodated in the old barrack blocks used in the 1930's.
These meetings are now discontinued.

However, the Secretary will continue to send out an occasional Newsletter for those wishing to keep in touch.

For any details please contact The Secretary — Rev. C.M.H. Frere at cmh.frere(at)ntlworld.com

The Book of Their Memoirs

Between the years 1934-1940, some 3000 young men, or boys as they were regarded in those days, between the ages of 15¾ and 17 enlisted in the Royal Air Force as Boy Entrants and were sent to No.1 Electrical & Wireless School, Cranwell, Lincolnshire for training.

The subsequent service careers of these boys was as diverse as their individual personalities. Some fell by the wayside during training, either through inability to absorb the complexities of the course or through illness. Around 600 are recorded as war casualties, many of these will have been among the 55,000 lives lost in Bomber Command between 1940 and 1945.

They all started their period of service with high hopes and with the courage and cheerfulness so ably demonstrated among the youth of those days. They deserve to be remembered.

This is their story.

Price £5 plus £1 p&p.
Enquire of Michael Frere at cmh.frere(at)ntlworld.com

Edited CEWSBEA Signals

Not seeking anyone, but thought a note of my brother may still be of interest to any of his fellow boy entrants still around.

Don't know his entry number but he joined up at Cranwell in 1936 and trained as a wireless operator.
Service number 551093.

Died in 1975.

He was responsible for me, ten years younger, joining the first post-war entry of Boy Entrants in May 1947 (service number 1920014).

Tony Baylis
info(at)tonybay.co.uk
August 2004

Fraternal Greetings,

I came across your web site quite by accident and found it very informative.

I am also 44th Entry training as a Ground Wireless Mechanic at Cosford between Sept 1961 and March 1963. In fact, you mention me as a contact within the RAFBEA though my email address has changed.

I have in fact recently created a web site devoted to the 44th Entry and shall be including a link to your site. The site is: www.44th-entry.org.uk

I number a few friends who were Boy Entrants at Cranwell.
One of them is Bill Smith of the 1938 entry and a member of the RAFBEA.

May I wish you continued success with your site, if I can be of any service I would be honoured to help.
Kindest Regards.

Tom Brown
teeohemm(at)44th-entry.org.uk
August 2004

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