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This Web Page was initially raised by the Webmaster based upon data held in the RAF Cranwell Association Database. We are aware that the Database contains errors and omissions. Therefore we request your assistance to correct any errors in the following.

RAF AIRCRAFT APPRENTICES
0M1 / 55th Entry No.1 Radio School RAF Cranwell
1947 - 1949

Entry Representative: Cliff Blake

0M1 / 55th at Cranwell

The Entry started with 91 original members, then gained 10 for further training from earlier Entries, giving an overall figure of 101. Similarly 11 were transferred to later Entries, 3 re-mustered to other trades, and 12 were discharged. This left 75 to Pass Out as nominal 0M1 / 55th.

The passing-out parade in December 1949 included 67 of the original members. The parade Inspecting Officer was Air Marshal Sir Hugh Walmsley, Deputy Chief of Air Staff. Sgt. A/A Clark D.A. was in charge of the parade, Sgt. A/A Edwards D.J. was in charge of the Entry, and Sgt. A/A Tongue T.W. was the Parade Warrant Officer.

Also on parade were:

Air Marshal Sir John Whitworth Jones, Air Officer Commanding Tech. Training Command.

Air Commodore E.H. Richardson, Air Officer Commanding No.27 Group

Air Commodore G.R. Beamish, Air Officer Commanding RAF Cranwell

Group Captain H.A. Evans-Evans, Officer Commanding No.1 Radio School

Wing Commander H.P. Simpson, Officer Commanding Apprentices Wing

On the Technical side prizes were presented to:

Cpl A/A Allinson R.W.	Radio Fitter (Ground) 1st prize
Cpl A/A Jones J.A.	Radio Fitter (Ground) 2nd prize.
Sgt A/A Edwards D.J.	Radio Fitter (Air) 1st prize.
Leading A/A Bennell D.A.	Radio Fitter (Air) 2nd prize

Sgt. A/A Edwards also had the Highest Educational Marks, Highest Aggregate Marks, and was first in General Service Subjects. Leading A/A Langton R.T. received the Victor Ludorum Trophy.

D.J. Edwards, D.A. Clark, and G. Willis went on to the RAF College. Edwards rose to the rank of Air Commodore CBE AFC before sadly dying in1983 from leukaemia. Clark rose to rank of Squadron Leader before sadly dying in 1977 following an operation on his tongue. Willis also became a Squadron Leader before retiring in 1969.

The Entry List below is presented in alphabetical order:

ENTRY ROLL CALL

Key:

KNOWN DECEASED

ASSOCIATION MEMBER

NON-MEMBER

UNTRACED

NUMBER	SURNAME	INITS	KNOWN AS	CLASS	REMARKS
583586	Addison	C A	"Mike"	0M1
583696	Ager	N J	Neville	0M1C	Association Member.
583519	Allinson	R W	Ron	0M1A	Association Member.
583810	Baker	G W	Bill	0M1A
583313	Baldwin	T A		9M9	Ceased Training.
583282	Barratt	G M		9M9	Joined with 54th Entry.
583709	Bates	G R	Gordon	0M1A	Ceased Training.
582800	Beckley	P A	Peter	9M3C	Joined with 52nd Entry. Association Member.
583623	Bennell	D A	Don	0M1D
583624	Blake	C H	Cliff	0M1D	Association Member.
583783	Bowen	T C		0M1A	Passed Out with 56th Entry.
583756	Brennan	D E	Dennis	0M1E	Association Member.
583782	Bristow	G R	Dicky	0M1F
583695	Bryce	R	Bob	0M1B
583743	Chew	K	Keith	0M1D
583635	Churcher	J W	John	0M1C	Died 11th December 1994.
583727	Clark	D A V	Des (Nobby)	0M1B	Died 13th February 1973.
583808	Collingbourn	R	Ray	0M1F	Passed Out with 56th Entry. Association Member.
583539	Collins	A H		0M1B
583306	Cornell	L J	John (Chunky)	9M9D	Joined with 54th Entry.
583512	Crellin	J H		0M1A	Retired 4th Sept 1984 as Flt Lt Eng. Branch.
583590	Davis	L N	Les	0M1D
583533	Denyer	R W	Dicky	0M1A	Died 1962.
583333	Devall	G A	George	9M9A	Joined with 54th Entry. Association Member.
583711	Dodds	A	Alf	0M1E	Died 17th May 1987.
583558	Doherty	M R	Dick	0M1A	Association Member.
583576	Donaghue	A A	Alan	0M1E
583577	Drain-Lowe	P J	Peter	0M1D	Died date Not Known.
583649	Du Feu	D F	Derrick	0M1D
583552	Duhigg	L J	Les	0M1D	Passed Out with 57th Entry. Died 12th August 2001.
583792	Edwards	D J	Dave	0M1D	Died 1983.
583546	Emmett	M	Mick	0M1D
583729	Farmer	P B	Peter (Bruce, Pete)	0M1E	Died 2nd May 2006.
583657	Forrester	C	Colin	0M1F
583784	Fowler	D J	David (Cherokee)	0M1C
583537	Fowler	R A	Bob	0M1B	Association Member.
583670	Gauld	D H F		0M1D	Ceased Training.
583740	Grealy	P B	Pat	0M1B	Ceased Training.
583648	Green	R K		0M1A	Remustered to Fitter II E
583592	Gregory	P R	Peter	0M1D
583559	Halliday	J R	John (Jock)	0M1B
583790	Hamnett	J	Jeff	0M1A	Died 1967.
583549	Handley	V		0M1D	Ceased Training.
583728	Handley	R	Roy	0M1	Passed Out with 56th Entry. Association Member.
583798	Hardon	R A	Ron (Allan)	0M1A
583641	Harries	D R	David	0M1B	Association Member.
583514	Harris	D E	Dave	0M1A	GD Branch. Retired 22nd Jan 1968.
583795	Henry	T R	Tom	0M1	Passed Out with 56th Entry.
583702	Hewett	R W S	Roland (Roly)	0M1E	Died 28th August 2007.
583632	Holloway	W F J	Bill (Archie)	0M1B	Association Member.
583530	Jones	J A	Alan	0M1A	Association Member.
583780	Jordan	M M	Maurice (Geordie)	0M1C	Ceased Training. Died 22nd March 2003.
583667	Jukes	P W	"Rocky"	0M1F	Ceased Training.
583805	Kent	A R	Tony	0M1F	Died 15th December 1990.
583693	Kimberley	K J	Ken	0M1E
583563	Lamming	B E	Brian	0M1	Died 3rd September 1998.
583643	Langton	R T H	Bob	0M1E	Association Member.
583726	Lowrence	R	Rod	0M1D	Died 8th February 1997.
583689	Maddox	W F	Bill	0M1D	Association Member.
583627	Martin	M A	Mick	0ME1	Passed Out with 56th Entry. GD Branch. Retired 21st Jan. 1969.
583797	Mawdsley	W	Bill	0M1B
583704	May	D R		0M1B	GD Branch Flt.Lt. Retired 6th April 1969.
583658	McCoye	D A	Dave	0M1E	Died 18th April 2006.
583614	McDonald	A		0M1D	Ceased Training.
583799	McIntyre	T F	Terry	0M1A
583597	McKie	S A	Stan	0M1A
583631	Nockels	R L	Bob	0M1F
583528	Notman	D J	Don	0M1C	Remustered to Wireless Mech. Died October 1993.
583725	Patrick	T N	Tom (Paddy)	0M1	Passed Out with 56th Entry.
583714	Peppercorn	J S G	John	0M1C
583536	Phelps	H M	"Baldy"	0M1A
583651	Pierce	R	Ron	0M1	Ceased Training. Died 3rd June 2008.
583581	Pughe	D O M	Doug	0M1C	Died 8th February 2010.
583109	Ralphs	D W	Des	0M1F	Joined with 53rd Entry. Died January 1989.
583802	Readman	W B	Bill	0M1F
583515	Redmond	N F		0M1C	Ceased Training.
583584	Rowe	R	Reg	0M1C	Died 12th November 2000.
583172	Russell	E W	Eric (Russ)	9M9	Joined with 54th Entry. Association Member.
583666	Salter	R A		0M1D	Passed Out with 56th Entry.
583637	Scrivener	D E	Derek	0M1D	Passed Out with 56th Entry. Died 1997.
583469	Skelton	G W	Gordon	9M9	Joined with 54th Entry.
583296	Slatter	L E	Sam (Lloyd)	9M9	Joined with 54th Entry. Association Member.
583566	Smith	J G	Gordon	0M1E	Died 30th March 2006.
583600	Smith	K E	Ken	0M1B
583601	Snelling	R L J	Ray	0M1D
583569	Sparks	D B		0M1D	Passed Out with 56th Entry.
583567	Spittle	F V	Frank (Taffy)	0M1E
583801	Stott	P A L	Peter	0M1E	Died February 1987.
583568	Stringer	B	Brian	0M1D
583606	Symes	L	Les	0M1A
583534	Telford	M		0M1A	Education Branch. Retired 31st Aug 1972.
583551	Thwaites	A J	Alan (Al)	0M1B
583677	Tomlinson	R C A	Ralph	0M1F
583585	Tongue	T W	Trevor	0M1B	Died date Not Known.
583638	Tootill	J F	John	0M1F
583522	Wardrop	A L	Andy (Jock)	0M1F	Died 9th October 2007.
583550	Whelan	B		0M1A	Ceased Training.
583715	Wild	A L	"Isaac"	0M1B	Remustered to Engine Mechanic.
583571	Willis	G		0M1D	GD (Equip) Branch. Retired 1st Jan 1969.
583807	Wilson	P	Peter	0M1E

Recent History

	THE STORY SO FAR
1984	Sqn.Ldr. Murphy founded the RAF Cranwell Apprentices Association.
1985	The 0M1's got Roly Hewett to organise an Entry sub-group.
1986	19 of us met at Hendon and held the inaugural meeting.
1987	21 met at Sleaford for dinner and visited Cranwell.
1990	Cliff Blake took over from Roly Hewett as Entry Representative.
1990	6 met at Hendon for Battle of Britain Anniversary.
1994	6 met at Southampton as a local Meet
1997	19 plus 16 lady partners had a reunion weekend at Newbury.
2000	14 plus 13 lady partners had a reunion weekend at Kenilworth
2002	8 plus 6 lady partners had a reunion weekend at Worcester
2003	8 plus 6 lady partners had a reunion weekend in Jersey for The Flower Parade.
2004	4 plus 3 lady partners had a reunion weekend in Bristol for The Balloon Fiesta.
2005	8 plus 7 lady partners had a reunion weekend in Portsmouth for The Festival of the Sea.

Golden Entry Speech at RAFCAA AGM/Reunion - 2000, by Bill Maddox

Patron, Mr President, Mr Chairman, Honoured Guests and Fellow Members.

On the bright, clear and very cold morning of 23rd January 1947, 91 newly attested apprentices of the 55th Entry left Halton for Cranwell. On the journey snow began to fall and settle: arrived at Cranwell, it was already over an inch deep, and didn't disappear before the end of April - by which time we were fully qualified snow and ice clearer's.

At Cranwell we were miraculously transform into the 0M1 Entry. An awesomely smart SAA "Piss" Poore introduced us to a banister burnishing fetish.

We were "E" Squadron of the Apprentice Wing with "shit & custard" hatbands: we later took over the red & blue of "C" Squadron when the Polish entries Passed Out. We were always hungry - oh for a Corporal Cook like the one at Cosford who told us at the 155th Passing Out Parade "go on have some more - there's plenty." Our progress was much like any other entry. We had our share of NCO AA's, of bandsmen, sportsmen, and those more dedicated to studies. Of the latter Dave Edwards stands out - I don't recall him relaxing at all. He was to become our most senior officer as Air Commodore Edwards CBE AFC, prematurely taken from us by leukaemia.

Of the original 91, 67 Passed Out as 0M1, together with 9 "retreads" from the 9M5 and 9M9 Entries.

0M1's have also occupied responsible posts since leaving the Service, including design and test of equipments for the Services, and also participated in a variety of Space Programmes which included Giotto - the Halley's Comet interceptor. Roy Handley has been the Project Manager of multi-million pound sterling international communications installations. Guernsey were supplied with Chief Constable - Derrick Du Feu, and a town in Canada with a Mayor - Les Davis.

In this our 50th year since Passing Out, it is fitting too, to remember those who cannot be with us today, whether seriously ill like Gordon Smith, or those that have died. Apart from Dave Edwards, we have lost "Nobby" Clarke, Dicky Denyer (aged only 32), Alf Dodds, Peter Drain-Lowe, Jeff Hamnett, Tony Kent, Brian Lamming, Rod Lawrence, Don Notman, Des Ralphs, Derek Scrivener, Peter Stott and Trevor Tongue.

I will now pass you over to David Taylor, a member of the Entry who relieved us of the title "Junior Entry", and promoted us also to Senior Entry, "C" Squadron.

Our Newsletter

Of course we keep in touch with a Newsletter, and from 1990 there have been two issues per year around January / February and July / August, with an occasional summer or winter extra in between.

It is produced on a word processor rather than a DTP package, and the aim is to insert members' letters as written, rather than reporting in the third person. In this way the news content is not reduced. A few letters are suitable as received, but some need a bit of editing to cut out repetition, personal statements, etc, or insert clarification in square brackets.

A six monthly statement of expenses is included to give account to those who have donated towards photocopying and postage.

Subscription rates for the Cranwell Apprentices Association have also been stated for information.

Other RAF or AA news is often covered, along with handy information on things like telephone number changes, and snippets of recent electronic development.

In the past half-tone black & white photos have been included, but a colour sheet now carries photos of reunion groups.

Contact: webmaster@rafcaa.org.uk
The RAFCAA is Registered under Charities Act 1960 - No. 1007716