RAF CRANWELL APPRENTICE ASSOCIATION (RAFCAA)

The Association was founded in 1985 when Spud Murphy, who started his Apprenticeship at Cranwell in 1928 with the 17th Entry, called together about 180 known ex-Cranwell Apprentices at the Victory Services Club, London for an inaugural luncheon and meeting - 32 years after Apprentice training ceased at Cranwell.

Membership is open to all ex-Apprentices who served part or all of their training at RAF Cranwell and/or RAF Flowerdown. At our peak we had a membership of over 900, comprising about 700 Full Members and some 210 Affiliated members who are mostly wives of deceased members. Unfortunately as the years pass our numbers are inevitably reducing. We are proud that our membership includes the only ex-Cranwell Apprentice who ever became Chief of the Air Staff, MRAF Sir Keith Williamson, and the late Air Marshal Sir Eric Dunn who was Chief Engineer, RAF. We are also proud that in the past we have recruited from the 3rd, 4th and 5th Entries of the early 1920's. Currently our most senior member joined in September 1923 as part of the RAF Cranwell Boys Wing 5th Entry (8th under Halton sequence).
Within the Association we are all on first name or nickname terms; as we were at Cranwell.

Annual membership subscription is £8.50, or £25 for three years. or £50 for six. These subscriptions have been held for a number of years. This covers copies of our journal, "The Cranwell Wheel", and all administrative costs. No other expenditure is required, unless you attend Reunions and other activities, or purchase Association items.

Our Association Annual Reunions / AGMs are held in the autumn as one-day events at various locations. In the past we have been to the RAF College Cranwell; RAF Locking, and RAF Cosford. With RAF Locking closing down and no other RAF Station able to accept us, our 1998 reunion, was held at the University of Warwick. This proved to be a great success and by popular demand we have been going there ever since. Our next reunion is already planned - see the "Activities" page. Reunion/AGM days generally follow the same pattern: arrive mid-morning; meet and greet, with coffee on arrival, and a bar later; and then luncheon at which seating is arranged by Entries. We usually stay at table with our drinks for the AGM itself, which we try to keep informal and short. After that, more meet and greet, tea and biscuits, and we go our various ways during the late afternoon. It is always an enjoyable day, and remarkable how sharp our memories are of 30 or 40 years ago considering how hard it is to remember what we did last week! Many Entries arrange block bookings for themselves and their ladies at local hotels, and extend the Reunion/AGM day to a long weekend with dinners, excursions etc.

JOINING

If you feel that you would like to join us, please contact the Membership Secretary

Alternatively you may send a message by clicking on the Morse Key!