Air Training


No. 680 (BEMROSE SCHOOL) SQUADRON OF THE AIR TRAINING CORPS Bill Grattidge Bemrose School 1936 - December 1941

"Mr A L Brown, Maths teacher (pictured on the accompanying photograph, front row, right of centre) was commissioned as Flight Lieutenant and was Commanding Officer, and Mr John Harbach, Physics teacher, second-in-command, as Flying Officer. Later on Mr Pritchard and Mr Roger (Pongo) Molyneux became officers also." "Burnaston Aerodrome, on the Burton Road – now the ‘Toyota’ site – was opened in about 1937 as Derby Airport and, on the outbreak of war was commandeered as No. 16 Initial Training Wing (ITW) for the RAF." "The landing area was entirely grass, there were no concrete runways, and one of the hazards of an overshot landing into the prevailing wind was that the Etwall sewage farm was in those days at the south-western end of the airfield!. Sometimes these flights were quite exciting as the qualified pilots who took the cadets up were “veterans” in their early twenties and didn’t resist the temptation to impress (or try to scare) the youthful cadets." "Social activities included joint dances with the Women’s Junior Air Corps and some long-lasting romances blossomed as a result."		The Air Training Corps (A.T.C.) was formed on 8^th February 1941 and 680 (Bemrose School) Squadron came into being on that day and was disbanded at the end of WWII. A similar organisation – The Air Defense Cadet Corps had existed prior to that, locally as No. 126 Squadron at Alvaston and in fact still exists today. The officers who were appointed were masters (I supposed we would call them teachers these days) at the school. Mr. A L Brown, Maths teacher (pictured on the accompanying photograph, front row, right of centre) was commissioned as Flight Lieutenant and was Commanding Officer, and Mr John Harbach, Physics teacher, second-in-command, as Flying Officer. Later on Mr. Pritchard and Mr. Roger (Pongo) Molyneux became officers also. The squadron soon developed into two ‘Flights’; a ‘School’ Flight (minimum age 14 years) and an ‘Old Boys’ Flight. On the photograph, the cadets with the white ‘flash’ in their caps were awaiting call-up as they had already been accepted for Aircrew training in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and they were required to attend ATC training whilst awaiting their call-up papers. All of the cadets met for training twice a week at school, and took part in various local mass parades from time to time. Many of us went to Burnaston Aerodrome at weekends to assist in various ways with ground staff duties. Burnaston Aerodrome, on the Burton Road – now the ‘Toyota’ site – was opened in about 1937 as Derby Airport and, on the outbreak of war was commandeered as No. 16 Initial Training Wing (ITW) for the RAF. Student pilots were trained thereon Tiger Moth (biplane) and Miles Magister (monoplane) aircraft. The civilian manager of the aerodrome became the Commanding Officer as Wing Commander Roy Harben.. The ATC cadets could often avail themselves of the opportunities of a flight in these aircraft – sometimes as a passenger on a test flight after an aircraft overhaul, or repair following a ‘prang’ when one of the u/t (under training) pilots had misjudged his landing. The landing area was entirely grass, there were no concrete runways, and one of the hazards of an overshot landing into the prevailing wind was that the Etwall sewage farm was in those days at the south-western end of the airfield!. Sometimes these flights were quite exciting as the qualified pilots who took the cadets up were “veterans” in their early twenties and didn’t resist the temptation to impress (or try to scare) the youthful cadets. The cadets also had the chance to practice in the Link Trainer – an early version of a flight simulator, not particularly sophisticated by modern standards but certainly scary when practicing a simulated night landing and getting into an uncontrollable spin! The cadets also enjoyed glider training. The gliders were launched by being towed across the grass until airborne by means of a barrage balloon winch. The biggest problem was the worry about whether the equally amateurish winch driver would fail to change gear cleanly (no synchromesh gearboxes in those days) and the glider would overtake the cable with frightening results when it caught up again. Another activity at Burnaston was rifle training. I remember one occasion when, having fired six rounds at my target I discovered 12 holes in it – the lad next to me had fired at my target by mistake. Social activities included joint dances with the Women’s Junior Air Corps and some long-lasting romances blossomed as a result. In the photograph I am the diminutive figure at the extreme right. Having been declared unfit for flying duties on medical grounds and being a Rolls-Royce Engineering Apprentice, and therefore exempt from call-up, I became the Squadron Flight Sergeant, if only because of length of service! One of my unusual duties was to be asked in May 1943 to teach Drill and Morse Code to No.3 Unit of the Women’s Junior Air Corps which met at the then Clarence Road School. I was asked as successor to my fellow cadet and former form-mate Harold Dunn who had joined the Fleet Air Arm. (Sadly Harold died in a flying training accident later.) Anyway, as a result of this duty I met Cadet Patricia Toone and we were married on July 24, 1948 – but that’s another story. Several of the cadets in the photograph still live locally. A number of them were, or became apprentices at Rolls Royce. In those wartime days, work at RR was listed as a Reserved Occupation which meant that employees were not called up into the Forces unless they volunteered (and were accepted) for Aircrew duties. On the photograph at least six (i.e. members of the Old Boys Flight) were apprentices at RR and made it their career and another of those cadets was later Mayor of Derby. ~ Bill Grattidge