JOTTINGS OF AN AIRFRAME FITTER {BOB LONGHURST}
(This was written for a general reading public)

September 1955 aged 15 years and 5 months I joined the RAF as an Aircraft Apprentice at the No 1 Technical Training School, RAF Halton, Bucks.

400 lads of similar age joined with me as the 81st entry. At this point it is necessary to point out that the 400 of us aged between 15+ and 18 spent our first term together sharing all the trials and tribulations of a new boy in any situation. At the end of our first term, apparently to combat fagging or bulling (the practice of new boys carrying out tasks for the senior entries) it was felt something had to be done. My experience of it was mild but some had a hard time.

The 'solution' was to split up the 9 entries all over the camp so that the 74th entry through to the 81st entry found themselves sharing billets, creating squadron/wing esprit de corps, which was multi entry, based. I think it worked to an extent but in January 1956 we, the junior entry, felt very vulnerable. (The 82nd were kept together for their first term)

Pay at that time was not great - 17/6d (87½p) per week. From this 5/- (25p) was compulsory savings to be paid to you at the end of term. {We operated on a university term basis}. 2/6d (12½p) was deducted as National Insurance Contribution. The princely sum of 10/- (50p) was paid to me per week to spend.

The first pay parade was fairly daunting. All line up in a barrack room, divided A-K in one room, L-Z in another. It is treated as a parade so all must be properly dressed for fear of the parade Warrant Officer bawling you out. Imagine the first parade. The pay clerk calls out LAMB. Lamb comes to attention marches forward, halts, calls out the last 3 numbers of his service number, salutes the Paying Officer, collects his money and marches out to the NAAFI to spend his cash. Suddenly, LONGHURST "- Sir! 076", salute, pick up 10 bob and off - painless. (Remember all entries are on parade - I'm only 15 - being in line with chaps up to 20 years' old was daunting).

Then second pay parade - one week later - same procedure.

LONGHURST - "Sir! 076" marches forward, salutes. I stand there mouth open as the Paying Officer counts out £50 in old white fivers! I had never seen so much money. It must have been equivalent to about £1,000 today. I pick it up; move slightly, with mouth still wide open, hundreds are watching, room is silent. I stop and return to the table putting the money down. It is not expected for you to speak except to bawl out your number. I mumble something; I don't know what, confusion! I expect 10/- (50p) and I've got £1,000. I go back into line not sure what to do. There is tension in the room. Again they call out my name, I yell my number and march forward, salute and out come the same £50. I'm a little vague as to how it was resolved expect there was a lot of temperature generated with the Paying Officer checking his lists and the Warrant Officer steaming at me.

I eventually got my 10/- (50p) and learned that another apprentice called LONGHURST 070 had been sick for about a year and this was his accumulated wages. Very tense moments at aged 15 with big boots and a silly looking beret on your head!