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Force Apprentice history (page 2)
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Nick' Carter qualified as a pilot and was awarded
the DFC. Later for his work in CENTO, he was made a Companion of the
Bath. On retirement from the RAF he moved to Australia, selling property
in Western Australia, quickly selected to be Commandant of the Civil
Defence School in South Australia. He next became the first Director of
the Australian Counter- Disaster College. On retirement at age 65,
he set up his own consultancy, advising South Asian and Pacific
countries, as well as the UN, and produced A Disaster Manager’s
Handbook, still the basic guide. He remained active throughout his life, and died in
Australia aged 87. Coincidentally, or is it, of the 11 Commanding
Officers of the later Administrative Apprentice Training Schools, no
fewer than 4 of them were ex-Ruislipians, however, it must be noted
that the very first Commanding Officer, Wing Commander D A Reddick, OBE,
DFC, was an ex-Halton Aircraft Apprentice. This 'quality checking
process' continued when two ex-Ruislip Apprentice Clerks, Air
Commodore A P Vicary (then AOC RAF Record Office), and Air Commodore M C
M Vau, were Reviewing Officers at the Administrative Apprentice Pass-Out
Parades of the 318th and 322th Entries respectively.
To summarise the efficacy of apprentice training,
the following statistics are offered: 3% of apprentice clerks were
commissioned, four reaching air rank; 16 reaching Group Captain; 51%
reached WO/SNCO rank; 21% were selected for aircrew duties; and 15%
received honours and awards.
Following the success of the RAF Ruislip Apprentice
Clerk Scheme that operated between 1925 and 1942, it was deemed logical
to commence a similar scheme post- war. Accordingly the training of
the newly-titled RAF Administrative Apprentices began in 1947 at
Royal Air Force St Athan. With the increase in the school leaving-age,
and following a review of the training that future apprentices would
require, the syllabi were considerably revised and the Course length
reduced to 12 months.
Another change was in the numbering of Entries
which had previously run from Nos. 1 - 46. Now the revised Entry
numbers started at No. 301 and continued consecutively up to No. 320
then followed Entries numbered 322, 324, 326, with the final Entry being
No. 330.
Individual Entries in the '300' block had more
apprentices than in any of the previous 46 Entries, with the 330th, the
final Entry, peaking at 165 apprentices.