The
Air Training Corps is a national voluntary youth organization
designed to develop the qualities of young people. It is sponsored
by the Royal Air Force and provides challenging aviation, adventurous
and community activities. The motto of the Air Training corps
is Venture Adventure.
The
aims of the Air Training Corps:
1. To promote and encourage among young men and women a practical
interest in aviation and the Royal Air Force.
2. To provide training which will be useful both in the services
and in civil life.
3.To foster the spirit of adventure and to develop the qualities
of leadership and good citizenship.
These
aims are achieved by:
1.
Providing progressive training in aviation related subjects.
2. Encouraging participation in a variety of activities including
adventure training, flying and gliding and citizenship training.
3. Developing personal qualities such as initiative, resourcefulness
and the ability to work successfully as a member of a team.
History
The
Air Cadet Movement owes much of its existence to Air Commodore J
A Chamier, known as the father of the air cadet movement.
The
the son of a Major-General and himself originally an army
officer, he learnt to fly and was loaned to the Royal Flying
Corps (the predecessor of the Royal Air Force) during World War
1. Upon its formation he joined the Royal Air Force in 1919 and
eventually retired from service in 1929.
Upon
retirement, he became the Secretary-General of the Air League -
an organisation made up of people who could see a strong future
for aviation and who wanted to promote this still new area. With
a rising interest in aviation and war again brewing in Europe,
Air Commodore Chamier decided to start an aviation cadet corps.
In
1938 the Air Defence Cadet Corps (ADCC) was formed. The idea
being to recruit and train young men from throughout the country
in aviation skills. There was a big need for highly skilled
aviators and support personnel if air combat /power was going to
be used as a military resource. The ADCC was organised and run
by local people in many towns and cities.
Air
Commodore Chamier's idea seemed to capture the mood of the
British people at the time. In their eagerness to help the
nation in preparation for war, young men rushed to join the
Corps in their thousands. The cadets were asked to paid a weekly
subscription of 3d (old pennies) which today is equivalent to
1p. (Current 'subs' are around 50p per week).
Each
Squadron's aim was to prepare cadets for joining the RAF or the
Fleet Air Arm. They provided training in flying, military skills
and instructed them in drill, dress and discipline. Physical
fitness was also very actively promoted. Cadets undertook PT,
team sports and athletics. Long Route Marches, Shooting Practice
and Camping Skills all soon became standard squadron activities.
At
this time ADCC activities were severely restricted because of
the approach of World War II. Many ADCC instructors and Squadron
Officers were called up into regular Service. Buildings were
commandeered by either the Service or local government for war
work and many joined up. Cadets were used to carry messages,
they helped with clerical duties, in providing extra muscle in
handling aircraft and in the movement of stores and equipment.
They filled thousands of sandbags and loaded miles of belts of
ammunition. Cadets in Cambridge also assisted with guarding the
Cities airfield - then used as an RAF Station. This was repeated
over the entire country.
During
the early stages of war, the government realised the quality of
the ADCC Cadets entering the RAF and Fleet Air Arm. It was so
impressed that the ADCC was asked to begin training the young
men who were waiting to be called into Service. The ADCC
willingly took on this very responsible job and in a very short
space of time produced thousands of well qualified individuals
who went to pass quickly through basic training.
In
1940 the British Government took over control of the ADCC. This
resulted in a number of changes to the Corps, and brought about
the birth of a completely new organisation, called the Air
Training Corps.
On
5th February 1941 the Air Training Corps (ATC) was officially
established, with King George VI agreeing to be the Air
Commodore-in-Chief, and issuing a Royal Warrant setting out the
Corps' aims. The number of young men responding to this new ATC
was spectacular. Within the first month the size of the old ADCC
had virtually doubled to more than 400 squadrons and after 12
months it was about 8 times as big.
The
motto "VENTURE ADVENTURE", devised by Air Commodore
Chamier, was incorporated into a new badge and was given
approval by the King.
The
new ATC squadrons adapted their training programmes to prepare
young men for entry to the RAF. Squadrons arranged visits to RAF
and Fleet Air Arm stations as part of the cadets' training and
to let them fly as much as possible. Flights were made available
in a wide assortment of aircraft, however, with so many Cadets
wanting to fly many cadets were disappointed.
One
solution designed to get cadets airborne was to introduce them
to gliding. This gave cadets the chance to get the feel of an
aircraft in flight and allow them to handle the controls. This
obviously could not happen over night. It would be many years
before this dream could be realised. Today the Air Cadet
Organisation, through its Volunteer Gliding Schools, is the
largest Gliding School in the World.
The
Government did improve the flying situation and in 1943 set up a
special ATC Flight of 10 aircraft, Oxfords and Dominies, for the
sole purpose of giving Cadets air experience flights. They also
allowed cadets to go flying in RAF aircraft on normal Service
flying activities.
The
Combined Cadet Forces' RAF sections and the Air Training Corps
merged their HQ functions to form the Air Cadet Organisation as
an umbrella organisation. Both still retain their individual
identities and working practices at HQ and local level.