Personal Reminiscences
We're looking for your reminiscences so to add to the ones to the left. The reminiscences included here were gleaned from emails to the 84th Entry Forum and other emails to Tony Mooney; most of it is verbatim with just a little editing for typos and to set an overall feel (I will gladly remove anything you don't want on display here).
The thoughts below will hopefully trigger your recollections and encourage you to put ’pen-to-paper’ although an email will do.
‘Memories’
What do you remember about your time as an apprentice at RAF Locking and what we did and what happened to us? Can you remember the date of your arrival and attestation and your first billet and fellow inmates? Kitting-out and marking your kit? Have you any memories of C Squadron or Tech Wing and how it was all organised? Do you remember anything about being allocated to a second class and maybe changing huts? Why did we move to Skid Row?
How about Wing Sports and Entry rivalries? Raids on junior entries and being gated? Our own sports day to cock a snook at the 'authorities' for gating us? Other escapades? Do you remember the Boxing Tournaments, Christmas dinners, pay parades or Summer Camp? Do you have or know what happened to any of our entry flags and banners, three of which we have photos of. Did you go caving and if you did where did you go? What skives did you have for Wednesday sports afternoon? Did you ever buy a battleship? Can you remember what songs we used to sing? What happened to our 84th Entry banners? Did you go to our Christmas Dance? Or the Easter Dance? What can you remember about our Pass Out Dinner and Dance?
What can you tell us all about Stringy Cord? What do you recall of his sayings from the Parade Square? Were you in the Drill Competition? Can you remember our Corporal DI, Cpl Weepy Whyddle? What stories and memories do you have about Sqn Ldr Catley, Sqn Ldr Uprichard, Flt Lt FWT 'Chunky' Davies and PO Scott? WO Parkes, Flt Sgt Price, Sgt 'Stringy' Corde, Sgt Turnbull or Cpl Butler? What do you remember about Flt Lt Frew, Flt Lt Fry, FO Andrews, FO Roach, PO Barrett, Mr Crowfoot, and Mr Lambard? How about bull nights, Hut Inspections, Kit Inspection, Kit Layouts, Church Parades and listening to the Goons? What hobbies did you pursue and which Clubs did you join? Did you play sport for the Wing and were you awarded Wing Colours? What did the Senior Entry do to you and what did we inflict on the Junior Entries when it was our turn?
Can you remember our outings to RAF Gaydon, the cigarette factory, the Freedom of Weston Parade, and searching for one of our entry who went missing and who was found under the billet after we had spent hours searching for miles around the camp?
What happened to your Superhet and your Thesis? And do you have any stories to tell about Flying Experience or anything else?
Do you have any old exam papers? Or photos? Can we collect a full set of Class photos between us? Do you have any other memorabilia tucked away somewhere? When did you last visit your loft?
What can you say about civilian clothes? Did you go drinking or have a car? Did you ever wear civvies before they were officially approved? What else did you do which was not allowed?
Questions, Questions, Questions, there must be many more... but, do you have any answers?
Happy memories to you all