Entry Lists
We are fortunate to have a number of lists covering our time at RAF Locking. Tony Beard made a list at the very beginning showing who had been allocated to each hut. He also made a list of identifying everyone in the Entry. There’s also a Pass Out Order of Merit List which came from the RAFLAA 84th Entry box, Harvey Morton’s list of attendance at the Easter Dance 1959 and a list of the 85th Entry showing ex-members of the 84th. The 84th Entry List is a composite of all the other lists and includes notes, mainly contributed by Tony Beard, about many members.
On Tony Beard’s Entry List the heavy black lines which appear throughout separate the names into huts. The first line is after hut 351, the next is 353 and then 357, 357,359 and 361. The lst section is 362 on the other side of 84th Entry lines. The shorter black lines which appear under some names indicate promotion to LAA and above. The five names listed at the foot of the page are the ex-Boy Entrants who joined us from RAF Cosford. You can see behind some of the names pencil annotations showing what happened to many of our fellow members who didn’t pass out with the 84th.
Tony Beard’s Photo List was used to name the Entry Photo - caption and the Entry Photo - rollover photos also available on the Home page.
The Pass Out Order of Merit shows each of us who passed out. It gives No.,Rank and Name and and education pass category. The actual marks are not shown.
A number of names appear on Harvey Morton’s Dance List which are not members of the 84th but who appear on the Stan Folds’ 85th Entry List (courtesy of Wally Aves). These are Fell, Gambrill, Glazier, Hopkins, Hughes, Jackson, Lowes, Molyneaux, Somerville, Taylor and Whittaker. Tony Beard has independently confirmed that Fell, Glazier, Hopkins, Hughes, Jackson, Somerville, Taylor and Whittaker are indeed members of the 85th. That covers everyone on Harvey’s List except Molyneaux and Newson. Molyneaux appears on the 85th Entry List and Newson appears on Dave Gunby’s list (see below).
The 84th Entry List was assembled by Tony Mooney and Tony Beard who provided most of the original details. Tony M has updated the original from time to time when new information presented itself.
Dave Gunby of the 72nd Entry supplied another list to Tony Mooney on 6 April 2017 which includes details of 4346 apprentices amongst them being the 84th Entry. On the 84th Entry List the details in blue text come from Tony Beard's two lists and the Pass Out Order of Merit list and the details in orange text come from Dave Gunby’s list which he complied from some old ledgers and class lists borrowed from RAF Henlow. Here’s what Dave wrote in the February 2002 Edition of the RAFLAA Newsletter:
Visit to Locking Apprentice Archives at RAF Henlow
On Thursday 17th October, a visit was carried out by some committee members (Tiny Kuhle, Vic Gibbs and myself). The visit was arranged by Joe Holroyd and was supervised by Vic Ludlow (Duty Curator).
Approximately 2 hours was spent looking at the problem of presenting information for members wishing to trace their former colleagues. Looking through each entry file was not an option in the time, but we were able to assess what needed to be done.
Existing in the Museum was a large ledger containing original class lists as at attestation of Entries 60 to 87 and 91. Stuck over these lists were further class lists as at third term assessments. The ledger is in poor condition, pages torn, manuscript amendments, faded type and suffering the effects of damp.
This ledger is now on loan to me, and I am creating a database from the data therein. The task is quite time consuming but I am making good progress to date. I estimate that the information in the ledger will be on the database by the end of this month (December 02).
The information on the database comprises:
Service Number, Surname, Initials and a Comment column. By way of explanation the Comment column contains info regarding progress, or otherwise, through the apprenticeship. As things stand at the moment the comments refer to transfers to other entries, transfers to other forms of training or discharges. With regard to the latter, no differentiation is made between the reasons for discharge as I think that there may be some sort of stigma attached in certain individual cases. To complete the picture I now need the passing out lists to add to the comment column.
N.B. The information in these class lists cannot be relied upon 100% as I have found anomalies in service numbers, surname spelling and initial variations.
Information regarding the original class lists for entries other than 60-87,91 is yet to be gleaned. In the meantime, any member of the Association wishing to have a copy of their particular entry list that I have produced should contact me.
Dave Gunby (Secretary)
A thesis appeared in the Locking Review in 1959 (Vol 1, No. 5) by CAA Newson and was noted in the index as a member of the 84th.
Computers by C.A.A. Newson (84th)
This, of course, doesn’t confirm that he was indeed a member of our Entry. However, Keith Runacres has a photo and he is absolutely certain that C.A.A Newson appears in it. Chris didn’t pass out with the 84th and his name doesn’t appear on the 85th Entry List so he didn’t pass out with them either. Keith Runacres knew him as Chris at RAF Honnington where Keith served from passing out until 1963.
Dave Gunby’s list includes him as:
Newson C G (82nd)
There’s are four more apprentices attributed to the 84th in Dave Gunby’s list which appear nowhere else:
Cook B C 81st to 82nd then 84th
May E H 83rd to 84th then discharged
McInnes A 83rd to 84th, 85th, 86th then passed out
Timms K N 83rd to 84th then 85th
Are these simply transcription errors? What do you think?