The THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTH Entry was attested on 5 May 1966. Training in the trades of Clerk Secretarial and Supplier was undertaken at RAF Hereford and Nursing Attendant at RAF Halton: The Entry passed out on 28 April 1967.
Not quite sure who I am writing to. My name is Derek Bunce – H0595297
I still remember my service number. I am 73 years old now, born in 1950, 16 years old when I joined the RAF, one of the youngest recruits. Don’t know why I started searching the web this evening for 306 Entry at RAF Hereford, but here I am.
Interesting to read Alan Hastings notes. I thought we went to RAF Cosford to see Johnny Webb boxing. I remember it being an enjoyable outing. Don’t remember being over enthusiastic during the fight. I remember Alan Hastings well. Always thought he was lucky when he had his own room and a bath. Interesting looking at all the 306 entry names, I fondly remember most of them. Would be nice to know where they are now.
After passing out I was posted to RAF Benson, Oxfordshire, 114 Squadron(Argosy aircraft) as their clerk, it was a Flight Sergeant and myself in the office. Many happy memories of flying on Argosy aircraft. Had trips to Malta, Germany and a few other places, can’t quite remember where.
I became sick and hospitalised at Halton after a holiday to Majorca, spent a fair amount of time in hospital. Whilst in hospital I was posted to Binbrook, a Lightning squadron. The posting was cancelled because of my illness. I returned to Benson to find my squadron clerk job had been taken as they needed a replacement due to the length of my absence. Ended up in the general office as the P2 clerk, I think that’s what it was, officer movements, postings, etc.
I think it was 1968 or 1969 I was posted to RAF Muharraq, Bahrain, a thirteen month tour. Worked in the general office there. On completion of my tour in Muharraq I was posted to 38 Group Tactical Communications Wing at RAF Tangmere, West Sussex. Tangmere was eventually closed down and we moved the whole wing to RAF Benson. Can’t remember the exact year, posted to RAF Bracknell, Officer Staff College.
I bought myself out of the RAF in 1973. I could not see a bright future for promotion as many RAF bases were being closed and promotion came to a grinding halt. I remained an SAC. Whilst at Bracknell I met my future wife, an Australian, who worked for the Queensland Government at The Strand in London. We married later in 1973 and left a week after the wedding to start a new life in Australia. I had applied for the Australian migration programme and had the best ten pound trip all the way to Brisbane where my wife’s family lived.
We had one daughter in 1989 who still lives in Australia and has recently married. The wheels fell off my marriage in 2006 after 33 years of marriage.
I left Australia and moved to Thailand where I still live, more than seventeen years now. Thailand is my home and I see no reason to leave until I depart permanently from this life.
Anyway, enough of my rambling.It was nice to read your website and spend some time down memory lane.
Kind regards,
Derek Bunce
19th May 2020
Some Memories Provided By Alan Hastings
During a period of boredom during this lockdown I browsed your website and came across the 306th entry page. I was particularly interested in the shield as I have mine on the wall of my home office. Mike’s recollection of its origins is just about spot on, but I think our trade instructor (Sgt Mike Smart if my memory hasn’t faded too much) had a major input to the design. One thing that Mike missed was that the football also represents the “0” in our entry number. the “3” and “6” being either side of the ball.
As for the “bolshie” comment, I don’t know what he means! We were high spirited and closely knit. I remember us going mob handed to watch Johnny Webb (a feisty small Irish lad) in the RAF Boxing Championship (I think it was at RAF Halton) and we were asked several times to show a bit of decorum as we raised the rafters at Johnny’s performance. I was the FS Apprentice and got it in the neck for not controlling the boys! Rumour had it (started by me) that I got the FS rank because my last 3 were the same as the entry number!
21st May 2020
Alan Hastings has kindly provided me with more memories as shown below:
I actually had my RAF interviews at Rheindahlen and I more or less got to be a clerk by default as the interviewer asked why I wanted to be an airframe fitter and my reply was that I babysat for our neighbours and he was a Chf Tech Airframe Fitter!. At the time my dad was a Cpl MT Driver but that trade never appealed to me. He was invalided out of the RAF in 1967 and died in 1980, a month after I was commissioned. One of my postings was as the RAF Recruiting Officer in Sheffield during the time David Blunkett ruled the Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire. I saw a lot of potential officer candidates, who were relieved to know that their dad’s being a miner was not a bar to being an officer, and I could cite the fact that I was the some of a Cpl MTD and who had been a gasworks stoker when I was born.
My last posting as an airman (I was a Sgt at the time) was to the Secretarial Officers’ School, RAF College Cranwell as the Adj. The Senior Sec Instructor (a Sqn Ldr who had been a FS) called me in one day and told me I was an ‘effing idiot’ as all the young officers going through their Secretarial training would one day be my boss, and none of them could hold a candle to me. Talk about a motivational kick up the backside! 6 weeks later I was at the Officer Selection Centre at Biggin Hill, and another 6 weeks later I joined the very last Officer Cadet Course at RAF Henlow.
Incidentally, in 1970 when you were having your idyllic cruise to Poland, I was sweltering at RAF Masirah, Oman. I was the clerk/driver/gofer on No 13 Radio Fitting Party (they were building a new commcen), our HQ being 5 miles out in the desert. We used to get a visit every morning from the Stn Cdr as we had the only air conditioned bog on the island!! At the same time Cpl Ken Wilkins of 306 entry was the clerk on No 276 Signals Unit, a mile up the road from my office.
Website Manager Note:
The reference to Poland was in response to an earlier email dialogue between Alan and Myself
Have You Any Photographs Or Other Memories Of The 306th Entry RAF Administrative Apprentices? If So You Can E-Mail Them To: administrator@rafadappassn.org
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