2nd April, 2025
Your Help Please
Dixie Dean has sent me the following item in which he has asked for ouir help. If you can answer the question posed at the end of the article, please let Dixie know on williamdean907@sky.com
The Heritage Centre (HC) at RAF Bircham Newton(BN) is rapidly becoming the home for the history etc of the RAF Admin Apprenticeship scheme 1947 – 1973 and the former Ruislip Apprentices training programme. Many of the HC volunteers have worked tirelessly over the Winter months to bring all the records together. Hopefully this will be completed for the first opening of the HC on Easter Sunday 20 April 25. We need your help please. We received some photos from a person whose father served at BN – Warrant Officer Joy.
WO Joy retired on 7 May 1953. We believe he was a Clerk. One of the pictures included a photo of his retirement tankard which was engraved “retirement gift from staff of TSTS””
We have not been able to identify what the section/flight “TSTS” was responsible for so perhaps one of our members can assist.
Website Manager Comment 3rd April
As you will see in the comments below, the answer would appear to be Trade Standards and Testing Section. If you think this is notthe correc t answer, then let us know by commenting on this notice.
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It is all becomes a little vague all these years on but I do recall that TSTS used to stand for Trade Standards & Testing Section. As I failed my trade finals but passed shorthand I left BN as a Clk GD(S). After leaving Apprentice School I then took a direct trade test board to Jnr Tech to become a Clk Sec (I think that was the correct terminology). I passed the theory paper at my unit (that exam paper having been sent from TSTS Hereford to TSTS Wattisham) and then having passed that I was then able to go to Hereford (TSTS) to take the practical paper which somehow I passed. It all seems very convoluted all this time down the line but that is how it was back then. So briefly!! TSTS = Trade Standards and Testing Section and I guess most of the large stations had such a section. Well that’s how I remember it!!! As it happened I was promoted to Cpl whilst still a Clk GD(S) before the Clk Sec results caught up with me.