Soham Grammarian Autumn 1944
ATC NOTES
The general activities of the ATC have been continued this term, some cadets having taken their First Proficiency Examination and others parts of the Advanced Training Examination. No results are yet known.
There have been two opportunities for flying this term although on one of the occasions, after waiting for about an hour on a very draughty airfield, we were informed that all aircraft were grounded owing to the bad weather, and we went home disappointed. We took rather a dim view of things when, on our way home, we saw several aircraft landing and taking off.
There have been other disappointments this term as several of our members, including the writer, have been informed, after having been attested as air crew cadets, that they are no longer needed. In fact Number 1 Flight have lost several members to the Army who were originally on RAF deferred service. We have to report the disbanding of No.1 Flight as so many of its members have gone into the forces. The remaining few are still attending a class on Sunday mornings. We wish success to all those awaiting results.
In his report on Speech Day, the Headmaster, our Commanding Officer, said "For the ATC the year has brought both triumph and disappointments. In a sense the main immediate objective assigned to it in 1941 has been reached and the work well done. The announcement has now been made that increasing air superiority has given us a considerable balance of potential aircrews; entry to the RAF has been considerably reduced and transfers made to other forms of service. This has brought disappointment to many individual boys but taking the broader view, it is truly magnificent that such is the national position in the sixth year of war. Recruiting for the ATC still goes on, but lacking the immediate urgency it appears that our work will be with smaller numbers and within the School.
For the School itself a pre-service training corps is of the greatest value in many ways, and its importance is in no way diminished by the achievement of the national objective. Our Unit has had a good year of routine training, ceremonial parades, sports, flying, camp and NCO courses at RAF Stations. To date 73 Certificates of Proficiency have been obtained, 8 Cadets have passed the Advanced Training in all eight subjects, and 13 other cadets successfully took parts of the examination. About 100 ex-cadets have entered the services, mostly the RAF at least 15 have gained their brevets and 5 of these their commissions. Several are on operations and two, alas, have been posted as 'missing.'
FLT SGT
[This was the final ATC report]