89 Entry
|
|
89 Entry |
|
Royal Air Force College Cranwell 1963 to 1966
|
RAF College Cranwell 40 years ago |
|
|
The RAF College at Cranwell took the window cleaners, polishers & gardeners of 89 Entry in 1963 to great heights 40 years later Left - 89ers bulling up our first world war huts in 1963 Right
- Chief of the Air Staff, (One of those window cleaners in '63) Below - Medals & honours for the window cleaners |
|
89 Medals & Honours
|
Malcom Coe AFC Simon Coy OBE Barry Chalkley MBE Dave Foulger MBE |
Andy Griffin AFC Dave Hayward OBE Dick Northcote OBE Jerry Pook DFC, MBE |
Black Robertson CBE Dick Shuster - AFC Pete Squire GCB, DFC, AFC Brian Synott LVO |
To quote Richard Slogrove, a former very skilled window cleaner, floor polisher, & gardener, but also winner of the Sword of Honour and the Queens Medal. (Also, as you can see, Senior Under Officer of "B" Squadron)......
"This website is a testament to a time when booze, birds, bangers, bravado, bull and brotherhood prevailed. But then, all warriors throughout the ages had the same interests. Forty years or more on, the instincts remain; the performance falters!" *2
[ LWQ - ".....But only when it comes to Bangers & Bull!"]
*1 Note 1 This site contains many photographs so it may be slow to download. * Some of the photographs contained herein are Crown copyright, courtesy of RAF College Cranwell photographic department and MOD - the rest were taken by members of 89 Entry. We thank all for their kind permission to re-produce them.
*2 Note 2 For our one or two non-military & non-UK readers, we translate ...
"booze" = alcoholic beverage of any kind, but preferably bought by someone else.
"birds" = delightful creatures of the opposite sex - the not so delightful ones were known as "grotty totties" since most seemed to reside in LTC - "Bishop Grosseteste College" - which is where the word "grotty" originated. (Until 1962 it was known as "the Diocesan Training School for Mistresses " - they changed the name quickly when they heard 89 were on their way!).
"bangers" = very old cars (generally rescued from the scrap heap with the sole aim of getting to the birds - Unfortunately many suffered mechanical failures on take-off and failed to arrive on target).
"bravado" = having a go at anything until it got really dodgy (this included going in an 89er's banger).
"bull" = the art of polishing anything or anyone until it or they surpassed anything that RMA Sandhurst or the Brigade of Guards could produce.
"brotherhood" = a sort of glue that bonds men together when in adversity for a protracted period (e.g. 3 years at the RAF College Cranwell!)
To learn more about 89 - click here
LWQ
*1