Dear Friends

Spring time, Easter has been and gone, the year is rapidly getting older, where does the time go? There is a little man out there who keeps eating away at my time, I swear he (or 'it') eats as much as a week in every month. No doubt you all have your own theories on this.
Thank you to those of you who got in touch after the last newsletter, it does give me the will to keep going, and hopefully goes some way to keeping us together as a unique body of ex-servicemen. Pre-war Boys from Cranwell; there are no others.

A Story from Canada Ray Barton of course, who else!
Mike, a young man in Newfoundland applied for an engineering job in St John's. A mainlander applied at the same time, both had the same qualifications, so they were asked to take a standard test. Both men missed getting perfect score by getting one answer wrong. The manager gave the job to the mainlander. Mike demanded "And why should you be doing dat? We bot get nine out of de question roight. Me being a Newfie, I tink I should be getting de jab." The manager replied: "We based our decision, not on the correct answers, but on the one that you missed." Mike asked: "And jest how could one answer be more wrong dan anuder?" "Simple", replied the Manager, "on question seven, the mainlander wrote down - I don't know." "You put down - needer do I!"

Ray says that is a Newfoundland story - I think it is Cranwell 1937!

The Departed
There has been one addition to this list since the last newsletter, that is-:
550992 W C Davies Died 27th January 2005, reported by his wife. (Canada)
MAY HE REST IN PEACE

There was quite a bit of response for the article by Tom Robinson. Bill Laurence in East London South Africa, wrote-: I was in the entry of February 1939 that Tom Robinson wrote about. I also remember coming before an elderly Air Commodore, but not to receive a lecture, but to receive the 'King's Shilling', and to swear to 'serve ashore, or afloat, or in the air, wherever his majesty deems to use me.' (or words to that effect). This was after I was to be told that I was to be trained as a Wireless Operator and, as far as I remember, this took place in an office just large enough for the two of us to sit with the officer behind a desk, with me in front of him! I remember that the Barrack Blocks at Uxbridge were each named after 1914/18 battles. I spent those few days in MONS Block I returned to Uxbridge in 1941 - not as a Wireless Operator, but as an Instrument Repairer, and as a member of 40 Draft passing through the Personnel Dispatch Centre then at Uxbridge. After various adventures; including a night spent (officially) sleeping on the Glasgow Empire Exhibition Stands, and being transferred from an over-crowded troopship at Greenock to await another vessel, and six weeks later, via Freetown and Sierra Leone, and thanks to HMS Birmingham and other Royal Naval vessels with the convoy - arriving safely at Cape Town. And thereby hangs a tale! Seeing that Bill is still in South Africa, there must have been quite a tale.

I recently received the Spring edition of the Cranwell Apprentices Association 'Cranwell Wheel' which reminded readers of the Railway Line that used to run to Cranwell from Sleaford, under the Title 'The Cranwell Express'. Many of you will remember the railway line; that ran along behind the outstations. For those of you who have access to the internet there is a considerable historical piece to be found at-: http://www.leytransport.i12.com/cranw.htm - Too much to produce here, but if there is interest, I will copy and send out to anyone who asks.

It seems to be the time to remember, so in spite of the danger of boring you; here is my own best memory of those very early days. My route to Cranwell was via West Drayton, and I remember being interviewed by I think it was a Wing Commander. "What do you want to be in the Air Force?" He asked. "I want to fly, I want to be a Pilot," was my reply. A slight pause as he glanced at my papers in front of him. "I'm afraid you're too young to be a Pilot," He said, "but you can be a Wireless Operator." "Do Wireless Operators fly?" I asked. "Oh yes!" he said. "I'll be a Wireless Operator." I said. It's funny how a few words can change a whole way of life. Where would I be now if that conversation had been different? After Cranwell I was flying in Swordfish (as a Wireless Operator) at Gosport. In early 1939, I was sent back to Cranwell on a Conversion course to WOM. When the war broke out in the September, along with most of my class, it was down to the sick quarters to demand an Aircrew medical; we were going to win this war, but tomorrow. We were told in no uncertain terms - Get Back To Your Classrooms.

A certain member of our community sent me an old Black and White photo of himself from a very long time ago. Note the collar on the jacket.

Do you recognise who it is?

There are no prizes for guessing who it is, but I would be pleased if you let me know who you think it is, All I can say is he was a very early entry.

No he's not that good looking now, but then, who is?

That's it for the moment, hope to be writing again in the summer, that's if we get one this year. In the meantime many blessings to you all, and keep taking the pills

Michael