Administrative Apprentice Training School (AATS)

From January 1959 until the end of 1962 Bircham Newton was the home of the RAF Administrative Apprentices' Training School (AATS), which relocated from RAF Hereford. The School trained young RAF apprentices, who underwent 20 months of intense training to learn their RAF trades as Clerks Secretarial, Pay Accountants or Suppliers. There were three entries of apprentices each year. The 32nd to 35th entries of apprentices relocated to Bircham Newton with the AATS, when it was moved there in January 1959; these entries subsequently graduated from Bircham Newton. The 36th to 43rd entries of apprentices completed all of their training and graduated from Bircham Newton. The final entry to graduate from Bircham Newton, the 43rd entry, had its final parade on the 18th of December 1962, the day that the RAF station closed down. Following this final graduation parade, and a beating retreat ceremony, the AATS relocated back to RAF Hereford. The 44th, 45th and 46th entries relocated to Hereford with the School and subsequently graduated there. The photograph above shows the Administrative Apprentices Drum and Trumpet Band.

visit by former members of the 39th, 40th and 41st entries

Many ex-apprentices make one or more pilgrimages back to Bircham Newton. Former members of the 39th, 40th and 41st entries visited the Heritage Room on the morning of the 14th of September 2010, as part of their combined 50th anniversary celebrations. The photograph below shows the visitors outside the Birches Club at Bircham Newton.

During this visit, the ex-apprentices were given a short illustrated briefing on the history of RAF Bircham Newton and its satellite airfields. Many of them also participated in a walking tour of the former RAF station. The group included two former instructors from the Apprentice Training School. One was Mr. Bob Wise, who instructed the 41st entry at Bircham Newton during the period 1960 until 1962. Bob then relocated with the School to RAF Hereford, where he was involved in the training of the 44th entry. Bob is also an ex-apprentice, having trained at St Athens during the period 1948 until 1950, as a member of the 4th entry. The following photographs show Norman Pringle, Mike Hamill and Peter Charnell (all 40th entry) identifying their Chief Instructor on the main history board; Brian Granville (41st entry) studying one of the available display books; and trustee Avril MacArthur talking to John Wildish (39th entry). John was in hospital when his entry graduated and was offered a re-course, but he remustered to Air Traffic Administration instead.

visit by former members of the 42nd, 43rd and 44th entries

Former members of the 42nd, 43rd and 44th entries made a similar visit on the morning of the 7th of May 2011, as part of their combined 50th anniversary celebrations. The photograph above shows some of these ex-apprentices and their wives outside the Birches Club prior to their visit to the Heritage Room. The following photographs show Donald Giles, David Birt and Mick Whelan (all 42nd entry) admiring the main history board in the Heritage Room, and Keith Green (also 42nd entry) admiring one of the apprentice displays.

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