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Lyffe
27th May 2018, 09:35
The school record of one of my subjects, living in Edmonton, London, records that in January 1928, aged 15, he left school for the RAF having passed the examination for Boy Mechanics in the RAF. His weekly wage was to be 10/6 d (10 shillings and six pence - in modern parlance £0.53). I would appreciate help with four questions:

1. Where were Boy Mechanics instructed
2. How long would he have remained under instruction
3. Would he have been required to serve a specific period on completion of his instruction
4. Should the training have been recorded on a service record. I ask this because his actual service record starts in August 1939 with him enlisting in the Meteorological Branch; there is no reference to previous service, which makes me wonder if he completed his training.

The London Electoral Register records he was living at home by April 1934 - his 21st birthday having been the previous summer, making him eligible to vote.

Brian

bruce dennis
27th May 2018, 09:52
Good morning Brian,

At Kew there is a file ...

T 162/716/3 =
ESTABLISHMENT. Air Ministry: General: Boy mechanics training establishments, Halton and certain other establishments; Teaching staff
Date: 1921 Nov. 24-1944 Sept. 27

Regards,
Bruce

PeteT
27th May 2018, 10:06
Brian

These may give you a start point (but at the moment can't find an article relating to your dates):

https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1919/1919%20-%201515.PDF

1923 Article

https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1923/1923%20-%200612.PDF

Regards

Pete

Lyffe
27th May 2018, 10:28
Thank you both for your very quick replies; much appreciated and just what I was seeking. I think I can safely assume from the two Flight articles that he never completed the course as the Electoral Rolls place him living at home from 1934 until he enlisted in August 1939.

Unfortunately I have only the redacted version of his service record, so that is no help in identifying his civilian employment.

Brian

bruce dennis
27th May 2018, 11:32
Hello again Brian,
Don't know how far you want to go with this but here are some more places to dig:

AIR 29/732 =
Operational Training Unit: 3 School of Technical Training (TT) Reading, Edinburgh, Halton, and Manston (UK). Includes historical data and Establishment lists. With appendices 1916 July-1939 Dec

AIR 29/728 =
Operational Training Unit: 1 School of Technical Training, Halton, Buckinghamshire (UK). With appendices 1925 Oct-1942 May

Regards,
Bruce

Lyffe
27th May 2018, 11:51
Thank you again, Bruce. I'm pretty sure I have all I need from #s 2 and 3 and don't need to dig any further. Had he joined and served as a Boy Mechanic his service number should have been in the block starting 560001, whereas it was in the 753XXX block, so I'm reasonably sure he had no prior service. But thank you again for looking.

Brian