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An old 282 cadet
User: Andrew Kay
Date: 2/27/2010 5:05 pm
Views: 257
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How good to find my old squadron on the Internet.  I was a cadet at 282 from about 1966 to around 1971 - exact dates are a little fuzzy I'm afraid!

I can recall my time there though and somewhere around the house I even still have my old ATC flying log.  We used to go to Oxford and do our Air Experience Flights with the University Air Squadron in Chipmunks - I remember we never got enough flying time!  I did a glider course on weekends at RAF Debden (old Kirby Cadet gliders) and an outward bound course in the Lake District as well as the usual parade nights at Vicarage Lane and annual camps.  I was also in the Squadron Drum and Bugle Corps - do you still have that?


It must have done me some good, because I later enlisted in the RAF and then worked in the Middle East in the Oman Air Force for a number of years. I am now living in the USA so I guess I came a long way from those Vicarage Lane days.

I don't think I have many photos from those days, but if I can locate my old ATC flying log, I'll send it to you as an ancient document!  Smile

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Re: An old 282 cadet
User: Unit Commander, Sgt C Booty
Date: 3/10/2010 7:21 am
Views: 21
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Hello Andrew,

Nice to hear from an ex 282 Squadron cadet.

We alwasy like to hear from past cadets and their stories :)

We have not had a band for a number of years now however we are in the process of bringing it back to life, it has been missed!

It will be good to see any old pictures you have of the unit, we always try and upload them to our website.

Many thanks Andrew for sending a message. If you are in town please come and visit us.

All the best

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Re: An old 282 cadet
User: Richard B.
Date: 5/13/2010 3:37 pm
Views: 14
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Andy's too modest - he was an anchor at the old squadron. It's good to see that the 'old timer's' are computer literate at least. 

He was one of the squadron's first Staff cadets - yes, we were there when that cadet rank was established. The lanyard looks better on your dress blues than on our scratchy woollen #2's.  Per Ardua ad Astra!

We had some really good times; I think we had summer camps at RAF Manston, and RAF Gaydon -No. 2 Air Navigation School (with some flight experience in the Vicker's Varsity).  I got to go RAF Bruggen  (Canberra's and RAF Buccaneers?) during one summer - I think Andy was there too.  I also did some flight time in Chipmunks at (Marshall's of Cambridge - 5 AEF, I thought?, and they also introduced the Bulldog as an AEF aircraft).  I spent a good deal of time in commercial maintenance engineering in the US, so you never really lose the aviation 'bug'.

Not sure how good the institutional archives are; but I recall that 282 adopted the motto, and the Cross of Lorraine, as a tribute to Odette Samsom Hallowes MBE GC formerly of the WW II SOE,  then the only George Cross awarded to a living recipient (1946). She was a sponsor of 282 at the time we were there.    RB. Miami, FL

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