Cadets and adult volunteers from Wellingborough’s 378 (Mannock) Squadron Air Training Corps are gearing up for their next Recruits’ Intake Night.
On Monday 14 March 2016 the cadets and staff of the unit will be opening their doors to welcome new potential cadets and boost the membership of this active organisation in the heart of Northamptonshire. The Squadron are recruiting youngsters who are currently in school year 8 and those up to 17 years of age.
The intake night, which begins at 7.30pm at the Squadron’s headquarters in Spring Gardens, Wellingborough, will be an opportunity for the youngsters, along with their parents, to hear about what the RAF Air Cadets is all about. The new recruits will get the chance to meet and ask questions of the Squadron’s Officers and cadets, as well as gaining an insight into all the activities that will be available to them.
Air cadets from the Wellingborough unit experience a variety of activities including flying, sports, target shooting, adventure training and leadership. The Squadron meets every Monday and Wednesday evening where the cadets are given the building blocks to learn practical skills and earn real qualifications.
From rock climbing to canoeing, kayaking to abseiling, the current members take part in a wide variety of activities under the direct guidance of professional instructors. The Squadron’s recruits get the opportunity to learn numerous field-craft skills, from camouflage and concealment to field cooking, as well as basic expeditionary training for their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award work.
Talking about this latest recruitment drive, the Squadron’s Officer in Charge, Flying Officer Philip Warr, said: “We’re really looking forward to welcoming the next intake of new cadets to the Squadron this month. The RAF Air Cadets a great uniformed youth organisation, supported by the Royal Air Force, and our newest recruits can expect some exceptional training and experiences.
“At Mannock Squadron our ethos is all about self-development and self-discipline, as well as having some fun. The Squadron has a long and proud history, and having been formed in 1941 we are currently celebrating our 75th anniversary, as well as looking towards the future.”
Unlike most cadet units, ‘Mannock’ Squadron is named after an individual. The Squadron’s namesake is the local First World War hero, Major Edward ‘Mick’ Mannock VC. One of the greatest fighter aces of the Great War, Major Mannock was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross after being killed in action in 1918. 378 (Mannock) Squadron are rightly proud of their association.