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On the evening of Monday 15th January King’s Lynn & West Norfolk’s Mayor, Councillor Carol Bower accompanied by her consort, husband Simon, made the annual civic visit to the Loke Road Headquarters of the King’s Lynn Air Cadets.
42F (King’s Lynn) Squadron, Air Training Corps, is highly thought of within the Borough for its community involvement, which commenced almost eighty years ago during WWII with its cadets taking on fire watching and police runner duties. Today the cadets are always visible at numerous civic events and also assisting other organisations in the West Norfolk area. The Mayors visit was therefore a chance to see what the cadets get up to when ‘at home’.
This year’s visit probably saw the cadets scrutinised in much more depth than many past annual Mayor’s visits as this year’s Mayor had herself previously been a Commissioned Officer in the Combined Cadet Force (CCF).
Arriving whilst the cadets were parading, the Mayor first watched a drill practice before all moved inside from the cold January air. She then visited each classroom observing the varied skills that the cadets were mastering. Firstly the Mayor talked with a group involved in learning the mechanics of the Squadron’s radio controlled model cars. Then it was on to watch a group practising first aid and heart start techniques. This subject was keenly watched as nursing had been an earlier rewarding carrier path for the Mayor. The Squadron’s flight simulator was visited next where cadets were gaining knowledge in navigation and aviation.
Finally a group involved with the Squadron’s Norfolk Aviation Heritage Project which coincides with the Royal Air Force’s RAF 100 celebrations was explained to her. This year long project which involves schools and other organisations will see the cadets visit the WWI battlefields and memorials of Belgium at Easter.
Before leaving, the Mayor thanked the Squadron’s Commanding Officer, Flight Lieutenant Pauline Petch, for the annual civic invite. She went on to say “You (the staff) do so much for these young people. They have so many different experiences and opportunities. This has been a fantastic place to visit”.