Lost trades

[Mug?]

Was there a flight simulator maintenance trade?

yep see above

L tech ST (synthetic trainer)

Went just as I joined up
So i was offered
L TECH TC (telecommunications)

which went (with L tech AF-Airfield and AD - Air Defence) and became
Eng Tech EL (Electronics)

which went and became
CIS TECH

which went and became
ICT Tech

All within 20 years!
I am not sure if that was normal for other trades? I am sure a chef has been a chef since 1914?

 

[Barch]

... snip ...
All within 20 years!
I am not sure if that was normal for other trades? I am sure a chef has been a chef since 1914?

We had Cooks & Chefs.

Cook up to and including Coproral, Chef was Sergeant to Warrant Officer.

We also had PandA Clerks and Catering Clerks.

And not forgetting the Trade Assistant Generals (SWOs Marines).

 

[justintime129]

Radio operator voice. Did their training at north luffenham. All spoke Russian passed out as j/ts spent time between Cyprus wyton and Berlin. Now I wonder what they did

 

[propersplitbrainme]

Air Gunner

 

[justintime129]

I am sure a chef has been a chef since 1914?

I remember you were a plain cook until you reached sgt then you became a chef. What's in a name. I had to left when you see these young kids fresh out of college calling themselves chefs, when you had cpl cooks with years experience knocking out gourmet style meals and they were called cooks. A cook to me was someone who worked in a works canteen and a chef was someone who worked in a top class restaurant

 

[KOS1]

ISTR WRAF Hairdressers at Hereford, 71 ish.

 

[justintime129]

Off topic, but anybody remember locally promoted wrafs. I don't think it was do with their trade knowledge but more do with he number of wrafs on he camp. They lost the promotion on posting.

 

[Barch]

Off topic, but anybody remember locally promoted wrafs. I don't think it was do with their trade knowledge but more do with he number of wrafs on he camp. They lost the promotion on posting.

At Finningly we had quite a few 'Locally Employed' WRAFs and they certainly brought the average looks of the stinkeys up a few notches.

 

[justintime129]

At Finningly we had quite a few 'Locally Employed' WRAFs and they certainly brought the average looks of the stinkeys up a few notches.

And those as well locally employed wrafs. The good old days

 

[Oldstacker]

When I went through Supplier trade training at Hereford in '76 we had 2 locally employed WRAF from Finningley on the course. Which reminds me - in those days we had 2 Supplier bands - Supplier 2 (LAC and junior SACs) and then Supplier 1 (Senior SACs>). They came after the previous arrangement of separate Sup A and Sup M trades (Accounts and Materiel, respectively) at junior levels leading to the trade of Supplier at senior levels. I know of at least 1 ex Supplier Apprentice still working in my neck of the woods (now very much a Mr, of course). And don't forget there was a trade of WRAF Admin, specifically to look after WRAF blocks and female discipline etc.

 

[dkh51250]

Storeman E&I, Storeman packer, Storeman POL, and so on. Butchers, pigeon keepers, and airfield construction, all history.

 

[dkh51250]

Nearly forgot, CSMW, Coppersmith and sheet metal worker.

 

[techie_tubby]

Not lost yet but soon to go I think WSO.

 

[Downsizer]

Chef.......

 

[OldMedic]

Nursing Attendant and Ward Orderlies.

 

[Fairynuff31]

Not totally sure about this one...

ISTR a trade of Model Maker - the people who made the landscape & scenery for the old (pre-digital) flight sims...

I might be wrong.

 

[Gord]

Nearly forgot, CSMW, Coppersmith and sheet metal worker.

Bolleaux mon ami, plenty of sheet metal workers still around, I was one for around 30yrs albeit back in the mob we called ourselves Airframe Fitters. Of course most of us, also cover the use of fibreglass, Kevlar, carbon fibre and other plastics or at least I did before I retired. Also we can't forget the lad who makes and installs your heating ducts in your house, if you have a forced air furnace which most of us have on this side of the pond and also in many cases central air conditioning, all of which requires sheet metal work. Coppersmithing, ok mostly an artsy fartsy trade now, Blacksmithing, still done in limited amounts with regards to shoeing horses but the practices normally carried out by the old village smithy have now been incorporated into other trade groups such as welders and perhaps millwrights where one is still required on occasion to knock out a one off piece of kit. Not everything has gone automated mate, there are still a few skilled trades around.

 

[Sad git]

I joined back in 77 and one lad in my room joined as a TAG ... Trade Assistant General.

Tell me they still don't have them please.

 

[Flybynight]

Apprentice dental technicians - used to be in the same flights as eng-techs at Halton.

..and then Eng Tech A/P

Were they taught by the same people? The mind boggles - I don't recall meeting anybody with a set of RAF gnashers.

 

[Flybynight]

If that's happened recently, it was the other way around in the 1970's as the firefighters (not firemen!) became specialists breaking away from Regiment.

It's happened both ways round. About the end of the 50s, aerodrome firemen were transferred from TG9 , 'Air Traffic Control and Fire Services', to the Regiment as firemen (without the 'aerodrome'), as 'skilled tradesmen' on the lower pay scale. To qualify as 'advanced tradesmen', with more money and better promotion prospects, they had to train as gunners as well. The same applied the other way round to existing gunners. It also helped to become a gunner (signaller) and/or fireman (driver).

As regards marine craft, in the late 80s Thatcher transferred the boats to the part-time, unpaid volunteers in the Royal Naval Auxiliary Service (RNXS), formerly called the Royal Naval Minewatching Service, the Navy's equivalent to the Royal Observer Corps and the Home Guard. I recall much sneering at the time in Navy News by 'proper' RNR types.