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Last updated on 8 February, 2018 at 3:52 PM

84th Entry

Apprentices and Boy Entrants

Following the 1914-18 conflict, the need to recruit permanent skilled Air Force personnel was realised by Lord Trenchard and to assist in training the apprentice system was established on the 17th April 1919.

RAF Halton was one of the first schools for technical training, together with RAF Cranwell. Later schools were established at St Athan, Compton Basset and Yatley Boys [could this be Yatesbury?], as well as a radio school at RAF Locking.

The Apprentices and Boy Entrants wore airmen's uniform with the SD cap, the black mohair band being replaced by a coloured one. Seven coloured bands were used to denote apprentices at Halton and Cranwell with Boy Entrants wearing brown, (AMO A 770 September 1947). In July 1950 this system was modified to diced coloured bands, each course and school maintaining its own colour scheme.

Below are the cap band colours promulgated in AMO N 708 of Jul 1950.

In addition to the cap band, apprentices showed various coloured discs behind their RAF cap badges to denote their course.

Other distinctions of the uniform were the apprentice badge above half sized chevrons, when worn. (AMWO 204 12th April 1923).

Apprentice Badge:

A four bladed propeller enclosed within a ring, all in brass, or more rarely anodized aluminium. No fixing pins or tang. Sewn directly onto the uniform sleeve.

Apprentice Badges

The following text is an extract from Malcolm C. Hobart’s Badges and Uniforms of the Royal Air Force.