"Keeping the Army’s Aircraft Flying"

Author: Celia Cassingham, Museum Archivist (with a lot of help from Army Aviation people, past and present)

Due to the complexity and scope of the air trades, I have decided to write about the air trades in three separate articles: History and Training, Aircraft Technician and Avionics Technician. Whilst the focus of these articles is usually very much on the past, we will also be taking a look towards the future as you will see later in the articles.

Part 1: History and Training

The history and development of REME in Army Aviation in general is very well documented. At the risk of turning this article into a bibliography, previous writings include:

• Our REME history volumes, Craftsmen of the Army, Volumes I to III.
• REME in the Army Air Corps, REME Journal, April 1958 by Major JR Probert (as one of the initially identified officers with aircraft experience - WWII Spitfire pilot - he helped set up the Technical Wing REME including the Aircraft Trades School and Technical Wing).
• Articles in previous issues of The Craftsman Magazine, including those by Corps Historians past and present:
  • The 60th anniversary article by Colonel (Retd) Mike Crabbe, REME Aviation 60 Years of Support to Army Aviation, October 2018.
  • The article Aircraft Servicing in the Army – The Early Days, which formed part of a series of articles written by Col (Retd) Mike Sibbons published in The Craftsman, now published as a book entitled From the Archives.
  • REME Aviation Pioneers – John Probert by Lt Col (Retd) Steve Colling, Corps Historian, May 2022 

• The 2022 two-part online lecture REME Aviation - Auster to Apache, presented by the REME Museum in collaboration with the Army Flying Museum, which traces the history of REME Aviation.
• Malcom Heppolette’s article History of REME Trade Changes since its Formation in 1942, REME Journal, 2011.

Sections from Army Council Instructions No 358 of 1957 for the Formation of the Army Air Corps and REME Aviation. A:1975.1365.

What then, you may well ask, is the point of writing yet more articles on the subject? Well, there’s more! As a reminder, the REME Trades series hopes to give a flavour of our archival holdings which demonstrate that there is still much to be revealed about the history of the trades in more depth and detail.

The excerpts shown below from DME's Liaison Letter No. 41, February 1958, Annexure A, set out the responsibilities of REME Tradesmen at the time as well as their training. Subsection 20 (a), not shown, sets out the responsibility of Armament Artificers – Aircraft: to supervise the maintenance of Army Air Corps aircraft. It is interesting to note the other REME tradesmen envisaged to from part of aircraft workshops.

REME Aspects of the Formation of the Army Air Corps DME's Liaison Letter No. 41, February 1958. E:06.0454.11.

Examples of the variety of documents that reflect operational and organisational history include:

• The Authority for Redesignation of The Aircraft Engineering Training Wing, Middle Wallop to the School of Aeronautical Engineering.
• The Installation Layout Folder of SAE along with floor plan details associated with the Stockwell Hall 1988.
• Programmes (which include histories) of the Redesignation Parade, Flag Lowering and Formation Day ceremonies.

In addition to the technical material that we hold, our unit scrapbooks and albums provide one of the major sources of information.

Training Schools, Middle Wallop

The following selection of items pertain to the history of the training schools from the Aircraft Trades School Middle Wallop 1957, re-designated Technical Training Branch, 1958, then as Aircraft Engineering Training Wing (AETW) in 1965, again re-designated as School of Aeronautical Engineering (SAE) in 1988.

Blackburn Bombardier Engine used by the first two artificer vehicle conversion courses. From a catalogue entitled Aircraft Training Wing (REME) showing photographs of equipments held by AETW. E:13.2174.

The catalogue tells us that the engine was brought down from RAF Kirkham in 1958. It entered service in 1956, was removed from service in 1966, sectioned by unit tradesmen in the early 1960s and was used by the first two Artificer Vehicles conversion courses.

Images from the unit scrapbook of AETW and SAE, Middle Wallop, 1957-1996, demonstrate the life of the schools, including all the usual activities that would be expected, of which only a few examples can be shown here.

AETW, Middle Wallop, 1964 Permanent Staff. E:06.0687.006.

Note the mixture of REME, Royal Navy (RN) and civilian instructors. Qualified RN and civilians supported training for some time until sufficient qualified and experienced REME Aviation people were available.

AETW Training Company 1972. Aircraft in the background: Scout left and centre, Sioux AH Mk2 on the right. E:06.0687.007.

AETW Football Team, 1970s. E:06.0687.008.

The football team image was probably an end of season photo of the Army Air Corps Centre, Middle Wallop First Team, as there were no trophies on display. AETW sportsmen normally competed as members of Army Air Corps Centre teams except for Craftsmen Cup competitions.

St Eligius Day Service, 1992, with Scout helicopter, probably in the hangar of SAE at Middle Wallop. E:06.0687.053.

SAE – SEAE Flag Run. E:06.0687.137.

The flag run was on the occasion of the move of SAE from Middle Wallop to Arborfield, between these two places, after re-designation and re-organisation to SEAE, 1995. The flag is being handed to the Colonel Commandant SEAE.

I must, at great risk of a possible stampede (don’t all rush your requests in at once…), mention that we do hold a large collection of course photographs (kindly donated to the museum by SAAE in 2020) from the very first days right through to the 1990s. Please note that the collection is not complete, with gaps particularly for the very first course photos.

An example of one of the course photos from the collection: No 8 Apprentices (AE) Course May-December 1968.

Apprentice Training

Continuing the theme of training and schools, it should not be neglected to make mention of apprentice training.

According to the memories of a REME Aircraft Technician past, technical training as part of his three-year apprenticeship (1965-1968) included aircraft trade training basic and advanced, battle damage repair (metal, wood and fabric) and aircraft painting techniques and other skills. At the end of the apprenticeship they were expected to pass out with Ac Tech trade Class 2. Air Techs were promoted to Lance Corporal (LCpl) on passing out of Arborfield and to Corporal (Cpl) after 1 year.

In addition to albums and scrapbooks, we also hold separate collections of photographic prints, not always identified in detail. The following images are from a collection entitled School of Aeronautical Engineering Helicopter Rotor Assembly.

Checking of the hydraulic system of a Lynx Rotor Head, by using a hydraulic pressure rig to operate and test the head controls. E:10.1218.

Checking a Gazelle Rotor Head. E:10.1218.

Unit and Workshop Histories

Our Archives also include a wealth of unit and workshop histories, which describe the conduct of training of Aircraft and Avionics Trades, equipments such as the Scout (initial training), Gazelle and Lynx, training levels (initial and ex-apprentice, upgrader, artificer, officer), breakdown of the sub-trades and detailed course information. Workshop histories include those for units such as 70 and 78 Aircraft Workshops REME, the LADs attached to the AAC Squadrons and others. These workshop histories will be revisited in the following articles.

Excerpt from 70 Aircraft Workshop Unit History, which describes the aircraft supported by the workshop.

Unfortunately, our Archives does not hold much original primary source material concerning more (relatively) recent history, other than that which is available in The Craftsman Volume III and The Craftsman Magazine. The MOD procurement system for the Attack Helicopter invited manufacturers to submit proposals for not only the helicopters but the supporting infrastructure, including spares support and training. The Apache was a proven US Army helicopter but it was agreed a 50/50 configuration including UK engines and other on-board equipment was to be supplied. For training equipment and delivery, Boeing and Westland Helicopters formed a joint venture company (Aviation Training International Limited) to provide training equipment, such as simulators and classroom media and buildings. ATIL carried out the training delivery for pilots, groundcrew and engineering staff whilst MOD provided the training content.

Changes to the Avionics (Av) and Aircraft (Ac) trades

Historic Training Model

Moving on towards what the future holds, aviation training is changing from a historical model of aircraft trade groups and avionic trade groups. The training pipe line that was followed comprised:

Initial trade training (ITT) – taught the skills of the respective trades to a level where they were released to units requiring further consolidation training, labelled Under Training or UTs. The trainees also may have been subject to aircraft specific type training as previously the school only taught them on the Lynx Mk7 or Gazelle Platform.

Upgraders – the trainee was taught the necessary skills to operate at the supervisory level. Completion of this course was necessary for promotion through the ranks to Sergeant (Sgt).

Artificer training – engineering managers following an intensive course followed by promotion to Staff Sergeant (SSgt).

Artisan route – for those technicians who do not follow the Artificer selection route, entailing promotion to SSgt, following a much longer time served and working on the shop floor without going for further educational training.

New Changes to Training

Part of the change is to update initial trade training courses, where the new requirement will be to deliver a one-trade course that meets the training standard to operate within the Defence Air Environment (DAE) as a REME Aviation Technician. The aim is for the REME Aviation Technicians to achieve an ‘A’ level licence, following a consolidation period and application to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). As part of contextualising their training, they continue to complete the Flight Line Operations (FLO) course, in order that they may progress to REME Aviation Technician within the Military Air Environment (MAE). The accreditation for this will form part of a progressive through career licence incentive for the Aircraft Maintenance Technicians. In the year to come the school will start delivery on the A Licence.

The new format was driven forward with a desire to address a generation of chronic workforce challenges. It focuses on recognised industry professionalism and training to support the growth, retention and career satisfaction of REME Aviation people, who are recognised for the technical complexity of the role and remain suitably enthused to deliver battle winning army aviation.

 The diagram provides an illustration of the new expected progression of an individual in an aviation career.

Initial trade training – which teaches the skills to be an aviation fitter/mechanic with no specific trade category. Trainees are taught in a way that is in line with civilian agencies to allow mapping of qualifications and specifically gives them freedom as a junior to be variable in what jobs they do either Aircraft (mechanical) or Avionic. They also do not require being UT once at the unit. Whereas the Legacy ITT courses were 52 weeks (Ac) and 54 weeks (Av)​, the new ITT (Cat A Licence) will be 26 weeks and Front Line Operations 14 weeks

Supervisor – this provides the supervisory skills required to progress and gives them more civilian modules, usually occurring around 2-3 years after completing ITT. They can then return for a Senior Supervisors’ course which is about another 2- 3 years after the supervisor course, again with promotion. However, this is the course during which they will specialise in their trade category, which is also linked to a civilian qualification.

What will not change is the present Artificer training and the Artisan route described above.

Artificer training – as engineering managers following an intensive course and gives them promotion to SSgt.

Artisan route – for those technicians who do not follow the Artificer selection route, entailing promotion to SSgt following a much longer time served and working on the shop floor without going for further educational training.

In summary, the trade categories have been removed until Senior Supervisor training. Individuals are now non-trade specific, will work to a work card and do not necessarily require full aircraft specific training once in a unit.

For further in-depth information, the article All Change at SAAE by Sgt Heath, published in the July 2024 issue of The Craftsman, discusses work of the school to modernise REME Aviation Training, Project PEGASUS, the formation of the REME Aviation Academy and 650 Squadron LAD.

Our Aircraft Technician past notes that the focus is now on civilian accreditation for the training provided and recognition of Aircraft Tech training and experience.

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With thanks to WO2 (AQMS) Crighton REME, Aircraft Instructor SAAE, Jeff Baker, ex-REME Aircraft Technician (about whom you will hear more in the next article) and Col (Retd) Mike Crabbe, former Corps Historian and REME Aviation person. For their constructive comments, input and advice, particularly aircraft identification and the technical side of things. Working on this article in collaboration demonstrates that our REME history not only lies in the objects and archives in the museum, but in the living repositories of REME history: our serving REME and veterans as well.

Published in The Craftsman, November 2024.