1444 Squadron in action...

I’ve recently received a great enquiry from Tracy Bluck, training officer for Brownhills Air Cadets, who are celebrating their 70th anniversary this year. It’s incredible to think that this great organisation has been such a big part of Brownhills life for seven decades. I sense that readers will have memories, tales and recollections of this fine institution that they’d be happy to share with Tracy and other blog readers. If any of you have pictures, those would be great, too. I’d really like to see what readers can do here; this is a fine thing and there must be loads of stuff out there.

Tracy had this to say:

I regularly visit and enjoy reading your blog. I think you are the right person to help me.

I’m a member of the local air cadets, 1444 (Brownhills) Sqn on Barnetts Lane. This year is the 70th anniversary of the cadets. I was wondering if there were any ex cadets of the sqn still in the area who perhaps could give our younger members a taste of how the sqn was when it was first formed in 1941. Is this something you could put on your blog?

I was interested in this, the Air Cadets are a big part of Brownhills youth history, and are significant influence in the younger days of many readers of this blog. Sensing the opportunity to make a decent story for the blog, I asked Tracy to send me some more information and maybe a few pictures. Tracy kindly responded;

 So, a bit of information on the sqn…

Records suggest that the squadron was founded in May 1941, it has seen a large number of cadets pass through over the years and currently has over 40 cadets parading every week. We meet every Wednesday and Friday evenings at the squadron headquarters on Barnetts Lane.

We offer a wide range of activities including adventure training, camping, duke of Edinburgh award, sports, shooting, not forgetting flying and gliding plus much more. I’ve attached a couple of photographs but similar to you this is something we lack.

As it’s the 70th anniversary this year not only for the squadron but also the air training corps we would love to hear from ex-cadets who perhaps have old photos and indeed stories of their experiences. We are also making a video for the anniversary, if anyone has an old uniform we could borrow it would be appreciated.

Regards,Tracy

T L Bluck
Fg Off
Training Officer
1444 (Brownhills) SQN

If you have anything, please do contact the blog by commenting here or at the usual address: BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot com. I have a phone number for the squadron which I’ll supply on request. Please turf out those cupboards, photo albums and see what you can find!

1444 Squadron at a function outside The Terrace restaurant, Brownhills.