In January 1941 the Secretary of State for Air announced the formation of the Air Training Corps to provide a supply of trained young men for the RAF. Four days later the Squadron's founder and first chairman, Sir James Hawkey, the Mayor of Wanstead and Woodford, was granted £400 from the council to form an ATC (Air Training Corps) Squadron within the Borough. The 241 Wanstead and Woodford ATC squadron was born.

Now, 71 years on, the 241 Wanstead and Woodford ATC Squadron has its headquarters on Finchingfield Avenue, Woodford Green. The Squadron is one of the largest Cadet Squadrons in the country, and it is classed an ‘A’ class Squadron with over 100 cadets, both male and female. 

It is one of the most successful squadrons in the Air Training Corps, the youth organisation of the Royal Air Force, so I got a hold of two of its female cadets; Cadet Woloski and Cadet Adamafio. They  were more than happy to tell me more about it as I asked them a few questions. When I asked about why and how they had initially joined, they told of their initial interest in the Squadron. ‘I had heard about it through a friend and I liked the sound of it so I thought I’d try it out’ Cdt Woloski said, ‘you know, new experiences and all that’ she laughed. It seems that in this case curiosity didn’t kill the cat, quite the contrary, ‘Once I started I got really into it, and here I am years later, still a cadet’. Cdt Adamafio also followed suit. Like Ruby, she too heard about the 241 Wanstead and Woodford ATC Squadron by word of mouth and decided to ‘check it out’, ‘I went along; I made new friends; really liked it, and so decided to stay’.

Of course I wanted to know what specifically had made them want to stay, so I asked the two cadets what they enjoyed the most about being part of their Squadron. ‘I like the fact that we are all really good friends in our Squadron, it gives me a social life whilst still doing something worthwhile, like our motto says: one of many, second to none’ explained Cdt Woloski, ‘and of course I really enjoy doing all the activities like the D of E (Duke of Edinburgh Award)’. Cdt Adamafio also had nothing but positive things to say about her on-going experience and training at the Squadron, ‘I think it is really fun, especially things like the D of E, sometimes the training is a bit hard core but I enjoy that aspect of it too, it teaches discipline and I like the fact it pushes me to reach my potential’. Both of these ladies seem to be very driven; being part of their Squadron seems to be an important part of their lives.

To join the Cadets you have to be between the ages of 13 and 17. The 241 Wanstead and Woodford ATC Squadron offers a broad range of training and activities such as flying, mountaineering, shooting, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, airmanship, drill, firing different weapons and much more. As a result of the vast amount that they cover, I was curious to hear what the two Cadets had been doing most recently. ‘I went to the Cadet Inter Service Skill at Arms Meeting at Pirbirght Ranges for four days, which is kind of like a shooting camp and competition’ Cdt Adamafio began, ‘it was good fun and I really bonded with all the different types of Cadets: Army Cadets, Air Cadets, Sea Cadets, the lot’. Cdt Woloski on the other hand has been doing something a little less dramatic but equally as important: ‘I’ve been helping with the door to door poppy collection to raise money for serving members of the Armed Forces, veterans of all ages, and their families’. 

For more information on the 241 Wanstead and Woodford ATC Squadron look on their website at http://www.241squadron.com/