75 years of the Air Training Corps – What a spectacle in Ely

Over 800 Air Training Corps cadets from all over Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire came together in Ely on Sunday and marched through the City from Broad Street to the Cathedral led by their very own marching band.
Hundreds lined the streets to watch as a sea of blue, all dressed in their smartest regalia and carrying the flags of their own squadrons paraded before a service was given to mark the occasion. Dignitaries from all across the region came including many of the different towns and cities Mayors.
The ATC was established on the 5th February 1941 in order to give part-time training to teenage and young men with the hope they may later join the Royal Air Force. They were formed from an idea in 1938 where Air Commodore Chamier started the Air Defence Cadet Corp and saw literally thousands sign up. The Royal Warrant was signed for the ATC in 1941 and is to this day supported by the Ministry of Defence and the Royal Air Force.
Their first Air Commodore in Chief was George VI and took over the motto from ADCC of ‘Venture Adventure’.
With 34 Wings throughout the UK and with hundreds of squadrons, teenagers are encouraged to join the ATC at any level where they will be given the opportunity to learn new skills, go on adventures and even take flying lessons.

The Bedfordshire & Cambridgeshire Wing is made of ** squadrons
10F (Luton Airport)
22 (Sandy)
51 (Orton)
73 (Huntingdon)
104 (City of Cambridge)
115 (Peterborough)
134 (Bedford)
207 (Cranfield)
272 (Wisbech)
460 (Dunstable)
511 (Ramsey)
1003 (Leighton Buzzard)
1220 (March)
1406 (Spalding)
1451 (Haverhill)
1985 (Flitwick)
2065 (Biggleswade)
2331 (St Ives)
2417 (Newmarket)
2430 (Holbeach)
2461 (Sawston)
2462 (Oakley)
2465 (Luton Icknield)
2482 (Henlow)
2484 (Bassingbourn)
2484DF (Cambourne)
2500 (St Neots)
2523 (Linton)
2524 (Oakington)
and of course our very own 1094 (Ely)