DATE OF FORMATION

1 st February 1941 - ex ADCC Squadron

SQUADRON COMMANDER

1939 Sqn Ldr D M S Glasbrook RAF (ADCC)
1941 Flt Lt K Darvil Miall RAFVR(T)
1943 Fg Off N Raiswell RAFVR(T) (acting CO)
1943 Flt Lt C A Firmin MBE RAFVR(T)
1954 Flt Lt W J Clarke RAFVR(T)
1962 Flt Lt C F Styles RAFVR(T)
1971 Flt Lt A Barrable RAFVR(T)
1981 Flt Lt R Taylor RAFVR(T)
1985 Flt Lt Gray RAFVR(T)
1986 Flt Lt D J Mills RAFVR(T)
1987 Flt Lt D Lakeland RAFVR(T)
1992 Flt Lt J Hartland RAFVR(T)
1995 Flt Lt M Howlett RAFVR(T)
1996 Flt Lt R Dewhurst RAFVR(T)
2000 Flt Lt T W Blackwell RAFVR(T)

SQUADRON CIVILIAN CHAIRMAN

1941 Sir William Wigham Richardson
1967 Air Vice Marshall R S Blucke CB CBE DSO AFC RAF(retd)
1974 Air Commodore T P Seymour RAF(retd)
1978 Group Captain M J A Shaw RAF(retd)
1985 Mr C D Hill
1987 Mr H C Dye
1989 Mrs J Bragg
1999 Mr D W Shepherd
2002 Mr J Skudder

AWARDS

1969 Lees Trophy Wing representatives Best Squadron in Kent Wing
1978 Marconi Elliot Trophy Best Exam results in Kent Wing
1991 Concorde Trophy - CWO R Dewhurst Best Cadet in Kent Wing
1992 Lord Lieutenants Award - CWO R Dewhurst Lord Lieutenant of Kent's Cadet
1992 Sir Keith Park Trophy Best Sports Squadron in Kent Wing
1994 Karbritt Cup Wing Full-bore Shooting Award
2002 Concorde Trophy - CWO C Crawford Best Cadet in Kent Wing
2002 Clark Efficiency Trophy Most Efficient Squadron in Kent Wing
2003 Lord Lieutenants Award - CWO C Crawford Lord Lieutenant of Kent's Cadet
2005 Karbritt Cup Wing Full-bore Shooting Award
2005 Kent Wing & London and South East Region Sports Cadet of the Year - Cdt R Wilkinson

HISTORY OF THE SQUADRON

The Royal Warrant establishing 129 (Tunbridge Wells) Squadron, Air Training Corps was issued on the 5th February 1941. The Squadron was formed from the members of 129 Squadron Air Defence Cadet Corps (ADCC), which had existed in Tunbridge Wells from the early part of May 1939. 129 Squadron Air Defence Cadet Corps had paraded at the Tunbridge Wells Agricultural Showground in Eridge Road, the location of the first Motor Show in Great Britain in 1898. 129 Squadron ADCC used various agricultural buildings on the Showground. Cadets travelled to 129 Squadron ADCC using either train to the old Tunbridge Wells West Station, or by bus, but mostly by pedal powered cycles from a wide area around Tunbridge Wells. The area from which the Cadets travelled included the towns and villages of Tonbridge, Wadhurst, Crowborough, Horsmonden, Southborough and Pembury.

On the 5 th . February 1941, the establishment figure for 129 Squadron included 24 ex ADCC Cadets that were under the age of 16, 46 Cadets aged 16-17, 90 aged 17-18 and 21 Cadets over the age of 18. This gave a total strength at formation of the ATC Squadron of 181. By the 1st April 1941, the numbers had grown to 220 and Detached Flights (DF) had been created in Horsmonden (46 Cadets) and Wadhurst (16 Cadets). The Tonbridge based Cadets who were members of 129 Squadron were transferred to 1344 (Tonbridge) Squadron, which had been formed around the end of May 1941.

PPL Awards

Due to the great increase in Cadets it became essential to have a headquarters building located near the centre of Tunbridge Wells. The Agricultural Showground that had been used by the ADCC, was located on the southern outskirts of the Town, close to the Sussex border. The Borough Council was asked to help the Squadron by Sir William Wigham Richardson (The Chairman of Swan Hunter and Richardson, Naval Shipbuilders on Tyneside) who had been responsible for the formation of 129 Squadron ADCC in 1939. At the outbreak of the war, the Civic Centre Complex was still under construction. The War put a halt to the building work. The building under construction to become the Library and Museum, was almost complete but lacked the final fixings such as internal doors. The cadets were offered the use of the building as a Drill Hall and this was readily accepted. The clothing store and Officers offices, were located on the first floor of a shop at 25 High Street, Tunbridge Wells.

Attending parade evenings was not always easy for the Cadets due to the bombing raids of the Luftwaffe. Indeed, on one bombing raid a large land mine landed on a food warehouse only 100 yards away from the Squadron headquarters killing seven workmen. A notable success of the Squadron in 1944 was to come 14 th in the national "Battle of Britain" Small-bore shooting competition. In early 1945, the DF at Wadhurst disbanded followed by the Horsmonden DF in late 1949. At the end of the war, with smaller numbers of Cadets to house and the town wanting to use its new Library, the Squadron moved upstairs to that part of the Civic Centre that is now the Museum. In 1945 the first Band was formed as service in the RAF or the Fleet Air Arm was no longer the major objective of the training. In 1948 the Squadron had its own magazine called "The Prop". The Squadron remained at the Civic Centre until December 1953.

1947 - The Squadron band parades through Tunbridge Wells

In January 1954, the Borough Council wanted to open the new Town Museum and therefore offered the Squadron an alternative Headquarters building located at the old wartime British Restaurant in the Calverley Grounds. The accommodation was to be shared with the local Civil Defence Corps. This proved not to be an acceptable solution and the numbers of Cadets dropped to such a low level that consideration was given to disbanding 129 Squadron. The Squadron Welfare committee, still led by its first Chairman Sir William Wigham Richardson, looked at many possible alternative locations for a Squadron headquarters over the next nine months. It was decided that the best location was the Territorial Army Centre in St Johns Road but there was opposition from Headquarters of 61 Group, RAF, to different military forces being co-located. As an emergency measure and to prevent closure of the Squadron, the Tunbridge Wells Bowls Club, located 100m from the TA centre on the opposite side of St Johns Road, agreed to let the Squadron use its premises on a temporary basis. The search for a new Squadron Headquarters continued.

The Squadron Welfare Committee went in to action with its Chairman, an ex-Army Major in the in the First World War, determined to overcome the difficulties posed by the higher authorities. Just six months later in April 1954, following a reorganisation of the TA, a wooden hut became vacant in the TA Centre. This was allocated to the ATC and the Cadets marched in from the Bowls Club with the Band playing! The Squadron then had a permanent home from where it has been located ever since 1954. In June 1955, a second hut on the site became available when the Headquarters of 22 nd Kent (Tunbridge Wells) Home Guard Battalion was finally made redundant.

By 1959 the numbers of Cadets had increased significantly and the Squadron had built an obstacle course in the grounds of the TA centre. Due to the large number of Cadets travelling over from Tonbridge (1344 Squadron by now having closed down), it was decided to open a Detached Flight in Tonbridge during July 1962. The new DF paraded in the Technical Institute Avebury Avenue, before moving very quickly to the TA Centre along the road.

Flt Lt John Clarke, Sqn Ldr R C Frogbrook and others

In 1964 a new Squadron headquarters was built to replace the two wooden huts when a part of the TA centre was sold for housing development. Wing Commander Worf, Officer Commanding Kent Wing, opened the new accommodation. In 1969, 129 Squadron lead by Flt Lt C Styles RAFVR(T) were the Wing representatives for the Lees Trophy for best Squadron in the Corps. Flt Sgt I R Relfe was selected in the same year to go to Canada as part of the International Air Cadet Exchange (IACE). Due to the numbers of Cadets in the Squadron and its success as a unit, a second building was provided in June 1970. This doubled the size of the accommodation available for training purposes. During this year, Flt Sgt Moore was selected to go to America on the IACE scheme.

In 1978 the Squadron had the best training exam results in the Wing for which it was awarded the Marconi Elliot Trophy. During 1979, 129 Squadron was officially linked with HMS Rhyl, also known as F129. In 1984 Cadet Warrant Officer (CWO) I Woods received the Lords Lieutenants Meritorious Award, followed in 1985 by the ATC Certificate of Good Service.

1991 was the year in which CWO R Dewhurst won the Concorde Trophy for being the best Cadet in the Kent Wing. In 1992 the Squadron won the Sir Keith Park Trophy for the best sports Squadron in Kent Wing and Sgt G Robinson was selected to go to Canada on the IACE scheme. In the same year, Sgt Robinson gained a navigation scholarship and CWO R Dewhurst received the Lords Lieutenants Meritorious Award. In 1993 Flt Sgt T Blackwell was selected to go to America and Canada on the IACE scheme. During 1994 the Squadron were the winners of The Kabritt Cup, the Wing Full-bore Shooting Competition. In 1995 CWO T Blackwell was awarded the ATC Certificate of Good Service. CWO Clare Crawford has been the Squadrons most successful cadet in recent years winning the Concorde Trophy for the best Cadet in the Kent Wing and the Lords Lieutenants Meritorious Award both in 2001. in 2002 CWO Crawford was appointed as the Lords Lieutenants of Kent's Cadet.

Award of Aircraft Recognition Trophy

Apart from a small break in the late 1960's and again in the late 1980's, the Squadron has continued to have an outstanding Band. The Band has performed at many events around the Tunbridge Wells area and has travelled to France to parade on two occasions in the 1990's. Shooting has always been a strong feature of the Squadrons activities and good use is made of the indoor range that is located adjacent to the Headquarters. Members of the Squadron have won 14 Flying Scholarships and over 100 Cadets have flown solo in a glider in the past thirty years. Several members of the Squadron have visited Nijmagen to undertake the four-day marches and have the medals to prove it. The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme has been an active part of the training programme with many participants achieving their Gold Award.

Squadron range

The Warrant of Establishment states that the ATC is to provide young men (and women in these more enlightened days) with the means of preparing themselves for air service in the Royal Air Force and the Fleet Air Arm. Many Cadets from 129 Squadron have left 129 Squadron to serve in all three Armed Services. Several have become Officers in the RAF. One ex-129 Cadet and Glider Instructor at 618 VGS West Malling Ian Chapman, a former helicopter pilot with 848 Squadron Fleet Air Arm, was on the Atlantic Conveyer just off the Falklands when an Exocet missile hit it on May 25 th . 1982. He was rescued but 12 people on board were lost together with several helicopters and a number of Harrier fighters. Other cadets have joined the Army and the Royal Marines in the past five years and have seen service in several areas of conflict.

On the 6 February 2001, Cadets, Adult Staff and Officers celebrated the 60th anniversary of the grant of the Warrant that established 129 (Tunbridge Wells) Squadron ATC in 1941. The honoured guest at the diamond celebration event was Peter Gibby who lives in Tunbridge Wells. Peter Gibby was one of the founding cadets of 129 Squadron ATC. Peter had previously been a member of 129 Squadron Air Defence Cadet Corps (ADCC) and was transferred on the 5 February 1941 to the new ATC. Peter later went on to serve during World War II with 460 Squadron RAAF. The motto of 460 Squadron was "Strike and return".

The Commanding Officer, Flt Lt Tim Blackwell RAFVR(T) and Plt Off Jon Venus RAFVR(T) welcomed Peter's return to 129 Squadron ATC. Peter was assisted in the task of cutting the Birthday Cake by the youngest Cadet on parade, Thomas Higham, accompanied by Cadet Jessica Lawes.