Commandant’s Air Cadets Commendations of Meritorious Service were given out at this years Thrive Awards, below are the recipients and their citations.
Flying Officer Alex Pye from 211 (Newbury) Squadron has been a member of the Corps serving as a both a Cadet and as a member of staff at 211 (Newbury) Squadron.
A long term supporter and key member of the Squadron he has undertaken all of the duties asked of him with style and is seen as a corner stone of excellence. He is also leading light in bringing archery activities – first to Newbury Squadron through careful negotiation of grant packages – before being an evangelist for the activity Wing-side.
Alex is also a leading light in the Wing Adventure Training Team and taken on key roles within the team, had exuded a passion for canoeing to a point where we are planning international expeditions He also set up the highly successful Staff AT Facebook site where outdoor specialists can share ideas, best practice and activity details.
In recognition of his dedicated and meritorious service to date and in particular in recognition of his long term support to 211 (Newbury) Squadron he is awarded the Commandants Certificate of Meritorious Service to the Air Training Corps.
Civilian Instructor Abi Holland from 447 (Henley on Thames) Squadron is a long-time member of the Squadron has given it some real consistency during a time which has seen many changes in personnel on the unit. She has consistently stepped up to the plate to ensure the Squadron could carry on operating as normal – showing a level of responsibility far beyond the expectations of a Civilian Instructor.
Indeed, she shows passion in all of her duties which have included acting as the Training Officer and Squadron Adjutant.
As well as her Squadron duties she has delivered above and beyond on a number of other fronts including taking a leading role in First Aid; teaching and assessing on Wing Courses for both Cadets and Staff as well as providing event cover for major events including the large Pirbright Camps.
In recognition of her dedicated and meritorious service to date and in particular in recognition of her keen support of 447 (Henley on Thames) Squadron she is awarded the Commandants Certificate of Meritorious Service to the Air Training Corps.
Flt Lt Dan Holdenis currently the Officer Commanding 1861 (Wantage) Squadron and has been a member of the Corps since April 2008. Despite only having commanded 1861 Sqn for 18 months, the Squadron has grown tremendously and is now twice as large as it was when he took over. He has also led, developed and nurtured a very successful staff team.
Flt Lt Holden has also been the Wing’s Media Communications Officer and has developed the wing into the new modern way of communication – Facebook and Twitter are now both Thames Valley Wing best way of getting information to the cadets! He has worked tirelessly with Mark Gray the Wing Webmaster to get the best PR coverage for the Wing. He has also been a member of various Corps review groups, looking ahead to the future with a young mind and fresh perpectives!
Flt Lt Holden is a trusted and dependable Officer who has given exemplary service, and he is awarded the Commandants Certificate of Meritorious Service to the Air Training Corps.
Civilian Instructor Mark Gray from 1996 (Earley) Squadron is serving as the Squadron Adjutant and Wing Webmaster.
Until recently, Earley Squadron paraded at Reading University in common use areas meaning the unit had no footprint at all in which to put up posters and event notices or even store training aids. Mark used his first class Information Technology skills to solve the problem by creating a virtual notice board “on line” many years before the common use by Squadrons of applications such as Facebook.
He also uses his IT skills as the Wing Webmaster – his multiple award winning website and associated Facebook and Twitter feeds are best in class.
He is tireless worker and has been a constant and consistent support during management transition and Squadron growth as well as in his work on IT Systems for the Wing.
In recognition of his dedicated and meritorious service to date and in particular in recognition of his support to 1996 (Earley) Squadron he is awarded the Commandants Certificate of Meritorious Service to the Air Training Corps.
Civilian Instructor Clive Wilkinson from 2120 (Witney) Squadron has been a member of the Air Training Corps since 1978 serving as a member of staff following retirement from regular RAF service as a pilot.
Mr Wilkinson is a key instructor at 2120 Sqn and is passionate about aviation. He has extensive knowledge of both the engineering and pilot aspects of the Air Cadet syllabus, and this has ensured that the Cadets he has taught have received the very best ground training possible. Additionally, he has given up countless weekends to facilitate flying and gliding experiences with the Air Cadet Organisation and at his own flying club.
In recognition of his dedicated, meritorious, and in particular 36 year-long service to date, he is awarded the Commandants Certificate of Meritorious Service to the Air Training Corps.
Flt Lt (Ret’d) Ian Broadbridge from 2120 (Witney) Squadron has been a member of the Air Training Corps since 1957, serving at the same Squadron as a Cadet and as Officer Commanding; the latter role he held from Oct 1994 to Mar 2005
On his retirement from uniformed service, Flt Lt Broadbridge joined the Squadron’s Civilian committee and he is currently the Chairman. He has, for the past 15 years, toiled tirelessly alongside Thames Valley Wing Headquarters and the South East Reserve Forces and Cadet Association (SERFCA) to provide new accommodation for the Squadron. This work is finally coming to fruition, with ground breaking expected in 2016.
In recognition of his dedicated and meritorious service to date and in particular in recognition of 55 years’ service combined uniform and civilian committee including Sqn Chair and Wing Executive Secretary and member, he is awarded the Commandants Certificate of Meritorious Service to the Air Training Corps.
Mr Bill Goodwin from 2120 (Witney) Squadron has been a member of the Corps since 1982 serving the Squadron as Treasurer of the Civilian Committee following his regular RAF service.
Bill is a pillar of the community and member of the Witney Branch of the Lions International Club; he is often found sacrificing long hours for charitable causes in West Oxfordshire, including the Witney Carnival which provides in excess of £1000 per year towards his Squadron.
In recognition of his dedicated and meritorious service to date and in particular in recognition of 32 years’ service he is awarded the Commandants Certificate of Meritorious Service to the Air Training Corps.
Mr Peter Bayliss from 2267 (Brize Norton) Squadron has been a member of the civilian committee since 2007 when his son was a cadet with the squadron.
Peter has been a committed member of the committee. As well as turning out for meetings, he has helped out at many activities such as car parking at annual Fireworks displays, bag packing, manning stalls at local fairs and as a driver for cadet activities.
His particular strength, however, has been his master craftsman skills where he has helped to improve, maintain and repair the squadron buildings at Brize Norton on a self-help basis. Without him, the Squadron buildings would not have survived as long as they did and nor could the Squadron have grown so successfully as a result.
In recognition of this effort and his dedicated and meritorious service to 2267 Squadron he is awarded the Commandants Certificate of Meritorious Service to the Air Training Corps.
Civilian Instructor Steve Herbert from 2477 (Britwell) Squadron has been a member of the Corps since 1994 as a member of staff.
As a qualified Chartered Aeronautical Engineer, he has specialised in teaching the advanced subjects in the cadet syllabus.
He has always been there to help and support the Squadron through thick and thin. He has been a steadying hand on the wheel and has been ever professional. The cadets always enjoy his teaching and he is an inspiration to those cadets looking for a career in aeronautics.
In recognition of his 21 years of dedicated and meritorious service to date and in particular in recognition of his service at 2477 (Britwell) Squadron he is awarded the Commandants Certificate of Meritorious Service to the Air Training Corps.
Flight Lieutenant Carol Quilter from 2499 (Wokingham) Squadron joined the Corps when her son became a cadet at nearby 1116 (Woodley) Squadron. She is a high performing officer and her dedication to duty was previously recognised in 2010 by the presentation of a South West Regional Commandants Certificate of Good Service.
She is seen as a rock to the Squadron – in her role as Adjutant looking after the multitude of paperwork, cadet records and general administration. She is a pivotal member of the team whose quiet but determined approach pays dividends for cadets and staff alike. They all know if they want the job done properly, efficiently and quickly they should turn to Carol for help.
As the Squadron’s only qualified Basic Expedition Leader, Carole led many Squadron expeditions including D of E and camps to the Isle of Wight, striding out with the cadets or racing around in the minibus manning check points. Without Carole’s drive, sense of humour, spirit and leadership these activities would simply not have happened.
In addition to her work at Wokingham Squadron, Carol has also supported a myriad of other duties. In particular her contribution to the Royal International Air Tattoo is highly valued by the Tattoo team with Carole running the VIP tent team or running the logistics tent and riding her RAF issue bike around the camp. She is seen as a very safe pair of hands and someone that is totally reliable whatever the task she is asked to undertake.
Pilot Officer Jonathon Barker from 2507 (Bicester) Squadron has been a long term member of the Corps having served on a number of Squadrons including 2121 (Abingdon) Squadron, 966 (Wallingford) Squadron and most recently at 2507 (Bicester) Squadron where he is the Officer In Charge. In his duties he Ii always professional, hardworking and extremely reliable.
As well as his normal Squadron duties as both a Warrant Officer and, more recently as a Commissioned Officer his true passion is for Radio Communications. He has taken on the role of Wing Radio Officer with great gusto and can often been seen teaching cadets on Wing Courses as well as practicing what he preaches by setting up, and operating, increasingly complex radio infrastructure at Wing events including the Field Craft Cadre – Tactical Leadership Course held at Bramley Training Area.
In recognition of his 15 Years dedicated and meritorious service to date and in particular in recognition of his support to various Squadrons in the Wing he is awarded the Commandants Certificate of Meritorious Service to the Air Training Corps.
Cadet Commendations
| Commandant’s Certificate of Good Service | |
| Cadet Warrant Officer T James | 155 (Maidenhead) Squadron |
| Cadet Warrant Officer S Jacob | 459 (Windsor) Squadron |
| Cadet Flight Sergeant O Blackley | 459 (Windsor) Squadron |
| Cadet Warrant Officer J Palmer | 1315 (Kidlington) Squadron |
| Cadet Sergeant G Flavin | 2121 (Abingdon) Squadron |
| Cadet Flight Sergeant R Herridge | 2267 (Brize Norton) Squadron |
| Cadet Flight Sergeant E Percival | 2267 (Brize Norton) Squadron |
| Cadet Warrant Officer L Goff | 2410 (Didcot) Squadron |
| Cadet Flight Sergeant Summersgill | 2477 (Britwell) Squadron |
| Cadet Flight Sergeant J Portwain | 2477 (Britwell) Squadron |
| Cadet Flight Sergeant M Soar | 2507 (Bicester) Squadron |
| Cadet Warrant Officer A Gibb | 2507 (Bicester) Squadron |
| Cadet Sergeant B Bruce | 2507 (Bicester) Squadron |
Staff – Cadet Forces Medal and Clasps
| Squadron Leader S New – 4th Clasp | Wing Staff Officer & Wing Executive Officer |
| Flight Lieutenant J Nichols – 4th Clasp | 153 (Slough) Squadron |
| Flight Lieutenant J Smith – 3rd Clasp | 2121 (Abingdon) Squadron |
| Squadron Leader C Johnson – 2nd Clasp | Wing Staff Officer |
| Squadron Leader C Breward– 2nd Clasp | Wing Staff Officer |
| Flight Lieutenant K Kisley– 2nd Clasp | 1460 (Banbury) Squadron |
| Flying Scholarship Wings | |
| Cadet Flight Sergeant Archer | 2267 (Brize Norton) Squadron |
| Cadet Sergeant Crockett | 153 (Slough) Squadron |
| Cadet Flight Sergeant Peacock | 2410 (Didcot) Squadron |
| Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award | |
| Cadet Sergeant D Dawson | 2410 (Didcot) Squadron |
All photos from the evening can be found on our Facebook Site