The Meteorological Schools
Mention ‘The Schools’ to a met. person and most of them will think of Kete or Culdrose, depending upon the era when they joined up, but, there were others.
Way, way back in the dark ages, the first met. men were trained on the job by the METO. In 1942 came Seaman (Met), the first course being trained at RNAS Crail but by 1943 training had moved to Lee-on-Solent, where really the very first Met. School was established. Training continued here until the end of 1946 when it moved to RNAD Kete where it remained until late 1959. In 1959/60 the whole operation moved again to RNAS Culdrose, some 43 years later moving up the coast to Devonport where the ‘New School’ is now firmly established for the foreseeable future.
When Met. Wrens first came on the scene in 1942, they too were trained on the job but by 1943 training had moved variously to RNAS Donibristle, RNAS Crail and RNAS Worthy Down. By 1946 the first wrens course to take place once the war was over was at Lee-on-Solent and since then wrens and ratings have all trained at the same establishment but not necessarily always as mixed courses.
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PO Ray Pearce,Cicely Goodchild, Cdr A.R. Edwards, Lt Cdr A. Coxon, Edna Horton |
