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Number 636 VGS was formed on
1st October 1964, when 634 VGS returned to St Athan to resume operations after being
temporarily relocated to Swansea Airport.
The first Commanding Officer Flt Lt R I
Vince RAFVR(T) having formally held the post
of Adjutant 634 VGS
Other staff detached to 636
VGS from 634 VGS were the schools new CFI
and DCFI namely Flying Officer G W Davies
RAFVR(T) and Flying Officer E R Morgan
RAFVR(T) respectively, both of whom were to
hold posts of Commanding Officer in the
years to come
No 636 VGS began operations
on Sunday 18th October 1964 and by the 25th
October the first two cadets trained by the
school to the necessary standard went solo.
These cadets namely Cadet Sergeants R S and
R L Evans from 334 (Neath) Squadron ATC were
among the more remarkable in that they were
twin brothers. Despite being
forced to operate with the barest minimum of
accommodation for the first one and a half
years of its existence, the school soon
gained considerable momentum and rapidly
built up a solid staff base from the
locality and ATC Squadrons.
Flt Lt Graham Davies RAFVR(T) resigned his
post in 1976 and was succeeded by Flt Lt
Allan Barham RAFVR(T) with Flg Off Jeff
Williams RAFVR(T) filling the CFI's
position. Graham Davies was appointed
Wing Staff Officer with special
responsibility for liaison between the
Gliding School and Wing Squadrons under No 3
Welsh Wing, he was awarded the MBE for his
efforts. Flt Lt Allan Barham
RAFVR(T) stepped down as CO in 1982 and Flt
Lt Jeff Williams RAFVR(T) was appointed in
his place. Allan Barham continued to
serve at No 636 VGS both as a Commissioned
Officer and a Civilian Instructor for
another 17 years before finally retiring in
1999 after being associated with the School
for a magnificent total of 35 years.
Flt Lt Jeff Williams RAFVR(T) hung up his
flying suit in 1988 and was later succeeded
by Flt Lt (later Squadron Leader) Neil East
RAFVR(T). Neil East had moved to
Swansea after retiring from the RAF after
completing a thirty six year tour. He
was drafted into the system after enjoying a
distinguished record with the RAFGSA, Neil's
considerable experience benefited the school
enormously; eventually his work was rewarded
by the School winning the coveted "Sir
Arthur Marshall" Performance Trophy as the
best Viking Glider School in 1997.
Sqn Ld Neil East RAFVR(T) handed over the
reins to Sqn Ldr Phil Davies RAFVR(T), the
present incumbent in June 1997 with the CFI
post being occupied by by Flt Lt Stewart
Pinching RAFVR(T), an ex-school Flight Staff
Cadet. Having been based at
Swansea Airport Since its formation, No 636
VGS was moved to DERA Aberporth (West Wales)
in late 1996, due largely to contractual
difficulties with the then Airport
authorities. Freed from the
operational restrictions of a civilian
airfield, and with the guidance of Sqn Ldr
Neil East, 636 was able to improve its
performance in the following year, to a
point where in was awarded the trophy
previously mentioned.
Aberporth was an ideal airfield in many
resects, all beit small and somewhat remote
from its cadet customer base, the training
facilities were however excellent, and the
school enjoyed a good working relationship
with its DERA hosts. Nevertheless,
Aberporth did have some unique hazards, a
remote controlled Landrover under test by
DERA careered out of control through the
hanger wall and did considerable damage to
the three school gliders parked within.
Thankfully no personnel were present!
The subsequent accident report was no doubt
one of the more interesting ones to be
processed by Headquarters.
The wheel has now turned full circle, and No
636 VGS has returned to Swansea Airport in
April 2001 after proposed development plans
at Aberporth would have rendered the site
unsuitable for Air Cadet gliding operations.
However, following a small period of
re-adjustment to joint power/gliding
operations for the newly acquired staff, the
school has now settled into providing
valuable gliding opportunities to cadets of
No 3 Welsh Wing ATC |
