The Air Training Corps has been a succesful military cadet organisation for over 50 years now, and continues to serve Australia proud as the most successful cadet unit ever formed in Australia's history. It was on 22 February 1941 when the Air Board recommended that an Air Cadet Corps be formed. The idea was put to the War Cabinet, and on the 27 February 1941 the idea was approved by the cabinet.
At first the ATC had two objectives, to provide an education for young men of the ages of 16-18 with a view to employment within the RAAF, and also to encourage young men to learn about the RAAF, aviation and to build discipline amongst these young men. On 1 April 1942 a Statutory Rule was changed to admit the ATC as a part of the Air Force Reserve.
A wing was established in every capital city and under those wings were squadrons located in metropolitan and country areas. By Nov 1943 there were 97 squadrons (27 in Victoria, 34 in NSW, 17 in Queensland, 8 in SA, 9 in WA and 2 in TAS). By the same time, 4,002 cadets had gone on to aircrew training in the RAAF, 2 100 in Technical Training with 178 in other areas. 1 034 cadets joined the Army or Navy.
The Air Training Corps was retained after the end of World War II with a Squadron in each state instead of a wing, although another squadron was formed for North Queensland. Joining age was lowered to 14, and by 1950 there were 4,200 cadets Australia wide. In 1954 the first International Air Cadet Exchanges took place, and are still being undertaken today. At this time Flying Training Scholarships began, valued at $1000 each ( 13 Flight still has this scholarship available to this day).
Did you realise that in the early years of the AIRTC you had to pass an entrance examination to get in? Numbers were up around 6,500 cadets by 1961 and popularity was very high and people competed for entry. During the 60's the exchange program expanded to include UK, USA Civil Air Patrol and the Malayan ATC.
The early 1970s saw gliding programs take off in Camden NSW and other states soon followed. At this time problems began within the ATC. A Labour member in NSW questioned the Governments attitude towards compulsory military training in schools for cadets. The government stated it must not be compulsory, and any school where it was compulsory would have its support withdrawn. A 1975 report into cadet forces was mostly positive and recommended their retention, with modifications. However the government decided, on 30 September 1975 to end cadet training. Dissent was high following the Vietnam War, and the public tended more towards a longer length of hair than the ATC allowed. The government began large cuts in national defence and military morale plummeted. The ATC was disbanded and all RAAF support was ordered to be withdrawn.
Naturally protests ensued, and in Jan/Feb 1976 the Fraser Government announced the reintroduction of the ATC, however only with limitations. No new members were allowed, and RAAF support was still not there as the government tried to decide what to do. Parents banded together to keep flights going, and at this time the ATC became the AIRTC. An act was passed establishing the Air Training Corps, not as members of the RAAF but under the command of the Chief of Air Staff.
The AIRTC was back in town, and in 1982 girls were admitted to join the AIRTC. RAAF Reserve instructors were replaced by AIRTC officers and instructors and the AIRTC went from strength to strength to the fully recognised organisation that it is today.
Note: Information on this webpage was extracted from the book "The First Fifty Years" By Barry J Videon.
