131 Flight RCT Berlin

Hi All
Got this from e-bay.Anyone know the history of this unit.
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Thanks for any help Brian

No Idea, Movement unit maybe Brian??

Air dispatch probably?.

The RASC & later RCT operated their own aircraft within the control of the Army Air Corps, and even today seconded officers still wear their parent units cap badge.

The Berlin Flight operated Beaver Fixed Wing aircraft as well as Sioux Helicopters and were used in the air observation role, as well as for flying senior army officers to & from BAOR

I beleave it became 7 Flight Army Air Corps around 1970ish

This Pathe newsreel makes meantion of RASC pilots:

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=75430

Hi Brian, the Flight was based at RAF Wildenrath, it had about 70 personnel originally Army Air Corps/RASC and then RCT, it had about 8 aircraft, 4 Scout heicopter and 4 Beaver fixed wing (other Flights were 130 and 132) with its own REME workshop, It came under 23 Transport Regiment RCT based in Rhiendahlen, it was a great posting in the sixties where most people applied for an extended posting, looks like you have a commerative plate from the Berlin Detachment , it was still 131 in 1971, A reunion was held in Stroud, Glos, about 7 years ago

Regards Mick

brian,i am not sure if this will help or hinder your serch,7 flt aac have always been at berlin,and 131flt at widenrath,there is no listing for 131flt rct aviation det,the rasc nor the rct have ever opperated thier own air craft within the aac,i did how ever find reference to 131DID RASC.so some one who is more expert than me may be able to give more help.PS the AAC has only been accepting direct enterants since 1973,before that it was made up of a small cadre of permenant AAC pilots [approx 250]al other pilots and ground crew were all arms,the only common factor waswe all wore the blue beret.any soldier can apply to become air crew,all they have to do is pass pilot selection.

In the early days of the AAC there were fixed wing flights for AOP and liaison flying Austers and Beavers. The AOP Austers were flown by Gunners, there are records in the RCT Museum of Liaison Flights flown by RASC/RCT pilots. Given that 7 Flt was not formed until 1970 in could be that earlier Army aircraft in Berlin were flown by a Det from 131 Flt based at Wildenrath. The existance of 131 Flt at Wildenrath is confirmed by information held in the National Archives. No doubt someone more familiar with Berlin history will be able to provide a definative answer.
Bob

i agree with you bob,what confuses people is the progression [for the want of a better word] THIS IS NOT A DEFINITIVE HISTORY OF THE AAC, during the 1st world war ballons opperated by the RE and manned mainly by theRA were used as A O P platforms for the guns in the rear so thier fire could be directed more acuratley. when the AAC were reborn [SEPT 1957],it was not regiments or indeed full sqn as it is today,that change did not come about untill 1968,prior to that army aviation was classed as trps, or flts.for example most RAC regts had an air trp, and RA regt had an air op trp,some infantry units also had air tps,yes 131 flt were bassed at wildenrath the aircraft may have been flown by pilots wearing their own cap badges,[as i said earlier AAC badged personel were rare untill after 1973] all helicopters and fixed wing air craft were flown by army pilots and came under ARMY AVIATION or the ARMY AIR CORPS never the RASC or RCT. any soldier applying for and becomming an army pilot can fly in any AAC regt and stll wear the uniform of his/her parent regiment.

What was the AAC unit at Aldergrove? I used to fly back to the MOD once a month in a beaver from there when I was at HQ NI

hi jim,during my tours of NI we only refered to it as beaver flt NI,they shared the same hanger as the helicopter sqn of the day,the last big reorganisation the army under took while we were still committed to NI the permenant sqn was designated as 655 sqn,i will try to look for more info on the beaver flt,if you require it. [ie,flight numbers ].

Nah, that's OK thanks, just wondered and it is so long ago Dandc. Does RAF Aldergrove even exist anymore I wonder?

I served on 131 Ind Flt RCT at Wildenrath, between 1965 to 1966 as the CO's driver and my father was a REME Sgt responsible for the maintenance of the fleet of Beavers. We did indeed have Bevarers and Scouts.

Subsequent to that I transferred to the REME and became an Air Tech as a result of the interests I gained at the flight.

Just as an aside it was also during that time that we were visted by the NATO Tripartite Squadron (France, Britain and Germany if my memory serves me right) demonstrating the new Harrier aircraft. Whats a site that was.

2399rju wrote:

I served on 131 Ind Flt RCT at Wildenrath, between 1965 to 1966 as the CO's driver and my father was a REME Sgt responsible for the maintenance of the fleet of Beavers. We did indeed have Bevarers and Scouts.

Subsequent to that I transferred to the REME and became an Air Tech as a result of the interests I gained at the flight.

Just as an aside it was also during that time that we were visted by the NATO Tripartite Squadron (France, Britain and Germany if my memory serves me right) demonstrating the new Harrier aircraft. Whats a site that was.

Hi 2399rju, welcome. That would look good on ones' CV "Responsible for the maintenance of a fleet of Beavers".

Shelldrake,
Yes for my Dad

It's nice to see an Aussie on the net. It has gone very quiet in the antipodes !

What were you doing at Bodelwyddan mate ?

It was where I started as a boy soldier at the JTR Rhyl.

Hi brum

I was a Junior Tradesman at the JTR Rhyl> Enlisted as a driver radio p with the RASC.

Ah !

I did my signals training there too, a bit before your time though.

The old place has changed quite a bit now.

brum wrote:

Ah !

I did my signals training there too, a bit before your time though.

The old place has changed quite a bit now.

went to a reunion JTR RHYL 2010, Most of the camp has gone the A55( T) as it was runs through what was the parade ground and LOWTHER Girls College is now a warner hotel call Bodelwyddan Castle Hotel, THE WHITE CHURCH IS STILL THERE

john mcmillan wrote:

brum wrote:

Ah !

I did my signals training there too, a bit before your time though.

The old place has changed quite a bit now.

went to a reunion JTR RHYL 2010, Most of the camp has gone the A55( T) as it was runs through what was the parade ground and LOWTHER Girls College is now a warner hotel call Bodelwyddan Castle Hotel, THE WHITE CHURCH IS STILL THERE

Just before Xmas 2010 I went to photograph all the military graves at the Marble Church, Bodelwyddan.

I planned to walk back to look for the Ty Fry but it was too cold by the time I'd been round the churchyard. Is it still there, I wonder ?

Ty Fry is still there some of the lads at the reunion stayed there

john mcmillan wrote:

Ty Fry is still there some of the lads at the reunion stayed there

Blimey !

I expected to hear that the place had collapsed through old age !

WAS IN THERE ABOUT 18 MONTHS AGO,

john mcmillan wrote:

WAS IN THERE ABOUT 18 MONTHS AGO,

Thanks for that John.

While not on the topic of 131 Flight RCT, I served in 130 Flight RCT at RAF Changi.
I arrived in Aug 1969 and the flight had recently arrived from RAF Seletar.
We had 6 Beavers and mostly did mail runs to Kuala Lumpur,although other jobs were undertaken.
There was a detachment that went to Nepal,but one of our pilots upset the powers that be be flying to low over the Sultans Palace!
They disbanded sometime sometime in 1970,but by then I had transferred to the RMP at Gillman Bks