2523 Linton Air Training Corps

19/07/2025

Right oh folks, forget your protein bars, skinny lattes, artisan flapjacks and gluten-free granola. Revisiting the legendary Yorkie bar from the MoD ration packs – the original morale booster before energy gels were a thing. 💪
“It’s not for civvies” Never has a chocolate bar been so hilariously elitist. On the back it said, “It belonged in the bergens, not the breakroom.” I can remember these showing up in the rat pack like a golden ticket to sugar heaven
Back in the day, this beauty had various uses. On TACEVAL, if you were peckish, you could barter your Yorkie for over half someone’s ration pack. You could also use it for smashing the window on the Squadron Mini when the keys go missing. You could also use it for hammering tent pegs, but this didn't apply to the RAF as the ration pack was usually delivered by room service.
Anyone brave enough to chew through this concrete disguised as chocolate, would experience a sugar rush to keep you awake for at least twenty-four hours, which was great if you were on an engine change wearing an NBC suite at 3am in the pouring rain. However, it also contained enough Imodium to also ensure you would not contemplate an admin break for at least thirty-six hours. More the point when you finally did it was like trying to pass a house brick still covered in pebble dash. Only silly people, and avionics ate two of these bad boys. A highlight from days now gone.
😀

11/05/2025

Alright…. gather ‘round. Let me introduce you to one of the finest pieces of military kit ever invented by a committee with no working eyesight: the British military’s right-angled torch.

Picture a small plastic brick, bent at 90 degrees for reasons no one can explain, with the brightness of a pub toilet bulb and the tactical value of a glow stick taped to a cow. Issued as standard. Proudly… as if it’s cutting-edge kit.

Now, you don’t hold this thing like a normal torch. Oh no. You clip it to your chest, so the light points vaguely at your own armpit. Want to see forward? Turn your whole torso like some sort of low-rent lighthouse.

Then comes the crown jewel: the red lens filter. A little plastic disc you wedge over the bulb, supposedly to stop enemy forces seeing your light.

What it actually does is make your entire field of view look like a submarine-themed nightclub. It reduces visibility from “barely” to “are my eyes even open?”

This red filter doesn’t lock in. Nope. Just sits there like a loose tooth. Bump into a tree, or breathe too confidently, and off it goes. Straight into the mud. Lost forever. Cue grown adults crawling around in silence, whispering “where’s the f****** lens” while being watched by confused sheep.

To put this in perspective for any civvies reading this: imagine needing a torch to read a map in the dark, and someone gives you a Tesco torch from 1993, but says, “Wait, let me make it red so it’s even worse,” and then fines you if you lose a lense.

No one ever used it properly. The coloured filters – red, blue, green – all ended up being used for one thing: blinding your mate on guard duty or making shadow puppets on the inside of your poncho as if you're a malnourished prisoner doing panto.

You’d rather navigate by licking your finger and seeing which way your will to live blows. But still… still… it was issued, it was mandatory, and it had to be signed back in like it was a family heirloom.

In summary, the right angled torch was proudly carried, never switched on, and remembered mostly for how it taught you that even in pitch black, the military will still find a way to take the mick.

Cheers 😁

07/03/2025

ATC Sunday 2019, spot the Linton Banner.

12/02/2025

As a bit of interest, there is a push by the Royal College of Arms to list all authorised Air Training Corps Badges. As the 2523 Squadron Badge fits the bill below is the write up that supports the badge. Enjoy.

The Squadron badge came about as the previous unauthorized version attracted complaints to its political leanings. 2523 (Linton) Squadron had a long link to the village of Castle Camps and its airfield RAF Castle Camps. The authorized badge has two elements
A lion rampant chequy. This is taken from the 157 Sqn RAF badge, based at RAF Castle camps between 1941 and 1943. The lion denotes fighting power and the black and white check the squadron's day and night capability whilst flying Mosquito MK2 night fighters. This also reflected the variety of activities the RAFAC Squadron was involved in.
The second element is a depiction of Linton’s only famous landmark, The Rivey Hill water tower, Ordered in August 1934. South Cambridgeshire Rural District Council approved a scheme to supply mains water to more than 5,000 people in Linton and the surrounding villages. The hill villages of South Cambridgeshire had been suffering from severe water shortages for some time; the only water supply came from wells, most of which were contaminated or privately owned. The Linton water scheme, costing around £42,600, included 34 miles of cast iron pipework; a 60 foot-deep well; a pumping station in Back Road; and the 100 foot-high tower on Rivey Hill, with its 87,500 gallon water tank. The engineers were Sands & Walker of Nottingham. Work began in March 1935 and was completed in June 1936. The steelwork for the tower was supplied by R. Watson of Bolton for £2,030. The brickwork was by the Linton firm of H. J. Paintin and cost £3,788. The provision of fresh water transformed life in the district and enabled the building of a secondary school in Linton in 1937. Linton Village College still has the water tower as its emblem, and 2523 (Linton) Squadron spent most of its existence based at the school.
The Squadron Moto “Brave the Tempest” pays homage to the moto of 486 Sqn RAF based at RAF Castle Camps in 1944 Māori: “Hiwa hau Maka”, "Beware of the Wild Winds" referring to the notoriously dangerous wind conditions at the airfield. 486 Sqn Operated Hawker Typhoon 1B aircraft. The original 2523 moto was “Beware the Tempest” however this was changed on the advice of the royal college as “Brave” was more inspirational.

03/02/2025

02/02/2025

Starting to trawl through some pictures.

02/01/2025

Happy new year to former members of 2523.

25/12/2023

Jingle bells all former members.

12/11/2023

Sunday's Remembrance Parade at Castle Camps will also see the passing of the 2523 Squadron Banner into the safe keeping of All Saints Church. Any former members of the Squadron are more than welcome. 0930 Castle Camps village hall..

20/02/2023

And that's all folks, 2523 (Linton) Squadron, Air Training Corps held its final uniformed parade evening combined with a celebration of it achievements in 2022. After 48 years the Squadron is closing its doors. This will be the last parade for several cadets whilst others will be trying out other local Squadron before making their minds up about their future in the Air Training Corps. Good luck to all involved with the Squadron in their future endeavors.