The History of Easingwold Air Cadets - Central & East Yorkshire ...

For several years Easingwold cadets
had attended and helped out at the
annual open day at RAF Linton on
Ouse, known as the November
Fayre. This year the squadron also
entered the man-powered marathon
competition between units on the
station and the air cadets. With a little
help from the engineers at RAF
Linton on Ouse a machine was built
which successfully completed the
marathon. The picture shows Cadet
Sergeant Mennell (right) taking his
turn on the high tech piece of
equipment. The other machine
shown was the eventual winner.
A very special honour that year was
bestowed on Squadron Leader
Ernest Broad, the Squadron
President. He was selected by the
Royal Air Force Association to turn
the page of the Book of
Remembrance at the Service in York
Minster on 18th September 1988 to
commemorate the 48th anniversary
of the Battle of Britain. The book
contains some 18,000 names of
members of the Royal Air Forces of
the Commonwealth and their allies
who, operating from bases in North
Yorkshire, Durham and
Northumberland did not return from
operations during the Second World
War. During the war, Ernest was one
of the many young pilots who
defended our country flying Spitfires
and Hurricanes completing five tours
of operation, including one in Malta,
in which he was shot down. He was
awarded the DFC for his gallant
service there.
1989 was to be no less busy than the
previous year – Cadet Sergeant
Mennell was to win a Flying
Scholarship which he completed at
Wickenby in Lincolnshire and to
complete his Gold Duke of
Edinburgh Award, making him only
the second person in the squadron to
do both.
Several cadets had proved their
expertise at aircraft recognition,
having four times won the Wing
Competition as a team. This year
was to be even better. Under the
guidance of Gordon McElroy they
trained to absolute perfection and
this was to be the first year that they
were to win both Wing and Regional
Competitions culminating in the
Corps competition at the RAF
Museum at Hendon played out by
the best seven air cadet teams in the
country. The team was Cadet
Sergeants Paul Sewart and Gary
Mennell and Corporal Chris Perkins.
This was to be the first of three such
visits over the next three years.
Also 1989 was the first time the Duke
of Edinburgh Award Winners from
the squadron had been invited to
North Yorkshire County Hall in
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