360 Air Cadets and over 80 adult volunteers from across the Thames Valley Air Cadets came together on Sunday, 22nd May to celebrate the Air Training corps (ATC) 75th Anniversary.
Parading through Windsor and past the Guildhall it was an incredible sight to see the Thames Valley Air Cadets march through the streets and onto the Parish Church in all their splendour. Representing individual Squadrons across Oxfordshire and Berkshire a number of VIPs including the Lord Lieutenant of the Royal County of Berkshire and local Mayors were present to witness the historic event with the salute taken Air Commodore D McCafferty, Commandant Air Cadets.
Speaking to everyone after the parade the Commandant was “extremely proud to witness the Wing parade and that it was an amazing sight to see so many cadets and staff come together in Windsor”.
The parade marched out of Victoria Barracks to the sound of the Wings own band stopping by-standers in their tracks as they paraded onto the Windsor Parish Church for a sermon by The Venerable (AVM) J Caffrey, Chaplain to the Royal Air Force. As the parade reached the Guildhall Air Commodore McCafferty stood proudly to take the salute from the parade.
Following the service AVM Caffery told us that “today’s parade was a tremendous witness to the spirit of the ATC. It was great to see the pride and the smiles on the faces as they marched along. The vibrancy of the music was fantastic and the attentiveness and respect from the cadets in the church was great to see”.
The celebrations for Thames Valley Wing doesn’t end with the Wing taking part in the national Air Cadet Torch relay that will be travelling the full length of the UK during July and August. More local to home will see the torch accepted by the Wing at Windsor Castle on Sunday, 21st August and onto Dalton Barracks, Abingdon to the Wings family day.
Photos by Sqn Ldr P Jones and CI N Parramore