An open message to Medway politicians: will you be supporting Gillingham’s Air Cadets?

There now follows an open message to all politicians in Medway, who, in the near future, may (if democracy prevails) be called upon to vote on proposals which would include the disgraceful eviction of Gillingham Air Cadets.

Last week I went on yet another rant about the Chatham World Heritage Partnership, who seem to be hell-bent on bulldozing their way through anything they desire to get their own way.

The truth behind their twisted plans came out following a meeting of the Partnership aimed at new “ambassadors”, in which officers continued to express their desire to evict the Air Cadets, despite the fact that it is not the Council’s land.

It took a long time for anyone from the Partnership or Medway Council to privately admit that they do not own the land, and indeed are still publicly silent on this matter.

1039 (Gillingham) Squadron Air Cadets was founded in 1942 with the same aim as every other Air Training Corps squadron: “to prepare young men for entry to the RAF”. After the war (in 1946) the squadron, like many others, was disbanded, yet re-formed in 1950 and has continued ever since (although their aims have moved away from being a recruiting agent for the MOD). More information on their history can be found on their website.

For most of their existence, the Air Cadets have occupied the building at the bottom of Marlborough Road, and, whilst the road layout and local area has changed throughout the decades, the Air Cadets have continually maintained a single purpose building, with regular inspections to ensure it remains safe and viable.

Throughout the years, hundreds of cadets have come and gone (including myself), but the building, which was also once home to the Gillingham Girls’ Venture Corps (if you remember back to this post last June and this associated news clipping from c. 1974), and the organisation has remained.

Sharing a new building with other youth/community organisations is not an option. At present the facilities enjoyed include classrooms, offices, a reasonable-sized parade ground and ample off-road parking (when inconsiderate morons are not parking on the double yellow lines right in front of the gates!). If a new building were to be considered, it would need to be solely for the Air Cadets – anything else will effectively signal the end of the squadron, and almost seventy years of history!

Perhaps, before I wrap this post up, I should declare, at this point, two further interests in the building:

1. One of the girls in the Gillingham Girls’ Venture Corps news clipping is my mother, another an auntie (although I shall not be pointing out who they are in the photograph!); and
2. The present Commanding Officer of 1039 (Gillingham) Squadron has been in the organisation since he was 1969, and at Gillingham Squadron between 1969 and c. 1987, then from 2000 to the present day. He is also my father.

It should further be noted, however, that none of the above mentioned people have coerced, or even merely asked, me to write this (or any previous Cadet-related) article. Everything written on this website is my own personal opinion, and I take every care to distance myself from other organisations – particularly non-political organisations such as the Air Cadet Organisation – in the process of blogging.

I was an Air Cadet for six-and-a-half years, a fact which I have never made a secret of. Perhaps that makes me biased. Now, for the time being at least, I am on the outside looking in, and gauging a more balanced perspective, and understanding from the public’s point of view – and discovering how many people genuinely agree with me.

Back to the original point, though. In that last article, I mentioned that:

[T]he land the Air Cadets occupy is currently held by the MOD (or one of its derivatives – I haven’t got the money to check the Land Registry details – yet!).

Well, I have since been in possession of a copy (though, not an “official” copy, but valid for research purposes nonetheless) of the Title from the Land Registry, which is being kept on file by myself for future reference and which has been made available to the staff at 1039 (Gillingham) Squadron, which states quite clearly that the registered proprietor is (effectively) the MOD.

Of course the current Secretary of State for Defence is the Rt Hon Bob Ainsworth MP (yes, that is the relevance of the photograph), who would be about as useful as a one-legged man at an arse-kicking contest if the situation ever arose that the cadets needed him onside. Happily, however, it seems as though his days are numbered.

It useful, though, to know at the outset of any campaign who your friends are and who your enemies are – advice which will be forwarded on to the Air Cadets should the need arise.

Already some local politicians have shown which side they will be backing should the necessity arise (and should it arise during their tenure in local politics) – and I can promise you that they are not likely to admit in public what has been revealed (either directly, or indirectly) in private (but then, to coin a phrase from Channel 4′s recent docudrama Mo – if you want a friend in politics, buy a dog!).

Party politics aside for the moment (as any campaign run by, or on behalf of, the Air Cadets would be above party politics), I can promise that if anyone (politician or council bigwig alike) wishes to side with the Partnership and oppose the retention of such a valuable youth organisation, this blog will fight you all the way.

If, on the other hand, you wish to support the Air Cadets and their continued success, this blog will welcome you with open arms.

The choice, as they say, is yours!

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It should be noted at this point that none of the views expressed above reflect those of the Air Training Corps, Gillingham Squadron or any individual therein. I am not a member of the Air Cadets, and have not been for several months, but will continue to support any fight to keep the squadron going.