Another find from the archives: here’s 129 Squadron at the AR Centre. This was taken a few years ago. Please let us know if you recognise anyone.

Former 129 (Tunbridge Wells) Squadron cadet, RAF Warrant Officer Adrian Shepherd, awarded MBE in the 2019 Queen’s honours.

Warrant Officer Shepherd who holds a First Class Honours Degree in Engineering was a former pupil at High Brooms Boys School. He suffered from dyslexia as a child and attended the Reading Centre. He went on to study at Huntleys School for Boys and West Kent College before joining the Royal Air Force at the age of seventeen.

His interest in aircraft was inherited from his uncles and the Airfix model kits he built with the help of his father, and also from both of his grandfathers who fought with the Royal Engineers during World War II. This interest culminated in Shepherd joining the local 129 Air Training Corps Squadron as a cadet based in Tunbridge Wells, which he attended for five years before being recruited into the Royal Air Force.

Shepherd said

“I was stunned, delighted and truly humbled to be honoured in such a way. For anyone thinking about joining the Royal Air Force or just interested in aircraft, then there is no better place to start than by joining the Air Cadets in Tunbridge Wells.”

Warrant Officer Shepherd has worked on a number of high profile projects stationed both in the United Kingdom, Italy and the United States of America over the past thirty years. He received his MBE from Prince Charles at an investiture at Buckingham Palace, which also included Opera singer Alfie Boe.

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129 (Tunbridge Wells) Squadron Air Cadets meet at the Army Reserve Centre, St Johns Road on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Air Cadets is open to boys and girls aged twelve to seventeen. Anyone interested should contact 129@aircadets.org or 01892 548826

Netball champions for the 8th year in a row. Boys 5-a-side football champions for the 3rd time in 5 years. Girls 5-a-side football runners up for the 2nd in a row!