The RadSoc Archives events for 2024 continued with Radley Then & Now: The CCF, which brought together a range of participants from the Radley College community, including former and current dons, as well as Old Radleians spanning multiple generations.
The event was led by College Archivist Clare Sargent, who provided a fascinating journey through the history of Radley’s Combined Cadet Force (CCF), while attendees shared their own stories and reflections, adding their own personal perspectives.
The conversation began with the origins of the Officer Training Corps (OTC) at Radley, established at the turn of the 20th century as a pathway for students heading on to military careers. We heard how the OTC served as a critical fast-track for officer training during the First World War, preparing Radleians for essential roles at a time of national need. During the Second World War, Radley played its own strategic role, becoming a crucial last line of defence. In a striking transformation, the College’s iconic playing fields – considered potential landing sites for enemy aircraft, and therefore closely guarded – were converted to vegetable plots and trench-digging grounds where boys practised their defensive skills.
The evening was filled with many lovely anecdotes, from arduous training expeditions to Iceland and the Lake District to hair-raising tales of cooking mishaps involving temperamental camping stoves, notorious for either ruining meals or, at worst, igniting nearby tents! One highlight was hearing from attendees about the infamous Slingsby Grasshopper Glider, used by aspiring RAF cadets from the 1950s to 1980s. This glider, launched across the playing fields by a massive rubberised catapult, would sometimes stay airborne for a thrilling 15 seconds before crashing into the brambles at the field’s edge.
Clare also shared personal reports (carefully anonymised!) from the CCF in the 1980s, with evocative assessments of Radley boys such as, “Disorganised as usual, but had a go when he eventually got there,” “When cornered got on with the job cheerfully,” and “Did his bit in his usual grumpy way.” These reflections captured the mixed enthusiasm with which some students approached the CCF, yet many of these young cadets would go on to remarkable military careers.
The event was a lively success with plenty of interested people on the call who were willing to chip in with their own stories. We extend our thanks to all who participated and to Clare Sargent for leading the discussion with such insight. This gathering, part of our ongoing Radley Then & Now series, serves to collect and preserve the experiences and memories of Radley as an oral history for future generations. We encourage the Radley community to continue sharing their memories with us at radsoc@radley.org.uk.
A recording of this event is available below and can also be accessed via the Radley Then & Now playlist on YouTube and as a podcast on Spotify.
Our next Radley Then & Now event will take place in February looking at Radley in the 1960s. This will be followed in May by a talk on the subject of Shop and Food at Radley. If you have memories that you would like to share on these topics, we would love to hear from you.
If you would like to share your memories or have suggestions for future events, please email us: radsoc@radley.org.uk.
