Leonard Cheshire - speech at passing out parade RAF Swinderby
Title
Leonard Cheshire - speech at passing out parade RAF Swinderby
Description
Talks of memories of wartime aircrew and his experiences. Continues with advice for the future for those on parade. Submitted with caption 'Speech by Leonard Cheshire at Passing Out Parade at RAF Swinderby. He reminisces about his own passing out parade during the Second World War. February 1975'.
Creator
Date
1975-02
Coverage
Language
Type
Format
Audio recording 00:08:13
Publisher
Rights
This content is property of the Leonard Cheshire Archive which has kindly granted the International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive a royalty-free permission to publish it. Please note that it was digitised by a third-party which used technical specifications that may differ from those used by International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive. It has been published here ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre.
Identifier
SCheshireGL72021v20021-0001, SCheshireGL72021v20021-0001-Transcript
Transcription
Leonard Cheshire Resonate Project
Speech by GLC at Passing Out Parade at RAF Swindby. Feb 1975
Duration: 8:13
Transcription Date: 8 Jun 2020
Archive Number: AV_S 358
Start of recording.
00:00 GLC: Station commander, ladies and gentlemen. Well I’d like first and foremost to congratulate most warmly all the station. And in particular, the recruits, for what was a very high standard of ceremonial drill. And when I look back to the day when I myself had to do what you’ve done; I think I’d be stretching credibility a bit far if I were to say that we did better. We didn’t. And that you should have done this in only six weeks is a very great credit to everybody. Not least to the station commander and the staff on the station, because although I know this takes place most Wednesdays of the year, one is made to feel that this is the day of the year. There is a feeling of importance about it, and informality at the same time. I would like to also offer a welcome and word of thanks to the parents and the friends who have come down, many of them a very long way, to assist in the occasion, and I know that this makes a big difference. Standing here in front of you, in what was once familiar Lincolnshire, wartime Lincolnshire, the more familiar because of the nice little easterly Lincolnshire breeze, as I’m sure you all imagine, brings back many memories. Memories first of all of the air crew with whom it was my privilege to serve, so many of whom it was not given to survive, and I think one must say in honesty, the best. Somehow it seemed it was the best who did not come through the war. I remember the example that was set to one when one arrived for the first time on one’s first operational station, feeling nervous and worried. But one was carried along in a stream. Somehow, there was no option but to just go along with the others. And one realised that one was now a part of a service with a great, noble tradition behind it. That one was walking in the footsteps of others who had blazed the path, blazed the trail, set one a standard, and given one courage and an example. And I know how much I myself owe to the air force, though I was only in it for a short time. But it’s not only the air crew I remember. I think that if there’s one thing that air force taught me, it was how much we all depend, each upon the other; how involved we are with each other; and how we are all members of one team. For those who have apparently insignificant jobs to do, have nonetheless a crucial part to play, how much we owed to those who worked in the hangars, in the cookhouse, in the MT section, everywhere. And in the life I think one will never know how much depends upon the little things we do. It is not often given to us, if ever, to do the spectacular things. The spectacular things, in a way, are easier because we know it’s something great. What is more difficult is the little, ordinary, humdrum things. But how much depends upon it? In the war, we learnt how we owed our safety and the success of what we were doing to what somebody else had done to prepare the way. You are setting out today upon your new career. I know that it was a great step for you to take to join the air force and now you’re embarking upon your career. And so I offer you my warmest wishes. I would like to say only this: that if anybody wants to succeed, in no matter what walk of life, the first thing is to be complete masters of your trade. To know your trade so well that you don’t have to think about the mechanics of it; to live it. But I think there’s more than that. I think you need faith. Faith first, in the success of what we set ourselves to do. A belief that there’s a meaning to every small action that we do, and that we are all partners - if I may put it this way - whatever our walk in life, if we are trying to build a world in which there will be peace and freedom and justice, and that even though our job may be very humble and very humdrum, we still have a crucial contribution to make to that. In wartime, life in the air force, in a way, was easy, because everybody was behind us. We knew what we were doing. We knew we were one. In peacetime, that’s not so easy. Not everybody is behind the services. In a way, the better the services do their job, the less people see the point of them. But we have to keep in mind that goal for which all generations have struggled. The goal of world unity and peace. I’m privileged to have been your reviewing officer today. I shall long remember this occasion, and to all of you I offer my warmest wishes for your future, wherever that may take you. Thank you. [7:32]
[7:32 – 7:36 audience clapping].
7:36 Man’s voice: Parade! Attention!
7:44 Man’s voice: Permission to march up the airman of review squadron in slow time, and to march past the recruits of the port squadron in quick time, sir.
7:57 GLC: Thank you. Thank you very much.
8:04 GLC: Thank you very much.
8:06: End of Speech
8:11 End of recording.
End of Transcription
Speech by GLC at Passing Out Parade at RAF Swindby. Feb 1975
Duration: 8:13
Transcription Date: 8 Jun 2020
Archive Number: AV_S 358
Start of recording.
00:00 GLC: Station commander, ladies and gentlemen. Well I’d like first and foremost to congratulate most warmly all the station. And in particular, the recruits, for what was a very high standard of ceremonial drill. And when I look back to the day when I myself had to do what you’ve done; I think I’d be stretching credibility a bit far if I were to say that we did better. We didn’t. And that you should have done this in only six weeks is a very great credit to everybody. Not least to the station commander and the staff on the station, because although I know this takes place most Wednesdays of the year, one is made to feel that this is the day of the year. There is a feeling of importance about it, and informality at the same time. I would like to also offer a welcome and word of thanks to the parents and the friends who have come down, many of them a very long way, to assist in the occasion, and I know that this makes a big difference. Standing here in front of you, in what was once familiar Lincolnshire, wartime Lincolnshire, the more familiar because of the nice little easterly Lincolnshire breeze, as I’m sure you all imagine, brings back many memories. Memories first of all of the air crew with whom it was my privilege to serve, so many of whom it was not given to survive, and I think one must say in honesty, the best. Somehow it seemed it was the best who did not come through the war. I remember the example that was set to one when one arrived for the first time on one’s first operational station, feeling nervous and worried. But one was carried along in a stream. Somehow, there was no option but to just go along with the others. And one realised that one was now a part of a service with a great, noble tradition behind it. That one was walking in the footsteps of others who had blazed the path, blazed the trail, set one a standard, and given one courage and an example. And I know how much I myself owe to the air force, though I was only in it for a short time. But it’s not only the air crew I remember. I think that if there’s one thing that air force taught me, it was how much we all depend, each upon the other; how involved we are with each other; and how we are all members of one team. For those who have apparently insignificant jobs to do, have nonetheless a crucial part to play, how much we owed to those who worked in the hangars, in the cookhouse, in the MT section, everywhere. And in the life I think one will never know how much depends upon the little things we do. It is not often given to us, if ever, to do the spectacular things. The spectacular things, in a way, are easier because we know it’s something great. What is more difficult is the little, ordinary, humdrum things. But how much depends upon it? In the war, we learnt how we owed our safety and the success of what we were doing to what somebody else had done to prepare the way. You are setting out today upon your new career. I know that it was a great step for you to take to join the air force and now you’re embarking upon your career. And so I offer you my warmest wishes. I would like to say only this: that if anybody wants to succeed, in no matter what walk of life, the first thing is to be complete masters of your trade. To know your trade so well that you don’t have to think about the mechanics of it; to live it. But I think there’s more than that. I think you need faith. Faith first, in the success of what we set ourselves to do. A belief that there’s a meaning to every small action that we do, and that we are all partners - if I may put it this way - whatever our walk in life, if we are trying to build a world in which there will be peace and freedom and justice, and that even though our job may be very humble and very humdrum, we still have a crucial contribution to make to that. In wartime, life in the air force, in a way, was easy, because everybody was behind us. We knew what we were doing. We knew we were one. In peacetime, that’s not so easy. Not everybody is behind the services. In a way, the better the services do their job, the less people see the point of them. But we have to keep in mind that goal for which all generations have struggled. The goal of world unity and peace. I’m privileged to have been your reviewing officer today. I shall long remember this occasion, and to all of you I offer my warmest wishes for your future, wherever that may take you. Thank you. [7:32]
[7:32 – 7:36 audience clapping].
7:36 Man’s voice: Parade! Attention!
7:44 Man’s voice: Permission to march up the airman of review squadron in slow time, and to march past the recruits of the port squadron in quick time, sir.
7:57 GLC: Thank you. Thank you very much.
8:04 GLC: Thank you very much.
8:06: End of Speech
8:11 End of recording.
End of Transcription
Collection
Citation
G L Cheshire, “Leonard Cheshire - speech at passing out parade RAF Swinderby,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed March 28, 2025, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/40178.
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