Arborfield Old Boys Association
AOBA
Arborfield Life
The Arborfield Old Boys Association.
The Arborfield Old Boys Association or AOBA represents all those young men and women who passed through the gates of the Arborfield Army Apprenticeship establishment during the years 1939 to 2004.
During those years it’s name changed from
Army Technical School (Boys) 1939 to 1946
Army Apprentices School 1946 to Oct 1966
Army Apprentices College Oct 1966 to 1981
Princess Marina College 1982 to August 1995
Army Apprentices College (again!) Aug 1995 to Sept 2000
Army Technical Foundation College Sept 2000 to Aug 2004
This web site provides a wealth of historical information that should be of great interest not only to those who served their apprenticeships at Arborfield but also to their families and anyone else who may be researching the whole topic of junior soldier tradesmen in the twentieth century.
This site also provides a vital link for those ex apprentices wanting to make as well as keep contact with their old friends and comrades.
Objectives of the Association...
To promote the efficiency of the Army by:
1 (a) maintaining contact between former Apprentices of the Schools and Colleges and their REME Junior Soldier successors, fostering mutual friendship between them and providing for social gatherings for them;
1 (b) fostering esprit de corps, comradeship and preserving the traditions of the Schools and Colleges.
2. To relieve either generally or individually members of The College, the Association or former Apprentices of the Schools and Colleges and their dependants, who are in conditions of need, hardship or distress (beneficiaries).
3. To commemorate and remember members or former members of the armed forces of the crown and in particular those former Apprentices of the Schools and Colleges and their REME Junior Soldier successors who have lost their lives or suffered injury, or put themselves at risk of loss of life or injury, in service to the public.
If you are an ex-apprentice and not yet a member of the Arborfield Old Boys Association then please seriously consider joining us - if you'd like a sample copy of the OBAN magazine to find more about us then just contact Alec Powell.
Copyright: Unless specifically stated Intellectual property rights and web design Arborfield Old Boys Association
Between 1936 and 2004 some 50,000 young men and women passed through these gates to start their army careers as apprentice soldier tradesmen.
For all of them the symbolism of these gates will forever be firmly implanted in their minds and never forgotten.
AOBA site sponsored by Helix Hosting'
