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History817DF was the brainchild of Flt Lt Roy Kerr. Flt Lt Kerr is the Commanding Officer of the parent Squadron in Lisburn. He was aware that a large number of cadets were coming from the catchment area of Ballynahinch. So, the Flt Lt campaigned for some years to get an ATC squadron into Ballynahinch. Finally in 1994 the permission was given for a Ballynahinch detachment of 817 Lisburn squadron. In the early days in 1994 there were few cadets, 5 I think, but the Detached Flight went from strength to strength and soon proved that it had a future. This number has now grown over the last seven years into a healthy flight of approximately thirty cadets. Since 1994 our facilities have not changed a great deal. We are still based in the Masonic Hall in Ballynahinch, and meet every Tuesday night from 1900 until 2200. We have a finely developed skill in velcroing all our notices and training aids so they are easily put up and removed every Tuesday night! However we now have the use of a great sports field opposite to our hall. This can be used on Tuesday nights or on some Sundays. As an ATC unit we have won many awards and trophies, these have a more detailed description in our Awards section. We have always had a good record when it has come to sport as well. Over the years we have had wing and region football, netball, cross-country and swimming team members from our unit. Until recently we also made up the majority of Lisburn squadron's Aircraft recognition team, which along with our help has won the Corps Championship in 1999, but in the 2000 season, we managed to field our own team of three aircraft recognition specialists, who cleaned up at wing (Northern Ireland ATC), region (Northern Ireland and Scotland ATC) and corps levels (UK ATC), taking for the first time all three wing region and corps individual AND team trophies back to the good old DF. This was a major achievement as I'm sure you will agree. Flt Lt Kerr ran the DF in Ballynahinch alongside Fg Off Chris Stanley in the early days. Fg Off Stanley has now moved to the parent squadron in Lisburn, and our Flight commander is now Fg Off Kerr. Fg Off Kerr, was a CI in our detached Flight previously. Our Warrant Officer has also changed. WO Eric Peak was with the DF at the start and moved to America a short time ago. We then had WO Peter Livingstone who was with us for a year and then moved to London. (Not much luck in keeping our WO'S!) However, we now have WO Clare Frazer, who is the only female WO In Northern Ireland Wing to my knowledge! She too was a CI with the Squadron Initially. That brings us to the present day. By F/Sgt V. Marshall |