Demand for places was high and squadrons were set up in as many towns around the UK as possible. Local people ran them, and each squadron aimed to prepare cadets for joining the RAF or the Fleet Air Arm (the Royal Navy's aircraft division). They also helped form the diverse programme of activities that our cadets enjoy today.
During World War II, with many instructors being drafted into the RAF and squadron buildings being used by the military, cadets were sent to work on RAF stations. They carried messages, handled aircraft and moved equipment. They filled thousands of sandbags and loaded miles of belts of ammunition. They were invaluable.
By the end of the war, in just 7 years since the formation of the ADCC, almost 100,000 cadets had joined the RAF