A BRIEF HISTORY
The Air Defence Cadet Corps
Gazette goes back further than its said foundation date of 1939.
Following intensive research I have discovered its previous
publications in other names and forms, dating back to 1925 !!. My
research reveals that the story begins with the "AIR LEAGUE
BULLETIN" of February 1925, and a further issue in April
1926. In 1927 The Aerial League of the British Empire published
its own in house journal called "AIR".
The first issue appeared in December that year, this was
amalgamated in May 1931 with "AIRWAYS" to become "AIR
& AIRWAYS". This ran until 1934 when it became "AIR
REVIEW", and that continued until 1939 and probably ran into
1940.
Following the formation of the Air Defence Cadet Corps in 1938, a
new publication appeared in the form of a 16 page "Octavo
size booklet". Known as The Air Defence Cadet Corps Gazette,
their own in house journal,
Vol.1/No1 first appearing in June 1938. This changed format
slightly in 1939 taking on more of a magazine appearance.
Only a thousand copies were issued, these being distributed free
to the squadrons of the day.
The contents consisted entirely of official notices.
The dream of a larger illustrated magazine for cadets might have
remained unfulfilled but for the efforts of Mr R.S.Godfrey,
then an officer in the A.D.C.C. Godfrey, in 1940 fervently
canvassed the big national advertisers,
and so convinced them that the A.D.C.C. was going to become a
very big thing that many of them not only gave contracts,
but also paid for six or twelve insertions in advance.
Until January 1941 the A.D.C.C.G. combined the roles of official
journal and aeronautical magazine.
When the A.T.C. was formed the Air Ministry, though it took over
the A.D.C.C. from the Air League of the British Empire,
left the Gazette in the League's hands, subject to the conditions
that the League should conform to the Air Ministry's wishes
regarding general content and lay-out, and that the Gazette
should not become "official".
The Gazette thus became the A.T.C. Gazette with the March 41
issue, (there was no publication for February),
a magazine of general aeronautical interest, and its circulation
rose rapidly to 120,000, and remained at that figure until
some months after VJ-Day, when it fell to 100,000--still a very
high figure for an aviation magazine.
* * * * * * *
PASSAGE TAKEN FROM
AIR RESERVE GAZETTE
Vol.9/No.1, January 1947.
* * * *
VOLUME NUMBERS
Readers who save their Gazettes may be puzzled by the indication
that this is Volume No.9,
though the December number appeared as Volume No.1.
We have done this in order that the volume numbers should
indicate the full history of the Gazette,
which started life in 1939 as the Air Defence Cadet Corps Gazette.
It was enlarged in 1940 as Volume 2.
The title changed in March 41 to Air Training Corps Gazette, and
again in June 46 to become Air Reserve Gazette.
From the full list, which appears below, of volumes so far
published, it will be seen that we have actually published eight
volumes, and though there have been changes in policy in the
Gazette, there has been the continuity of management and of
editorship, which justifies us in regarding it as the same
magazine.
* * * * * *
PREVIOUS VOLUMES
First. A.D.C.C. Gazette (small size), 1939
Second. A.D.C.C. Gazette (large size), 1940
Third...A.T.C. Gazette...1941
Fourth....................1942
Fifth.....................1943
Sixth.....................1944
Seventh...................1945
Eighth..A.T.C. & Air Reserve Gazette...1946
* * * * * * * * * *
My own information from elsewhere confirms that Air Training
Corps Gazette ran to May 1946, which was Vol.6/No.5.
It then became Air Reserve Gazette (incorporating Air Training
Corps Gazette), Vol.1/No.1, with the June 1946 issue,
and on to Vol.12/No.3 which was the last Air Reserve Gazette in
March 1950,
it then became Air Pictorial (incorporating Air Reserve Gazette),
with the No.5 issue in May 50, and on.
The rest is history as they say, on up to the present day
publication as we know it,
the only other changes being the actual size and much improved
quality of the magazine overall.
* * * * * * * * * *