Radio Brats tells the story of the apprentices who grew to become the backbone of the RAF and were witness to the frightening days of the 1960’s cold war. Standing in the shadow of the pilots, these were the men who put wind beneath their wings.

 In their own words, Radio Brats tells the story of the RAF apprentices and officers who played a major role in preparing and designing the launch mechanisms for the nuclear deterrent which emerged after the end of the Second World War. Transporting us back in time, the story begins in 1951 as the 16 year old teenagers leave home for the first time to enroll at RAF Cranwell’s famous Radio School to spend the next three years of their lives in demanding academic and technical training. At the very cusp of technological advancement in radio and radar, they learn new skills and techniques that would later protect the world from mutual destruction.

 Memories from cadets George Caple, Bob Merry, Vic Ludlow and Maurice Botley explore the excitement of leaving home, the strict but fair discipline of RAF life and their growing sense of fear as the Cold War developed. We discover how they came together as a group to face those troubling times.

 Their journey of discovery culminates at a point in time that, to this day, still holds personal remembrance for them and historical political significance: October 1962, when Russia and the United States faced off, in a game of brinkmanship, while the world held its breath, waiting for one side to blink, knowing that mutual assured destruction of the entire planet was just one click away.

 The fellowship that brought the cadets together after they left service still today keeps them in close contact, even though they are dwindling in number as they reach their twilight years and are cast across the world they helped to protect.

 Populated with charming, amusing and emotional first-hand memories, Radio Brats captures the highs and lows of the world of the apprentices and their personal emotions in the context of global events.

Radio Brats offers a completely new, unique and personal insight to the RAF, the aftermath of the Second World War, how people stepped forward to the next challenge and the uncertainty of the cold war era. Told by those who lived it, this is not just a celebration of the past, it brings a contemporary tone by drawing parallels to today's highly charged political arena, exploring whether we are different now and, if put in the same position as the Radio Brats, whether the next generation would rise to the challenge. This living history appeals to a wide-ranging audience of all ages.