Page 20 - GM Wing 2020 Yearbook

Squadron Closures & Mergers

This year has seen the closure of the following Squadron's 1804, 2448, 2200DF as well as the mergers of 184
& 174 to form a new 184 Squadron on the 174 site, and of 292 Sqn & 319 Sqn to form 1938 City of Salford
Sqn.

It is with regret this has had to be so, all were hard decisions but had to be made and are the correct ones in
order for the Wing to continue to thrive and move forward. We should remember that since the end of the
WW2 the ATC has been on a steady decline from some 250,000 cadets and staff to around 60,000, 2000 plus
Squadrons, now around 900 units some of the rationale behind this is social change and the inability to attract
new volunteers at the level we have done in past decades willing to take on demanding roles that are
perceived to be imposed.

The Wing now stands at 30 Squadrons and has retains its cadet numbers despite the closure of these units,
we fully understand that there is lots of history in the individual Squadrons this will never disappear as long as
we as a Wing remember those that have gone.