David Jenkins (1940-). Royal Air Force, Glanamman
Born in 1940 in the Carmarthenshire mining village of Glanamman, David Jenkins attended Ammanford Grammar School before commencing an apprenticeship as a trainee draughtsman aged 17 years. After five years as a draughtsman, David decided to enlist in the Royal Air Force with whom he served for the next five years, mostly in RAF Flying Training Command. An enthusiastic rugby player, David played for RAF Oakington whilst stationed in Cambridgeshire and also with station teams when posted elsewhere in the UK. It was during his posting to RAF Oakington that David met his wife, the daughter of a serving RAF Sergeant. Leaving the RAF in 1962, David and his young wife began their new life together in South Wales. David continued to play rugby, became proficient in martial arts and pursued a successful career in various companies within South Wales. An avid life-long learner, David passed numerous professional qualifications and in 2004 became a County Councillor for Carmarthenshire, representing the Glanamman Ward. Today, Cllr David Jenkins is an Executive Board Member on the Council and is proud to serve as the Armed Forces Champion. In his audio recording David describes his childhood and upbringing in Carmarthenshire, RAF service and then his post-RAF career.
