Danny #10020 hits the nail on the head as usual:
Years later a Wise Old Owl advanced a theory: From almost the first two weeks ... it is possible to pick the ones likely to take a chance too far one day. Keep them on single seaters - then they will only kill themselves !
Rupert Parkhouse wrote:
the list of postings went up with much laughter and guffaws when we found who was posted onto Fairey Battles, and who had got onto fighters or heavy bombers. People thought the indifferent pilots were going onto Battles where if they had a crash they wouldn't kill too many as well as themselves.
And some years back the great Reg Levy told us that he transferred from Mosquitos to Halifaxes because he foresaw a big demand for civil aviation after the war, and the airlines would be seeking four-engine, not fighter pilots.