Commissioned from the ranks.

[Maxibon]

Originally Posted by Pontius Navigator

I'm not Sqn Leader I am Wg Cdr Leader

*don't know if he actually made it

I bumped into him at Lossie a few years back and he was still a Flt Lt.

In a very fine cavalry regiment in which I served, we had an LE officer whose surname was Major; from a cav perspective, it was confusing all his career: Corporal Major (HCav thing), Sergeant Major, Staff Sergeant Major, Sergeant Major Major, eventually to Major Major.

[Haraka]

Originally Posted by Pontius Navigator

Not Wood and Underwood?

There was also a Sqn Ldr. Hill and a Flt. Lt. Underhill sharing an office some years later. .....
But this drifts toward another thread: of name games

[Danny42C]

"Not Wood and Underwood and Under Milk Wood ?"

[Pontius Navigator]

Maxibon, possibly the son. Mine a sqn ldr in '64

[langleybaston]

and there was a certain Bastard of course.

[kaitakbowler]

LGA Bastard Stn Cdr Cottesmore 1969, later secretary(?) at the RAFYC on the Hamble. Didn't he have a son called Robin(?).

[langleybaston]

sounds like a solicitor or an estate agent!

[MPN11]

On my promotion to sqn ldr I returned to Eastern Radar after a gap of just 3 years. In those days MATO tour lengths were undefined, so it was not surprising that many (most?) of my fellow JOs from my first tour were still there. They were very decent about never mentioning my past indiscretions, of which there had been a few

[longer ron]

Originally Posted by kaitakbowler

LGA Bastard Stn Cdr Cottesmore 1969, later secretary(?) at the RAFYC on the Hamble. Didn't he have a son called Robin(?).

That was the joke at Cottesmore - here comes Gp Capt B***ard and his son Robin.
He was (in earlier life - Sqn Ldr ?) the pilot of that nice Canberra photo where it is photographed from above - rolling inverted over a snowy landscape (lovely picture )

[Melchett01]

There was a ground branch officer going by the name of Plt Off Darling on 617 Sqn a fair few years back, early-mid 90s IIRC. Unfortunately for him, he decided to seek pastures new and transferred to the Army and became Captain Darling.

Just as a certain TV series was becoming far more popular and mainstream!

[NutLoose]

I went from SAC on My FT course and came back as a JT which was unusual, I was due to go into ASF as it was, but my boss kicked up a stink as he had requested I was posted back to the station and then after a chat to Eng wing got me back on same shift and same desk as whence I departed 9 months earlier. Most were posted elsewhere.

We had a Bob Vere who's father was called Percy by his granddad as he took a while to conceive.

[Blacksheep]

eventually to Major Major.

As in "Catch 22" where Major Major was permanently stuck at that rank - and was only "In" when he was out and "Out" whenever he was in.

[Pontius Navigator]

MPN, my second plotted on Vulcans had been promoted while on 139 and not posted till they disbanded. While he was happy to remain as Frank in the crew room in private, one 'mate' would insist on calling him Frank in public. It was embarrassing to all when Frank had to admonish him.

[rolling20]

Getting back to the original thread.... Our adj was a Sergeant rear gunner on Lancs and flew with the CO on 49 Squadron. A couple of colonials in the crew got put up for commissions and accepted. He asked the CO about a commission for himself and when he was telling me the story, gave the CO's reply in his best clipped tone: 'Err wait until you've done a few more trips'. Apparently the CO wasn't too keen on NCO pilots, so he was probably even less keen on NCO gunners asking for a commission. As far as I know he never was commissioned until after he was posted out, having been on the squadron for a year, which was some achievement back in 42-3!