A new Cdt Plt in my UAS student times appeared with a beard. A bit of a poseur, he also affected a triple-barrelled surname. He was tolerated until the new boss arrived. Who addressed him by the third element of his surname and told him to produce a medical reason for having a beard. "Otherwise you have 2 choices - it goes or you go". He failed to produce a chit, so was soon off the squadron. No loss really.
When I was a QFI, one of my new students was a Sikh. So one day I rang clothing stores and requested that they obtained an official RAF-pattern turban, Sikhs for the use of. "A
what, Sir?" said the stores chap. So I repeated myself and he agreed to put in a demand....
….some weeks later, my phone rang and the stores chap announced "The turban is now in stores, Sir - if you could ask the Sikh lad to come down and sign for it" . "Ahh - bit of a problem there, sorry - the CFI chopped him a week ago". "So what am I supposed to do with this effing turban, Sir?" …… "Seek out another Sikh, perhaps?".
It was probably still gathering dust in stores when Abingdon closed....
