Easy Street,
I hope others reading this Thread will forgive me for ‘drifting’ the Thread to respond to the points you make against me.
First, low squadron numbering is a policy and it has been so in the RAF for many years, although I am not privy to the AFB Standing Committee minutes which formulated it. However, it was for this policy, that I wrote to Air Clues to suggest that OCUs should be renumbered with numbers of sqns which might never be resurrected. Although ridiculed by some, I gained the support of Air Marshal Sir John Curtiss and it happened, with the sqns being give an “R” suffix. I now know that 207 Sqn (without the “R”) is to be the F35 training squadron, rather than being numbered (although possibly still called) an OCU.
Turning to squadron silver and other memorabilia: there was a laid down process for sending to the repository, the remaining silver etc and the associated and audited property book (standards not included). When Quedgely (No: 7 MU) closed the repository moved to Stafford and later to a defence facility at Donnington near Telford. At 7 MU there were rigorous arrangements, similar to the methods of managing Valuable & Attractive (V&A) items. As time passed and deeper and deeper cuts were made, so the care of ‘non public’ items became more and more lax and the audit of what was there and who was responsible became less clear. Against this perceived inadequacy a number of fairly senior people became concerned at the opportunity for misappropriation and have raised these concerns but apparently to no avail.
Before you disparage my point, I invite you to submit an FOI question. I suggest you ask what the current arrangements are for the safeguarding of valuable non-public property held at Donnington, when was an audit last conducted formally and what level of error/loss was identified against the appropriate property books. Should the answer you receive (and posted here of course) reveal that I am the bulls&*^^er you suppose, I shall buy you (and a guest) a slap up dinner at the RAF Club.
I am sure ppruners will be only too pleased to hold my feet to the fire should I attempt to renege.
O-D