Originally Posted by Runaway Gun
Good point. Has anyone ever received compensation as a result of their hearing loss?
Just prior to retiring, I arranged a proper (as compared to the Lyneham SSQ variety), audiology test at PM RAF Wroughton, in order to buttress my intended claim for hearing loss caused, as I thought, by 9000+ hrs in Albert, as well as 1000+ hrs in Bevs and Hastings. I had been downgraded for hearing loss for some years, but as the nice Indian chappie at CME said "When you start missing the punch line of jokes, then you should start worrying" In the meantime, "You've got the best hearing aid in the world, your aircrew headset".
Despite my history of noise exposure, the very patient retired Air Commode at Wroughton who examined me asked from which shoulder I had fired a rifle. I pointed out that it was at least thirty years or so since that happened. He persisted. I told him "right shoulder". "Typical gunshot deafness" he said, "nothing to do with the aircraft, the initial trauma is from the gunshot". Just what I wanted to hear. In answer to Runaway Gun's query, the answer is yes. After several attempts I managed to get my hearing loss upgraded to 19% (It's nearly always 19%, any more would qualify you for a permanent pension, rather than a lump sum, funny, that). This forms part of my 50% War Disablement Pension - the usual ALM knee replacements, arthritis, etc. account for the rest.
LXXIV