[QUOTE=Blacksheep;2872816]One is reminded of Chief Technician Frank Parson's comment, when challenged on the 'flyaway' style (as preferred by most 1950/60's Chiefies) of his headgear, that "berets is fer keepin' the oil outta yer 'air." Frank of course generally sported black wellington boots, a brown dustcoat with custom built aluminium C/T arm badges rivetted to the sleeves and tied round the middle with a sisal string 'belt.' QUOTE]
That amused me; I remember Frank Parsons well. A guy you just had to like and admire. I was a JT at the time and I couldn’t, at first, figure out how he got away with his own interpretation of RAF uniform; and I can confirm the sisal string 'belt and home made riveted Chief Tech badge. It wasn’t just the uniform. His whole appearance made him look like he should be two fields over fixing Massey Fergusons rather than Vulcans. After a few months it dawned on me how he got away with it. The bosses, Group Captain down it seems, knew something I hadn’t twigged. He had the energy of ten men, and did the work of ten men. Why mess with an asset like that!