Originally Posted by
BEagle
the MHDOIF - the Most Highly Derogatory Order of the Finger (or was it 'digit')
Just come across this thread. I think you are right on "digit". In my very strong recollection the "Order" was the "Most Highly Derogatory Order of the Irremovable Digit", which was associated with the command, a standard in those days, to "Dedigitate!", or "Get the Finger Out!". Those who did not dedigitate were known to have "finger trouble" at the time a common cause of accidents, mayhem, death or what-have-yiou.
PO Prune was the creation of collaboration between the cartoonist William John Henry ("Bill") Hooper (August 24, 1916 to October 14, 1996) and the author and playwright Anthony Armstrong Willis (who wrote mainly as "Anthony Armstrong" or "AA"). PO Prune was originally a fighter pilot, but broadened his skills, moving to Bomber Command where he acquired a navigator, a bomb-aimer, and an air-ginner each as gifted as himself.
His girl friend, the W.A.A.F. (Women's Auxiliary Air Force) Winsum, was also in the service.
As a schoolboy, Hooper was often in trouble for wasting his time drawing cartoons. He worked for a while (unpaid) as a youth for the famed forensic pathologist Sir Francis E Camps, whom I once met.
He volunteered for the trade of air-gunner at the start of WW2, but was sent to No 54 Squadrin, RAF, as groundstaff. He continued to sketch cartoons, noticed by, among others, his C.O., Squadron Leader R F Boyd, RAF. S/Ldr Boyd asked him to illustrate a compendium of hints he was himself preparing for his pilots.
This product found its way to the Air Ministry, which put Hooper in touch with Armstrong who had just been appointed editor of the new "Tee Emm" ("Training Memoranda").
PO Prune's very first appearance was on the inevitable table-napkin at a lunch between Hooper and Armstrong.
Hooper's obituary appeared in The Times for 28 October, 1996.
P.S. The expression "a poor prune" itself appears to have a much longer
history. I find references in light literature, early plays of the 20th century, musicals (Kern), and so on, and I even had a schoolteacher who occasionally used it. Perhaps that is where Armstrong and Hooper found part of their inspiration. Can anyone add anything?