Airborne, ease up.
There was a smile after my post and I was taking the mickey out of dear old beagle.
I was the oldest person on my ITC (30+) and I went into it eyes wide open and enjoyed being converted from Substantive Sgt of almost two years into Plastique. However there were clearly some who enjoyed the darker side of life. It is easy to see how absolute power corrupts absolutely and there were those who abused their positions daily. Let us not forget that for some the AAITC Flt Cdr positions were not usually awarded on merit and neither were the FS positions.
It's one thing being empowered to do a job properly it's another to be OTT and
physically abusive to those who are weaker in an effort to make them quit. Even one of the Padres at the time was in on the act, he really got off on that one. Verbal and mental abuse is essential within that environment and was often hilarious to receive and observe.
But it was a different RAF then and I am sure the guys who did Topcliffe before us found it much harder than we. It did sort the men from the boys and I am proud to say I did it and completed it first time around.
