Thanks for the interest, chaps.
First, well met, TommyOv! (#2266)
I can't remember any Aptitude Test - think the choice was just Pot Luck.
Likewise Andy1999 (#2267)
Reg said in one of his Posts that he was at Blackpool Grammar School. At the same time I must have been at St. Joseph's College (was there a St. James ?) I remember we played Arnold House, and on one glorious occasion, got a fixture with Rossall School (only their Second XV, their First would have murdered us, their Second just thrashed us!) Surely we would have played Blackpool Grammar? Reg and I might well have been on opposite sides in the scrum.
"Hank", a US Cadet, was at 4BFTS? As I understood it, the South East Training Centre of the USAAC trained only US cadets up to early 1941 (41F). Then the Arnold Scheme was introduced at some of their schools; RAF cadets took over from the US students and at the changeover point the "hazing" became a problem just for the 41F/42A interface. From then until Pearl Harbor only RAF cadets were trained (in a rather open "secret") as "civilians".
in these few US Schools.
We could not wear anything which would mark us out as British military personnel; that would blow open the US status as a neutral. Somewhere way back in this thread there are some very good photographs of RAF cadets of this time, "walking the ramp" - punishment drill. Look at them. They are wearing "Caps, Field Service" - "Forage Caps", (there was another four-letter name, stemming from their appearance, but even in these libertarian days the Moderator would permanently excommunicate me if I were to use it. for it breaches the last taboo).
Look at these caps. There are no white flashes in front, I can see no brass RAF badges on the sides, the front buttons don't seem shiny. They've been "civilianised". The lads just have flying overalls on, the same as I had. What did I have on my head? I can't remember. I'd dumped the beret they gave me in Blackpool.
Pearl Harbor changed everything. There was no further need for the Arnold Scheme; the US Schools turned back into all US Cadet instruction; the British Flying Training Schools were set up to take over the RAF Cadets (they weren't really "Cadets" any more, just LACs; the white flashes came back, with the buttons and badges, and they wore US issue light summer khaki shirts and slacks. And now they had RAF officers and NCOs to "make honest men of them". Why would any US cadets go to a BFTS now that they'd got all their own schools back? It doesn't make sense. If they did, would someone please explain it to me?
Chugalug2, Greetings! (#2271)
"Hazing" was still alive in the Sixties? - Incredible! And even in my time, we fondly thought that the 42A "rebellion" at Carlstrom had slain the dragon for all the Arnold Schools. Not so, it seems.
Time for my cocoa now. I've had my pills. Goodnight, all.
Danny