Sackcloth and Ashes Time
Cliff, old chap,
You've let me rabbet on about Arnold/B.F.T.S all this time (my Posts #2335 [P117)] and #2345 [P118] ), when you knew all about it from way back! I now sit on the penitents' bench as one of the dreaded sciolists whom our Moderator warns us about (in red) at the bottom of the page. I now must recant, retract and absolutely abjure everything I've written!
But it's a long time ago (three years), so I'll forgive you! Look back to two Posts, #460 from andy1999 (P23), and your #499 (P25). It seems that the Arnold and the B.F.T.S. Schemes started together in summer 1941.
From what Mr Mike Igglesden, of 6 BFTS Assn, says: the BFTSs started off openly as RAF units, with an RAF C.O. and NCOs for discipline. Civilian clothes had only to worn off camp. Presumably they wore "uniform" (US light summer uniform with RAF forage caps and white flashes) on camp. So what about US neutrality, then? Out of the window, that's what! So far, it makes some sense. Why should Roosevelt worry about Hitler? He had enough on his plate in Russia. It was not till Japan evened the odds at Pearl Harbor, and Roosevelt had his own plateful to worry about, that he felt safe in declaring war on the USA.
So why were we, in the Arnold Schools, hiding away hugger-mugger as mock-civilians at the same time? Search me! But that wasn't the end of the story.
Again referring to the BFTS Assn. Intake/Graduates Schedule: How do we account for a 6o% pass rate in BFTS over 42A-D, and 98% from 42E onward after Pearl Harbor? What happened to the BFTSs on 8th December 1941?
It's all beyond me. My own stupid fault for trying to be a historian! No more!
Cheers, Danny
Last edited by Danny42C; 25th Feb 2012 at 21:41.