Petet, thank you for the excellent pic of the interior of a fully manned W/Op flying classroom equipped Dominie. I had clearly got hold of the wrong end of the stick, for it appears (tho' Taphappy will correct me no doubt) that there is but one T1154 at the front LHS, and a corresponding R1155 on the right (or are there two such crates, one set behind the other?). Presumably the students shuffled forward when it was their turn on either one. That makes more sense when one considers weight, space, power demands, and instructor monitoring (BTW where did he sit I wonder?). Still looks very cosy though, doesn't it?
DFCP, glad to see that you made the most of your opportunities to see the world, both in N.America and the UK! Mis-employing aircrew, expecting to be fully trained in highly skilled but dangerous roles, in mind numbing clerical duties was obviously a recipe for disaster. Danny reminds us of the infamous FE RAF mutinies, though I suspect that the main driving force there was that their Theatre was right at the back of the demob queue. Unless you were for staying on, then the sooner you were demobbed the sooner you could get your civilian life back again and that all important job. There must have been a real fear that the tail enders would find only the scraps left. The whole business must have had the air of an anti-climax about it. The world was suddenly a safer but much more mundane place to live in!
As regards officer/aircrew selection, I seem to recall being told that the oil drums/ planks/ lengths of rope/ and crocodile infested grass that set the scene for so many of us that came through later were all thanks to the Luftwaffe. Can anyone else confirm or deny that? Presumably it was all part of the booty (that included the RAFSA boat Sperling) seized at the end of the war. By that I mean the concept of testing team leadership, not the oil drums, planks, and lengths of rope!