Battle of the Stars.
Taphappy and Union Jack,
I have been very naughty and lifted this from Wiki (no doubt SIB is on the way soon - will plead insanity, throw myself on mercy of Court).
Changes in 1946—Aircrew. On 1 July 1946, NCOs serving as aircrew were assigned different rank badges which distinguished them from ORs in ground trades. The new ranks were:
Master Aircrew equivalent to Warrant Officer: Eagle within wreath below Royal Arms
Aircrew I equivalent to Flight Sergeant: Three 6-pointed stars within wreath below eagle below crown
Aircrew II equivalent to Sergeant: Three 6-pointed stars within wreath below eagle
Aircrew III equivalent to Sergeant: Two 6-pointed stars within wreath below eagle
Aircrew IV equivalent to Sergeant: One 6-pointed star within wreath below eagle
Aircrew Cadet for trainee aircrew: Empty wreath below eagle
It looks curious to me - how were the three grades of ex-Sergeants differentiated? - Seniority? Looking at my log, I see that I had instruction from two P2s (Finningley in '49, Driffield in '50). (With their obvious wealth of experience, I would have expected them to be P1s). Can anyone help?
Master Aircrew: why didn't they just go back to Warrant Officer when they finally had to acknowledge that the whole change had been stupid from the outset ?
Loss of face, I suppose. Exactly the same happened in the Strange Case of the New (1950) Sealed Pattern No.1 S.D. jacket-plus-new-Mess Kit-jacket monstrosity. After two (or three?) A.M.O.s had promulgated this thing, each more insistent than the last that This was It, and there was No Possibiliy of any future Change of Mind - another A.M.O. changed it !
But they couldn't just crawl back into their holes. Something had to change, to distinguish it from the wartime pattern. They chopped off the lower button, put a small flat button under the buckle which was neither use nor ornament, this was the New New S.D. Jacket!
The Wise Virgins (in the Biblical sense) who had sat tight throughout, simply cut off the bottom button from their old jackets, shrugged the buckle down a bit to cover the old buttonhole (which was pretty unnoticeable anyway); they were quids in.
The Foolish Ones, who had been Good Boys and had Done What Teacher Told Them, were left holding the baby - and well out of pocket. Did the Air Ministry offer to compensate me? Dream on!
lasernigel,
After that rant - Thank you for the kind words! 'Fraid neither of the places you name rings any bells, and we didn't have much social contact with the Hurricane boys, as they were normally on different strips. (Wouldn't it be wonderful if your Uncle (RIP) turned out to be the chap to whom I gave up my bed in Double Moorings !)
It had long been the invariable and honourable practice to bury the British Soldier where he fell. In my mind, it is better that way and the C.W.G.C. will care for the grave in perpetuity.
There is a corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England. (Rupert Brooke?)
Your Great Uncle and Aunt would have had nothing to reproach themselves with. Rich and poor stayed where they fell, and it was better that way. (the business of bringing coffins home is a modern thing).
I have a few more words on Burma before I go, but my story there is nearly ended.
Cheers,
Danny42C