Danny gets Smoked Out and has some Good News.
When I arrived at Valley, the official "heating season" had ended; no more coke for the room stoves until autumn. To brighten up what was to be my room, a (bricked-off) half of a Nissen hut; the previous occupant had had the stove painted black. In October, the coke ration came on again; it was a chilly evening. "Light the stove tonight before you go off", I told the batman.
After tea in the Mess I went back to my (hopefully nice, warm) room to change. When I opened the door, my first impression was that someone had hung a grey blanket over the entrance. Then the blanket rolled out on me - it was smoke ! The stove had been painted with gloss paint. Door propped wide open, the two little windows in the hut end open, and wait for the fumes to disperse. As far as I can remember, the place was unfit for habitation for a day or two, I had to get my kit out and bunk down in a spare hut.
A little of the smoke had percolated through the mortar (which was the seal between the brickwork and the corrugated iron) into my neighbour's half of the hut: he wasn't well pleased, but his part wasn't too bad. Even after I got back I stank like a kipper for ages. Yet there was a consolation - I'd passed my "B" !
Now I was a Flight Lieutenant again (for my SSC as Flying Officer came with a backdate of seniority which would satisfy the time promotion requirement when (if) I passed the "B"). But my seniority as Flt. Lt. dated only from the date of the exam. Tongue-in-cheek, I put in an official request for backdate to the previous March exam, which I had been unable to take on account of illness. Much to my surprise, they gave it to me. The next step was obvious. What about the back pay ? "Nice try", they said. Ah, well. Even so the jump (from 21/- to 24/- p.d. - a 14% increase) was not to be sneezed at.
In November, Willie Hewlett (my Flt. Commander) spotted a Supplement to some AMO or other. It seemed that a Combined Services Winter Sports Association had been formed, for officers of all three Services. They offered 14 days in Chamonix in the New Year, absolutely everything all-in, for £30 (say £750 today).
Willie and I each had a fortnight's leave left. We emptied our piggy-banks (and with my new found wealth !), we could do it. Travel was by train and boat, but for an extra £5 they had a charter aircraft from Heathrow to Geneva, then by coach to Chamonix (only an hour or so). Pay someone to fly in an aeroplane ? Unthinkable ! The proper thing was that they should pay us, wasn't it ? We dismissed the idea with the contempt it deserved.
Off to the slopes next time.
Goodnight, all,
Danny42C
Give up when you're winning.