clicker, being a British Army officer leading Gurkhas has always been considered to be a great honour and privilege, but not without its little inconveniences. The isolation enforced upon your ex-teacher was by no means unique. One of the Cranwell War Studies team in the 60's, a British Army Major, recounted his experiences to us of being a young Gurkha platoon commander in Burma in WW2.
Every day he would receive a sitrep by radio regarding the likely Japanese positions. He made his dispositions accordingly, instructing his Havildar and Naiks upon that night's assault. Having ensured that they fully understood his instructions regarding the Bren giving covering fire, the main assault, and the secondary one, his men would then reportedly dig a trench, and place their Commanding Officer in it, securing him lest he should unwisely decide to join the fray. The planned assault would then go ahead, the position taken, secured, and then, and only then, would one of them be sent to release him to join his command once more.
Their logic was faultless so he told us, for only he could understand the radio and thus secure the information required for that next night's work... well that was his story, and it was he who told it to we young and eager RAF Flight Cadets, so it must be true, mustn't it?
Danny, your description of the Great Mushroom Wars of the 50's has come as a great revelation and, I might add, some surprise. I had no idea of the extent nor ruthlessness with which they were fought. Given the nature of such struggles, no doubt local war lords emerged to control large areas of particularly fertile production, taking over the numerous airfields of East Anglia and the East Riding, for example. Perhaps the closure of many of these RAF Stations, stemming from this time, was in reality the only way that the authorities could curb their evil influence? In any event I will view Air Traffickers in a different way in future and accord them the respect they deserve, lest they should make me an offer that I cannot refuse!