I can only join in the general acclaim and approbation that has marked young camlobe's inaugural. It has already triggered that fine tradition of this thread, firing up a civilised discussion. We seem to have unearthed a dichotomy with the treatment of other ranks and officer cadets upon induction into the Royal Air Force. The first is characterised as abusive and malevolent, the latter by implication refined and gentle. My interpretation of course and please take me to task if I have it wrong.
Having only experienced the Officer Cadet training, I would say that it was robust and strict, but not abusive in the nasty sense. That even includes the treatment by the Senior Entry of we 'Crows'. As I said earlier, you needed a sense of humour to see it through as well as a certain amount of stubbornness, both essential qualities for a military life I would suggest.
We were after all volunteers rather than pressed men. The experiences of National Service were no doubt brutal and deeply resented, and I suspect that few here would care to see its reintroduction to cure Society's ills for the very real ills that it would bring to the Services. However, from Cliff through to Camlobe we chose this path, and in return it gave us a life, a career, an experience, that for most if not all would have been unobtainable. That is certainly true for me, raised post war by a one parent family, my father having died in the war (as a Lance Bombardier, not that it should be relevant), I lucked out and passed the eleven plus and so made Grammar School. I thus got the O levels that I knew were required to do what I longed for, to fly in the RAF. I lucked out again by getting a scholarship for an Officer Cadetship in the RAF to stay in the 6th Form and so get the equally necessary A levels. That is why I ended up at Cranwell amidst my Entry colleagues, one of whom by the way was ex Halton. The chop rate was ferocious, and I lucked out yet again by making it through somehow to graduation after three long years, to emerge with those treasured wings and that oh so thin PO's braid.
So what is the point of this rambling post? Merely to say that like many others, the Royal Air Force gave me an opportunity to do what I really wanted to do, without which my life would have been some boring civilian routine. That it was worth being shouted at, charged, made to do endless drill in the frozen wastes of Lincolnshire, scrape the paint off shower stalls with a pen knife to then repaint them, make up bed packs so that they might be pulled to pieces again on inspection, and all the other sundry delights of basic training, I have no doubt, and a small price to pay to gain such an opportunity. I would suggest to a man that all those here would say the same thing.
Last edited by Chugalug2; 8th Dec 2013 at 11:00.