RAF Initiative Tests
At ITS in 1952-3 (Kirton Lindsey for grading and then Jurby) there were tales doing the rounds that the RAF had run Initiative Tests which sent the young hopefuls out with nothing apart from a 1250 and 6d (sometimes it was 2d for the phone) and instructions to get as far away as possible within 48 hours. The story went, and we were assured that it was true, that the tests were abandoned after one or two of the more ambitious had made it not just to Land's End or John o' Groats but to Iceland or even North America - courtesy of the USAF's MATS naturally.
Question: did it ever happen? And if it did, how far did anyone go?