MPN11 (your #40),
".........
(or are a little out of date) one can now join the RAF as a Direct Entry Air Traffic Controller - with the rank of Sgt!........"
I'm 43 years out of date now, but I recall that around the mid-sixties we started getting in Direct Entry (Short Service) Commissioned young ladies and gentlemen into the ATC Branch. After the statutory four or five (?) month's hard labour at Henlow, and a further four at Shawbury (where they were introduced to the arcane mysteries of ATC by old gentlemen like myself), they were let loose on the RAF's twin-winged Lords of the Air (with, on the whole, satisfactory results).
We of the Old Brigade, who had "
borne the burdens and the heat of the day" in the air and on the ground for the last quarter-century, might have been resentful of these Johnnies-come-lately who had been "handed on a plate" what had taken us so long to achieve. But, as most of us were just "marking-time" before retirement anyway, it didn't seem to matter and we mixed in well enough.
"
The Old Order Changeth, Giving Place to New". It was their Air Force now.
* * *
Now your: ".
....One needs an officer pyramid to feed the various leadership/staff jobs....."
True, but you also need the base of that pyramid to be kept up to strength ! In the fifties the young men of Britain, suspicious of the specious promises of a glowing future held out to them by the (then) Air Ministry, largely spurned them. Natural wastage was starting to crumble the base. What to do ?
Only one thing, really. Hang on to the people you've got on the bottom already. So, in '52, they introduced the "Limited Career Permanent Commission". Originally it was open only in the Air Traffic and Fighter Control Branches, but later in the year it was extended to GD (Pilot) as well (I think these last later morphed into "Branch" Officers, with a chance of Squadron Leader).
The deal was simple: We will keep you on till age 50 and then give you a pension. You will not get past Flight Lieutenant (however many Promotion Exams you may have passed). Take it or leave it ! It was not successful enough in its original form, so in '60 "selected" (in practice,
all the) ones who had taken the bait in '50 were offered an extension to age 55 (but with the free option of PVR at age 50).
What could you lose ? I took the option to extend to 55, but PVR'd at 50.
Danny.
(with currently 65 year's seniority as Flight Lieutenant - shouldn't I get a gold watch, or a medal or something ?)