Originally Posted by
Danny42C
NigG (#327)
Nearly everyone who managed to stay in in '46 dropped a rank or two.
Danny.
Ah! Bless you Danny. I'm currently reading and annotating a sheaf of letters sent to Arthur between 1944 and '47. They make interesting reading and give an intriguing insight into those days... of course, many of the writers were in the process of returning from the RAF to civilian life. My father, who had returned from India (just in time for VE Day) and was now commuting daily by train from his mother's house in North London to the Air Ministry, where he had a dull-ish admin job in postal services.
I think he was a bit depressed by his new circumstances, but this was, for a short while, exacerbated by being demoted from Acting Sqn Ldr back down to Flt Lt. Well, I was thinking 'Poor Dad... what's all this about... hardly an act of kindness'. But you've resolved the question... his demotion was common to many who stayed on in the RAF after the war.
There's one letter that stands out as being quite moving. I'll put it on screen as it gives an insight into some of the challenges of being on an operational squadron in the tropics during the war.
(I see, Danny, from KJ994, above, that you were correct about 'Miss Sahib' not implying 'Anglo Indian'. Though, maybe other stuff gave my mother reason for indignation (!) Best dropped, of course )