I had always wanted to join the RAF but I went out to Rhodesia with my parents when I was seventeen. Three years later there was an advertisement in the Rhodesia Herald put in by the RAF for pilots. Three British O levels, Maths, English and a science subject or equivalent were the educational requirements so I applied.
I was successful and on the 8th April 1960 I was attested into the Royal Air Force on a DC(B) commission.
I arrived on the VForce after flying training and even though I was on tankers I was severely disenchanted so I exercised my option to leave after five years IAW my contract.
That's when I found out that the DC(B) scheme had been terminated on the 1st April 1960 so I wasn't on any scheme at all and no, they wouldn't let me leave.
This impinged badly on my brownie points so I was pushed off to helicopters so instead of flying around the world above 8/8ths cloud I flew around it at 500 feet.