My father joined the RAF as a Brat at Henlow in about 1928. He was trained on instruments and radios and I believe he ended up as aircrew in that trade. This is a picture of the infant Fareastdriver with his parents circa late 1940.
What puzzles me is the brevet he was wearing.
Later on he was accepted for pilot training at a very late age, around 29/30 and went to Pensicola to train with the US Navy on both wheels and floats. He was commissioned and returned to do the Heavy Bomber Conversion Course and ended up on Coastal Command Halifaxs doing the Atlantic weather sampling.