Old Bricks, I'd forgotten that we were actually billed for Slasher's handiwork! He was a mean s.o.b too - "How would sir like it cut?" followed by the usual hack and slash.... After leaving Towers for the more civilised life of University, it was months before I needed another haircut.
Another quaint Flt Cdt requirement was the ridiculous 'civilian hat' which we had to wear in Cranwell village, Lincoln, Sleaford or Grantham. Come the day of our commissioning, we all burnt the wretched things on the JMPG! Fortunately this was before 'the troubles' became rather serious, otherwise it would have been dead easy for anyone with evil intent to spot a Cranwell cadet - the shave-headed prat in the hat!
Toward the end of my first tour, my boss (rather an unconventional character for a V-bomber Sqn Cdr) told me that a couple of interesting posts might be coming up, if I was interested, one of which was to fly the Chipmunk from Gatow. I really wish now that I'd taken up his offer; I still remembered much of my 'O' level German, which I'm sure would have been handy. But I was desperate to try to get back onto fast jets.... Looking back on that now, it was rather mistake - although it took a few hundred F-4 hours before I realised that!
Presumably the only recce device available for the Chippie was something hand held by the other seat occupant?