Originally Posted by
FlapJackMuncher
All my Dad ever said was he used to calculate the amount of parachute required when dropping equipment out the back of aircraft - someone found out he was doing a maths degree.
Regarding National Service airmen:
anybody eligible for service employed previously as an Observer by the Met. Office just did the square bashing bit and was posted to do his thing on an RAF station.
This did not provide enough observers for far away places with strange sounding names, so lads with relevant qualifications [maths, english, a science etc]., were given basic training, then a shortened observers' course, and off they went for about a year.
At RAF Nicosia I had some great chaps...... son of a Cunard Captain, a Customs and Exercise officer, an Estate agent, the nephew of the Mad Major and several others. All had Chuff Charts, logging "days to do" divided by "days done". As their time was up they were replaced by LEOs ...... locally employed observers. These latter taught me to swear in Greek and Turkish.