Thanks again everyone for information.
So far after viewing a good few cat launches;- I have 1 photo of a undercarriage clearly part retracted a couple fuselage lengths off the cat and film of a pitch up accident which includes a rapid U/C retraction, just off the cat. The Buccaneer accident records seem to show 3 pitch up crashes, thankfully none fatal, one S1 and two S2's. The film I've found is an S1 but from memory I'm sure I've seen the sequence referred to above, which was test pilot Dave Eagles investigation into the first S2 accident(the ejection seats separation is very different). From Dave's autobiography he records the cause of the uncommanded pitch ups as an unnoticed inconsistency in the setting of the rear horizontal stabiliser between test and squadron aircraft. Does anyone know where this film is on the net?
Now on to RAF Buccaneers;- there's plenty of clips of take off with a very quick U/C retraction. Although a few of these are S2a with the switch albeit inhibit with locking wire, many are not. This again confirms the above comment that quite a few pilots took off, maybe with a finger preloading the U/C up button so retraction would commence as soon as the button solenoid interlock was removed by the weight off wheels micro switch. Or at least pushed the button just as they considered the wheels where just off the asphalt. A comment was made about this leading to a damaged A/C but this doesn't show up in the accident record I've seen;- has anyone got details (the Biggin Hill aircraft was a JP)
So a slightly unexpected conclusion;- the FAA had the function but rarely, if ever used it, whereas the RAF generally didn't have it but seemed keen to emulate it.