RFC Crossley - Page 4 - Pre WW2 vehicles - HMVF - Historic Military Vehicles Forum
According to the Oxford Dictionary a "penguin" was "a non-flying flapper in the RAF"
PRECEPTS FOR PENGUINS.
By One of the W.R.A.F.
1. Thou shalt have no dealings with Cadets 1 Thou shalt not give them the " glad eye " ; nor seek to attract them with thy smiles—lest thou be called flighty”, always remembering that thou art a Penguin and canst not fly.
2. Thou shalt not try to find favour in the eyes of any man by offering unto him a " second helping," for I say unto you : He that can eat a ' second helping' in these days loveth dearly his ' Little Mary,' and can have no love for another."
3. Thou shalt not exceed thy rations, for sufficient unto the day is the food thereof as allowed by the good Lord Rhondda; and shouldst thou eat more than thy allotted share, then surely someone shall receive short measure.
4. Thou shalt not smash the crockery, but walk warily and watch thy step, lest thy foot slip, and thou shouldst break 101 plates. If such misfortune should overtake thee, then shalt thou throw up thine arms, crying, " Oh Lord! Oh Lord! What have I done ? ".
5. Eight inches from the ground shalt thou wear thy frock - not more than these eight inches—nor shalt thou wear a lemon-coloured stocking, lest, perchance the Cadets should see a golden calf (a well-fatted one withal), and, like the Israelites of old, should fall down and worship it.
6. Thou shalt not wear a " trench coat," lest thou be taken for an officer, and thy comrades beholding thee should say: "Lo! Here is our officer." And they would give thee the salute, which would be a pity, for it would be wasted.
7. If thou shouldst meet a motor transport driver wearing the cloth of an officer, then shalt thou turn thine eyes away and give not the salute, for she is not an officer! (No, certainly not.)
8. Thou shalt not powder thy face I If thou wouldst secure unto thyself a husband, and one that is a soldier, I say unto thee, he that hath already " faced the powder " careth nought for the powdered face. It appeareth unto him even as a camouflage!
9. Thou shalt at all times wear thy uniform—the coat, the hat, the frock that has been given unto thee. Thou shalt not receive on Saturday morning a parcel bearing the legend "Laundry," which containeth not the snowy raiment, but, rather, a suit of blue serge, and a blouse that is of silk, to be donned secretly and at night when thou goest out to meet thy friends.
10. At the hour of nine-thirty shalt thou be in thy billet - not later than this. If, perchance, thy watch hath deceived thee, or the tram hath broken down, seek not to enter thy hostel with loud knocking on the door and ringing of bells; but, rather, get thee to the back of the house, where thou mayest enter by the scullery window—silently and without noise - having a care that thou disturbeth (?) not the slumbers of those that are within. Then " all shall be well with thee."
11. At least once a month shalt thou have thy photograph taken (by Breach or another) that thou mayest send it to thy relatives and friends in the north, the south, the east, and the west, that they may behold thee in thy uniform, and say unto the neighbours : " See 1 This is my daughter, and she is a Penguin!”
12. And when it shall come to pass that the war shall be over, thou canst return to thy home, feeling proud that thou hast done " thy bit " for King and Country, for in ministering to the needs of these Cadets thou hast helped in a measure to bring about the end of the Great War. Wherefore, go thy way and dwell in peace. Thou hast done well, my child !
Thou hast done well! -
Roosters and Fledglings.
ROOSTERS AND FLEDGLINGS : THE MONTHLY JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE CADETS, CIRCULATING IN ALL WINGS OF THE R.A.F. CADET BRIGADE AND SCHOOLS OF AERONAUTICS (LBY E.J. 1041)
https://www.abaa.org/book/1016085739