Flying Badges

[Could be the last?]

I am aware that during a recent graduation, along with the award of Wings/Flying Badges a sixpence was given to each of the graduating aircrew. Great to see an old tradition being reinstated.

However, with such a short life in comparison to the other Services, I wonder why we elected to replace all the various Brevets QM/AE/E/S/LM with a single badge? Surely, to preserve some of our history, keeping the different brevets should have been the way forward.

Before anyone rattles off the doctrine behind WSOs/WSOps I have read the paper aswell, but everyone still refers to all the trades by the original brevet title - Thats Nav in old money or AEO........etc

So is there any chance of getting them back?

[Lima Juliet]

Yes, I agree. I would sooner have seen the return of the "flying O" Observer's Badge.

WSO and WSOp is one of the worst ideas ever, which started off as a 2-winged badge for Tornado backseaters and ended up with something no-one wanted

LJ

[minigundiplomat]

WSO and WSOp is one of the worst ideas ever, which started off as a 2-winged badge for Tornado backseaters and ended up with something no-one wanted

LJ

Today 20:51

Agreed.

[Pontius Navigator]

And why?

Because they are as different as chalk and cheese.

Nav School used to have ONE AEO. He was special, in more ways than one, but no baby WSO(N) would have known if he had an WSO brevet. They would also have wondered why he couldn't navigate like wotthey could.

[Lima Juliet]

MGD - you'll like this...

The first recorded RAF "kill" of the Second World War, on 20 September 1939, was by air observer Sergeant F Letchford, aboard a Fairey Battle, flown by Flying Officer LH Baker

Now there's a real tradition that Biggles neglects to tell

[Tankertrashnav]

the return of the "flying O" Observer's Badge.

Hmm not sure about that one. Maybe younger ppruners may not know that the badge was universally known as the flying a***hole. When I was at nav school our station commander, of WW2 vintage, wore the 'O' brevet on his No 1. It was generally agreed that in his case the nickname was particularly apt.

[Gainesy]

Now there's a real tradition that Biggles neglects to tell

Understandably. He's always been miffed that he was manning the spare.

[philrigger]

"which started off as ...................................................... and ended up with something no-one wanted.."

Sounds like pay as you dine.

[rogerk]

"Flying A******E"

As an old ex Army "Flying A******E" we were good at the job we did.

Firstly making sure shiny new "just out of Wallop" pilots found their way home from the depths of the plains of northern Germany.

... and then teaching them about the worst enemy they would ever encounter - the dreaded "Starfighter"

Conversation used to go like this -

"Starfighter ten o,clock"
"Seen"
"Sh*************"
"Yip they usually come in pairs" !!

[getsometimein]

You are, of course, to wear the brevet your are awarded.... However, with regards to flying badges you can wear whatever you want...

As regards the unified RAF brevet, some people are proud to have reached the level required to be awarded it and are proud to wear it... It is funny that the people complaining about the brevet are the oldies that havn't been ordered to wear it!