You know you're getting old when......
Death Cruiser Flight Crew
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Vaucluse, France.
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Join Date: May 2013
Location: have I forgotten or am I lost?
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I still have my slides of the transvestites of Bugis Street.
my mates have been in raptures at the beauty of the "women" and not one has believed me when I said they were men.
might scan a few.....
my mates have been in raptures at the beauty of the "women" and not one has believed me when I said they were men.
might scan a few.....
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: South of Old Warden
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True story re. Bugis St. from the '60's.
Mrs G and I were spending the evening in Bugis St with friends. The six of us were sitting at a table enjoying the sights and sounds (Mrs G peed off 'cos the 'ladies' had nicer dresses than hers!) when a dozen or so Aussie matelots sat down at the next table, ordered beers and commenced to banter, well laced with the usual profanities.
Mrs G turns to me and says ''tell those young chaps to stop swearing!''
Survival instinct kicked in and I declined. ''Right, if you don't I will'', she cries. And with that she stands up and says to the guys '' would you mind not swearing in front of ladies. It's very bad manners you know.''
They all looked at her dumbfounded then one chap says ''sorry luv no bloody offence meant, wot's yer name sweetheart?
Somewhat mollified she replies ''Kathy.''
To a man they all stand up and commence to sing 'I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen''. This reduces her to tears and she then insists I buy them a drink, which I do. They joined our table and a cracking night ensued!
Mrs G and I were spending the evening in Bugis St with friends. The six of us were sitting at a table enjoying the sights and sounds (Mrs G peed off 'cos the 'ladies' had nicer dresses than hers!) when a dozen or so Aussie matelots sat down at the next table, ordered beers and commenced to banter, well laced with the usual profanities.
Mrs G turns to me and says ''tell those young chaps to stop swearing!''
Survival instinct kicked in and I declined. ''Right, if you don't I will'', she cries. And with that she stands up and says to the guys '' would you mind not swearing in front of ladies. It's very bad manners you know.''
They all looked at her dumbfounded then one chap says ''sorry luv no bloody offence meant, wot's yer name sweetheart?
Somewhat mollified she replies ''Kathy.''
To a man they all stand up and commence to sing 'I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen''. This reduces her to tears and she then insists I buy them a drink, which I do. They joined our table and a cracking night ensued!
When the girl in PSF asks you if you are sure that there is a letter in your Service number!!!
Aaron
Letters in service numbers? What will they think of next? Probably Lance Corporals in the RAF Regiment !!!
You know when you are old when the RAF was 43 years old when you joined and 94 years old when you left!
When you still have the issued Flying Clothing of :
Gauntlets, Flying, Left, Each 1 and
Gauntlets, Flying, Right, Each 1. One was produced in Scotland and the other in Northern Ireland and only became a pair at Station Level to reduce "leakage" in the Stores system.
When you can add: Andover,AstonDown,Booker,Bovington,Colerne,Dishforth,Duxford ,Elvington,
Horsham St Faith,Hullavington,Manston,Newton,Oakington,Ouston,Swanton Morley,Swinderby,Tangmere,Thorney Island & Upavon to previous lists.
But I cannot beat Lightning 5's Troopship to Singapore- I had to make do with a British Eagle Brittania with hosties in stockings and suspenders.
When you still have the issued Flying Clothing of :
Gauntlets, Flying, Left, Each 1 and
Gauntlets, Flying, Right, Each 1. One was produced in Scotland and the other in Northern Ireland and only became a pair at Station Level to reduce "leakage" in the Stores system.
When you can add: Andover,AstonDown,Booker,Bovington,Colerne,Dishforth,Duxford ,Elvington,
Horsham St Faith,Hullavington,Manston,Newton,Oakington,Ouston,Swanton Morley,Swinderby,Tangmere,Thorney Island & Upavon to previous lists.
But I cannot beat Lightning 5's Troopship to Singapore- I had to make do with a British Eagle Brittania with hosties in stockings and suspenders.
Join Date: Apr 2010
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I was told it was something to do with the Pay Computer.
Last edited by ExAscoteer; 25th Mar 2014 at 21:55.
The letters were only introduced as a 'check' on the numeric number and limit typos when PSF et alia input your number. Somewhere in FZ Towers I have the gorillarithm (algorithm) for it ... v. v. sad 
I seem to recall that the "check " digit ( expressed as a letter) was first around in the early 70's at least- if not a bit before. IIRC it then went away as far as we were concerned and then came back again some years later.
Join Date: Mar 2004
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I was a Boy Entrant at St Athan between Sep '63 and April '65.
At some point in that time (my memory isn't THAT good) we were lined up in a hangar and given a piece of paper with our new prefix letters.
I would guess late '64.
At some point in that time (my memory isn't THAT good) we were lined up in a hangar and given a piece of paper with our new prefix letters.
I would guess late '64.
Last edited by kilwhang; 25th Mar 2014 at 08:54. Reason: spelling
When I rejoined in 1980 they gave me my old "Towers" 608+++ number and then or shortly after gave me the suffix letter. ISTR the letter was a "check digit" to confirm the numerals were correct
Join Date: Mar 2010
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ISTR the 'cheek digit' was used mainly for Pay & Allowances purposes, thus ensuring the wrong person couldn't accidentally receive £0/3/6 due to someone else 
When I joined as a Flt Cdt in 1968, my allocated number was S802****. Then, when I was commissioned as an APO a year later for University, it changed to 802****S.
Ditto of course Beags, but wasn't the check digit in a bracket at one stage? eg
802****(E)
It all seemed pretty irrelevant to our minds at the time!
802****(E)
It all seemed pretty irrelevant to our minds at the time!
Join Date: Sep 2008
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I understand that the 'check character' was added in 1965. When the RAF was 'computerising' its personel records.
I commenced my demob leave in Feb 65 and I was apparantly one of the last people not to have one
But at that date I entered the computer industry and soon learnt what a 'check character' was.
Check characters are added to long numbers, such as account numbers, part numbers and service numbers, to aid verification, and highlight keying errors when being entered into computers.
The same calculation that creates the check character is repeated as the number is keyed in, and the newly generated check character is compared to the keyed in check character. If this compare is unequal, it is assumed that the operator has made an error when keying.
At this point most programs ask the operator to re-enter the number.
This function was also built into dumb data entry machines such as card punches, that indicated check character anomilies in other ways.
I commenced my demob leave in Feb 65 and I was apparantly one of the last people not to have one
But at that date I entered the computer industry and soon learnt what a 'check character' was.
Check characters are added to long numbers, such as account numbers, part numbers and service numbers, to aid verification, and highlight keying errors when being entered into computers.
The same calculation that creates the check character is repeated as the number is keyed in, and the newly generated check character is compared to the keyed in check character. If this compare is unequal, it is assumed that the operator has made an error when keying.
At this point most programs ask the operator to re-enter the number.
This function was also built into dumb data entry machines such as card punches, that indicated check character anomilies in other ways.