Another Royal in the RAF
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Another Royal in the RAF
From the latest announcement from Kensington Palace, it seems we now have LAC Cambridge - starting at the bottom it would appear. As Louis Albert Charles however, he will be destined to remain an LAC, even if he gets a higher honorary rank in the future.......
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Louis Arthur Charles according to my Newsfeed, but I will still call him HRH/Sir 
LAC is not the bottom, as my father would have pointed out.
I thought that, on succession, the Monarch could assume any of their christian names they wanted. There was a rumour that Charles was considering being known as King George VII.
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Wealth Beyond the Dreams of Avarice.
Ormeside28 (#9),
August 1941, got only 2/- a day as AC2, went up to 5/6 a day as LAC on completion of ITW. Are you sure you got 50% more just a year later? - there wasn't all that much inflation in UK during the war. By 1942 I was a Sgt/Pilot swaggering round on 13/6 a day, can't remember what the erks were getting. Happy Days!
Danny.
August 1941, got only 2/- a day as AC2, went up to 5/6 a day as LAC on completion of ITW. Are you sure you got 50% more just a year later? - there wasn't all that much inflation in UK during the war. By 1942 I was a Sgt/Pilot swaggering round on 13/6 a day, can't remember what the erks were getting. Happy Days!
Danny.
The rank of AC2 had gone by the time I joined in 1964, and by then ACs were on £1 a day, which was my paid rank when at OCTU. Don't think I got much more as an APO when I was commissioned.
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At any point in time, the lowest paid ranks were Aircraft Apprentice and Boy Entrants who were under the age of 17½, if they attained the age of 17½ before passing out, they were paid at the lowest current rate for an Airman.
Conversley, if a Boy Entrant passed out while still under the age of 17½, he was also paid the lowest Airmans rate. This is what happened to me.
During the period 1952-54, for the first 12 months a Boy or App was paid 2/6 a day, after 12 months this was increased to 3/6 a day.
On attaining the age of 17½ or passing out under 17½, the rate was 7/- a day.
From memory, during this period and up to April 1st 1956 regular Airmans rates that I knew were:
AC2 7/-
AC1 Don't know
LAC 10/-
SAC 11/-
J/T in Trade Groups 1-4 14/6
Cpl in Trade Groups 1-4 17/6
On April 1st 1956 there was a BIG pay rise!
An AC2's pay was increased by 100% and I remember the OC RAF Lindholme proudly announcing that a W.O. in an Advanced Trade, Married & Living Out was now getting a £1,000 a year!
I was an SAC on my Fitters Course at the start of the year, on 11/- a day, I finished the course, put up my J/T in February, got the pay increase in April and my Cpl's stripes in August, on 24/6 a day.
Life was good for this 19 year old.
Conversley, if a Boy Entrant passed out while still under the age of 17½, he was also paid the lowest Airmans rate. This is what happened to me.
During the period 1952-54, for the first 12 months a Boy or App was paid 2/6 a day, after 12 months this was increased to 3/6 a day.
On attaining the age of 17½ or passing out under 17½, the rate was 7/- a day.
From memory, during this period and up to April 1st 1956 regular Airmans rates that I knew were:
AC2 7/-
AC1 Don't know
LAC 10/-
SAC 11/-
J/T in Trade Groups 1-4 14/6
Cpl in Trade Groups 1-4 17/6
On April 1st 1956 there was a BIG pay rise!
An AC2's pay was increased by 100% and I remember the OC RAF Lindholme proudly announcing that a W.O. in an Advanced Trade, Married & Living Out was now getting a £1,000 a year!
I was an SAC on my Fitters Course at the start of the year, on 11/- a day, I finished the course, put up my J/T in February, got the pay increase in April and my Cpl's stripes in August, on 24/6 a day.
Life was good for this 19 year old.
Last edited by ian16th; 29th Apr 2018 at 13:57.
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I was an SAC in Germany when the big pay rise happened. The old sweats were cockahoop because it meant they would be getting a decent pension. To we erks it meant more beer tokens and a decent meal in a local restaurant.
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Danny. Yes, I am quite sure that PNB after ITW and LAC was 7/3 per day, as I left Barclays as a junior clerk on joining RAF in Nov 1942 at a weekly wage of 35/- shillings and increased that by nearly 50% as LAC. (May 42 ). In USA, Terrell, Texas we drew 25 dollars every two weeks. Again all found. After Wings 13/6 daily as a Sgt Pilot, then after a year 15/- as a Flt Sgt, and after another year as W/0. 17/6 per day. Food and accommodation all found, not like today I believe. When I rejoined as Sgt in 1951, pay had not gone up much and after commissioning, virtually the same, but a mess bill! The big pay rise virtually doubled our pay, hence the new car sales went up, lots of Ford Populars, with windscreen wiper ( yes, wiper!) almost stopped on steep hills. Happy days though, plenty of aeroplanes, and places to take them,!!
