Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Aircrew Forums > Military Aviation
Reload this Page >

Using Rank on Retirement

Wikiposts
Search
Military Aviation A forum for the professionals who fly military hardware. Also for the backroom boys and girls who support the flying and maintain the equipment, and without whom nothing would ever leave the ground. All armies, navies and air forces of the world equally welcome here.

Using Rank on Retirement

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 28th Jan 2021, 16:30
  #241 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Here 'n' there!
Posts: 589
Received 10 Likes on 6 Posts
Originally Posted by BEagle
.... and if they wish to be known by their rank when they retire, then so be it.
BEags, I don't think many here would begrudge that one bit - it's actually quite nice to have deserving characters down the local or such like. It's just when they start lording it around as if they were still in the Services .... the "I'm a VSO so what I say will happen!" type. I've seen a most spectacular example of that taking place in business. It didn't end well - for the ex-VSO!!!!

Of course, it's not just the Mil who plays that game. I knew a retired Bank Manager who, for any issue in the village, would often say "Well, when I was a Bank Manager....." ....... which was really odd if it were suggesting things for the cake stall at the local Church fete or similar! The fact they were pretty clueless (it was a while ago when they worked for the Bank) made it all the more amusing.

Fortunately, never made it anywhere myself so I just observe by peering out from under my rock! H 'n' H knows his place!!!!!
Hot 'n' High is offline  
Old 28th Jan 2021, 16:48
  #242 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Hoofddorp The Netherlands
Age: 70
Posts: 135
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Well I reached the dizzy heights of Corporal [Airframe Techie]
spitfirek5054 is offline  
Old 28th Jan 2021, 18:00
  #243 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Dark Side of West Wales
Age: 85
Posts: 161
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by spitfirek5054
Well I reached the dizzy heights of Corporal [Airframe Techie]
Without guys like you FA would have ever got airborne. Good on ya.
DODGYOLDFART is offline  
Old 28th Jan 2021, 19:01
  #244 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Here 'n' there!
Posts: 589
Received 10 Likes on 6 Posts
Originally Posted by DODGYOLDFART
Without guys like you FA would have ever got airborne. Good on ya.
The poor sod could have been a Fairy! Like me!!!!!
Hot 'n' High is offline  
Old 28th Jan 2021, 19:07
  #245 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2018
Location: UK
Posts: 135
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Folks. One of the funniest shows on British TV is Dad’s Army.
The fact that Capt Mainwairing was also the bank manager and he loved both titles sums up these people you are all writing about.
These type of characters are what makes Great Britain great!
srjumbo747 is offline  
Old 28th Jan 2021, 19:39
  #246 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Hoofddorp The Netherlands
Age: 70
Posts: 135
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Cool

Originally Posted by Hot 'n' High
The poor sod could have been a Fairy! Like me!!!!!
Nah,was a Rigger
spitfirek5054 is offline  
Old 28th Jan 2021, 20:40
  #247 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Horsham
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The poor sod could have been a Fairy! Like me!!!!!
And me!


XL189 is offline  
Old 28th Jan 2021, 20:57
  #248 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Here 'n' there!
Posts: 589
Received 10 Likes on 6 Posts
Originally Posted by spitfirek5054
Nah,was a Rigger
As XL189 and I both know, having answered "Fairy" to the question "What are you in the Mob then?" down the Local or at the Disco, no amount of "bigging up" the job and explaining just how "vital our jobs really were" could restore the slightest vestige of credibility! I finally worked out it was not the ideal "chat-up line" to impress the fairer sex with!!!!

Suspect Rigger sounded a bit more appealing to the ladies!!!!!!!! Of course, there was a Pipe when along side in Sydney in 1986 "Would the Sea Harrier pilot called Snodgrass report to the Aft brow!" where a young Aussie damsel had shown up. A rather embarrassed AEM Snodgrass was seen heading aft to try and explain!!!! Oh how we laughed! Happy daze!
Hot 'n' High is offline  
Old 28th Jan 2021, 21:22
  #249 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Emptying the litter bin
Age: 65
Posts: 409
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Originally Posted by Hot 'n' High
BEags, I don't think many here would begrudge that one bit - it's actually quite nice to have deserving characters down the local or such like. It's just when they start lording it around as if they were still in the Services .... the "I'm a VSO so what I say will happen!" type. I've seen a most spectacular example of that taking place in business. It didn't end well - for the ex-VSO!!!!

Of course, it's not just the Mil who plays that game. I knew a retired Bank Manager who, for any issue in the village, would often say "Well, when I was a Bank Manager....." ....... which was really odd if it were suggesting things for the cake stall at the local Church fete or similar! The fact they were pretty clueless (it was a while ago when they worked for the Bank) made it all the more amusing.

Fortunately, never made it anywhere myself so I just observe by peering out from under my rock! H 'n' H knows his place!!!!!
Even worse the old letters after the name. Was once 'invited' for a discussion without tea & biccys with my civilian boss. Nice new nameplate on the door with letters after his name. Thought to myself must be a Professional qualification, having never seen them before anywhere. At the end of the 'discussion' I inquired as to the meaning of the letters. Without batting an eyelid he informed me it was 'Member of the ****** arts society'. Nothing to do with the job we were doing then
PICKS135 is offline  
Old 28th Jan 2021, 21:36
  #250 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Delta of Venus
Posts: 2,383
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 1 Post
Theres an old bit of wisdom regarding ranks and titles; " If you can't do without it, you were never any good with it".
Private jet is offline  
Old 28th Jan 2021, 21:48
  #251 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Somewhere flat
Age: 68
Posts: 5,559
Likes: 0
Received 45 Likes on 30 Posts
Originally Posted by PICKS135
Even worse the old letters after the name. Was once 'invited' for a discussion without tea & biccys with my civilian boss. Nice new nameplate on the door with letters after his name. Thought to myself must be a Professional qualification, having never seen them before anywhere. At the end of the 'discussion' I inquired as to the meaning of the letters. Without batting an eyelid he informed me it was 'Member of the ****** arts society'. Nothing to do with the job we were doing then
I once put the letters COS on my office door plate. When asked, it was because I had "Lettuce after my name".
Wensleydale is offline  
Old 29th Jan 2021, 08:56
  #252 (permalink)  

"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
 
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: England
Age: 77
Posts: 4,141
Received 223 Likes on 65 Posts
I once put the letters COS on my office door plate. When asked, it was because I had "Lettuce after my name".
(plus a few more characters for posting)
Herod is offline  
Old 29th Jan 2021, 09:46
  #253 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Wiltshire
Posts: 261
Received 2 Likes on 1 Post
Slight thread drift ... but I once worked with an american flight engineer who carried a self supporting notice.. very official looking .. that he would place beside his car wherever he parked it ... no matter what the local restrictions were .. and never got booked... sign simply said .. in large bright red letters "TIMS"......

When asked what it mean't he simply answered ... "this is my slot" ...........
OmegaV6 is offline  
Old 29th Jan 2021, 10:58
  #254 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Emptying the litter bin
Age: 65
Posts: 409
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Originally Posted by Wensleydale
I once put the letters COS on my office door plate. When asked, it was because I had "Lettuce after name".
Well done that man [person]
PICKS135 is offline  
Old 29th Jan 2021, 11:27
  #255 (permalink)  
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Peripatetic
Posts: 17,386
Received 1,583 Likes on 720 Posts
Pretending you were top brassica perhaps?
ORAC is online now  
Old 29th Jan 2021, 12:21
  #256 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 32,868
Received 2,818 Likes on 1,200 Posts
Originally Posted by Wensleydale
I once put the letters COS on my office door plate. When asked, it was because I had "Lettuce after my name".
I made up a carpark sign with O/C NLMC on it and put it further along the parking slots from O/C Sqn.. O/C OPS etc, I never had problems parking after that and I handed it onto a mate when I left, people used to tell me I couldn't park there as it was O/C NLMC's bay, but I ignored them... unbeknown that it stood for O/C NutloosesMotorCycle.
NutLoose is offline  
Old 29th Jan 2021, 12:44
  #257 (permalink)  
Gnome de PPRuNe
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Age: 60
Posts: 12,617
Received 291 Likes on 159 Posts
They were in his salad days...
treadigraph is offline  
Old 29th Jan 2021, 12:51
  #258 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Dead Dog Land
Age: 77
Posts: 531
Received 4 Likes on 3 Posts
OK, confession time. As 16 year old Locking Apprentices in our first term, we could only go out fully booted and spurred in No.1s. When asked, we frequently tried to convince the girl that was asking that the 4 bladed apprentice wheel meant that we were helicopter pilots. It never occurred to us that they had heard it all before from previous entries.
The Oberon is offline  
Old 29th Jan 2021, 15:42
  #259 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: 12 miles off
Posts: 356
Received 25 Likes on 15 Posts

Hello chaps, I'm new here but you can call me....
The tales of folk introducing themselves by rank/awards led me to this throwback to imperial times. I can almost see the scene repeated in village pubs when newly retired VSO's introduce themselves as ..... .
Akrotiri bad boy is offline  
Old 29th Jan 2021, 15:46
  #260 (permalink)  
Gnome de PPRuNe
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Age: 60
Posts: 12,617
Received 291 Likes on 159 Posts
He looks like Alf Garnett!
treadigraph is offline  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.