Dropping a Rank
Dropping a Rank
My father spent most of WW2 as a prisoner of war. He was a flying officer in the RAFVR when captured in 1941 in Crete, but by the end of 1942 his letters had flight lieutenant as the sender. However, his records state that when he relinquished his commission in 1954 he retained the rank of flying officer.
Is this normal practice? Had there been some sort of temporary promotion for PoWs?
Is this normal practice? Had there been some sort of temporary promotion for PoWs?
All RAFVR wartime ranks were 'temporary' - although they could be 'Acting','Temporary' or 'War Substantive'.
All of these ranks meant nothing post war,if officers stayed on post war they would revert to whatever the RAF decided their peacetime rank would be (if allowed to stay on of course).
All of these ranks meant nothing post war,if officers stayed on post war they would revert to whatever the RAF decided their peacetime rank would be (if allowed to stay on of course).
Just as an example - from RAF Unit Histories,don't know if your dad is listed ? the name cover is patchy - this is for a prewar 'regular' - there is an RAFVR 'tab' top right of page.
https://www.unithistories.com/office...icers_M01.html
(A) P/O (prob) 07.09.1936 [39098]
P/O 13.07.1937
(A) F/O 26.09.1938
(A) F/Lt. 11.02.1939-06.03.1939
(WS) F/Lt. 03.09.1940
F/Lt. 07.01.1946
25.02.1947, seniority 01.12.1942
(A) Sq.Ldr. 25.02.1947, seniority 06.08.1942
(T) Sq.Ldr. 01.11.1946, seniority 04.04.1942
Sq.Ldr. 01.08.1947
https://www.unithistories.com/office...icers_M01.html
(A) P/O (prob) 07.09.1936 [39098]
P/O 13.07.1937
(A) F/O 26.09.1938
(A) F/Lt. 11.02.1939-06.03.1939
(WS) F/Lt. 03.09.1940
F/Lt. 07.01.1946
25.02.1947, seniority 01.12.1942
(A) Sq.Ldr. 25.02.1947, seniority 06.08.1942
(T) Sq.Ldr. 01.11.1946, seniority 04.04.1942
Sq.Ldr. 01.08.1947
This is probably a better example - RAFVR officer who got a permanent commission in 1947,reverting to Flt Lt on granting of PC (with backdated seniority to 1943) and then promotion back to Sqn Ldr in 1950.
https://www.unithistories.com/office...icers_H01.html
Sgt. ? [754826]
P/O (prob) 20.07.1940, seniority 11.07.1940 [81936]
(WS) F/O 20.07.1941, seniority 11.07.1941
(WS) F/Lt. 20.07.1942, seniority 11.07.1942 ?
(A) Sq.Ldr. (1945)
F/Lt. 04.02.1947, seniority 01.07.1946
25.02.1947, seniority 01.01.1943
Sq.Ldr. 01.07.1950
W/Cdr. 01.07.1956 (retd 18.04.1967)
https://www.unithistories.com/office...icers_H01.html
Sgt. ? [754826]
P/O (prob) 20.07.1940, seniority 11.07.1940 [81936]
(WS) F/O 20.07.1941, seniority 11.07.1941
(WS) F/Lt. 20.07.1942, seniority 11.07.1942 ?
(A) Sq.Ldr. (1945)
F/Lt. 04.02.1947, seniority 01.07.1946
25.02.1947, seniority 01.01.1943
Sq.Ldr. 01.07.1950
W/Cdr. 01.07.1956 (retd 18.04.1967)
Many thanks, Longer. No sign of him in the RAFVR list, but, as you say, it's probably a bit patchy.
Would the promotion have been more or less on a 'time served' basis? He seems to have been a F/O in Oflag VIB in Aug. 1942 but a F/Lt a month later in Stalag Luft III.
Would the promotion have been more or less on a 'time served' basis? He seems to have been a F/O in Oflag VIB in Aug. 1942 but a F/Lt a month later in Stalag Luft III.
Yes - as long as they had kept their nose clean and not upset the hierarchy then promotion up to F/L was purely time served.
The lists on RAF unit histories are very patchy,I only copy/pasted a couple of officers at random to illustrate the way the probationary,acting,tempy and W/S worked (although even that is patchy on unit histories,then again it is extremely patchy in the London Gazette as well ).
rgds LR
The lists on RAF unit histories are very patchy,I only copy/pasted a couple of officers at random to illustrate the way the probationary,acting,tempy and W/S worked (although even that is patchy on unit histories,then again it is extremely patchy in the London Gazette as well ).
rgds LR
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Post war everyone reverted to their pre-hostilities rank. I’ve read of Group Captains being offered, and accepting assimilation back at Flying Officer.
https://hansard.parliament.uk/Common...cerPosts(Ranks)
https://hansard.parliament.uk/Common...cerPosts(Ranks)
Post war everyone reverted to their pre-hostilities rank. I’ve read of Group Captains being offered, and accepting assimilation back at Flying Officer.
https://hansard.parliament.uk/Common...cerPosts(Ranks)
https://hansard.parliament.uk/Common...cerPosts(Ranks)
This (originally) RAFVR Sgt did quite well reverting to F/L upon being granted permanent commission in 1945
Sgt. ? [1188004]
P/O (prob) 17.06.1941 [68795]
P/O 17.06.1942
(WS) F/O 17.06.1942
(A) F/Lt. (05.1943)
(WS) F/Lt. 17.06.1943
(A) Sq.Ldr. (11.1943)
F/Lt. 01.09.1945
Sq.Ldr. 01.08.1947
W/Cdr. 01.07.1954
Gp.Capt. ?
(A) Air Cdre. 01.01.1963
(A) Air Vice-Marshal 18.12.1965
Air Vice-Marshal 01.01.1966
Air Marshal 1970 (retd 1974)
Happens in all Armies - the best example I know is George Armstrong Custer
2nd Lt at the start of the Civil War
Major General (at age25!) at the end
back to Lt Col post war
2nd Lt at the start of the Civil War
Major General (at age25!) at the end
back to Lt Col post war
Join Date: Sep 2006
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Somewhere flat
Age: 68
Posts: 5,567
Likes: 0
Received 46 Likes
on
31 Posts