Congratulations to HRH The Duke of Cambridge
 

Many congratulations, Sir, on receiving your scraper :D

RAF Senior Appointments

Retired as a flight lieutenant on 3 Jan 77 and still waiting for my scraper. Must check back issues of the London Gazette ;)

Nevertheless congratulations YRH!

I thought that he was now a civvie helicopter pilot, so what is this 'substantive' rank? Sounds more like honorary to me and not exactly an Air rank either.

Prince Charles started his Cranwell course as a Flt Lt and graduated as a Wg Cdr, so Wills is way behind the drag curve......

It's pathetic really isn't it.

27mm: clearly he was of the right calibre! I struggle to see though how he found the time to organise enough Summer Balls during the course.....

MOSTAFA: I do have a certain sympathy with your POV, my particular bugbear is seeing the rows of medals on the uniform of the Earl of Wessex whose sole military experience was not completing Lympstone. He should take a lesson on earning them from his father.

In all fairness, these are not military awards, consisting of KG, GCVO and SOM (Saskatchewan Order of Merit), together with the 1977, 2002 and 2012 Jubilee medals, the 1993 New Zealand Commemorative Medal and the 2005 Saskatchewan Centennial Medal.

I suppose you could quibble about the two Canadian medals which I assume he has by dint of his appointment as Honorary Colonel in Chief of the Saskatchewan Dragoons, but the rest are par for the course for any senior member of the Royal Family, whether or not they have seen military service.

I've always had a sneaking regard for Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings, former President of Ghana, who always resisted the temptation to promote himself to Air Chief Marshal Rawlings!

Great to hear some good news for a change. Congratulations.

A certain British merchant Bank had a representative in Ghana, who had for some time been trying to get some concessions from the government. Every time he went to visit the President, there was a junior officer in the Air Force sitting in the corridor outside, with a black "security" briefcase on his lap. The Merchant Bank rep would always stop and chat with the officer before and after visiting the President. Then there was a coup, and a new government. The Merchant Banker got a phone call a week or so later and was told to visit the new President. It was the junior officer who had sat outside in the corridor - Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings. He offered the banker all the concessions that he wanted - simply because he had been decent enough to talk to him when he was sitting in the corridor.

I'm sorry, but he's blown all credibility in my eyes. As a paid up member of the embittered PVR JO's club, I thought I saw in him a kindred spirit. Now we know different, Sir, don't we? :E

Time yet though to turn his back on the honorary baubles and trinkets. Turning out in substantive gear makes a statement that I for one appreciate.

Finally well done PW for doing a real job as an Air Ambulance driver. Hope that doesn't mean that he's now a paid up member of the British Airways Line Pilots Association when there are others to choose from in the independent sector...

Ken, I think you might be being a little harsh on Eddie boy, at least he attempted the lympstone bit, his brothers certainly went nowhere near pre para or P Company.

Hmmm, a lot of forelock tugging going on here! As it happens, I think he is an OK guy. But, substantive promotion when he has left the RAF seems a little strange. Must make me a Flt Sgt by now I guess. :ugh:

I'm sorry, but are you being sarcastic? Genuine question as I fail to see the good news here.

Attempted, dropped out & now wears the uniform of a Colonel or Commodore 'with pride'? At least he isn't an honorary Colonel of the RM.....

Well done, Sir !
 

Tankertrashnav (#2) and Out of Trim (#12),

Retired 44 years and with 66 years seniority as a Flight Lieutenant.......Any hope ? :rolleyes:

Danny42C.

Don't be too hard on Edward. As an immature young man he was persuaded to follow family precedent and join the military. As none had joined the RM before he was encouraged to give them a go. I am told that he was hacking the physical part of Lympstone OK but realised that Service life, and especially as a Marine, was not for him. Full marks to him for then having the moral courage to bin it, knowing the disappointment his father would feel and the flack he would get, especially from the media. Some people are just not suited to military life, of which the Paras and RM are the extreme example. There is no shame in that.

To be fair, they do have to get him to Marshal of the RAF in double quick time.....:E

Air ambulance is a significantly different kettle of fish to SAR.

Did he decide to be promoted ?


Seems like an awful lot of sour grapes on this subject. Are some of our posters turning green ? He is Royal Family for Gods sake. Get over it !

"Air ambulance is a significantly different kettle of fish to SAR."

So not a real job then?