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I turned up for happy hour and was asked by the Stn Cdr why my uniform was so creased. I told him that spending an afternoon in a sweaty cockpit in a parachute harness tended to do that, Sir.
It had been a booming day, I was at a lose end so I had negotiated and aerotow in a lunchtime gap in the UAS traffic, which they agreed provided I did not return before UAS stopped operating. |
The other SD Hat shaper was one of the shelves in the ubiquitous OM desks.
At Waddington we had a professional flying officer, an AEO who declined to pass the promotion exam for flight lieutenant. In the far one night he waz acosted by the PMC for not wearing an approved lounge suit. He was wearing a very smart number styled like a No 1 jacket. A light coloured cloth, 4 black buttons and I think sewn straps a bit like webbing down to the belt. When he returned he was then wearing a scarlet red waistcoat. You couldn't win. |
Trilby, we were allowed free choice and some favoured pork pie hats, I think mine was Tyrolean with a feather. They were quite popular too. A flat hat was also either permitted or required. I had a Kangol which survived well into the 80s and saw much service when gardening. It was eventually replaced in the 90s with a Napoli, that I saw in Naples but was still made in England.
Now I rarely venture outdoors without a Fedora, Panama, or one of several tweed caps all worn for their thermal and waterproof qualities rather than as a fashion statement. |
Originally Posted by Top West 50
(Post 11139235)
Our DS at Staff College, an Army Officer, assured us that should we ever see two of his colleagues dressed the same we could be sure that one was an imposter.
We had the same with our USN Exchange Officer. In succession one wore black, another kharki, another white shirt and black trousers. Wensleydale will remember a USAF EO who copped out and wore RAF rig. Interestingly none of them routinely wore chest candy when in the RAF units. 7 |
And what about singing the National Anthem whilst wearing a hat, as at Twickenham yesterday??
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At a little village 1100 ceremony today, an army officer and a rockape wing commander in uniform kept their lids on whilst singing. So did this civilian. Sauce. Goose. Gander.
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Originally Posted by langleybaston
(Post 11142202)
At a little village 1100 ceremony today, an army officer and a rockape wing commander in uniform kept their lids on whilst singing. So did this civilian. Sauce. Goose. Gander.
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Originally Posted by Paying Guest
(Post 11142203)
Ahh, but were the army officer and the rockape wing commander male or female?? In our village this morning we had 2 wing commanders in uniform, one male one female and married to each other.
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Hat or no hat, I always felt uncomfortable about singing whilst on parade, in uniform.
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When a teenage Teeters was flying JPs, he had the misfortune to have his bachelor Sqn Cdr living in.
One Saturday breakfast in the Mess, Teeters was in full country gent mode (he foolishly thought), ready to go and hit town. Tattersall check shirt, tweed jacket, cav twills and a rather fetching (he foolishly thought) emerald green cravat..... Approached by said Sqn Cdr........ "Teeteringhead, whatever than green thing around your neck is, it doesn't constitute a tie within the meaning of Mess Rules. Get Out!" Yes, little ones, a jacket AND TIE was required for Saturday Breakfast within living memory........... |
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Originally Posted by langleybaston
(Post 11142202)
At a little village 1100 ceremony today, an army officer and a rockape wing commander in uniform kept their lids on whilst singing. So did this civilian. Sauce. Goose. Gander.
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AND he is still a Flt Lt. When does rank inflation kick in for the royals?
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I always sing the national anthem with one exception: when I am in uniform with my hat on. That's because i'll be saluting, it it wouldn't be seemly to sing and salute at the same time.
Incidentally, isn't the Duke of Cambridge a sqn ldr now? |
He is. Must have passed his "C".
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...And perhaps he could ask his dad to get a haircut! :E
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Thanks, ORAC.
That is definitely a "bashed" hat. |
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....6685fa65ea.jpg
My hat, Bates finest circa1970 |
My hat, Bates finest circa1970 You must be one of the newer fellahs. |
Think HRH's (post No 87) is a Bates too.....
And Gordon Brown should accompany PoW to the Station Barber! Ooops - thanks 622 - I meant Post 57 of course |
Originally Posted by teeteringhead
(Post 11142862)
Think HRH's (post No 87) is a Bates too.....
I am awaiting post #87 with great excitement! :E |
Alkit, RAF Feltwell, 1965 et seq.
It fell into a river that year, and thus became an SD Cloth Cap very early in its life. Post 1976, relegated to Range duties at Bisley until the late 90s. . https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....5f2c19c628.jpg |
Back to suits ........A Tuesday evening in the bar of the Finningley mess during one of the hot spells in the second half of the 70s. Enter PMC, who addresses a Dominie pilot thus 'This is a suit day; do you have the jacket of this suit' pointing to the pilot's trousers (in a rather fetching shade of pink). 'Just one moment, Sir'. Said pilot shortly returns dressed overall as required. Collapse of (rather stout) party to smothered guffaws in back of the room.
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It was at a famous V-Bomber Station, in the early 80s, at the end of an Exercise. A few Stn Exes made their way to the Officers Mess Bar for some relaxing libations, in assorted Combat Dress and Flying Suits. A Living-In Sqn Ldr, already properly attired in a suit, entered and without preamble invited those improperly dressed to retire to the adjacent Scruffs Bar. OC No. 50 Sqn and SATCO humbly complied without demur … the handful of others just left.
Standards, Old Boy. No point in having them if you don’t uphold them. |
“Range duties” for hats…..
Paddy Walsh (Puma helicopter flight lieutenant crewman training officer) once had his SD hat used as a target for an air to ground gunnery range session. He had poured scorn on the involved crew’s ability to hit one from the air. It was “borrowed” from his hat peg and was later put back with a few 7.62mm sized holes and the stuffing pulled out. Those responsible for it thought it hilarious. Paddy thought it even funnier. He knew exactly what would happen so he’d swapped it earlier for that of a certain Sqn Ldr. |
Originally Posted by ShyTorque
(Post 11143132)
“Range duties” for hats…..
OMG, so long ago now! |
A Living-In Sqn Ldr, already properly attired in a suit, entered and without preamble invited those improperly dressed to retire to the adjacent Scruffs Bar. |
Originally Posted by BEagle
(Post 11143167)
Would that have been a certain, rather elderly, beanstealer Sqn Ldr (Spec Aircrew) Vulcan Nav Radar J... W........?
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The very same nav radar sqn. ldr. even kicked us out of the Waddo scruffs' bar where we had gone for one or two ales in flying kit after a GV Training Flight sortie in 1980, saying "You may get away with that at Scampton, but you can't here".
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Tempus fugit. [My O level is German].
Just to think that, until the day I retired as a civvy MetPerson in 1997, to work without a tie was unthinkable. Nowadays if I turned up wearing a tie it would be assumed that I was on the carpet, no coffee, or about to attend a wedding or [black tie] a funeral. I still am not sure if things are better or worse, but I do have a lot of ties to give away. |
Originally Posted by ORAC
(Post 11142454)
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Due to a clash between GV79 and Red Flag, 2 GV crews had to take their bombers home before the end of the competition (too many V-bombers away from base), but would subsequently go back out in a VC10...
That miserable old Nav Rad Sqn Ldr decreed that he was the senior man in our party and that we would pax over in No1s as the AOC was going to be on the same aircraft with us. What an uncomfortable trip that was! Brize to Dulles, then Dulles to Barksdale all trussed up in best blue in the back of the aircraft behind the freight. At one point the AOC, travelling in the front, came back to chat with us - he was travelling in much more comfortable clothes! Fortunately we didn't have such miseries at Sunny Scampton! |
Originally Posted by Cat Techie
(Post 11143252)
Indeed and the Duke of Cambridge also took the dias for the march past of the Veterans in Horse Guards as the RAF contingent were given the honour of the lead column this year. Singing in Hats? We all did and I have never heard singing like it from the massed ranks of "O God" and the national anthem. A powerful memory to take away. Also to wear my Great Grandfathers mounted campaign medals from the Great War in his home town. I had been told his war record history by my friend whom mounted them this year (that was wonderful news for my mother whom always wished to find out. He would not tell her when alive). Those medals got trooped big time next to my own and I was very fortunate that they were seen quite a bit because of where I was in the column. An emontional day and I am highly unlikely ever to do a veterans march past ever like that again.
I was privileged to once again parade with the RAF Servicing Commando & Tactical Supply Wing Association. Yes it's a mouthful and too much seemingly for the Duke of Cambridge's sidekick, who described us as "......& Tactical Wing Supply...". To be fair, as a rotary pilot, it was obvious from his look he knew his AdeC was incorrect. By the front, bimble..... Once again, post-parade, we retired to our birthplace/drinking establishment on Whitehall, paid our due reverence to Group Captain Craven-Griffiths and were, as always, joined by many fine folks from the Royal Yacht Service (who also use the same venue). |
Originally Posted by The Helpful Stacker
(Post 11143479)
It was an absolutely fantastic day, it felt very different this year to many previous ones.
I was privileged to once again parade with the RAF Servicing Commando & Tactical Supply Wing Association. Yes it's a mouthful and too much seemingly for the Duke of Cambridge's sidekick, who described us as "......& Tactical Wing Supply...". To be fair, as a rotary pilot, it was obvious from his look he knew his AdeC was incorrect. By the front, bimble..... Once again, post-parade, we retired to our birthplace/drinking establishment on Whitehall, paid our due reverence to Group Captain Craven-Griffiths and were, as always, joined by many fine folks from the Royal Yacht Service (who also use the same venue). |
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