JHQ Germany c. 1975 officers wives DID NOT WORK except for the charitable institutes. This was made very clear on arrival. I had four children to support. We managed.

I worked as a builder’s labourer before joining the RAF as a direct entry officer, for a permanent commission.

I had to take a big pay cut for the privilege; my recollection is close to 50%. After the firemen’s strike in 1977 the powers that were instigated an inquiry into service pay. I was one of those chosen to take part and I had to log everything I spent for a few months. It proved that junior officers had no option but to live on the breadline. Mess subscriptions took away a a lot of what little income we earned but we had no option but to pay them.

Then there was the Mars Bar scandal associated with RAF West Drayton (long before I was posted there!) where airmen/women and junior officers were working on the said Mars Bar production line between LATCC shifts in order to make ends meet; it made national news with Fleet Street. They were tough times for many - including me.

Older ATC members here may recall the Call Girl service provided from the WRAF block at RAF Sopley (Southern Radar) in the very late 60s (before my time there, I must add). The contact number was apparently the Watch Supervisor. The girls were all Local Service airwomen [remember those] so probably paid even less than regular WRAF.

Was that when the FFR for salary conversion far exceeded the standard exchange rate, LOA was VERY healthy and petrol was pf (few) to the litre. Then there’s the duty free shopping.

Little wonder few people wanted to return from BAOR postings.

Not really a comparison to those in UK who weren’t getting the additional benefits.

No offence taken or imagined. To what I was referring to was a quote from my Chipmunk fixed wing instructor, ex Battle of Britain chap. After another “brilliant” landing when the wings now resembled a Stuka! He remarked,
” If I had enough banana’s I could teach a monkey to fly better than you!”.
Coming from Hartlepool I took offence, the monkey we hung was clearly a French spy and deserved it!

Or it was a young lad aka a powder monkey. Which is the other theory.

What I have found out through reading this thread I started is, while I was at Odi not only were the wives of army personnel on the game just down the road, but those on the station too…. Who knew, I didn’t.

All true. There were lots of fiddles. One German car service centre fitted tyres in exchange for petrol coupons ........... several mile-free months got a new set of Michelins.

So I was told, you understand.