Noting the SWO had either a QCVS, MiD or QCB on his HERRICK medal ribbon.

What was with all the AC's or what ever they are called now at Lossie, did they import them in for the parade from basic training?

First ever meeting with a Swo was at Odi arriving as a new LAC, knocked on the hatch of the guardroom and an elderly gent answered and asked me If I knew anything about tomatoes as he was having problems with his in the greenhouse around the back..he invited me in and made me a coffee.. That was the SWO then, ever such a nice person.

We used to call them the boys from Trumpton "Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grub"

As mentioned PB = Lead, by extension = Plumbers

At least that is why Plumbers that fix your pipes and toilets etc are called that (not that lead is used today)

Plus you screw a length of tube into a fitting... machine gun barrels

SWO
 

Nutloose
That wouldn't have been in the early 1970s, I presume? The fearsome Bogbrush of Cranwell repute, Jack Holt reigned in ODI then.
I have memory of Mr Holt in action. He was riding in the Station Commander's (we didn't refer to him as "Staish" in my day, nor did we drink beer out of the bottle!) car with the SC pennant flying proudly from the bonnet, when they drove past a usually scruffy Flying Officer (but top of the range helicopter pilot) shambling in the opposite direction. There was no salute from the USFO, and the car was brought to a rapid standstill. Mr Holt exited, and called the USFO to heel. Was he not aware of the SC's pennant, and the obligation to recognise it with a salute? The USFO acknowledged that he had missed that, and waved to the SC in his car with a "Hi there" salutation. Result, USFO had a week of extra Orderly Officer duties.



/one, notably casual officer (but excellent Helicopter pilot)

Twas 76 and he was ex aircrew at the time, lovely gent. When Jack Holt arrived he charged me for failing to stop at the barrier... a £5 fine dished out by our flight commander that also used to ride through the gap in the barrier really pissed him off.

Glad to see you had some decorum and used a straw in the said beer bottle... :O

[QUOTE=alfred_the_great;11493963]Noting the SWO had either a QCVS, MiD or QCB on his HERRICK medal [QUOTE]

QCVS is the leaf I think.

Another nickname. Just been chatting to one of our new FOs whom was a crewman on a Wokka until recently. "What ground trade has the nick name of Volleyballers? " Fireman.." So not just me.

Me thinks it is mentioned in dispatches (where is TTN when you want him)

An oak leaf is MID

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentioned_in_dispatches

QCVS

https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/a...8-a53f010a21f6

Because they deal in tubes eg gun barrels

From The Magnificent Seven?

Vin (Steve McQueen): "We deal in lead, Friend".

Armourers - "Plumbers": a lot of their work in WWII involved maintenance of hydraulics that drove the gun turrets on bombers

If memory serves it was Armourer (Guns) which included turrets and Armourer (Bombs) which included all the components. Unsure when those trades were united to become Armourers.

Wrong war

Tales of a Gun Plumber (rcaf.museum)

Nowt to do with piping apparently......

Said Station Commander's wife driving his car with the pennant on stopped to berate some airman for not saluting her... complaint was made, pennant was removed and said wife was never seen driving it again.

ahah! The trials and tribulations of Fat Albert airways!.

3 days to get from Laughin Laarbruch to Naughty Nellis, but it was fun when we got there….

Alexa, show me why active duty personnel rarely post on pprune…