Potential Officer Material - Tony Cunnane's Life and Times

Next morning there was another medical in a different location. I can still remember the long, intimidating sign outside the hut to which we were directed. The sign indicated that this was the ‘Otorhinolaryngological Diagnostic Establishment’. Because we were moving from hut to hut without any advance knowledge of what was coming next, one of my fellow recruits asked a passing corporal what went on inside. He replied with a straight face, ‘Don’t ask. It’s better you don’t know - you’ll find out soon enough!’ It was, of course, simply a routine ENT inspection.

Once the medicals were over we went to yet another hut to take some basic aptitude tests and then it was time for dinner or, as the RAF called it, lunch. My diary records that whatever you called it, it consisted of rabbit pie for main course, then prunes and semolina pudding for afters. Very tasty!! In the afternoon we were given information about the various trades that were on offer. A completely new trade structure, known helpfully as the New Trade Structure, had recently been introduced into the RAF, offering a choice of 21 trade groups from which we could select. I knew that I was going into Trade Group 4, wireless mechanic, because the Recruiting Officer in Leeds had already arranged that. Most of the other recruits had not at this stage been allocated a trade. It seemed odd to me that so many were willing to sign on as regular airmen without being guaranteed the trade of their choice. The majority of my fellow recruits were signing on for three years in the RAF simply to avoid being drafted for two years National Service in the Army! Some were waiting to see what was on offer but I was surprised to find that quite a large number wanted to work in Officers’ Messes as what was known as Batmen/Waiters, a euphemism for officers’ skivvies. This was, apparently, because it was generally thought that batmen had an easy time with added perks. Another group wanted to sign on as MT Drivers - because, surprise, surprise, it was generally thought that drivers had an easy life, but a genuinely useful added advantage was the free training leading to civilian heavy goods vehicle driving licences.

I discovered during the course of that first day that few of the recruits had gained any GCEs (General Certificate of Education - the predecessors of today's GCSEs) before leaving school; I was certainly the only one with six.

"You should be a POM," said one of my fellows with the air of someone who knew what he was talking about.

"What’s a POM?" I asked.

"Potential Officer Material," he replied. "With all those GCEs you should be an officer. I bet you they soon make you a POM."

Some instinct warned me not to mention that I'd already been to the Aircrew Selection Centre and been rejected.

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