A few of the former Valiant AEOs around the Group took advantage of the unexpected break in their careers following the demise of the Valiant to apply for re-training as pilots. This may seem an odd thing to do but in fact many AEOs, myself included, had long thought that the writing was on the wall for our careers. Apart from a few odd jobs here and there, the only openings for AEOs were on the V-Force and in Coastal Command. In spite of oft-repeated official promises that we had the same promotion prospects as pilots had, only one AEO had at that time reached the rank of wing commander and there seemed little likelihood of any of the rest of us ever reaching that or any higher rank. In fact one of my AEO friends did, many years later, retire in the rank of air commodore but there were by then only a few dozen AEOs still serving. It was widely believed in 1966 that a mandatory redundancy scheme for AEOs was on the cards. In January 1966 I wrote a letter to my AOC following a briefing I had been given at Bomber Command HQ about AEOs' career prospects. I still have a copy of that letter.
It was almost unheard of for any aircrew officer to be permitted to re-train for another aircrew speciality, partly because by the time they applied they were usually above the age limit (then 26), but mainly on cost grounds. The RAF took the not unreasonable view that if they permitted an AEO, or navigator, to be retrained as a pilot they would have to recruit someone else to replace him – and there was always the possibility that the AEO or navigator might fail the pilot training because the attrition rate was quite high at the flying training schools.
The AEOs who were determined that they wanted to re-train had to submit formal written applications through ‘the usual channels’ and all the applications that got past their squadron and station commanders eventually dropped into my in-tray at 3 Group HQ. I had to evaluate them all and make a recommendation on each one before I passed it along the corridor to the new Air Officer Commanding, Air Vice-Marshal ‘Splinters’, later Air Chief Marshal Sir Denis, Smallwood (Smallwood - Splinters - get it?). I was dismayed to see that most of the applications were lacking in substance and not likely to impress anyone. The shortest one, correctly laid out in the rather stilted formal Service language of the day, stated simply:
‘Sir, I request that I may be re-trained as a pilot, I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, Joe Bloggs, Flight Lieutenant’
That was it! No explanation, no pleading, no attempt to convince anyone that it was in the RAF’s best interests that tens of thousands of pounds should be spent on re-training the writer.
I decided that I could do better than that. Purely as an academic exercise, I typed a lengthy letter explaining in some considerable detail why I thought I should be re-trained as a pilot. I still have a photocopy of that letter too, now badly fading at the edges, and I'm still amazed what it led to. (Click here if you wish to read the third and final page of this letter) I passed the letter through the connecting hatchway to my Boss, the Senior Personnel Staff Officer, Squadron Leader Dougie Fish, explaining to him that I did not expect the letter to go any further than his Boss, Group Captain Hugh Lynch-Blosse, the Staff Officer in charge of Administration, but I did want to make a point on behalf of all AEOs. I then forgot all about it and got on with my work. About two months later I was summoned to the AOC’s office for what I expected to be one of our routine meetings. I was ushered into the presence by the ADC, Flight Lieutenant Mike Pilkington.
"Ah, Tony, come in and sit down," said Splinters, beaming all over his face. Now that was unusual! Air Vice-Marshal Smallwood was not noted for his affability and he had never before addressed me by my first name. Furthermore junior staff officers were not normally invited to sit down in the Great Man's presence.
A short digression. The AOC had an interesting rule about working hours. He used to say to his staff that they could start work at the scheduled time of 0800 hours or any later time they wished, as long as they got to their office before he got to his!
Splinters was one of the grand old school of AOCs. He once arrived by air at a station within his group for the annual AOC’s Inspection. In those days the inspection always started with a formal parade. The Station Commander greeted the AOC at his aircraft and they got into the car for the short drive to the parade ground. On the way there the AOC saw something, it is not recorded exactly what, that caused him displeasure.
"This station is not ready for my inspection. I’ll be back in exactly seven days," he snapped, to the Station Commander's dismay.
With that he ordered the car to take him back to his aircraft. Thus he arrived back at Mildenhall many hours earlier than expected. A number of staff officers, having decided to have a few hours off while the AOC was away, were caught out and thereby incurred the AOC’s wrath.
Seven days later he arrived at the same station, not by air as expected but by road, at 0630 hours, three hours earlier than the scheduled time. His large staff car with star plates fixed front and rear and pennant flying from the bonnet, swept unnoticed past the Guard Room (no booking-in and no gate guards in those days) and went straight to the Airmen’s Mess. The AOC, wearing his ceremonial uniform, went to the servery, joined the few astonished airmen in the queue and, when it was his turn, ordered breakfast. A startled cook telephoned the Station Commander to tell him that the AOC was already on base, having breakfast. The Station Commander did not get any breakfast that day!
Anyway, in the AOC's office I waited expectantly, notebook and pen at the ready.
"I liked your letter," said Splinters, turning the pages of a blue personal file - mine as it turned out.
"Which particular letter was that, sir?" I asked, mystified.
"The one asking for re-training as a pilot. I was so impressed with your arguments that I telephoned the Air Secretary, Air Marshal Sir Brian Burnett. He’s an old friend of mine. He agreed that you had made out a good case and should be given a chance. You start your pilots’ course at South Cerney next month. Don’t let me down!"
Next
