Great pictures, oldMohawk. Got any more? Please post them. A. Willoughby too. I've not often seen personal, informal pictures of those times. No one I knew had a camera and even if they had, it wouldn't have appeared during square-bashing and probably not later either. All I have is a huge, grinning, formal group, cheerful either because this was taking up an hour of an otherwise unpleasant day or because we were reaching the end of our time there.
And, blimey, are the pictures typical! I'm sure the four D.I.'s had twin brothers at Hednesford. My experience was that for the first 80% of the time one loathed these blokes and their hoarse voices and razor sharp creases as much as one would ever loathe anyone, for the penultimate week they became sort of tolerable and in the final few days one would have walked through fire for them. My companions even decided by the end that they were in a sense tragic figures, required to make themselves absolute bar-stewards to everyone, quite against their gentle, generous natures. But then perhaps we were an over-sentimental bunch in my billet! It was strange what weeks of overwhelming discipline did to one.
What I also remember is the remarkable sense of pride I felt when overhearing the D.I.s congratulating each other after our passing-out parade and quoting the reviewing officer's comment that that he had never seen a better bit of drill in the RAF. I'm not sure that it's even proper to admit to this feeling, now, in the 21st century, 53 years, 1 month, 2 weeks, 4 days and an early breakfast later. I also recall a feeling of relief. During this exemplary display those of us in the furthermost column in the echoing December hangar could not hear the orders properly and stopped dead whilst the other two or three hundred carried on. This, praise be, was not noticed. Otherwise I should probably still be there.
Chris
