tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445569787371915337.post2026300547026432750..comments2024-03-28T03:54:26.782-07:00Comments on Shut up about Barclay Perkins: Class WarRon Pattinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03095189986589865751noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445569787371915337.post-46510822951154300952011-03-21T13:10:08.649-07:002011-03-21T13:10:08.649-07:00Mentaldental and Thomas,
In 1942, the USAAF creat...Mentaldental and Thomas,<br /><br />In 1942, the USAAF created a rank equivalent to the regular U.S. Army pay grade of Warrant Officer Junior Grade (W1). This new rank was designated Flight Officer. This is not an NCO rank. An appointment to Flight Officer, required a warrant or writ, to be approved by the Secretary of the Army. That approval rated that rank, as higher than senior-most enlisted ranks, but below that of a second lieutenant. Essenitally, they were working as an officer, but without a commission from the President of the United States.<br /><br />Because the RAF allowed non-commissioned officers as pilots, a number of qualified, non-officer, US pilots, volunteered in the RAF prior to the US's involvement in the war. With a glut of experienced pilots, by 1942, the USAAF created the new rank. Thomas is correct, a good number of these Flight Officers were promoted to O1s, although many would continue as Flight Officers until the war ended.Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14129472719929268755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445569787371915337.post-69392516198475199362011-03-19T20:02:18.992-07:002011-03-19T20:02:18.992-07:00@Mentaldental. All nations had NCO pilots during W...@Mentaldental. All nations had NCO pilots during WW2, although the U.S. quickly moved to make most of its pilots officers; in part because it all its enlisted aircrew sergeants. This was partially due to the skills required and risk involved, but also came from the somewhat naive belief that officers and NCOs would be treated better if they were captured.<br /><br />I'm a bit surprised that the RAF was the worst offender in trying to make "officers only" pubs. As the youngest of the services, it wasn't considered to be quite as posh as the other services, stereotype of the upper crust "old boy" Spitfire pilot notwithstanding. Maybe the powers that be thought that the officers were getting a bit too chummy with their inferiors?Thomas Barnesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445569787371915337.post-40174881429355249142011-03-17T09:33:22.671-07:002011-03-17T09:33:22.671-07:00And yet...the RAF were quite happy to have sergean...And yet...the RAF were quite happy to have sergeants flying there bombers with officers as there subordinate flight crew (navigators quite often).<br /><br />The USAAF on the other hand only had officer pilots, I believe.<br /><br />Mind you such RAF crew, who could get blown out of the sky together, had to mess separately. Go figure.mentaldentalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15226160741245530097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445569787371915337.post-30575178396229488682011-03-17T01:51:37.840-07:002011-03-17T01:51:37.840-07:00For our American friends, a clip from Dad's Ar...For our American friends, a clip from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2GQri9RDJI&feature=related" rel="nofollow"><i>Dad's Army</i></a>. Enjoy.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09310220100267028274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445569787371915337.post-80018499181162581532011-03-16T09:40:47.089-07:002011-03-16T09:40:47.089-07:00Not familiar with Dad's War, but contrast it w...Not familiar with Dad's War, but contrast it with the 1946 American movie, The Best Years of our Lives, which is about returning American servicemen.<br /><br />Before (and after) the war, Frederic March's character was a bank manager, but during the war,he was an infantry sergeant. Dana Andrews' character had been an unskilled drugstore soda jerk before the war but was an air force captain and decorated bomber pilot.Jeff Rennernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445569787371915337.post-79904845667668121942011-03-15T13:22:11.646-07:002011-03-15T13:22:11.646-07:00I have to wonder if the "officers only" ...I have to wonder if the "officers only" signs weren't put up by owners of posh establishments to keep out "riff raff" from the ranks, or just to keep traffic to manageable levels.<br /><br />I wouldn't want to be the manager of a small pub close to a once sleepy airfield which suddenly turned into a major military installation!Thomas Barnesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445569787371915337.post-22366484311347845762011-03-15T11:35:06.312-07:002011-03-15T11:35:06.312-07:00I can't speak to British class structure, but ...I can't speak to British class structure, but I do know that some forms of fraternization are a violation of the U.S. Uniform Code of Military Justice, to this day. "Right arm nights" such that an officer may take his senior enlited members, support staff out to a social club, as a unit function, would not be seen as a violation. However if two friends one an officer and one enlisted were socializing, outside the context of unit based functions, especially if the enlisted one was subordnate to the officer. They would be in violation of AR 600-20. The U.S. Military has all but done away with "Officer's Clubs" but in a role reversal, for moral's benefits, still have, some NCO clubs.<br /><br />During WWII, some enlisted men did take issue with the fact that all draftees were required to complete basic training and some of those draftees were selected to continue on to what was then called Officer Traing School, while others were not. This selection was made regardless of class, or in fact level of education. In theory two boyhood friends, from the same ecomonic background, could enlist together, and go through basic training together. Then one would be selected for OTS and be given all the privledges accompanying a commision, while the other would not.Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14129472719929268755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445569787371915337.post-86572832937206484072011-03-15T05:38:43.313-07:002011-03-15T05:38:43.313-07:00The best example of class structure in WWII in pop...<i>The best example of class structure in WWII in popular culture is Dad's Army where the captain of the Home Guard unit is a bank manager, the sergeant his clerk …</i><br /><br />Indeed, Matt, and much of the fun of Dad's Army came from the fact that Captain Mainwaring was clearly "only" lower-middle-class in origin, and had risen to be the manager of the bank, while his clerk/sergeant, Wilson, was obviously upper-class (with a public school education and an uncle who was a peer) and thus theoretically his "social superior".Martyn Cornellhttp://zythophile.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445569787371915337.post-59514028780129094252011-03-15T01:17:49.030-07:002011-03-15T01:17:49.030-07:00"The British armed forces reflected the rest ..."The British armed forces reflected the rest of British society."<br /><br />Not much has changed there since 1940, you just have to read the obituaries of most British soldiers killed in Afghanistan and listen to the clipped tone of the commanding officers who speak at their funerals to see that.<br /><br />The best example of class structure in WWII in popular culture is <i>Dad's Army</i> where the captain of the Home Guard unit is a bank manager, the sergeant his clerk, the corporal a butcher and the working-class privates mainly in the background, except for the "stupid boy" Pike and spiv Walker.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09310220100267028274noreply@blogger.com