Large and small packs had to be blancoed, 'squared off' with pieces of stiff cardboard placed inside, and precisely positioned on top of our lockers. Our webbing belts, gaiters, and rifle slings were blancoed each night as they were wont to get shiny during daily use. Sometimes a drop of water would remove the shine, but you could only risk getting away with that once. All badges and brassware were polished, as was all footwear. On the morning of inspection we usually rose very early, performed our personal ablutions, and quickly turned our attention to our kit layout. Non-issue personal items were first placed under the mattress. A blanket was spread smoothly and tucked in evenly all round. Other bedding was precisely folded and stacked sheet-blanket-sheet and wrapped round with the third blanket, ends underneath, and the pillow smoothed out and placed on top at the head of the bed. The remaining area of the bed was used for displaying one's kit and accoutrements to a precise pattern. The contents of lockers had to be immaculately displayed therein. Only after this was done did we go to breakfast, although if things went wrong breakfast would usually have to be missed. We then dashed back to our barrack rooms, checked everything over, and readied ourselves for parade.
Kit inspection would follow. "Stand by your beds. Room Atten - shun". To get to our bed spaces we could not help but scuff the floor with our boots, for the pads would already be hidden away. This, super-careful as we were, effectively meant that, regardless of pads, the floor had to be repolished next bull night. The inspection would commence. If the CO was present he would lead his entourage: Sqn.Ldr. Garner i/c Training Wing, our Flight Commander, the Station Adjutant, the Station Warrant Officer, and the course SNCO - in that order. Any dirty mug was smashed on the floor, any improperly laid out kit and the bed would be tipped up on its side. Black marks were awarded for such misdemeanours. Serious breaches would involve a charge sheet being made out (Form 252) and the culprit being put on a 'Fizzer'. Culprits were usually awarded 2 days CB.4
Our personal appearance was of the utmost importance at all times. Uniforms had to be pressed into sharp creases. This was done by taking it in turns to use the barrack room iron and ironing board. Haircuts had to be frequent and we used the barber down in the town who, fortunately for us, was usually very quiet on Saturday afternoons.5
There is always one chap who tries to rock the boat. That character in our barrack room was one John Roberts from Blackpool. If we weren't careful (and he caught all of us at some time or other) he would, after a barrack inspection, remove all the keys from our locker doors and put them in his mess tin. The swearing and clamour this created can only be imagined. After he had played us up for a while he would calmly, provided we remained quiet, remove one key at a time, and give it to the rightful owner, until all the keys were returned. He never made a mistake. How he managed to do it remained a mystery, for he would never explain.
The Chief Drill Instructor was Flight Sergeant Brown and one of his juniors was Corporal Grey who had an evil attitude to any Cadets. Flt.Sgt. Brown, although a thoroughly strict disciplinarian, in fairness, gave us many hints and a good deal of advice as to how to overcome various problems. As an instance, he told us that the best way to get tea stains out of a mug was to pick up a weed with soil on its roots and rub it round inside, using the soil as a scouring powder, before rinsing it out. He also showed us how to prevent fainting on parade, and much else. Cpl. Grey was always referred to as "That bastard". As an example, he would turn up in a barrack room precisely at Reveille and, if he found anyone failing to put their feet on the floor after three minutes he would charge them, under Section 40 of the Air Force
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4 CB = Confined to Barracks, sometimes referred to as 'Jankers', which involved parading at the Guardroom at inconvenient hours in full kit for inspection by the Orderly Officer.
5 As recently as 2003 the same barber's shop was still in business.
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