During work on Sixty Sqn history, I have come across some rank designations for a number squadron pilots, hitherto unkown by me.
They are given the rank of ‘PI’, ‘PII’, and ‘PIII’. Viewing a 1949 sqn photo in front of a Spitfire XVIII, the wearers of these ranks wear forage caps, with no visible rank other than a circular badge on thier right sleeve. In text, the personnel are similarly titled.
I’d like to explain to readers the meaning of these ranks, as they are unknown to me. Can someone help please?
By: Seafuryfan - 24th July 2012 at 07:15
Agreed, Peter. For a while, Sixty Sqn did indeed have RAF Cpl Spitfire pilots.
By: PeterVerney - 23rd July 2012 at 14:05
It was an attempt by the brass to downgrade aircrew to the equivalent rank of corporal.
By: Seafuryfan - 23rd July 2012 at 10:52
Baz, many thanks. I shall use your information in the foreword.
By: bazv - 23rd July 2012 at 09:53
This Rafweb link shows all the badges…
By: bazv - 23rd July 2012 at 09:51
It was an unpopular and short lived rank structure for NCO aircrew,basically the number of ‘stars’ on the rank badge equated to the number of stripes for NCO rank.
Only the Master Aircrew rank survives and if you look at the rank badge you can see its lineage…
rgds baz
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July 23, 2012 at 9:17 am