..............and asked to go in transport.
At my initial medical I approached the RAF lot and asked if they would take me instead of the Army and put me in their photographic unit, because I had just completed an appenticeship as a commercial photographer, and if I was to waste 2 years of my life I might as well do something that I liked and might even learn more skills to apply to my eventual career ?
They said that they would indeed take me, but if I wanted to join the photo. unit then I must sign on for 10 years ! I politely, or maybe not too politely, told them what to do with that idea, and then they said " How about becoming a pilot ? " ROTFL and when I picked myself up said that if it was 10 years to be a pilot, it must be a life sentence to become a pilot ?
They then explained that Canada's contribution to NATO was to train pilots from all the NATO airforces, and although the UK had their own adequate training facilities, they were obliged to send so many a year to Canada regardless, and needed Cannon Fodder so to speak, why not have a go ?
Returning from Canada I decided that I quite liked this flying game and applied for the life sentence, but the then Defence Minister, Duncan Sandys, said Pxxs Off, or words to that effect, the next war would be fought by rockets, not pilots flying aeroplanes and the RAF now had too many pilots. This coincided with BOAC recruiting young pilots to train as pilot/navigators and as a result I subsequently retired at age 60 as a 747 Training Captain! Thank you British Taxpayer, National Service did me a favour.