Erks on Parade: A Humorous Look at the Life of an RAF Airman in the 1950s - Softcover

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In this delightful romp through the past, Graham Wise and cartoonist Roy Yates take us on a cheeky jaunt down memory lane, painting a picture of the quintessential ‘Erk’—the regular bloke serving in the Royal Air Force during the not-so-swingin’ 1950s. Ah, the fifties! A time when every young British lad over 18 was handed a one-way ticket to two years of National Service—whether he liked it or not. Of course, some wise guys opted to go regular, signing up for a minimum three-year stint. At least that way, they got to pick which service to join and maybe even snag a decent trade. Not that it made much difference in the end; whether you were a 'regular' or a 'conscript', you were still thrown into the deep end with the harsh realities of military life. Picture this: fresh-faced boys, just out of school and straight from the comforts of home, suddenly faced with the spartan conditions of postwar training camps. Talk about a culture shock! Who could forget the sheer joy of being ‘kitted-out’ in their first uniform, or the dreaded ‘bull nights’, ‘kit inspections’, and the infamous square-bashing — all under the eagle eye of the terrifying Corporal Drill Instructors? It was like being thrust into a horror film. Once they’d survived the initiation rites of passage, it was time to move on, learn their trades, and finally get shipped off to their first posting — where they could actually put into practice all that hard-earned knowledge on active service.  Wise and Yates capture all of this with a wit and nostalgia that will have veterans from that era grinning in recognition. It’s a trip down memory lane for anyone who’s ever proudly worn the uniform, evoking a sense of camaraderie and shared experience that could only come from being there in person. An entertaining read for anyone who remembers the good old days of the RAF!

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