Consequences for MIA Eagle Squadron Officer

May 09, 2012 19:45

And a question of my own:
This one is for the Doctor Who / Torchwood fandom, which, as far as my very limited understanding goes, plays fast and loose with World War Two military details, but as I have literally no experience with military culture, I'd thought I better ask anyway.

So, here goes: January 1941, a young American volunteer (71st Eagle ( Read more... )

uk: history: world war ii, uk: military: historical, usa: history: world war ii, usa: military: historical

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cheriola May 10 2012, 04:23:53 UTC
Yes, I'm talking about Jack Harkness - both of them, which is a naming confusion I wanted to avoid for the people not familiar with the fandom.

Actually, the real Jack Harkness looked to be in his mid-30s to me, but as Wikipedia tells me you couldn't volunteer with the Eagle Squadrons above the age of 31, that's what he's going to be. From what I've read, most of the other volunteers were in their mid-to-late twenties. But yeah, judging from the episode he was in, the men under his command were characterised as much more immature. I guess they could have put him in command mainly based on his age and personality.

Yeah, I realise why he would have volunteered with the RAF. My problem is more that at his age, he must have some sort of career before that, and his behaviour seems to indicate more than just a few months of basic training and service with a group of crazy "fly-boys". I didn't know officer training was so ubiquious - that helps, thanks!

I suppose that means I could also make him an upper middle-class engineer or whatever, with a fascination about airplanes and flying, who later found his calling and volunteered because his own government didn't want to get involved. He could have been among the first few volunteers during the Battle of Britain and at first pretended to be Canadian, only to switch to the Eagle Squadrons as that option became available. That would give him at least half a year to earn his rank.

Hm... reading that biography, it seems like a Group Captain was indeed the commanding officer of a squadron. At least that makes more sense now.

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