Consequences for MIA Eagle Squadron Officer

[cheriola]

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

Comments

[twilight2000]

OK - so lots of questions - a few answers to start you off

[pierceheart]

As for Captain (which is an 03 rank in the army, but an 05 in the Navy as a "Navy Captain" is equivalent to an "Army Colonel" in the US)

Actually in the US, O6 is Colonel/Captain - O5 is Lieutenant Colonel, or Commander.

However, if we're using the NATO OF structure (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranks_and_insignia_of_NATO) then it's OF-5, as they don't distinguish between the two levels of lieutenants.

A Group Captain is an OF-5, and it's conceivable someone could be one at age 31, as Desmond J. Scott was one by the time he was 27, and Leonard Cheshire was one by 26.

WWII had a LOT of fast promotions, if one was good enough at the job, or volunteered early enough.

[twilight2000]

Thanks for the 05/06 catch :>.

As for promotions - right - lots of battlefield promotions - tho I'm more familiar with the army than the navy/air force for field promotions (more likely to be available slots on the ground...).

[cheriola]

Thanks

[duckodeath]

The volunteer could not have been in the USAF as it didn't get that name until 1947 when it became its own branch of service separate from the army. In WWII, it was the AAF (Army Air Force) or the USAAF and before the US got involved in the war it was a very small

[cheriola]

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