The pathfinder exam

[Greg Bloomfield]

I've just read that, in order to qualify for the Pathfinder badge, aircrews sat an exam in front of a board of senior officers after they had completed a certain number of trips with their PFF squadron. I have never heard of this before, previously I had understood that they were given their badges after completing the said number of trips satisfactorily. Has anyone else any knowledge of this exam, and of what type of questions the aircrew might have been asked?

[CZ_RAF]

Hi Greg, I am not a PFF expert but I was also trying to find out an exact criteria for the Pathfinder badge. Unfortunately what I was able to find is - I would say - quite vague.

Have you seen this older thread?
http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/sho...badge-criteria


All this make me to think that under such circumstances the criterie may vary at each PFF squadron and would depend on the particular CO decision. So I think there may be also a squadron which have something like an exam but I would expect completing of some number of trips satisfactorily would be enough in most cases.

Pavel

[Greg Bloomfield]

Pavel

Many thanks for that link. Interesting that there is no reference to the exam for the badge. I have the medal group and badge awarded to a gunner on 97 Sqn who was killed on his tenth op with 97. I also have a photo of him in his best blues wearing the badge, so he must have been awarded it before or after his ninth trip. That is also at variance with what some have stated in the link and gives strength to the point of view that it was all rather haphazard.

[bvs]

Hi Greg
Most crews completed the pre Pathfinder course (NTU) at Upwood/Warboys etc prior to joining a Pathfinder Sqn and as below would normally be awarded the Badge on probation at between 6 - 10 'ops',so as Pavel posted - no hard and fast rules and would vary with sqn and sqn CO.

https://raf-pathfinders.com/the-pathfinders-overview/

The Pathfinder badge of a hovering gold eagle (above) awarded on a temporary basis after a number of operations, during which the required standard of proficiency was reached. This number of operations appears to have varied, perhaps at the discretion of the squadron CO, but seems to have generally been around 6-10 operations.

♦ one step up in acting rank, for example a Pilot Officer would become a temporary Flying Officer – pay was increased accordingly. *

♦ the Pathfinder badge awarded permanently after the completion of a tour

[John Williams]

Hi All,

I have the medals and log book of F/L Philip Edward Cawthorne 417049 DFC, who was posted straight to PFF he was posted direct to 635 Sqn PFF as a pilot. He did his first Op on 30 Sept/1 Oct 1944. He did his 24th Op on 7/8 January 1945 to Munich and he has pasted his PFF Badge certificate in his log book signed by Don Bennett into his log book dated 10 January 1945.
He was later KIA on 4/5 April 1945 after his 41st Op while returning from Harburg.

Cheers,

John.