Binge Drinking and the RFC

Quote
"I stood by Grant,when he was drunk,and he stood by me ,when I was crazy. "
Quote by William Tecumseh Sherman
Grant and Sherman AKA Lothar and Manfred

1. There was something in the papers (maybe the NY Times Science section) that there was such a thing as a 'drinking' gene that regulated an individual's ability to tolerate alcohol, which accounts for why some people can drink their heads off, go to sleep then wake up with out a hangover. If the stories are true, the Indians could not handle the white man's 'firewater'.
2. Currently, airline pilots are prohibited from taking even a single drink within 24 hours of a flight,as flight surgeons have determined that even one drink degrades pilot performance.
3. In Maurer Maurer's history of the USAS in WWI, the army medical department organized a Flight Surgeon's section that went to France in 1918 and examined all of the pilots in the pursuit squadrons for fitness to fly; one of the criteria for unfitness was if the pilot was an alcoholic. The effects of alcohol on the motor and mental skills of flyers was well known; and so was that of nicotine.
4. I have no doubt that cortain pilots drank to excess, when they were off duty, or the weather kept them from flying, but the Army was not about to allow anyone from drinking during duty hours. The Army had regulated clubs that controlled the flow by limiting the club hours from say 1700 to 2100 hrs. The EM clubs were restricted to the sale of beer. I also have read that the British squadrons had the habit of-on nonflying days-to visit a sister squadron to drink up the booze and then to start a brawl and wreck the officer's club.
5. In the old days a soldier was judged by how he handled his liquor, and those who couldn't got no where.
6. Consider further that a large percentage of the enlisted men did not drink (Baptists/Methodists) before they went to service; and very few started after induction.
7. From experience: There is very little booze and sex in the combat zone; if there was there would be no time to fight the enemy.

The book by Chas. Veil- "Adventure's a Wench"..has him routinely drinking 13 cognacs before a patrol. (Seems 13 was his lucky number..)
In "First to the Front"- Waldo Heinrichs states himself to be almost alone among the non-drinkers. He evidences much disgust over the incapacity of his fellow flyers(95th, U.S.A.S)- including the C.O.- on the mornings following their regular binges. VBR...Lee

They not only drink, they did other things, too. Goering's addiction to narcotics did start in WWI times. Don't forget - cocaine was the No.1 analgetic and was available in every medical care unit. What would YOU do? Twenty years old, a life expectation of max 10 sorties and then shot down in flames???

[Ginger.]

I know what I'd do,fly like the Devil and slaughter the Hun.Armistice Day,when it came,would be spent sobering up.

I can't comment on WWI but I can on Vietnam. I was a Huey gunner and we drank an awful lot at night but were always ready to fly in the morning. Slighly hung over for the first hour maybe. But, as soon as the lead flew we were right on our toes.

Thanks for the generous responses from everyone.

Dean