To think this man was stretching the actuality ?

[Wickeddevil]

Went for a curry last night to a local Indian, where the tables are closely packed together, and so were able to enjoy the conversation of the couple next to us. I am guessing that man is mid 50's and lady around 40. They appeared to be on their first date.

Here are some excerpts

Well I did 2 years national service in the raf. (Note raff not R A F or airforce) and then became a fighter pilot.

I was called up again in 1987 for the Faulklands because they were short of fighter pilots. (That'll probably be because everyone else went home in 1982)

His tattoo (numbers) was the number of the squadron he led

I have never been married (I'll allow him that one) and my house is set in 90 acres, and I have lots of horses.

He did talk rather more knowledgeably about second hand Mercedes though....

She has landed a gem hasn't she?

DH was in the fauklands (sorry, can't spell) when he was about 11 so 1990ish when his dad was posted there. the national service thing doesn't make sense though.

But afaik they didn't call up ex-national servicemen for the Falklands. XH was on standby as a Naval Reserve to go but wasn't called up. I don't think they called up reservists and certainly not those from national service.

Golden Gytha Had he been deferred? There were some late call-ups in that case.

But I think Haunted is right: it was only regulars on the reserve list who were liable to be called up in '82 for the Falklands.

Unless OP's judgment of the man's age was hopelessly wrong he was bullshitting. Of course he may nevertheless have a big house and lots of horses and 90 acres . . .

National servicemen weren't trained as pilots. They were only supposed to to 2 years (3?) years. The RAF wouldn't waste its money unless he signed on for a longer term.

He said national service, then became fighter pilot. 'Called up' to go to Falklands in 1987.

This all makes sense and fits in timewise if you ignore the 'called up' in 1987, and assume 'still serving as pilot' in 1987.

This is why I think that he is appropriating someone else's life as his own, but 'making it fit' (presumably around his actual boring life and real job), by saying he was 'called up'.

He has all the mundane facts right individually, apart from being called up and the age thing.

My Dad was born in 1936 and did his national service but wasn't allowed to become a pilot because he only signed up for two years.

My Ddad went out during the war. He left here on the QE2. It was rather worrying hearing about the ships sinking. I was 7.

(totally misses point).

My Dad was on the reserve list in 1982 and did in fact get papers warning him he might be called up. He didn't get called up in the end.

if he was mid-50s then he wouldn't have done NS - my dad (who would be in his mid-70s if he was still with us) was the last year to do NS (he did it in the RAF and always called it the Raff).

No idea if he was deferred Andrew

I just know he did his two years, and was posted to Germany.

So he was born in circa 1935?
Did his national service (2 years?) about 1955?
got on with his life in civvy street until 1987?
at 50 ish years of age, 30 years after he finished national service and several years after the war they called him up and said, yeah, we're short of fighter pilots, could you pop along to the Falklands and help us out?
And Is now 79 but looks to be in his 50s and is dating 40 year olds?

This seems entirely fine to me. No flaws at all.

well of course it could be true

I am going against mn unwritten rule of not forming an opinion until we have all the facts I am calling him a liar

far too much detail given

That's right Waffly. Very little changed in aircraft tech in those 30 years so I expect it was like riding a bike :)

No one is over invested in this then, and I'm sorry I didn't get the tattoo number. It was very hot in the restaurant and I was quite thirsty!

My hunch is as others have suggested that he knows / knew someone and therefore had some info, but missed the fact that his story would make him about 80.

Wouldn't it be great if his date did post

Wicked, you must go back to the restaurant regularly to catch him with another date, and quiz him on the inconsistencies - see how he holds up under pressure

Hmm, my dad (76) was one of the last to do national service, and could probably pass for 60ish if he made the effort.

However, it all sounds a bit odd...

Has he been dating recently?

No! and he has never been to the Falkland Islands either. My point was merely that the OP could have misjudged the age...

Biggles would be 75 at an absolute minimum. Unless he's spent the time since the Falklands war (he turned up 5 years too late for) sleeping in a vat of oil of olay how likely is he to pass for mid 50s.

He also said he was 'called back up' suggesting he'd been on the reserve list. Even during a time of war would the RAF let some long inactive pilot presumably unfamiliar with the aircraft and weapons systems leap into the cockpit of a multimillion pound plane and chance his luck?

My dad is 74 and just missed having to do NS. My dad could probably pass for early 60s as he is pretty well preserved but he couldn't pass for 50!