And then there was the Gunnery Sergeant.

A pilot's primary job is, of course, to fly an aircraft, but in a war, it sort of helps if they can shoot straight as well.  In WWII, fighters carried cannon which the pilot had to aim, and although bombers had a crew which included several gunners and a bombardier, at that stage of their training, no-one knew where the young pilots-to-be would be posted.

So gunnery training was a prerequisite.

The Gunnery Sergeant at No. 1 Air School clearly fancied himself as a teacher with a flair for the dramatic.  On the first day of training, he marched into the classroom and drew a circle on the blackboard.

"This," he announced, waving at his creation, "is a circle.  A circle has one hundred and eighty degrees."

There was a hush from the assembled pilots.  Then a brave soul at the back put up his hand.

"Excuse me, Sergeant," he said, "surely a circle has three hundred and sixty degrees?"

"Yes," snapped the sergeant, "but this is a bloody small circle!"