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RAF Air Cadets News

Volunteer writes military language book in between 10,000 glider launches

People often use words around weapons and conflict in everyday conversation without knowing the reason behind them, but a new book by a Royal Air Force Air Cadets volunteer could change all that. 

Sabre Prattling: The Language of the Battlefield has been written by Flight Lieutenant Andy Rigsby from 621 VGS (Volunteer Gliding Squadron) which is based at RAF Little Rissington in Gloucestershire. 

The writer hopes his latest project will have an immediate appeal to staff and cadets within the organisation because of its link with the military and what he describes as its humorous narrative. 

I am interested in military history; the development of firearms and I have always been intrigued about how we exaggerate in our use of expression in language. I actually started writing the book in 2009 and I have been writing on a variety of non-fiction subjects since 1975. I couldn't find an example of this book anywhere so I wrote it.

Flight Lieutenant Andy Rigsby

Andrew joined the RAFAC organisation in 1986, joining 625 VGS at South Cerney.  

He was an A2* Gliding Instructor by 1997 and was commissioned in 1998. Andrew has held all the executive posts within the two VGS units he has served in, including OC and has flown, trained and graded staff and cadets in over 10,000 launches and over 1000 hours of flying.  

He said he has found those tasks to be immensely rewarding.  

Andrew lives in Ryde on the Isle of Wight and works as a performance driving coach for Porsche and Mercedes-Benz.  

Sabre Prattling: The Language of the Battlefield has been published by Beachy Books and is available in bookshops as well as online, in places such as Amazon.