MHDOIF

The Most Highly Degrading Order of the Irremovable Finger, abbreviated to MHDOIF, was a spoof decoration for military incompetence, which was "awarded" to members of the Royal Air Force during World War II.

It was the inspiration of Squadron Leader Anthony Armstrong Willis OBE MC, the editor of the RAF's monthly Training Memorandum, (which was usually referred to by its initials as "Tee Emm"). Recipients of the award were "Gazetted" in this publication.

No official medal was struck for the award, though cartoon depictions show a clenched fist with the index finger extended, surrounded by a scroll bearing the decoration's name. (The use of the index finger indicated clearly that the finger of blame was being pointed at the recipient, rather than the middle finger as a contemporary obscene gesture.)

Most recipients were aircrew, as they generally made the most spectacular and public errors, although any RAF personnel were eligible.

Among those receiving the award were the crew of a bomber who became lost over enemy-occupied Europe. They crash-landed the aircraft in a field, set fire to it to deny the enemy access to its technical secrets and began to walk to safety, only to find themselves outside a public house in England, barely five miles from their own airfield.

The last award of the war went to an RAF station commander just before VE day. The German pilot of a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 landed to surrender himself and his aircraft. The station commander bellowed, "Tell the pilot of that Mustang to observe proper landing procedure."

ources

*Lt.Col. Dicky Dickinson and Bill Hooper, "Clangers in uniform", Midas Books, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, ISBN 0-85936-036-9