I've tried this question elsewhere with zero results. What was Stiff Leave or STIFF Leave ? I have a Royal Indian Army Service Corps officer proceeding on ‘stiff’ leave with a free passage to the United Kingdom on 16 September 1945. Anyone know ? William
William Are you sure it wasn't STAFF ? If it was actually STIFF then perhaps you could take your pick below: Synonyms: stiff, slopped, pissed, blind drunk, unfaltering, fixed, besotted, steadfast, buckram, blotto, pixilated, cockeyed, crocked, potent, fuddled, tight, firm, inflexible, soused, sozzled, starchy, squiffy, unbendable, plastered, soaked, unshakable, unwavering, rigid, unbending, pie-eyed, sloshed, smashed, strong, set, loaded, strict, wet, steady With apologies Ron
Hello William and welcome aboard. STIFF appears to be an acronym used in the context of Indian Army personnel on leave, and possibly related to specific travel arrangements or entitlements. There is this reference out there in Google-land but it is not 100% clear. Part 2 Regards, CS
Hello William and welcome aboard. STIFF appears to be an acronym used in the context of Indian Army personnel on leave, and possibly related to specific travel arrangements or entitlements. There is this reference out there in Google-land but it is not 100% clear. Part 2 Regards, CS You weren't kidding with the not 100% clear!! Regards Tom
You weren't kidding with the not 100% clear!! Regards Tom I know Tom, but it's the best I can find. I expect there is a document somewhere in a forgotten cupboard defining exactly what it all means....you kind of wonder with Indian Army archives, were they split between UK and India after independance and what went where? H
William After Capt.Sensible's masterly explanation and indisputable example of the acronym STIFF I can only applaud and once again apologise for my flippant response to your initial request. A belated Welcome Aboard ! Ron
More mention of Stiff, Slick & Lilop embarkees here: MC ESO's Handbook but still no explanation. I do hope someone can solve this one as it's now really bugging me - spent a goodly while Googling to little avail.
Ron - the way I fell about this mystery makes me look longingly at your definitions. Thanks to the Captain and Adam we have independent confirmation STIFF existed. From my understanding it applied only to officers actually holding commissions in the Indian Army (i.e. not simply attached), and personnel on the Permanent Pre-War Cadre of the I.U.L. - which the gentleman in question was. [I.U.L. = Indian Unattached List.] Such servicemen could get STIFF and SLICK apparently by not LIAP (short) or LILOP (long). My sense from reading this is that STIFF is shorter than SLICK, but I may have it the wrong way round. My chap proceeded on STIFF leave with a free passage to the United Kingdom on 16 September 1945 and returned to India off leave sometime in December 1945. Allowing for passage time, say four weeks at home ?
Archer - there was term used by the East India Company in the old days which referred to "STIFF" being that all their employess wore hats as opposed to turbans - as a consequence the wearers had a ring around thier heads when the hat came off - there are reams of bureaucratic bumpf regarding STAFF leave which would make you gasp..if you can finish it ! Cheers
I wonder whether the final F doesn't stand for Furlough, as in something like this ST - Short I - Indian F - Foreign / Forces F - Furlough Just a thought.
