h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/F48874?thread=4017235&post=47188081#p47188081 Hi - as mentioned in this post, I read somewheres that the Air Force trained pilots to sleep in short increments. Farely Mowat might have been the generation before you (and he was Canadian), but maybe you know something about it? PS: his books are fun to read, if you get bored of fiction and want non-fiction that's more exciting.

I couldn't find anything on that on Google.

I did learn however, that sleep deprivation was induced at the AF escape and evasion school by playing Yoko Ono recordings and recordings of Kipling's poem "boots" over loudspeakers

Boots
INFANTRY COLUMNS

We're foot-slog-slog-slog-sloggin' over Africa -
Foot-foot-foot-foot-sloggin' over Africa -
(Boots-boots-boots-boots-movin' up an' down again!)
There's no discharge in the war!

Seven-six-eleven-five-nine-an'-twenty mile to-day -
Four-eleven-seventeen-thirty-two the day before -
(Boots-boots-boots-boots-movin' up an' down again!)
There's no discharge in the war!

Don't-don't-don't-don't-look at what's in front of you.
(Boots-boots-boots-boots-movin' up an' down again)
Men-men-men-men-men go mad with watchin' em,
An' there's no discharge in the war!

Try-try-try-try-to think o' something different -
Oh-my-God-keep-me from goin' lunatic!
(Boots-boots-boots-boots-movin' up an' down again!)
There's no discharge in the war!

Count-count-count-count-the bullets in the bandoliers.
If-your-eyes-drop-they will get atop o' you!
(Boots-boots-boots-boots-movin' up an' down again) -
There's no discharge in the war!

We-can-stick-out-'unger, thirst, an' weariness,
But-not-not-not-not the chronic sight of 'em -
Boot-boots-boots-boots-movin' up an' down again,
An' there's no discharge in the war!

'Taint-so-bad-by-day because o' company,
But night-brings-long-strings-o' forty thousand million
Boots-boots-boots-boots-movin' up an' down again.
There's no discharge in the war!

I-'ave-marched-six-weeks in 'Ell an' certify
It-is-not-fire-devils, dark, or anything,
But boots-boots-boots-boots-movin' up an' down again,
An' there's no discharge in the war

http://www.darkcoding.net/behaviour/fatigue/

Here is a link with a more direct bearing on your question. It is recognized by the military that extended (overnight) periods of sleep deprivation degrades performance to the point comparable to legal drunkeness and that short naps can have an important restorative effect.

During the Tet Offensive, normal flight crew rest rules were suspended and air transport crews were allowed to operate up to 72 hours between required rest periods. This was called Operation Foxtrot. Usually, the two pilots could take turns napping inflight in our aircraft in crew bunks that were proved in the flight deck area.

At my age, I find myself napping frequently, usually while reading a book in a lawn chair. The experience of awakening from an unanticipated nap in a strange location is always interesting. I recall doing that at the time with may face in a radar scope cowl over the South China Sea in the early moring hours...

(Boots-boots-boots-boots-movin' up an' down again!)

That article you are reviewing is a total load of BS. I'm surprised it hasn't been hooted down...read this...

http://www.usafa.af.mil/jscope/JSCOPE97/Belenky97/Belenky97.htm

From WIKI:

During the Second World War, Mowat was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant into the Second Battalion, Hastings and Prince Edwards Regiment, affectionately known as the Hasty Ps. He later went overseas as a reinforcement officer for that regiment, joining the Canadian Army in the United Kingdom. On 10 July 1943, he was a subaltern in command of a rifle platoon, and participated in the initial landings of Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily.[1]

Mowat served throughout the campaign as a platoon commander, and moved to Italy in September 1943, seeing further combat until December 1943. During the Moro River campaign, he suffered from battle stress, heightened after an incident on Christmas Day outside of Ortona, Italy when he was left weeping at the feet of an unconscious friend who had an enemy bullet in his head. He then accepted a job as Intelligence Officer at battalion headquarters, later moving to Brigade Headquarters. He stayed in Italy as a D-Day Dodger in the 1st Canadian Infantry Division for most of the war, eventually being promoted to the rank of captain.

He moved with the Division to Northwest Europe in early 1945. There, he worked as an intelligence agent in The Netherlands and went through enemy lines to start unofficial negotiations about food drops with General Blaskowitz. The food drops, under the codename Operation Manna, saved thousands of Dutch lives.

He also formed the 1st Canadian Army Museum Collection Team, according to his book My Father's Son, and arranged for the transport to Canada of several tons of German military equipment, including a V2 rocket and several armoured vehicles. (It is believed that some of these vehicles are on display today at the Canadian Forces Base Borden tank museum.)

From the Walter Reed website

http://wrair-www.army.mil/News&Events/News/sleep.pdf

Thanks. I'll pass it along to intersted parties.

Always a pleasure, Leo...