▁be ▁class ified ▁L M F , ▁though ▁command ers ▁were ▁ur ged ▁not ▁to ▁public ize ▁this ▁provision . ▁According ▁to ▁Wing ▁Commander ▁James ▁Law son , ▁the ▁Air ▁Ministry ▁officer ▁who ▁handled ▁all ▁cases ▁under ▁the ▁Mem or and um , ▁ 7 4 6 ▁officers ▁and ▁ 3 , 3 1 3 ▁non - comm ission ed ▁officers ▁were ▁referred . ▁Of ▁these , ▁ 2 , 7 2 6 ▁cases ▁( including ▁ 2 , 3 3 7 ▁N CO s ) ▁were ▁class ified ▁as ▁L M F . ▁ ▁A ▁man ▁class ified ▁in ▁categories ▁( i ) ▁or ▁( ii ) ▁would ▁lose ▁his ▁flying ▁bad ge , ▁" to ▁prevent ▁his ▁getting ▁a ▁luc r ative ▁job ▁as ▁a ▁pilot ▁in ▁civil ▁life ". ▁The ▁service ▁records ▁of ▁those ▁class ified ▁L M F ▁were ▁stamp ed ▁with ▁large ▁red ▁" W " ▁( for ▁" wa ver er "). ▁Offic ers ▁would ▁lose ▁their ▁comm issions ▁and ▁be ▁refused ▁ground ▁jobs ▁in ▁the ▁R AF , ▁while ▁N CO s ▁would ▁be ▁reduced ▁to ▁aircraft man ▁second ▁class ▁and ▁assigned ▁men ial ▁tasks , ▁such ▁as ▁lat r ine ▁duty , ▁for ▁at ▁least ▁three ▁months . ▁From ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁men ▁released ▁as ▁L M F ▁could ▁be ▁called ▁for ▁the ▁coal ▁mines ▁or ▁draft ed ▁into ▁the ▁army . ▁ ▁Contempor ary ▁opinion ▁of ▁the ▁system ▁was ▁divided . ▁Though ▁severe , ▁it ▁was ▁less ▁har sh ▁than ▁a