Wrongly Accused

[SOSL]

Military, in a way, but not aviation, so if the mods want to ditch this post I’ll understand.

In the middle of WW1 my Grandpa worked in the post office in Lerwick (Shetland Isles) through which all the Naval classified mail was passed to the Flag Officer’s staff.

One day some PO writer in the Flag Officer’s front office couldn’t be *rsed to handle some TS mail and so he stuffed it the bottom drawer of his desk.

The missing mail was detected through the system and a major intelligence operation was launched.

The Fishheads couldn’t find the perpetrator and so they imprisoned the entire staff of the Lerwick main post office in the cells in the town hall, at the top of St Olaf St, IIRC (Anno Domini and Famous Grouse may have reduced the accuracy of my memory).

There weren’t sufficient catering facilities in the town hall and so the guys families were invited in to feed them. There wasn’t any furniture in the cells and so the families were invited to bring in chairs and tables for the guys to eat at.

I could go on, but to cut a long story short – someone found the TS docs in the writer’s bottom drawer and the post office people were all released. The RN never apologised or even acknowledged that they’d made a mistake.

I don’t really expect many answers but have any of you been wrongly accused in service?

Rgds SOS

[goudie]

The RN never apologised or even acknowledged that they’d made a mistake.
In the climate of WW1 not too surprising SOSL.

With regard to wrong accusations 'wasn't me chief' was an oft heard cry!

[zetec2]

Yes, on a PR Canberra Squadron at Wildenrath late 60's, carrying out a QTR during an exercise dropped the bottom cowling on engine to do oil check, found one of those nice RR domed nuts laying the cowling, well it had to come from somewhere on the engine so I started a look around up past the fuel pumps & gearbox, I was told to wrap it up as I was "time wasting, being bloody minded etc, etc", I refused, was threatened with murder & mayhem as was delaying the aircraft on a mission, by this time everybody & there uncle had congregated, CO, deputies, Flt Sgt, Chiefs etc but I insisted that the nose cowl come off to have a proper look, again threatened with jankers if nothing found, but the nut had to come from somewhere, anyway I did drag out the inspection crawling all over the top of the engine with torch with quite an audience even including the SENGO looking on (no doubt hoping I was in for it !) anyway what I did find was the top gearbox mounting lug cracked right through, gearbox pivoting in the breeze, everybody had to clamber up & have a look whilst I was hustled away to put an entry in the 700, result all PR7's grounded fleet check, exercise cancelled. load of work, engine changes worked overtime & some (we found 2 others with same problem), so I was justified & after all the fuss died down instead of a "Good Show" because of my "attitude & persistence" I was awarded an "Act of Conmmendable Vigilance" grudgingly I might add, strangely I did get a few apologies as it would have been quite disastrous should the whole lot broken free, no fuel pumps etc, etc. So accused of mega time wasting at critical time but was justified.
PH.

[Sir George Cayley]

I can think of some who should be rightly accused :E

SGC

[Roadster280]

Yes, a most bizarre thing happened to me.

I was at Catterick, undergoing trade training, and was called in to the Sergeant Major's office, where he unleashed the dogs of hell on me. Who the f*** did I think I was to give the Garrison Commander's address to a civil court, and then not to pay my fines? How was is that the bailiffs turned up at the Comd's house to seize property to the value of? And boy was I in the shi*. They had my name, and my service number.

I just looked at him and denied all knowledge. WTF was he talking about?

I eventually got sent out and called back in later, where there was another WO, and they played nice WO/nasty WO, the SSM having swapped roles. I still hadn't a clue what they were on about.

Eventually, nasty WO calls the clerk of the court to confirm my DOB. Apparently the bloke they were looking for was about 20 years older than me. The RMP must have tied the name of the accused (not me) to my service number, as I was indeed stationed in Catterick. Though not at the Comd's house!

Not even a word of apology. I think I spoiled their "International Pokey Drill Exposition" plans for me.

[Stuff]

I was interviewed by the police in connection with a serious assault that took place in Lincoln a few months after my Cranwell graduation. Apparently some CCTV of the offender had been circulated around Cranwell by the Police and one of the IOT staff thought it looked like me.

As it happened, when I looked at the pictures they did indeed look like me!

Luckily, that particular night I was enjoying the all-you-can-catch buffet on Moortrek at Linton-on-ouse at the time and was able to alibi out. My evil twin is still out there though.

[NutLoose]

Two come to mind,

1st

Jag Squadron Germany on annual Deci detachment, did a B/F on a Jag that was off with several others to Gib for a weekend p*ss up.. Find fresh Hydraulic fluid on lower Eng door and a little on the floor, snag it, Rigger Chief has a look says ok and wipes down, pilot arrives, bags stowed and fired up, checks again, more fluid on door, calls for another check, told again it's ok....
Not happy, so I signal to shut down... Pilot out of aircraft, helmet thrown, lots of shouting directed at me, dummy out of window, no p*ss up in Gib, finally get the bloody door opened, massive hydraulic leak and realisation it wouldn't have got there..... Chief calls me aside, thanks me and says sorry..... Pilot never said a word, but a glance from him said it all, he knew, I knew what he now knew..

2nd

Jag Squadron Germany myself and other Sootie open the engine door and the hinges shear and door falls off. (Crap design and a MU repair job ).... Jengo not a happy chappie, what have we done, all our fault, negligent etc etc etc.... Next time we open one up he wants to see what we did to damage the last one, day arrives, Jengo arrives, helps us open the door, hinges shear lol and door falls off... Looks aghast and dissapears rapidly..

[taxydual]

Annual Confidential Report time (the 6442).

The then SAC Taxydual quietly preening himself for he had had a good year.

Called into WO's office for debrief. For next 10 mins I am on the receiving end of a major b*llocking. 'Scruffy, lazy, insubordinate' and more adjectives come my way. Taxydual too stunned to respond.

"Now get out" snarls WO "and send Taxydual in".

"I am Taxydual" says I.

Incredible display of red face and apologies from the WO. I never did get to discover, for certain, whose report I was debriefed on. I did learn about man-management though.

[Pontius Navigator]

Buccaneer nav had dicked the oil rig HPZ. He compounded his error by saying "What HPZ?"

Sir Sandy Curtains could see his stars and K disappearing into the firmament and assembled all aircrew, 1Gp Buccs, the Jag crews, the 11Gp Shack crews and even the 18Gp SK crews for a monumental bollocking and the threat that we would never be given a 4-ship or 8-ship lead ever again if we put a foot wrong.

Oh how we SLF laughed.

[pamac51]

At Brawdy in mid 70s charged with 'introducing alcohol and females' to the barrack block......admitted the alcohol bit but pleaded not guilty to the females on the grounds that they were already there when I arrived at the party.....found guilty on both counts!!! Got myself a reprimand just 12 days after getting my substantive cpl -always felt aggrieved by that bit of RAF justice.

[SOSL]

Evening of the grad ball, lots of drinking and dancing - ended up with (unplanned) 2 ladies in my room in college hall.

Breakfast in the CH mess both ladies tucking into bacon, eggs, fried bread and tomatoes.

Sqn Cdr invites me to his office with my hat on later that morning.

Turned out he was quite impressed. But I hadn't planned it. It was a kind of accident.

Nice though!

Rgds SOS

[air pig]

SOSL, that's what they all say, it wasn't me boss

[AGS Man]

At Honington in the late 80s it was quite common for the local police in Thetford to ask for a bus load of guys for identification parades. It was an afternoon off and we even got paid a few quid for our trouble. You guessed it! I got picked out of the parade as a drunken lout who started a fight. Wasn't me on that occasion Chief! Another one that comes to mind was turning up at work on a monday looking like a panda, the result of stopping a cricket ball with my nose! My Chief was convinced I'd been fighting until the Padre rang him to see if I was ok as he was playing in the same match! Nice to say that he took Gods reps word and apologised... sort of!

[Old-Duffer]

Picture this – primary school mid 1950s when OD is aged about eight. Summoned to see headmaster and arrive at office to see boy who lives across the road and his mother sitting there with HM.

HM: ‘You are here because you hit Dennis M*&^s and I’m going to cane you as punishment’.

Me: ‘Not me Sir, I never hit him or anybody else’.

HM: ‘Mrs M*&^s and Dennis say you did and that’s good enough for me, so you will be caned’.

Me: ‘No Sir, I didn’t hit him and I’m not going to be caned for something I didn’t do’. At this point I flee the office and rush back to my class in tears and recount story to class teacher, who in turn sets off in t’other direction. That lunchtime, I also tell mother, who also sets off to school. Big bust up occurs and nomore said.

The short bit of this boring story is that Dennis M*&^s told his mother he had been hit by the boy across the road – which was true – but his mother took that to mean me. Even when I went to HM, Dennis didn’t say: ‘No Mum, not him the boy who hit me lives next door to OD’.

The little SHOneT would have let me get a caning and in the 50 odd years since, I’ve sometimes wondered about this. However, with computerised electoral rolls etc, I might look Dennis up and go to where he lives and give him the bl£$dy good kicking I was accused off in 1954!!

OD – in vindictive and vengeful mood!

[Hydromet]

Even the almighty isn't immune to false accusations.

RSM's wife has a baby girl. Chaplain paints the parade ground cannons pink. Morning parade. "Who painted the cannon pink!?"
From the back of the assembled ranks..."It was the work of God."

[D120A]

Great idea OD, and when you do find him come back here and let us know in which profession he spent his working life. Meanwhile, we'll all have some fun guessing.:rolleyes:

[AR1]

I got into work at Lyneham and was asked to go and see the boss.

"You play golf don't you AR1?"

"Yes Sir, sort of"

"And you were on duty at the weekend - right?"

"Yes Sir I was"

"Well can you explain why a golf ball came through my office window?"

" No Sir I can't. I was on duty, I do play golf - But I've never done it in the dark"

"What??"

"I was on nights Sir"

[Pontius Navigator]

[/SIZE][/FONT]

OD – in vindictive and vengeful mood!

But then you would have to accept the punishment meted out by the beak. Only had you been caned could you plead double jeopardy :)

[Pontius Navigator]

I was once accused, to some extent correctly, by a fellow JO.

Some years later, abt 12, I saw said officer walking from the car park in a natty green dog walking jacket (open) and no hat, contrary to SROs that had only recently been repeated. I could see his boss in his office across the road. The opportunity was too good to miss. Rang boss, boss looks out window, ah, revenge is a dish best savoured cold.

[500N]

"OD – in vindictive and vengeful mood!"

"But then you would have to accept the punishment meted out by the beak. Only had you been caned could you plead double jeopardy "



I would have thought OD would have a clue by his age on
how to give the guy a whack without getting caught or identified !!!

[Pontius Navigator]

500N, apologies, you are of course right.

As a coincidence we caught Cockshell Heroes on the TV a couple of days ago. One of the marines went AWOL as his wife was playing while he was away. Trevor Howard asked the RM how long he would need to sort it out - "3 minutes". "I'll give you 15", he said, "do it properly."

While the discussion took place indoors a bobby paces up to Trevor Howard. It is established that there is no disturbance to the bobby bids good night while the boyfriend exits the house through the window :)

[teeteringhead]

Got summoned to DetCo's office in Norn Iron. A mate had been caught by the filth with a young lady in his room in the early hours (fair play - he later married her) and the Plod's report finished with the words:

"And the aforementioned Miss X had previously been found on [date] in Fg Off Teeters' Room......."

VERY fortuitously I was out of Province on that date, which DetCo thought was perfect excuse - mate took a lot longer to be convinced. [No - honestly - I never did/had!]

And I did retain for some years thereafter the name and number of the SAC A/Cpl (Unpaid) who made the false report ........

Perhaps fortunately our paths never crossed again......

[Pontius Navigator]

Teeters, which brings to mind that courts martial at Marham where the RAFP 'evidence' was countered but the chairman of the parish council and the council minute books. :)

[SOSL]

Seasons greeting to all. Even if I've had a disagreement with you this year I hope you have a great year in 2013 (after all it's only a website).

Hi OD, good story. If he had the brains to become a (B)anker, please give him one for me.

AR1 - you sound like a golf hustler, and I know what they sound like after a 3 year tour (in the last century) at a sadly changed camp near the R&A.

PN - that one again!

Rgds SOS

[Old-Duffer]

Thank you 500N (and D120A) for your faith in my abilities to avoid detection/incrimination!

Somewhere is the quote: 'old age and cunning will always defeat youth and enthusiasm'.

I think I should do something a little more subtle than the direct approach - superglue in the car door locks and the tyre valves springs to mind for starters.

The real problem is how can I ensure that Dennis M*&^s is made aware of the reason for my angst against him - undiminished after all these years - without giving everything away? I don't think he would actually remember me after all these years as our paths diverged a year or so later and it's only my dustbin brain that retains useless facts and figures. Perhaps the simple and sensible answer is just to move on!!

OD - now in more chirpy mood

[SOSL]

OD, whatever you do, make sure he doesn't live next door to an innocent Mr M*&^s and that he doesn't have a son/nephew called M*&^s.

Rgds SOS

[Mechta]

OD, As you were wrongly accused, why not serve up some of the same? Assuming he has a 'significant other', a used prophylactic, hanging from under the bottom of his car's passenger door should ensure that he experiences the same and more of what you went through... :E:E:E

[500N]

OD

Whack doesn't have to mean a physical hit.

Others have made - IMHO - some very good suggestions.

I like leaving evidence and / or falsely accusing him of something,
probably in a round about way, enough that he spends a heap of
time extracting himself out of the mess.

[500N]

PN

I remember that scene well. Very well done.

[SOSL]

Back in the day when I was an Air Training Corps Cadet with serious juniority, my Cadet Cpl asked me what I was planning as a career. I told him I wanted be an officer in the RAF

How he laughed! "You won't make officer as long as you've got a hole in your a**e SOSL". He said and he joked about it with the other Cadet NCOs.

But he was wrong.

Ten years later, as a very junior Flt Lt, I was being shown round my new flight by the guy I was taking over from.

We strolled into the battery charging bay and were received by a very smart Cpl. Yes, you're right it was that very Cpl who now had the same rank but grown up.

We recognised each other, I think. He said "good afternoon sir" I said "the hole is still there". He didn't react, I still don't know if he really knew who I was.

(I treated him equally with all the guys and gals on the flight so he probably didn't twig)

Rgds SOS

[NutLoose]

Somewhere is the quote: 'old age and cunning will always defeat youth and enthusiasm'.

I think I should do something a little more subtle than the direct approach - superglue in the car door locks and the tyre valves springs to mind for starters.

Task tssk tssk.... Simply find where he lives and sign him up for every bit of junk mail you find.... Junkmail "It's the gift that keeps on giving"

[ColinB]

At Linton in the early mornings there used to be a long line of Vampire T11’s with their noses open having servicing and security checks before the days flying began. One day some smoke was seen coming from the front compartment of an aircraft when an airman snatched his beret from his shoulder and extinguished an electric fire by hand. The power was rapidly isolated and damage limited due to this prompt and brave action.
This was widely reported and praise rained down on the intrepid airman but he had ruined his beret which was of no great importance to him until he was stopped by the SWO on his way to lunch and charged with not wearing head dress. The SWO was a choleric little man with out of synch eyes who ignored all attempts to justify the alleged crime. I would like to report that apologies were made but the only result was that no charges were proceeded with.
This is the same SWO who insisted that one of the guard piquet at all times wore a sign around his neck with I AM THE DUTY EMERGENCY PUMP OPERATOR painted on it.
Golden Days

[langleybaston]

In the spirit of levity engendered by the above, I wish to report that, on entering my newly purchased pre-owned 4 bedder in Hampshire some 30 years ago I did discover the attic/loft full of junk.

I contacted previous owner and said "vacant possession means vacant possession". "Thought you might like the stuff!, and no, I shall not be removing it!"

My son, wife and I loaded our two estate cars [with little room to spare], and carted the lot round to the rightful owner ...... at 0200 hours.

Made a nice pile on the drive. A good starter for a garage clearance sale.

Can't be seen to be 'stealing by finding', can we?

[ericferret]

Duty vehicle had an accident on the way to pick up troops from the singlies block.
After waiting a while those on the duty shift piled in to a car and headed off to work to get aircraft flying.

Later that morning duty shift all charged with being late for work.

Military reasoning was that as we had "arranged" to travel by private means we were late whereas all the others who just stood waiting for Godot and were over an hour behind were deemed to be innocent.

How the f*ck we ever got an empire defeats me!!!!!!1

[Tinribs]

Late 60's probly 68, Marham. A nav Rad is court martialled for not attending a guest night. The logic seemed to be; he must do as he
is told because we might be at war. The logical answer I thought should have been, if we were at war he would do but not for a b Guest night.

Anyway Ian was found guilty and chucked out

[Biggus]

eric,

Was your wife actually arrested, or was she simply asked to go to the police station to "help with their inquiries"?

As a layman one would like to think a certain evidence threshold has to be reached prior to formally arresting someone. Given what you told the police, effectively your wifes' alibi, if she was actually arrested, do you have grounds to sue them?

While I'm not a fan of the ambulance chasing lawyer fraternity, exactlt the opposite in fact, almost the first hit I got while googling "suing the police for wrongful arrest" was:

Suing The Police | Irwin Mitchell Solicitors (http://www.irwinmitchell.com/personal/personal-injury-compensation/personal-injury-resources/other-personal-injury-claims/suing-the-police?ad=DSA&gclid=CImGrPqFxbQCFbMbtAodqWMAFw)

If these follow the "no win no fee" approach, have you got anything to lose by at least considering such an action?

[unclenelli]

As one of the first into BSN in 2006, I had R&R back at my home station for 1 night until my parents picked me up to take me home.

During that night something happened.

I got off the jet, popped into work, used the wagon to take my kit to my room.
This was around 7pm. By the time I'd dropped the wagon back, had a chat and walked back it was around 8pm. I stripped off my kit where I stood and pulled my Dobie bag out of my kitbag, then stepped into the shower.
After a long soak, I emerged and got into bed to fall asleep watching The Bill at around 8.30. All was well.
2 kitbags and a dobie bag sat on the floor, me in bed.


I was woken by my mobile at about 4am...
"Hello?"
"Is that UncleNelli?"
"Yes"
"Where are you?"
"I'm in bed -it's " looking at clock "4 in the morning"
"Are you at xxxxx"
"Yes - I've just got off a plane"
"Are you aware of a flood in your block?"
"No, like I said, I've only just got off the plane"
"Well it appears to be coming from your room - there's a RAFP and plumber about to kick your door in"
("Appears" - that's present tense!!!)
As I leant out of bed and felt the carpet, it did feel a touch soggy!

Squelching my way to the door, there was indeed a RAFP and plumber outside.
They came in and examined my bathroom - toilet not leaking, sink not leaking, shower not leaking, but grout on floor tiles showed signs of drying out and covered in detritus. The rest of the room was covered entirely in a soggy carpet. My DVD's required drying, and I lost a Clarkson book due to swelling, the the rest of the kitbags was saved.

Also flooded were the 2 rooms either side of mine, the 3 below us and the one below, across the corridor, and half the width of my corridor. (The rooms below had to have their ceilings taken down during refurb.)

Whilst on R&R back at home, I received a call from a SLAM project Manager (civvy) accusing me of blocking the shower plughole by shaving my head!
I had shaved my head, but 2 mths earlier before I went to BSN, and at Home, not at work, and certainly not in the shower at xxxxx. I even had a photo of me and a mate 24hrs earlier at Kabul on our way home for my R&R and his Tourex, both of us with shaved heads!
Luckily I had gathered some of the debris which floated out of the plughole, and can confirm that my hair is neither Pale Blue (similar colour to No2 shirt), nor Black Nylon (similar to thick socks). Some of the figures (flowrate) he quoted meant that if I had left the shower turned on at 8pm, as he suggested, the room would have been 8 inches deep!

While I was back at BSN, my i/c Block got a statement from the plumber and RAFP, who stated that the bathroom was dry (i.e. shower was switched off, no steamy tiles/mirror), and the problem went away.

But no apology from SLAM who accused me of deliberately trashing the block at a cost of £20,000.

Not to mention installing the wrong colour carpet during the refurb, then a correct colour, but it didn't quite touch the walls. Both replacement carpets were glued to the concrete floor and had to be ripped out!
1st - flooded
2nd - wrong colour
3rd - didn't fit
4th - correct
About £3000 each!

It was 7mths before I got back into my room (2 OOA, then 5 mths in a broom-cupboard/transit room)

[PlasticCabDriver]

Summoned to the boss's office one day, with hat.

"Flt Lt PCD, on such and such a date last week you overflew the local crematorium at low level while a funeral was taking place. The family were extremely upset and have made a formal complaint. Very unprofessional, makes Stn look bad, Stn Cdr hopping mad, etc etc. You are to write a formal letter of apology to the family and the crematorium blah blah blah..."

"Fairly sure I didn't, Sir"

"Yes you did, I've seen the auth sheet and you were the only one who went that way at that time, so it was you"

Before I started writing the letter, I thought I'd just check the auth sheet as a reminder of what I was supposed to have been doing on that flight. No mention of me anywhere. On looking at the day before however, there I was. Fecker had the wrong auth sheet.

Did he apologise, did he f*ck...

[airborne_artist]

Clambering off Albert in one of the former colonies we were greeted by the advance party, including the boss (Lt Col) of the other regiment. I'd done a job for him the year before, so wasn't that surprised when he walked up to me until he said "Lt Artist, welcome".

"I'm sorry Sir, I'm still Cpl Artist, and proud of it".

Accusing me of being an occifer, what an affront :E

[A and C]

There are some in this world who think that getting others into trouble makes them look good in the eyes of their betters and so jump at any chance to flag up any so called wrong doing..........usually not checking all the facts first !

I get a call from my fleet manager who has been lent on my the upper management.

"Why did you take off from Barcelona without enough fuel to get to Gatwick resulting in you landing in France to refuel ?" He asks.

"Have you seen the ASR that I submitted?" I ask.

"No the management have not said anything about that" is the answer.

Half an hour later he is back on the phone and to his credit
apologizing profusely it would seem my accusers had not bothered to tell him about the double fuel pump failure that resulted in 2500kg of fuel becoming unusable while all the airfields south of East Midlands were going unforcast CAT 3.

No one from the upper botherd to apologize to me or my fleet manager who had been put in a very embarrassing position.

[walter kennedy]

The old Rhodesian Air Force did not have the requisite medical facilities for aircrew selection and so we got a jolly to Pretoria for several days.
We were given generous freedom in the evenings and so sampled the delights of Joburg. Fate brought a bunch of us to an ice rink (when already well oiled) and we were all over the place; one chap (Roddy?) slipped and cut his chin (some stitches?); the next day he was accused of brawling and this appeared to have resulted in his not being selected - ironic when so many of us knew the truth but were not listened to.

A familiar example to most of you of being wrongly accused should be that of the pilots of ZD576 - while they were eventually cleared of gross negligence, the years that their name was under a cloud cannot be forgotten, nevermind that the circumstances were never fully investigated in my opinion.

[Laarbruch72]

Frankly you sound like a bit of an over-exaggerating fantasist Eric.

[ericferret]

Not surprised at you scepticism Laarbruch 72.
However with very minor artistic licence all is sadly true.
I have deleted my post however as I think it was a mistake to post it and it was not really a military story.

Thanks for your support dieseldo.

A happy new year to all.,

[dieseldo]

Actually Laarbruch 72 while I cannot vouch for every detail in Erics story.
I can vouch for the overall picture. Well known amongst the people he was working with at XXXXXX Not funny at the time and the cause of serious stress and time off work.

[Dan Winterland]

During basic flying training, two of us on the course were the same height, build and with the same hair colour and were often getting confused. During the course, my doppleganger lost his solo clearance for an unauthorised low run in and break. At the end of the course, when the boss had left his office unlocked, several of us had a look at our files (never a good idea). In mine, it metioned it was me who had committed the deed and it was one of the factors which got me re-streamed to Group 2!

[dervish]

A familiar example to most of you of being wrongly accused should be that of the pilots of ZD576 - while they were eventually cleared of gross negligence, the years that their name was under a cloud cannot be forgotten, nevermind that the circumstances were never fully investigated in my opinion.

Well said Walter Kennedy. And not forgetting the civvy whom MoD continue to blame for failures that led to a 2003 accident. Every bit as vindictive.

[Pontius Navigator]

During basic flying training, . . . At the end of the course, when the boss had left his office unlocked, several of us had a look at our files (never a good idea).

I think now write ups are read by students as a matter of course. I was accused by one student of plagiarising another instructor's write up. The stude had bust safety altitude a second time and my write up was word for word the same. The boss then read through the stude's whole folder, found this was the third height bust and the instructor wording (all 3 of us) was the same. The stude was chopped forthwith.

[ColinB]

So I gather you weren't into Tea and Sympathy

[Biggus]

Tea and sympathy...?

I have heard, admittedly anecdotal, tales of IOT Flt Cdrs, and Basic Nav instructors, in the past, who seemed to have taken great delight in getting all their students chopped.....



By the way, I'm not accusing PN of being such a person!!!

[Pontius Navigator]

Biggus, LOL. Actually you are not too far adrift.

The AD Force complained that too many abo were getting through to the OCU and could not cope with the pace of learning. It was accepted that extending the course, increasing the number of fly and refly sorties would see more getting through but the bottom line was there would be no chance of a refly after mission failure on Day 1 of the war.

I think we sometimes thought IOT was too lenient too and I am sure, given that 70% of my studes were chopped pilots that the FTS thought OASC was also too soft :)

[Pontius Navigator]

So I gather you weren't into Tea and Sympathy

Studes who we thought had good potential and who showed they would benefit were indeed given tea and sympathy. The others would also be given the necessary help to improve but repeating an error was sufficient to look more closely their performance; doing it three times left the Boss with no alternative. The ground has a PK=1 and breaking safety height is the surest way to prove it. An ex-pilot and flt cdr of mine later led a number of his squadron along that rocky path.

[Doctor Cruces]

Was called into Boss's office at LYE, hat no tea and biscuits. Got a good bollocking and a severe talking too mostly to do with rowing 8s. Pretty bad assessment was also mentioned.

Having just had my 6442 for that year and it pretty good for a first year Cpl who'd only been in post for a few months, I immediately went and accused my reporting officer (an old, wise MEng) of blowing smoke in my ear whilst actually writing something else.

MEng immediately denies this and dashed off to Sqn Ldrs office (a chap who repeatedly dobbed his fellow aircrew in for misdeeds down route when he was a co-pilot, I am told) and reads the riot act to him about tarnishing his reputation/credibility etc. Aparantly he was nearly charged. MEng left boss in no doubt about my abilities and personality and told me next shift that the boss had me mistaken for a someone else.

I still haven't a clue what the bollocking was about, but probably would have done if I'd ever rowed eights!

Two incorrect accusations, I apologised. SLOps never did!!

Doc C

[longer ron]

One of mine...sort of accusation/sort of partly wrong blame.
Late friday at an airfield near K Lynn we are doing the last few A/F's and covering/tie down of the a/c.
One of our SAC's came to me(he did not have a good reputation !) and asked me to look at a suspect crack on a noseleg,he said it had been checked (previously) by our chiefy and sgt but because I was the longest serving rigger on the unit (but only j/t) he wanted my opinion.
Of course being friday evening we were all in going home mode but I went with him to have a shufti,none of the paint had been removed LOL so not sure how it had been checked previously (no tell tale red stain from ardrox dye penetrant :)) but the suspect crack was right on the casting 'Flash Line' which worried me somewhat.However I knew that the NDT chap was booked for first thing monday morning so I said to our SAC that I would get NDT to check it on monday.
Anyway I grabbed the NDT guy as soon as he appeared on monday and when he ran his eddy current probe over the leg 'wheeee' - the needle went off the scale :)
Result was that I snagged the a/c,but who got the blame for it not being snagged earlier ?.... yup moi :) for not investigating it on friday evening LOL
We had lost 2 excellent trade managers (chiefys) during the mid 70's 'golden bowler' schemes and it certainly showed !

[vascodegama]

I have often wondered what the RAF hoped to gain from closed reporting. To my mind it simply allowed spineless tw@ts to hide behind "staff in confidence". I recall one individual who was recoursed to me when I was an ANI in the mid 80s. His blue file was full of various comments none of which were helpful. I decided to debrief him on what the staff thought about him! He was clearly unaware of what had been said but certainly changed his approach after our chat. What really concerned me though was the motives of my colleagues who had written the stuff in the first place, there was no effort to debrief him and encourage change. He appeared to be written off and the more so-called evidence the better. He didn't pass the course but at least we were able to recommend a ground branch on re-selection.

[Pontius Navigator]

vasco, we obviously met. Certainly what you have there was classic evidence building rather than training. On my first sqn our new OC, who arrived just 4 weeks earlier, called each of us in, gave us our 5000s and told us to read them. The one and only time that happened.

Some 50 years later I met an RO wg cdr with whom I had flown on his chop ride. He had used the DPA98/SAR to get hold of his 1369s and 5000s. Now what surprised him was the amount included in his files about the rest of us including me!

Having been brought up with confidentiality I have no interest in finding what the b*****s wrote about me. I do remember one wonderful debrief by my 2RO. I concluded with "Well that must be right, it is exactly what the last 2RO said last year." He went white because our lazy Spec Aircrew sqn ldr had given him the same write up as he gave his predecessor.

[NutLoose]

4. Nicking morphine from flying suit first aid kit.

I can remember similar, a VC10 EFAK ( Emergency Use First Aid Kit ) got banged about during its time on the aircraft that broke a morphing capsule.. when the med centre opened it to service it ( sealed remember ) accusations abound as to who was using / stealing Morphine... Until asked if the medic had to break the seal to gain access, he had and that was the last we heard....

Exercise on Jag Squadron, muskets returned on trolley to armoury, armoury find bayonet missing, police called, everyone interviewed / accused... They recheck trolley to find bayonet had slipped out of its slot and down the back when towed back to the armoury. No apologies.

[langleybaston]

Closed reporting was, of course, the way of the world "in those days". Open reporting in the Met. Office was intro. just as I was getting to become a 1RO, so no rude shock to me. However, those who were used to praising to high heaven or damning without redeeming features did a lot of complaining about a rush to mediocrity in reporting.
Many and wonderful were the nuances constructed around the middling boxes.
I was challenged by 2RO re. an assessment I wrote which described a forecaster as a thoroughly nice bloke. "Between ourselves, are you saying he is a poof?"
Very short of poofs, the Met.Office. Had a transvestite, though.

[Pontius Navigator]

described a forecaster as a thoroughly nice bloke.

I would have said "Terribly nice chap" meaning but not really effective.

I had colleague who fell into that category and would have been a bitter disappointment to his gp capt father-in-law.

[Old-Duffer]

I was at a remote station in the Far East in 1966/7 and had graduated from a mess with no hot water to a more up market place entirely – all things are relative – which was a series of bungalows plus a hotel style accommodation block. I had one of about eight rooms in one of the bungalows with communal ‘facilities’.

After a few weeks, I was summoned to see the PMC, who was also my squadron commander. Without inviting me to sit down, he informed me a rather brusque manner that there had been a complaint that I was playing music, late at night and loudly and that this was inconsiderate of others and had to stop forthwith. I told the PMC that it was not me, I did not know who it might be and I had not heard any undue noise. He persisted and in a tone which suggested that he had no appetite for a discussion with me, again told me to desist. I repeated that I was not the culprit, at which point he became rather acid. He became even more annoyed when I told him it couldn’t have been me as I had no radio, gramophone or tape recorder and possessed no musical instruments whatsoever. At this point I was dismissed peremptorily and thought little more of it.

However, a couple of weeks later, it was learned that another officer had been interviewed by the stash because an anonymous letter had been sent from the unit to the officer’s wife in UK, stating that her husband was – how can I put this delicately – having it off with a local civilian lady. Denials were accepted but a nasty taste remained but then it was my turn again.

An officer, leaving for UK, had been unable to sell his small motorbike and he asked me to try to sell it for him and agreed that I could use the bike during the interim. This I did for a short period when I was visited in my office by the RAF Police Sergeant who said he had received a report that I was riding an uninsured motorbike. I was able to show him the necessary documents straight away but was now beginning to wonder who was being such a sneak. I didn’t have long to wait for I was next visited by a Sergeant from Provost & Security Services to say that he had been told that I had visited a Chinese lady at her home the previous evening. I was pleased to admit that I had done so but was accompanied by several others for what was no more than a few drinks, with the lady and some others who were well known to us and others on the base.

Several other minor things happened but I wasn’t able to put my finger on who was involved. However, everything comes to he who waits and the rundown of the station brought with it a host of tasks. One of these required a purge of classified files and documents and despite the sensitivity of some of the stuff, is usually dumped on a junior officer – guess who! A usually boring chore proved anything but, particularly when the ‘privacy’ marked stuff was included. The long and the short of it was I felt certain I now knew who my tormentor was but he had already returned to UK and I was destined to a further two years of dreadful hardship, as I had wangled a tour in Hong Kong.

On my return to UK, I made some discrete enquiries about the gentleman concerned but learned that he had subsequently died and there the matter ended. There had been no long term consequences for me and the other officer’s wife was duly appeased when somebody else informed her delicately what had been going on. What remains with me, however, is why somebody should be so petty in their behaviour and I wonder whether he was just unable to cope with the circumstances of 12 months in the sun. I also wonder why the more senior staff entertained the fabrications after the first few were exposed as false. However, it was all nearly fifty years ago – frightening how time flies!

Just off to write the begging letter to the latest lottery jackpot winner – toddle pip!!

Old Duffer

[vascodegama]

Langley

I don't agree that it was the way of the world then (1980s). The rest of the world had moved on long since so why did the military take so long? To my mind the idea of the confidence was between the RO and the subject, not the chance for backstabbers to lie about people with impunity.

PN FY 85-89

[Biggus]

vasco,

While not referring direct to the system of closed reporting, I would reply to your general comment of:

"The rest of the world had moved on long since so why did the military take so long?"

With the simple answer, because it always does.

In the military pregnant women were dismissed until as late as 1990, a practice that was actually illegal by then. All employers had been able to (which didn't mean they did) dismiss women who became pregnant up until 1975, after which the law changed. So in this case the military were only 15 years behind the times. Homosexuals were also dismissed from the military up until the year 2000, well after the rest of the world had "moved on" on this issue.

The military is quite often slow to implement changes that have already occurred in "the rest of the world". This can be both a good thing, and a bad thing. The bad side includes such things as closed reporting, pregnancy, homosexuality, etc. The good side includes such things (in theory) as retaining in the military some old fashioned values such as service, loyalty, commitment, respect, etc, which have largely disappeared elsewhere.

Like most things in life, there are two sides to the argument, the issue is, where does the balance lie, is it 50/50, or does one side heavily outweigh the other?

[Biggus]

I'm not sure exactly what the point of this thread is (do threads actually need a point?). The OP asked the question:

"have any of you been wrongly accused in service?"


My reply would be as follows.

Yes.

It wasn't subsequently resolved, so my name was never cleared.

It has had a lasting effect on the rest of my career.

I got no support from my superiors, who weren't willing to stick their head above the parapet and expose themselves to any risk on my behalf.



One thing of note, in such a situation you do find out who your true friends are!

Still, such things happen in life, both inside and outside of the military. You have to take such things in perspective and move on with your life. Life's too short, and there's much more to life than just your time in the military. I like to think it hasn't made me bitter and twisted (I was probably already that :)). I would say that it's something I'll never forget, and that there are some people I'll never forgive....

[Old-Duffer]

Sorry to hog this Thread but the closed reporting system was used for almost all my time as a junior officer but began to open up later.

During my first tour, I completed the opening bits of the Form 1369 and at age 20 wasn’t really too concerned with the finer points of carving a career. However, a few weeks later my squadron commander sent for me and told me that he had completed my 1369 and had awarded me ‘a star’ for 'Tact'. ‘Thank you, Sir’ says I and off I go to my next unit without a further thought but mildly pleased with myself.

It was only the following year, when I completed the opening bits of my next Form 1369 Confidential Report, that I read the bits about officers awarded a score of three or lower for certain personal qualities (starred items) were to be so informed by their next reporting officer. It then dawned on me what my boss had meant – but then I was never overly quick on the uptake!!

Old Duffer

PS When more open reporting came along, I was assiduous in ensuring that I debriefed those on whom I reported, as thoroughly as possible. Whilst one chief tech thanked me for the most comprehensive debrief he had ever received, a squadron leader wrote me a three page rebuttal of my debrief and his wife never spoke to me again. What neither of them knew was that I had just saved the officer from being subject to an RAF Police enquiry by arguing that he had behaved unwisely but without any malice or ill intent.

I also made it clear to junior officers that, in a few years, they might enjoy the status and possible kudos of being senior officers and to remember that having to be honest and fair with one's subordinates came with the territory. If they didn't like that idea, they could always turn down the promotion!

[Tinribs]

Mr recall is that sqn Ldr from Aldergrove was found guilty of shoplifting from the NAAFI at Guto in about 74 but the finding was quashed at appeal

[tucumseh]

I'd like to publicly confess that I was CORRECTLY accused of an offence by Director General Support Management (RAF) in 1992, for which I was threatened with dismissal. My offence was to refuse a direct order to commit fraud (by making a false written declaration on financial and airworthiness matters). My only defence is that I thought I was doing right, but his ruling that (a) it was not an offence to issue the order and (b) it was an offence to disobey it, has subsequently been upheld by numerous senior staffs, including 6 Ministers. Most recently last month.

I'd like to take this opportunity to publicly apologise for my unforgivable behaviour. I hope the above senior staffs and Ministers follow my example and apologise for the deaths of Servicemen who suffered as a direct result of this policy.

Best wishes to all in 2013.

[ColinB]

I thought the point of the thread was to identify and perhaps be amused by past errors, often uncorrected.
I do wonder if as Homosexuals were also dismissed from the military up until the year 2000, well after the rest of the world had "moved on" on this issue. how people would view the outing of a famous Battle of Britain pilot? Is there a Statute of Limitations on this?

[Pontius Navigator]

Colin, you can't libel the dead.

[Tiger_mate]

Homosexuals were also dismissed from the military up until the year 2000, well after the rest of the world had "moved on" on this issue.

Foreign Office advice for travel to Jamaica (today)

Jamaica has laws which make certain homosexual acts illegal. The attitude of many Jamaicans to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex people is hostile.

PS Biggus - Me too, same story to the word.

[Pontius Navigator]

TM, on your bit about Jamaica, that is really true of most of the Caribbean and really refers to blatant sexual display. Walking down the beach with a Grenadian we passed a woman bathing topless. The lad was around 20 and clearly embarrassed by the display. On the whole they are very religious and see nudity like that as wrong; they accept things of which they don't approve as they need tourist money.

[NutLoose]

I better not go to Jamaica then, I think I'm a Lesbian, when I saw a couple at it, I had the strong urge to join in..... :E

[tucumseh]

BGG

Thanks, but I am beyond help. :ok:

I don't dwell on it (too much) but do make a point of asking every new Min(AF), via my MP, if he agrees with his predecessors' ruling. It has to be said, they are very consistent, regardless of party allegiances. If anything, their stance had hardened. After writing to the current muppet, Rowbothan, last months reply stated quite categorically that MoD would NEVER agree with me (that it should not be an offence to refuse to commit fraud). Despite a Director Internal Audit (to PUS) report supporting me, MoD (including PUS) maintain their stated view that I am the only person who thinks this. Quite bizarre. The practical effect of this policy is continuing waste on an industrial scale.

[glojo]

On a passing out parade I was the only person in our squad that was actually marching to the beat of the drum! All the other members of the squad were out of step but would anyone listenb to my pleas of innocence?

Who here seriously believes in this civilian idea of, 'Innocent until proved guilty'

I was in step with the music, my left foor moved forward after my right, my arms swung just like they should but I was still accused of being out of step...

[Arm out the window]

tucumseh, while I'm not familiar with your situation, it seems very odd that you could be vilified for refusing to obey an unlawful order.

A stupid order, maybe; but if you received an order to knowingly break the law you'd be failing in your duty if you did follow it, I'd have thought.

Back on the thread though, I once spent the night in the cells after a late boozy dining-in where instead of getting a taxi home, I thought in my fuddled state it would be best to sleep in my car outside work so I could get up a couple of hours later, have a shave and throw on a flying suit so I could turn up at morning brief on time (certainly wouldn't have attempted to do any flying though, I hasten to add.)

The elephant trackers must have seen me stumbling down to the building, and a while later I'm asleep in the back seat of my car when there's a knock on the window - "Let's see your ID." Now a bit hung over and cranky, I refuse, saying "You show me yours first." Result - hauled out of car, cuffed, in the cells with shoelaces and belt taken away.

Sheepishly ring CO ASAP in the morning, luckily for me he is an understanding type of fella!

[Pontius Navigator]

AOTW, you remind me. Couple of Lineys gave me a lift in the back of a lightweight Land Rover around the peri track to the station.

Eawe eawe and blue flashing lights and beautifully white hated plod sticks head in window and accuses my driver of speeding.

Now I had been brought up to believe that the senior person present was I/C vehicle.

"Excuse me scuffer" or words the that effect, ignored.

"Scuffer I am asking you, why have you stopped my vehicle.?"

Scuffer turns and gives baleful eye "Well he was speeding?"

"How would he know I asked? His speedo doesn't read MPH."

Bluster, bluster, course it does etc.

Scuffer then looks at dial, told it is an ex-RAFG vehicle, camp running only, and until the camp speed signs are in KPH.

Scuffer ****s off.

[AR1]

The confidential annual report was (so I'm told) quite easily viewed by removing the top of the bosses desk, thus exposing the locked upper drawer. Normally done at 2am on nights to reduce the chance of being sussed but leaving sufficient time to replace it before the day staff came in.
Obviously those that carried out the activity were more interested in what their peers had received than their own scores.

Again, I'd like to point out that I would never have done such a thing.

[GreenKnight121]

tucumseh, while I'm not familiar with your situation, it seems very odd that you could be vilified for refusing to obey an unlawful order.

A stupid order, maybe; but if you received an order to knowingly break the law you'd be failing in your duty if you did follow it, I'd have thought.

The point is that the MOD and all those ministers have decided that the order for him to commit a criminal act was a LAWFUL order!

[NutLoose]

Go tell that to the Nuremberg trials.. I thought that defence idea was well and truly squashed.

[Arm out the window]

Yep, I get the point, but having always been told that you are within your rights to refuse to follow an unlawful order (and I'm sure that being ordered to commit fraud would qualify as such), I'd think there'd have to be a good legal basis to challenge such a situation.

Going on what Tucumseh's said, that hasn't been his experience - seems like an injustice has been done and perpetuated, if that's the case.

[Tiger_mate]

There is a tonque in cheek saying that "You shag one sheep, then you are a sheep shagger for life", and this philosophy is absolutely true in the military. If you put your head above the parapet, the system will get you one way or another, and once marked, you may as well pull the yellow & black.

I have known Sqn Cdrs do exactly this after a crash in which they had no contribution whatsoever as management and leadership played no part. Yet a black mark against a previously fast track career was a show stopper. Not fair, but it is what it is, and it will not change. The post crash Mull of Kintyre debarcle is testiment to this.

Persona-none-grata is alive and well within the depths of PMA. ....and there is nether redress nor recourse, unless you get your hands on evidence :E
Which itself is only any good if you are prepared to fight your corner, and believe me: I know.

[Old-Duffer]

Whilst I might be accused of attempting to impose some sort of censorship of free speech (actually free writing) but because I wish to preserve the sense of calm debate/discussion, may I suggest that there be no further comments ON THIS THREAD of the 1994 Mull of Kintyre accident.

It will be appreciated that there remains a widely differing range of views and opinions regarding every aspect of that accident, what happened before and what emerged afterwards. In the interests of preserving the peace and not risking a major drift of the Thread, I hope this can be accepted.

Old Duffer

[dctyke]

Early 90's. Half of 1(f) Sqn under close arrest for nearly two days. Handfulls of SIB having a field day. Stn management not believing good SNCO's. Families worried sick. Boss hauled down to MOD. Then two days later telling us the incident was over and nothing else was to be said on the matter. Albercete, the incident that truly brought the sqn together as one!

[Hydromet]

Apocryphal story: Army truck driving on civilian road through military area is pulled over by civilian plod who accuses bloke in the right hand seat of speeding, which is denied, but no explanation offered. Licence asked for and shown, ticket written. Accused fronts court and explains that he was the passenger in a left-hand drive vehicle. Who was the driver? No idea sir, just someone from the transport section that I'd never met before.

[tucumseh]

Arm OTW and others

Just to be clear, the 1992 incident I quoted with DGSM(RAF) - a 2 Star - was merely the first I experienced. Hitherto, one was expected to simply follow one's legal obligation.

In January 1993, in an attempt to prevent the dismissals threatened by this AVM (the immediate subordinate of the RAF Chief Engineer) a Director Internal Audit report was commissioned (by his own staffs, most of whom were appalled at his actions). Unfortunately, DIA took 3.5 years but in June 1996 submitted it to PUS (as Chief Accounting Officer), supporting the staffs who had refused to obey the orders. PUS did nothing, the file was marked "No Further Action", and routinely destroyed after 5 years in archives. (Source - FoI request, 2007). However, DIA had been so perturbed that copies were given to those who were threatened, so that they may use it in evidence should this happen again.

It did happen again, starting in 1998, this time in MoD(PE) and then DPA. The above report was duly produced in evidence, and dismissed by another 2 Star (DGAS2 - Nimrod, Chinook etc) as "of no concern to MoD(PE)". He followed this by upholding disciplinary action for the same "offence" i.e. refusing an order to make a false written declaration. When asked, in writing, what was the greater offence, issuing the "illegal" order or disobeying it, he confirmed, in writing, only the latter was an offence. This was upheld twice (to my knowledge) by his 4 Star, the Chief of Defence Procurement and, as I said, numerous Ministers.


I note Old Duffer's comment about Mull of Kintyre. Nevertheless, it remains a classic example of the thread subject. But what is important here is the original date, 1992. One must ask what was the outcome of this policy and also study the management chain I mentioned. The two cases immediately come together, because DGSM's boss, who must surely have known his civilian staffs were under this threat, was also the man who took no action when told of the Chinook problems a mere 4 months before. Put another way, DGSM's threat (Dec 1992) could be viewed as the official AMSO/Chief Engineer reaction to being told by the Inspector of Flight Safety in Aug 1992 that the Chinook was not airworthy. His staffs then promptly jumped on anyone who raised any related matter; in my opinion, concerned that the Chinook report would become public.

Similarly, when Adam Ingram took his turn at supporting this policy in 2005, he neatly avoided an opportunity to identify the same systemic failings a year before XV230. Of course, I appreciate these Ministers are "merely" briefed by MoD staffs, but Parliamentary convention states Ministers and Staffs speak with one voice. So who, in MoD, issued these same briefings, year after year? The very same staffs who had made the rulings.

I retain all correspondence, and a few recordings of hearings, proving the above.

What was not made clear is this. If one decided to make the false declaration without being ordered to do so, is this an offence? As a result of the above rulings, I know many who knowingly do this, just to avoid the possibility of the black mark Tiger Mate speaks of. They, too, are responsible for astronomical waste and deaths.

Lots of entertaining replies to this thread, but when you've lost colleagues and friends to such actions there is a serious side. Sorry, Old Duffer, but one should never forget Mull of Kintyre. MoD are trying to, in the process sweeping the underlying issues under the carpet. The recent ruling by Min(AF) simply confirms this.

[Arm out the window]

Thanks for the detailed response, Tucumseh. More reading required for me; sounds like a can of worms to say the least.

[Old-Duffer]

No need to apologise to me, Tucumseh. Your view is as valid as anything I put down here and if this is thought to be the right place to link your own experiences with the Mull, so be it.

However, the Mull accident remains a poisoned challice with the capacity to still drive friends apart and hence my suggestion that we stay away from it in this Thread. I do not suggest for one moment that we should not discuss the Mull at all.

Old Duffer

[langleybaston]

QUOTE: removing the top of the bosses desk, thus exposing the locked upper drawer.

There was such a very large, very old, desk of a certain S Met O where the screwholes became bigger and bigger, were firstly stuffed with matchsticks, then rawlplugs, and then woodfiller, and still the desk wobbled when he leant on it.

One finally had to re-engineer the metal/ wood interface, involving an extra man on night shift to hold the contraption steady.

Just as well the weather was anticyclops and easy to brief.

Mind you, that is only what I heard, of course of course.

[sitigeltfel]

Mr recall is that sqn Ldr from Aldergrove was found guilty of shoplifting from the NAAFI at Guto in about 74 but the finding was quashed at appeal

Scene..very small Group Headquarters in deepest South Yorkshire, circa 1978.

NAAFI manager complains to CO that a boom box has been stolen from his store and accuses airmen.
CO orders that other ranks, singly accommodation is in lockdown, and everyone has to be in their rooms for a search that evening. Officers, and all married quarters exempt, from search.
Nothing is found and search extended to other ranks private vehicles.......still no result.

Three days later the boom box is found in the drum of a cement mixer, being smuggled out by civvy contractor.

A few months later the NAAFI manager complains to the CO that airmen have stopped using the store and bar, and his business has suffered badly.

[Courtney Mil]

Well, I tried to stay away from this one, but...

I was always wrongly accused of things throughout my RAF career. I NEVER did any of the following:

Late for met brief

Non-payment of Mess Bill

Flying boots with No2s in the bar on Friday night

Poisoning the Brigadier's wife with illicit hooch in the Episcopi Mess

Riding motorcycle in Squadron

Riding motorcycle in Mess

Low pass over police "piget" post in Cyprus

Burning Mess piano in Cyprus

Removing flag from Stn Cdr's car (Curly Bill) at RAF Coningsby

No, no, no. Wrongly accused. Not guilty on all all counts. Never had an appology. So unfair! And I'd like 243 other offences to be taken into consideration.

:sad:

[Pontius Navigator]

Early 90's. Half of 1(f) Sqn under close arrest for nearly two days.

Same for NLS at ISK in the 80s I believe. Customs find large bottle of Baccardi in Lacon pack after a Det to Jax. "Who did it?"

No one came forward so all accused and the bottle was finger printed and so were NLS. No match.

Frustration. They were convinced they had thwarted a mega smuggling racket of a bottle of Baccardi.

Whispers get back to Jax and someone there confesses to hiding the present in the Lacon in thanks for a great time from the NimDet.

Now I don't know if they got an apology or more likely "Next time . . . "

[Arm out the window]

I'd like to plead innocence on involvement in driving of crew van on light-gravel covered parade ground at historic air base, leaving certain circular and wavy marks due to possible over-depression of accelerator, prior to quick getaway by air.

[SirToppamHat]

I can't compete with some of the more serious examples but...

A few years ago when the RAF still owned an EMP protected bunker somewhere in Norfolk, I was making my way to the Neatishead Upper Ops Room only to find my way blocked by SLOps, who held no ops tickets and was therefore reliant on his JOs to answer even the most basic ops-related questions. He was surrounded by a bunch of guys and was demanding to know something to which I knew the answer. Having waited 20 secs or so, and with no answer forthcoming (and my way still blocked) I decided to tell him what he needed to know thinking I would then be able to get to my console before the next wave of F3s took to the skies. Neither the Q nor the A are of any import (and I can't remember what they were anyway), but his response was. He rounded on me and said in a loud and aggressive manner (in front of a bunch of ORs to boot), words to the effect of:

"The last time I asked you for advice, the answer you gave me turned out to be complete bollocks, so if you think I am going to listen to you now, you must be mad."

I had no idea what he was talking about, but excused myself and pushed through a group of people as embarassed as I was and went off to supervise the afternoon wave.

About 2 hours later, our paths crossed again (not in the Ops Room - I don't think he knew where that was). He stopped me and said: "That wasn't you, was it?" ... "No Sir," I responded. And he stomped off back up to his office. No apology, nothing; never forgave him (and tried my best never to turn into him, so perhaps it wasn't wasted).

STH

[Pontius Navigator]

Sir TH, once a cn*t always a cn*t and the reverse operation is rarely as successful.

[L J R]

....and it was not me who was driving the crew van when it rolled.

[ImageGear]

Leuchars I think, circa 1970, anyone ready to fess up yet ? :=

Imagegear

[Lyneham Lad]

Back in the dim and distant days of Vulcans & Blue Steel, Scampton was my first posting after training. After a year, all of us who had left Boy Entrant training at Saints were put on prelim warning roll for overseas posting - much excitement. One day the postings were published and the list consisted almost entirely of Muharraq (Aden was in the process of closing). Mid-way down the list was a solitary posting to Seletar - me :)

The above was to set the scene. I was a Linie on E Dispersal and my last few shifts were on nights, then I started clearing. Returning from a few jars in the Cheltenham Arms, walked into the block to be told I was wanted at work. "Don't be daft, I'm clearing and off to sunny climes". No, really, they want you up at the Dispersal. Grumblingly, I wandered up there and was wheeled into an office to be interrogated by an SIB Flt Sgt. Completely stunned (and none to sober) I sat there open-mouthed as I was accused of sabotage. My protests of innocence fell on stony ground and the usual ploy of "we know it was you, so just own up" was wheeled out. Guilty of what, I enquired. Well, you did the last A/F on aircraft xxx and all the electrical cables at the AEO station have been cut - and you did it to avoid being posted to Seletar... My somewhat hysterical laughter did not go down well. The SIB guy and his Cpl minion took it turns to try and browbeat me into admitting to the sabotage but I kept pointing out the sheer preposterousness of the accusation. At the time Scampton was something of a hell-hole and it was not unknown for people to try for a medical discharge on grounds of depression if they could not get a posting, so desperate were they to get away. They kept at me until the early hours, then let me go back to the block with strict orders to return next morning for more questioning. Luckily for me they eventually relented and left me just enough time to finish clearing. To be repeatedly accused of a major act of sabotage to avoid a posting to Singapore left me with a very dim view of the SIB.

[Pontius Navigator]

LL

dim view of the SIB

Really?

I had a couple of instances with the SIB. If they had treated me with a bit more respect things might have gone better.

Me?

My role was as the officer witness when they turned over the guy. Twice.

They just delighted on active the heavy and maintaining that wonderful 'shock of capture'. Never seemed to have heard of hard man, soft man. Strange given the number of good ones, and officers, that I have come across.

[Stuff]

LL's story reminds me of the time that I the infamous "stude for a job" tannoy went off on 208 Sqn only for me to find out it was to escort a couple of SIB investigators out to the flight line to examine a Hawk.

It transpired that a complaint had been made by a landowner that a Hawk had opened fire on the man in his landowner with its gun (I don't think I did myself any favours by laughing when they said this) and the only aircraft with a ground track anywhere close to the area in question was a Hawk T1 from 208. However, no amount of explanation or demonstration was enough to convince our intrepid duo that in order to fit and fire a gun you'd have to be in a T1A or T1W (the plain T1 lacked the wiring and weapons panel to fire the gun).

Alternative explanations such as a sudden snap turn onto the heavy buffet fell of dead ears and I spend the following hour repeatedly pointing out that if this T1 did somehow get airborne with a gun (which it couldn't fire anyway) there would be a SNOW for the fitment and no such entry existed. SIB do seem uncannily resistant to common sense.

[rats404]

Not wrongly accused, and an ex-pongo to boot, but I'd like to confess that as a sprog and the CO's standby driver (because I'd been sent on advanced and defensive driving courses), his Cavalier wasn't rear ended by some anonymous and cowardly civvie when it was parked up.

It had a significant crease put in the bumper and boot when I misjudged a practice J-turn on a deserted road and speared in backwards into a lamppost... :\

I did get away with it though...sorry Colonel Tony....

[NutLoose]

I had a run in with them in Germany, I had already cleared the Station and on my last night got drunk out on the town, picked up and got a free taxi ride back in a white Range Rover, night in a cell. I was erm seeing a German woman at the time, mainly as good friends, totally unrelated to the RAF...
SIB interviewed me, who was she.... Wouldn't tell.... We will find her.... Go right ahead, there are millions to pick from.... Did you discuss work..... No I wouldn't want to bore her to death..... You find work boring?.... No, I just find better things to talk about with women etc..... Posting delayed a day while they interviewed me... My career was over blah blah blah.
Posted back to the UK, arrive at unit, told I was being promoted but need to sign on.... :ok: saw him once more getting off a Ten, tapped the new rank badges on my shoulder and laughed at the Muppet.

[Tashengurt]

Happily had no run ins with SIB. Always found the RAFP to be petty vindictive buffoons though. Pretty hopeless too. When my locker was broken into for some section funds being held there they couldn't even manage to check the key register to see who the only person to book the keys out over a bank holiday weekend was.
I was also pulled up for failing to drive the guard force Land Rover through the search lanes and using a short cut designated only for the Staish and OC Ops. I spent an entire day hearing "You're gonna be charged. You're not gonna be charged." until I finally recieved a bollocking from a weasel of a Provost. Ridiculous considering the Landy was in 24-7 use by armed guards whilst the OC's cars were parked outside their houses in the middle of nowhere.

[NutLoose]

First involvement with them 76 when WRAF dissapeared leaving everything in room, nationwide search, on news, bus driver saw her, train driver saw her blah blah blah, we searched all of Saints, and i mean all, hangar roofs, complete airfield, drains, heating ducts etc..... eventually found shacked up in some airman's room.

2nd time Germany, seat drogue chute found disconnected on Wing Co's jet, everyone interviewed, never resolved and to be honest I couldn't see anyone on the Squadron doing it. I think it had been missed in the bay.

3rd time Germany, the missing Bayonet that wasn't.

4th time Germany, when the Police block behind ours burnt down while we were partying next door.

5th time Leaving Germany..

[zetec2]

I had a run in at Wildenrath late 60's with the RAF plods & SIB, accused of trading my fuel coupons at a local garage (Willy Ottens) for spotlamps, spares etc, I got the heavy treatment, end of career, Colchester, send wife & children home, consficate car etc, etc, if only they had checked, I was in the UK on leave at time of said offences, not even my fuel coupons, signature on them quite clearly another airman who had long gone , never did hear the outcome but again never got any apology, I lived in quarters & had an RAF plod in the same block I still think it was him , just sheer vindictiveness as he was a right nasty piece of work who we all tended to ignore, shame as his wife was a lovely lady, if you are out there FRED you know it will come back to haunt you !!!! Paul H.

[Old-Duffer]

In a warm and wet location ‘out east’, we were allowed recreation runs to the local town. The basics were a J2 minibus or LWB landrover took a group of mates into town and the driver had to be a non-drinker for the evening, an arrangement that worked well.

On the evening in question, I was the driver (and at that time a Fg Off) and we were a mixed group of officers and SNCOs in the vehicle. We went for a Chinese meal and duly set off back to camp, having had an enjoyable evening all round.

As I drove along a particular road, an RMP landrover from the garrison police went the other way and I thought no more about it until we pulled up at the Sgts Mess to drop off the NCOs. You guessed it – the RMP landrover pulled in behind me and a police NCO appeared at the driver’s door. The exchange which followed went something like this.

RMP Corporal: “You were speeding and driving recklessly and I’m charging you”.

Me: “I don’t think I was doing either Corporal and it would have been difficult for you to have gained a reliable idea of my vehicle’s speed, when travelling in the opposite direction”.

RMP Corporal: “Right, get out the vehicle, I’m arresting you for speeding, reckless driving and insubordination to an NCO”.

Voice from rear of the vehicle (actually Flight Lieutenant DFM and now admin officer): “Corporal, before you make a complete arse of yourself, get him (me) to show you his 1250” (RAF identity card).

RMP Corporal: “Show me your ID and work ticket” (latter is army phrase for RAF Form 658).

Both duly produced, followed by moment’s silence, followed by rather sheepish: “I shall have to report this to my superiors, Sir, for their decision on what action to take, Sir, goodnight Sir”. Impeccable salute follows and RMP disappears into the night.

It’s now about 46 years ago and I still haven’t heard anything – perhaps I’ve got away with it! But then, the Corporal had no powers of arrest over me unless I was involved in an affray or he was under the orders of a provost officer.

Old Duffer

[mike rondot]

It was unkind of us and it was schoolboy humour but it was considered a hugely funny thing to do at Bruggen in the 1980s...

When challenged by dog handlers to show our ID, the F1250 would be shown to the dog...

[Chugalug2]

Taking a chance weren't you, M R? He might have released his handler...
Hat, Coat, I know the way thanks.

[Old-Duffer]

During Film Nights on Gan in the '60s, the show would start with a short test clip to 'tune in' the projector. The clip was of an RAF Police dog and its handler.

As soon as it came on there would be a chorus of yells: 'Spot the dog', to which the response was; 'On the right'!

[Pontius Navigator]

In 70s in Masirah there were film nights in one of the huts run by those stalwart boys with the white hats.

I was told about one film (honest I wasn't there) on two matelots on a settee with a young (well not that young - well not even mistakenly young) with one matelot trying the do the bizz, before Viagra for you young 'uns. The other matelot, much younger, looks to see what is happening, then leans the other way, over the side of the settee and up chucks.

Class.

The décor was unmistakably Maltese as was the not so young lady (I was told).