Originally Posted by
Chugalug2
An interesting thread that rather confirms my theory that the only leaders required by the Royal Air Force are to be found behind the station gates. I was fortunate in my time to have some excellent bosses but to be fair I had little or no contact with the various Station Commanders involved, with exception of one at RAF Fairford. His incompetence was not only clear to we low life but to the CoC also, and he was summarily moved on and replaced.
Outside of the Station Gates the RAF is a bureaucracy which wants conformity to approved policy rather than people persons. As others have pointed out this was not the case with the ex-WWII VSOs who filled the appointments in my day. We had Mickey Martin as an AOC. Renowned for slipping his minders on an AOCs Inspection to find crew rooms and tea bars where he could find what the real issues were rather than those told him by his staff! Normal service resumed though with their post war replacements.
Yes,
Mickey Martin was a top bloke. Staish at Nicosia c. 1963. Roamed the station unaccompamied and cadged fags off everyone he engaged with. "Personal Brief" in Met involved a cigarette and genuine Turkish Coffee brewed by our Cypriot observers. I knew nothing of dam-busting exploits at the time: he just exuded good character. Said to be best low-flying bomber pilot of the war. Our old Hastings must have seemed a bit tame.