4 greens I digress again.
I've often asked myself the same question. The particular ship then in question...had been on continuous hard on flying ops for 3 full years and was approaching refit. Perhaps a feeling the ships company were under valued against the very visible performance of the CAG. Certainly noticeable how fed up alot of the JRs actually were, with many PVR cases and a strong disillusionment with the running of the ship.(This became very apparent when we had the carol service later on in the after Hangar, a lot of the ships company visibly worse for drink - closest I've ever seen a ship lose control of itself in all my many years).
It was a different world to now. The Fleet MAA, Commander, Captain were very uncompromising people and very old school. No wrens at sea then - Junior Rates were kept under a hard hand - it was more borstal at times than happy ship.
Maybe CAGs are just the people other people love to hate? Perhaps a lot of people were very unhappy with their lot? Perhaps people looked to the aircrew and CAG with some resentful envy, or the cause for their hard work? That was my first ever deployment and it taught me a lot.
ex matelot on another ship we, as Junior Rates Airmen (Squadron) were utterly treat with contempt by the Senior Rates and some of the Officers of the ship concerned. Another grim episode yours truly endured for a lot of years! I think that was simply down the the workings of that ship - ie how hard it was to keep it ticking over. For example, if the MEs wanted to access the engine spaces via the access lifts port and stbd side of the Hangar, this inevitably meant a hangarshuffle, possibly even ranging aircraft to the deck during flying ops. This is a difficult thing to do, as I'm sure you are aware - difficult to tie together. The grief we, as simple movers used to get from many of the ME seniors was, I recall unacceptable. But that's life at the bottom.
That was another ship where any aviation cock up was gleefully laughed at. Truthfully I am glad I am well out of it now.