(Rescued from "Pilot's Brevet"....... Danny got it wrong - again !)
MPN11 (#271)
Welcome home !
The story of your various contretemps with Higher Authority are typical. I have on occasion had to rebuke a young officer for diving in to solve a disciplinary matter, or a dereliction of duty by an airman, on his own, when the correct thing to have done was to bring in the NCO concerned to deal with it. (And, to put it mildly, if there's any shouting or "effin' n' blindin'" to be done, your NCO is the man to do it).
NCOs (I was one for 12 months) hate being "left out of the loop" like this . it undermines their authority. I always kept in mind a story from my father. His Company was on the march in France (WWI). They were marching "at ease" and becoming rowdy, but not unduly so. The Captain became irritated. But instead of ordering my father to "quieten the men down, Sergeant" (which my father was well able to do), he bawled at the men himself. The troops were shocked, my father felt useless, and it did nothing to improve the trust which should always exist between his officer and himself.
...Another OC Ops [elsewhere] used to come and 'hide' in my office, drinking my freshly-brewed filter coffee...
(Was it Rombouts ?)
and
...Indeed, my SASO also did that at HQ 11 Gp, hiding from the AOC ... and he also used to raid my box of cigars. I always felt I provided some form of 'Social Services'...
I would suspect their motives ! (Indeed, I would suspect yours, did I not know that you were already at the top of the greasy pole of the Branch) "Fresh brewed filter coffee" ? "Box of cigars" ? How do I get a posting to your outfit ? It can't get much better than that !
And there was me, gasping for a cuppa, as yet another intake of baby Hoskinses reached Controlled Descent phase and heaped up far over my grizzled head (the while wailing: "I got it up here - now
you get me down !")
(your #8960),
Buttons, Trousers - Escapers for the Use Of.
The "pivot" button was a good idea. But you would need a fairly level surface. Can't remember them. Our button had to be hung on a bit of thread. Now that I come to think about it, I agree that the tiny luminous spot was on the
outside flange of the button. But surely that was wrong ? If the "goons" got the slightest hint of the idea, all they would have to to do would be to parade the prisoners in a dark room, switch out the lights - and look for glow-worms !
