I vaguely recall that there was a short-lived Officers Confidential Reporting system between the F1369 and OJAR. F6500 (?) or similar I think. Anyway, Spectre 150 was working in a busy staff job for a 1RO who was destined for, and achieved, VSO status. The new reporting system was based on a new numbering system which the 1RO rigorously applied - unfortunately not in my favour. The list of low numbers looked very stark but I had little time to suck my teeth and protest as the 1RO was posted and walking out of the door on a Friday afternoon. But I had faith in the system, the 2RO was there to provide an element of 'checks and balances' and all would be well in the end.
When the 2RO read from his narrative that Spectre 150 'lacked the intellectual rigour to mark him out from his peers' I knew I was doomed. What came as a bigger surprise, and a most welcome one, was when the 3RO Air Officer called me in - he was a fearsome man with a reputation to match - instead of cutting me off at the knees and throwing me out of the HQ as I expected, after asking what I thought of my annual assessment, proceeded to metaphorically tear it up and threw me a lifeline in the form of a 6 month deferral and a new report from my new incoming 1RO.
This was all in the days of open reporting - wonder how it would have panned out in the old closed book system.