Obituary: Sir Peter Harding

[BATCO]

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Peter Harding, has died aged 87. He served as the RAF’s Chief of the Air Staff before being appointed in 1992 as Chief of the Defence Staff, the most senior British military post. Fifteen months later he resigned, however, following the exposure by the tabloid press of his affair with the wife of a former Conservative MP.

[treadigraph]

Daily Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2021/08/22/marshal-raf-sir-peter-harding-charismatic-imposing-chief-defence/) - might need to register to view.

[MPN11]

Met him a couple of times in a social setting. Seemed nice, but clearly not blessed with good social judgement … which, sadly, is how he will be forever remembered.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Harding_(RAF_officer,_born_1933)

I couldn't fail to notice that DASB was already an established route to Air Rank, as it was for a few mates of mine!

[langleybaston]

Doing the honourable thing these days is so old-fashioned. Sir Peter did a good job for his country.

If he were French, a bit on the side would have added to his CV of course.

[vascodegama]

LB

That is all very well but many Officers had their careers :mad: for the same thing so he had to go.

[Davef68]

I think that leaves Sir David Craig as the only surviving person to have served as MRAF.

[212man]

Daily Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2021/08/22/marshal-raf-sir-peter-harding-charismatic-imposing-chief-defence/) - might need to register to view.

True, but it takes a second or two for the text to be hidden and the 'Register/Login' box to appear. A trick I have found is that as soon as the page opens you can use 'CTRL A', 'CTRL C' then paste it into a Word doc and read the full contents

[Warmtoast]

Having read his obituary in todays Times (and very racy it is too!) it has a picture of him (same picture as in the Wiki entry) showing his wings and underneath two medal ribbons, the GSM and an unknown red one.
For a very senior officer just two medals earned during his career seems rather odd. Any views on this?

WT. A humble airman who only gained the GSM with clasp Malaya during 12-years of service.

[charliegolf]

Order of Bath, the red one.

[Davef68]

If you consider that between 1945 and 2000 the UK only issued 4 campaign medals outside of the GSM (Korea, Rhodesia, South Atlantic, Gulf), it's not an untypical Cold War list, especially as the Silver Jubilee medal (unlike Golden and Diamond) was a limited distribution

[AnglianAV8R]

"If he were French, a bit on the side would have added to his CV of course."

I didn't realise John Major was French

[langleybaston]

The Cold War Warriors [at least the British ones] were and are very light on gongs. Better to be bare-breasted than incinerated, and for those many who had overseas tours, there were certainly compensations that outweighed any campaign medal.

The small support groups of specialists who deployed just about wherever there was an RAF detachment hoovered up all manner of NATO and foreign awards.in some very nasty and dangerous places. A friend who was in the Mobile Met. Unit has no fewer than ten, plus the Air Efficiency. A very small number also had S Atlantic and the odd honour. That's a lorralorra medals. Of course the downside for the Met Office as such was having to backfill the holes that these sudden deployments caused. S Met Os really did not want an MMU volunteer on their books ........... here today, gone tomorrow..

[Finningley Boy]

Interesting to note that the chap who pursued the story about Sir Peter's alleged relationship with Lady Bienvenida Buck, was one Max Clifford!

[SpringHeeledJack]

Sir Peter Harding's Lovechild used to be a prolific poster on PPrune a few years back,

[Mr N Nimrod]

Having read his obituary in todays Times (and very racy it is too!) it has a picture of him (same picture as in the Wiki entry) showing his wings and underneath two medal ribbons, the GSM and an unknown red one.
For a very senior officer just two medals earned during his career seems rather odd. Any views on this?

WT. A humble airman who only gained the GSM with clasp Malaya during 12-years of service.
I thought The Times obituary was a bit of a hatchet job, unnecessarily digging up the scandal that brought his career to an end. He had clearly achieved a great deal ahead of that.

didn’t know him, we moved in very different circles

[ShyTorque]

I met him a couple of times. He visited our UAS and made a point of addressing all the students. He told them that that in their future careers, whichever branch they joined, his advice was to take every opportunity to fly, in any aircraft they could.

I took him at his word. While he went to lunch, I persuaded his pilot of the day, an ex colleague of mine, to let me have a go in his Gazelle helicopter and we spent half an hour of GH on the airfield. Embarrassingly, this left him short of fuel and we had no Jet A-1 on site so they had to make an unscheduled stop at a local civvie airfield to get some! :O

[langleybaston]

Very senior Officers' chopper pilots can be touchy. As in RAFG c. 1981.
This S/Ldr rang me on a very busy night shift for a route forecast eastwards from JHQ [Wegberg? ] ,not an emergency except that he had forgotten to book it.. We never worked to rule, but the "rule" was 2 hours notice, agreed by all and sundry.
He was unamused to be told that he was in a shortish queue, but would get what he wanted well before doors closed..
After some threats and abuse {"do you know who I am?"] crashed around my head I said "Ring back in half an hour Sunshine". Which he did.

The pilot eventually complained to AO C in C who complained to SASO who complained to CMetO who had me on the carpet...Apparently the problem was "sunshine".
At zero dark forty he was lucky I didn't call him w@nker. C Met O had a sense of humour so it wasn't a career-defining moment..

Except that for the rest of my time at JHQ I was known as Sunshine.

[Asturias56]

"unnecessarily digging up the scandal that brought his career to an end"

but reading it without that information would have left a really big gap - as in "why did he quit when at the top?"

An Obit. is meant to inform, warts and all, without being a total hatchet job

[RickOmo]

Doing the honourable thing these days is so old-fashioned. Sir Peter did a good job for his country.

If he were French, a bit on the side would have added to his CV of course.

I totally agree with you.

I had the honour to serve under him as a Wessex pilot in 18 Squadron for 2 years from ‘68 - Odiham, Acklington & Gutersloh. I left the RAF & 18Sqn, Feb’72.
Peter Harding, was the finest Leader of Men, that I have ever encountered, in my very varied careers. The loss to Britain of this brilliant military mind and the very best of the best Leader of men, is huge. The small minded, outdated and nondescript idiots that let him go, have not found a replacement of his calibre since. My sentiments I know, are shared by most of my fellow officers of the time. RIP, my Captain my Captain.
Our thoughts are with you Shiela & family.
Rick & Sally O’Molony

[charliegolf]

The alternate view of the VSO's pilot... Me and my junior pilot pilot were tasked to collect a one-star from somewhere, take him to Wegberg strip, wait while did his stuff, and return. We hung around, and soon enough the one-star appeared, as did a spot of crap weather. "I can't hang around here all day, let's go, it's fine!", along with some really inappropriate pressure on my JP- he really wasn't letting it go- all but being mocking in tone.

JP plays it really polite, before delivering a magnificent boot to the nads. "Sir, I am the captain of this aircraft, and with the greatest respect, we will depart when I consider the weather appropriate, and not before." Brilliant, I thought. VSO fell silent.

CG

We didn't ring Langley, he was on a 2 hour turnaround!:ok:

[langleybaston]

Fair enough! As I said, the 2 hours notice was scorned by the customers and the forecasters ........ whatever else were we there for but to provide forecasts? I only ever worked with one work-to-rule man, and he did not thrive, no S Met O wanted him around.

The background to the Sunshine episode [I know, never complain, never explain .....] was simply this. Every night we prepared a "Standard Area Forecast" for transmission by BFBS at [I think] 0600. It was for the many 1BR Corps choppers and light aircraft scattered all over N Germany on little pads and strips, and often in a field with just a box-body, a tent and a bowser. This forecast was a top priority, and it took a fair amount of time to prepare, and a fair time to read by BFBS.
The only higher priority [apart from warnings] was the NW Europe Sig Weather forecast which was, essentially, the Group guidance for the forecasters in the Clutch, at Gutersloh and Detmold, and also looked Eastwards for Armageddon.

Both the above were prepared AS LATE AS POSSIBLE to take advantage of the latest data and the phone-ins from troops in the field. Thus the Sunshine episode

Regards

​​​​​​​Sunshine.

[ShyTorque]

Langley, I remember listening to those forecasts on BFPS. I also remember how poor the winter weather could be on the North German Plain, for weeks at a time……

I once arrived at an exercise deployment field location on top of a low hill, in very poor visibility and cold low cloud only to be told almost immediately by a certain flight commander to get airborne again and do a local area weather check! I told him that without getting airborne again that the weather was barely flyable and was getting worse.

A squadron colleague of mine then volunteered to do an airborne check, making me look a bit stupid and in an obvious attempt to elevate the Boss’s opinion of him. He took off, lifted to the hover and almost immediately disappeared into very low cloud. He had to climb to Safety Altitude and divert to Gutersloh and was unable to get back to the field site for 36 hours! I didn’t look quite so stupid then, at least in the eyes of said Flt. Cdr.

[steamchicken]

Very senior Officers' chopper pilots can be touchy. As in RAFG c. 1981.
This S/Ldr rang me on a very busy night shift for a route forecast eastwards from JHQ [Wegberg? ] ,not an emergency except that he had forgotten to book it.. We never worked to rule, but the "rule" was 2 hours notice, agreed by all and sundry.
He was unamused to be told that he was in a shortish queue, but would get what he wanted well before doors closed..
After some threats and abuse {"do you know who I am?"] crashed around my head I said "Ring back in half an hour Sunshine". Which he did.

The pilot eventually complained to AO C in C who complained to SASO who complained to CMetO who had me on the carpet...Apparently the problem was "sunshine".
At zero dark forty he was lucky I didn't call him w@nker. C Met O had a sense of humour so it wasn't a career-defining moment..

Except that for the rest of my time at JHQ I was known as Sunshine.

Well, you had provided him with a weather forecast...

[skua]

It is worth noting that Flatiron, who used to post a bit here, has today had an addendum to Harding's orginal obit published in today's Times, which sets out to lay emphasis on his service skills rather than his eye for the ladies.

[itsnotthatbloodyhard]

It is worth noting that Flatiron, who used to post a bit here, has today had an addendum to Harding's orginal obit published in today's Times, which sets out to lay emphasis on his service skills rather than his eye for the ladies.

Please try to stay on topic. This is a thread about Met stories.

[Red Line Entry]

I understand, and indeed admire, Rick’s defence of a man he respected and liked. However, Peter Harding’s actions within the mores of the time significantly hurt the reputation of the British military in general and the RAF in particular.

What is worse is that he was the man ultimately responsible for the disciplinary action being taken at the time against subordinates who had behaved in a similar fashion. Such utter hypocrisy is not the mark of a leader who deserves respect.

[kintyred]

I understand, and indeed admire, Rick’s defence of a man he respected and liked. However, Peter Harding’s actions within the mores of the time significantly hurt the reputation of the British military in general and the RAF in particular.

What is worse is that he was the man ultimately responsible for the disciplinary action being taken at the time against subordinates who had behaved in a similar fashion. Such utter hypocrisy is not the mark of a leader who deserves respect.

Worth noting too that he issued the first edition of “Ethos, Core Values and Standards of the RAF”. As you say, hypocrisy.

[Lordflasheart]

.“Ethos, Core Values and Standards of the RAF”.

Didn't Lord Trenchard initiate that admirable and noble concept ? .
Did
In ye olden days when PVR stood for 'Instant stoppage of Flying and Flying Pay and a posting to two years night duty in the nearest Command Bunker' before actually being allowed to leave, I admired the chutzpah of those who discovered and exercised the instantly effective counter gambit. :E

Was Sir PH merely trying to expedite his PVR ?

LFH
...

[RickOmo]

Doing the honourable thing these days is so old-fashioned. Sir Peter did a good job for his country.

If he were French, a bit on the side would have added to his CV of course.

From Rick O’Molony: I had the honour to serve as an officer, flying the Wessex with him being Squadron Commander of 18 Squadron, ‘68 - ‘70, Odiham, Acklington and Gutersloh.
Finest Leader of Men, I have ever encountered in my varied careers. He was the Best of the best, as a military leader. Commanding presence, brilliant, innovative mind. His single emotional indiscretion, cost the British Services a major loss of one of it’s most brilliant minds and leaders of his era. History is littered with heroes and famous leaders that had illicit affairs of the heart in their lives, but few were discarded as callously as this towering leader of men - Sir Peter - my Captain my Captain. Most of my fellow RAF Officers and men that served under him, carry the same sentiments that I do.

[Red Line Entry]

Oh Rick, give it a rest! An ‘affair of the heart’ - really? So following his heart, Peter Harding gave up his career voluntarily to settle down with his finally-discovered soulmate, enabling them to spend the rest of their years in a loving relationship. What a sweet and uplifting story…

Sir Peter was thinking with an organ all right, but it wasn’t his heart!

[Asturias56]

To quote a better writer than me:-

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Caesar.

[Barksdale Boy]

At least he took her to the Dorchester.

[dctyke]

At least he took her to the Dorchester.

was he on ‘actuals’ 😉

[vascodegama]

Surely one ceiling looks very much like another!

Personally I would say it doesn't matter how good a leader he was-if he didn't follow the rules of behaviour (in this case shagging a married woman) he needed to go. I remember it well-a number of people whom I knew who had been 'dealt with" were ready with letters to send to the PM in the event that he had not been 1021'd. Only question I would have is who would write it?

[langleybaston]

Surely one ceiling looks very much like another!

mirrors?

[DC10RealMan]

It was lucky that you didn't have to send your letter to the present PM as he would have wanted " a piece of the action"

[brakedwell]

It was lucky that you didn't have to send your letter to the present PM as he would have wanted " a piece of the action"

He has probably been there already!

[Whenurhappy]

In August 1991 Sir Peter Harding was flown down to an international sporting event which had a significant RAF involvement in it (and I was team manager at this stage). I met him off the helicopter (well, a Gp Capt did and I stood behind him) and he was accompanied by a women who was not his wife. He seemed quite animated around her. The Gp Capt, looking a bit flustered explained she was a researcher 'from the House of Commons' and not to mention it. Similarly, the woman in question was kept out of the publicity photos.

I can't remember if it was Lady Buck, when the scandal broke several years later, but I often wondered who this much younger woman was, and why she was being taken to official events.