Apocryphal SWO stories out there.......
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FS "Sid" Riley, SWO at Sharjah 1963. Great bloke who got on with everyone, Jamaican and very firm but fair. His successor was another FS whose name escapes me. It was his very first overseas tour in nearly 30 years of RAF service and at 7am (official start time) on his first day of duty he aimed to make an impression, strutting around in his starched KD shirt & shorts wearing his SD cap, reprimanding folk left right & centre. By mid-day he was in SSQ with heat stroke and severe sunburn. For the rest of his time he kept a low profile.
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A little off thread but certainly apocryphal.
Wondered what became of the Ex Squipper WO in the Support Authority at Wyton who took the SWO job at a certain fighter station in Scotland in around 2008/9. He had personal motives for doing so and I did not blame him for wanting to return home to his family. I think they may have been short of volunteers north of the border. He certainly lost a lot of friends amongst the Squipper JNCOs and SNCOs for having his Squipper WO post disestablished hence cut off their career progression. I guess this may have happened sooner or later anyway. It was a toss up between a few posts in the section during the proposed cuts but he really made the decision so easy.
Frankly he was a bully. I am not sure if he would have made a good SWO but I am not qualified to judge. He was not a very good squipper. He was a good beer drinker and fun to be around at times. I would not have taken him on detachment as he was so self centred.
Just wondered how it turned out for him. No names no pack drill.
Wondered what became of the Ex Squipper WO in the Support Authority at Wyton who took the SWO job at a certain fighter station in Scotland in around 2008/9. He had personal motives for doing so and I did not blame him for wanting to return home to his family. I think they may have been short of volunteers north of the border. He certainly lost a lot of friends amongst the Squipper JNCOs and SNCOs for having his Squipper WO post disestablished hence cut off their career progression. I guess this may have happened sooner or later anyway. It was a toss up between a few posts in the section during the proposed cuts but he really made the decision so easy.
Frankly he was a bully. I am not sure if he would have made a good SWO but I am not qualified to judge. He was not a very good squipper. He was a good beer drinker and fun to be around at times. I would not have taken him on detachment as he was so self centred.
Just wondered how it turned out for him. No names no pack drill.
SWO's from NCA a mistake IMO, a SWO needs to come from the lowest ranks, having worked his way up and experiencing the whole system.
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In my time, the SWO was a product of the GD trade group. They were the result of a great many shifts spent as Guardroom staff and Drill instructors.
Service knowledge, drill, dress and behaviour standards to be upheld, were the core of the job.
Mind you that was a long time ago, when Station Commanders had to be Pilots, except for OC Shawbury & JATCRU posts.
Service knowledge, drill, dress and behaviour standards to be upheld, were the core of the job.
Mind you that was a long time ago, when Station Commanders had to be Pilots, except for OC Shawbury & JATCRU posts.
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Apologies if he has already been referred to but one who stands out in my memory is WO Ireland who was CWO at Sleaford Tech in 1979 when I was on 36 IOT. Subsequently bumped into him again at Laarparts in 1981 - a rock and a tough one at that but was great fun to be with socially. Had his share of personal tragedies - son killed in NI on active duty.
We took the seniors out for drinks before graduation and he noticed my non regulationary neckline hair cut - he warned me that he would find me the next day. At the Sqn pre-grad phot and just as I thought I had got away with it, felt this pace stick going up the back of my neck: 'What do you think you are doing at dinner today Mr Bladdered' , 'not much Mr Ireland', 'well the station barber is expecting you Mr B and your f.....g late, move.......'.
We took the seniors out for drinks before graduation and he noticed my non regulationary neckline hair cut - he warned me that he would find me the next day. At the Sqn pre-grad phot and just as I thought I had got away with it, felt this pace stick going up the back of my neck: 'What do you think you are doing at dinner today Mr Bladdered' , 'not much Mr Ireland', 'well the station barber is expecting you Mr B and your f.....g late, move.......'.
Airpolice
The SWO at Cottesmore circa 1972 was an ex Air Gunner - very nice guy 
and undoubtedly he had transferred to GD to remain in the RAF.
Replaced by Jack Holt LOL - a different sort of SWO (although he actually was quite a nice guy too )
In my time, the SWO was a product of the GD trade group. They were the result of a great many shifts spent as Guardroom staff and Drill instructors.
and undoubtedly he had transferred to GD to remain in the RAF.
Replaced by Jack Holt LOL - a different sort of SWO (although he actually was quite a nice guy too )
longer ron
Similarly I think the SWO at Gaydon 1966, when Nav' School was there, was a former pilot of "Continental Irish" extraction or Polish to younger readers.
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My SWO must be nameless, but here is a tale of how I upset one:
" Danny goes against the flow".
The Station had got a new SWO. New brooms sweep clean: this chap was no exception. He thought that we needed sharpening-up (so we did, but that was the way we liked it). He and his side-kicks descended on the airmen's barrack block one morning; everyone who hadn't at least one leg on the ground at 0710 was "on a fizzer". All the Units and Sections were caught in this sweep, my share was two NS airmen.
Now Reveille (Tannoy) was at 0700. But (as in most places, I should imagine), if you were on parade (boots and buttons shining), or at your place of work at 0800, and your bedspace was tidy and bed properly made up, it was no business but your own if you'd skipped breakfast for the sake of an extra half-hour's "kip".
As they'd all been booked together, all the Orderly Rooms were held at the same time. Together with the other three Adjutants, I'd cleared my desk, put on my flat 'at and assumed an appropriately stern expression. Then I thought about the charges a little. Could Reveille really be construed as an order to leap out of bed before the last notes had died away ? How about 0705 (or 0702) ? Now if the Room Corporal (or the SWO for that matter) had ordered the chaps out of bed, and they had not complied, it would be open and shut. But as it was ?
I got the Room Corporal in. Had he given any such order ? No, sir, he had not. Sir came to the conclusion (rightly or wrongly) that no offence had been committed. I dismissed both charges, much to the amazement of everybody on the station. But of course, it didn't stop there.
The other three Adjs had followed habit and automatically dished out 3-7 days CB according to taste (and the crime sheets). It made them look fools, their airmen were justifiably aggrieved. The SWO was livid, went to the Station Commander and demanded my head on a platter. It was not long before the expected summons came.
By that time I'd prepared my defence. Pari passu, if this had been a Court Martial offence, and the Prosecution had gone to court on such slender evidence, the Prosecuting Officer would have been thrown out on his ear, with stinging comment from the Deputy Judge Advocate. Why should a lesser standard of justice prevail because it was a trivial offence and I was merely a Subordinate Commander ? This was unanswerable and Daw fell back on Kant's Categorical Imperative: "what would happen if everybody did it ?" Respectfully, I pointed out that everybody had been doing it, and the Station had been jogging along all right, as far as anyone could see.
We agreed to differ on that one; not for the first time I thanked the Lord that, in taking away my Career, the RAF had thrown away the only stick it had to beat me with. Daw reflected with bitter satisfaction that my Tour would end in a month or two. The SWO would have said "Amen" to that - it's amazing how much venom and dumb-insolence an experienced W.O. can put into a "Sir" (on the rare occasions when we subsequently met).
I became an overnight hero to my chaps. David had slain Goliath, St.George had speared the Dragon, I was Robin Hood to the SWO's Sheriff of Nottingham. David Brown (my Auxiliary CO, who'd backed me throughout) was quietly amused. My unit pay cheque fiasco (earlier in the year) was quite forgiven.
It only remains to wrap-up RAF Thornaby and the Auxiliaries.
Goodnight again, chaps
Danny42C
All good things come to an end.
" Danny goes against the flow".
The Station had got a new SWO. New brooms sweep clean: this chap was no exception. He thought that we needed sharpening-up (so we did, but that was the way we liked it). He and his side-kicks descended on the airmen's barrack block one morning; everyone who hadn't at least one leg on the ground at 0710 was "on a fizzer". All the Units and Sections were caught in this sweep, my share was two NS airmen.
Now Reveille (Tannoy) was at 0700. But (as in most places, I should imagine), if you were on parade (boots and buttons shining), or at your place of work at 0800, and your bedspace was tidy and bed properly made up, it was no business but your own if you'd skipped breakfast for the sake of an extra half-hour's "kip".
As they'd all been booked together, all the Orderly Rooms were held at the same time. Together with the other three Adjutants, I'd cleared my desk, put on my flat 'at and assumed an appropriately stern expression. Then I thought about the charges a little. Could Reveille really be construed as an order to leap out of bed before the last notes had died away ? How about 0705 (or 0702) ? Now if the Room Corporal (or the SWO for that matter) had ordered the chaps out of bed, and they had not complied, it would be open and shut. But as it was ?
I got the Room Corporal in. Had he given any such order ? No, sir, he had not. Sir came to the conclusion (rightly or wrongly) that no offence had been committed. I dismissed both charges, much to the amazement of everybody on the station. But of course, it didn't stop there.
The other three Adjs had followed habit and automatically dished out 3-7 days CB according to taste (and the crime sheets). It made them look fools, their airmen were justifiably aggrieved. The SWO was livid, went to the Station Commander and demanded my head on a platter. It was not long before the expected summons came.
By that time I'd prepared my defence. Pari passu, if this had been a Court Martial offence, and the Prosecution had gone to court on such slender evidence, the Prosecuting Officer would have been thrown out on his ear, with stinging comment from the Deputy Judge Advocate. Why should a lesser standard of justice prevail because it was a trivial offence and I was merely a Subordinate Commander ? This was unanswerable and Daw fell back on Kant's Categorical Imperative: "what would happen if everybody did it ?" Respectfully, I pointed out that everybody had been doing it, and the Station had been jogging along all right, as far as anyone could see.
We agreed to differ on that one; not for the first time I thanked the Lord that, in taking away my Career, the RAF had thrown away the only stick it had to beat me with. Daw reflected with bitter satisfaction that my Tour would end in a month or two. The SWO would have said "Amen" to that - it's amazing how much venom and dumb-insolence an experienced W.O. can put into a "Sir" (on the rare occasions when we subsequently met).
I became an overnight hero to my chaps. David had slain Goliath, St.George had speared the Dragon, I was Robin Hood to the SWO's Sheriff of Nottingham. David Brown (my Auxiliary CO, who'd backed me throughout) was quietly amused. My unit pay cheque fiasco (earlier in the year) was quite forgiven.
It only remains to wrap-up RAF Thornaby and the Auxiliaries.
Goodnight again, chaps
Danny42C
All good things come to an end.
Last edited by Danny42C; 21st Jun 2016 at 17:20. Reason: Duplicared Text.
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A.O.C's parade, Waddington late 70's. 9 and 50 Sqdns form one rank due to lack of men. Tremblerman is standing next to a corporal from 50 who is renowned for marching everywhere in a number 1 converted to a number 2 and a chip bag hat. A.O.C. a South African gentleman ( Lagerfeldt I think) stops opposite said corporal and compliments him on his outstanding turnout and asks " And what is your ambition in this man's Airforce Corporal?".
Instant response " To roll a cigarette with one hand SIR!!! The last bawled at full volume straight into his Airships ear. The colour the SWO turned had to be seen.
A.O.C. to his credit, instantly responded, "Very good, carry on"
Instant response " To roll a cigarette with one hand SIR!!! The last bawled at full volume straight into his Airships ear. The colour the SWO turned had to be seen.
A.O.C. to his credit, instantly responded, "Very good, carry on"
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A.O.C's parade, Waddington late 70's. 9 and 50 Sqdns form one rank due to lack of men. Tremblerman is standing next to a corporal from 50 who is renowned for marching everywhere in a number 1 converted to a number 2 and a chip bag hat. A.O.C. a South African gentleman ( Lagerfeldt I think) stops opposite said corporal and compliments him on his outstanding turnout and asks " And what is your ambition in this man's Airforce Corporal?".
Instant response " To roll a cigarette with one hand SIR!!! The last bawled at full volume straight into his Airships ear. The colour the SWO turned had to be seen.
A.O.C. to his credit, instantly responded, "Very good, carry on"
Instant response " To roll a cigarette with one hand SIR!!! The last bawled at full volume straight into his Airships ear. The colour the SWO turned had to be seen.
A.O.C. to his credit, instantly responded, "Very good, carry on"
S-D
RAF St Mawgan 1972. AOC's parade rehearsal.... SWO, forgotten his name, a real gentleman on the quiet, inspecting front rank, using SWO sixth sense asks an airman to lift his trousers. SWO; "Airman, why are you the only man in this Air Force to be issued with lime green socks?" Airman; "You know sir, that's a questions that's been bothering me too"
Off the parade, seven days Jankers.... Mission accomplished
Off the parade, seven days Jankers.... Mission accomplished
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At an ANZAC parade about fifty years ago in my hometown,as the salute was about to be taken the area warrant officer was heard to bellow in his high pitched voice at the sea cadets at the rear of the parade.
Don't stand there like a bunch of slack penis's
Stiffen up.
There were probably 5000 people there but for some strange reason it did not make it into the local newspaper.
Don't stand there like a bunch of slack penis's
Stiffen up.
There were probably 5000 people there but for some strange reason it did not make it into the local newspaper.
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Welcome, tremblerman, to the Crewroom. Your turn to make the brew, it would seem
Your AOC was then AVM P J (Philip) Lagesen ... later Air Mshl Sir Philip. >>> P J Lagesen
Not the Judge in this case, though >>> STATE v. SHUPE by LAGESEN, P.J. | Leagle.com
Your AOC was then AVM P J (Philip) Lagesen ... later Air Mshl Sir Philip. >>> P J Lagesen
Not the Judge in this case, though >>> STATE v. SHUPE by LAGESEN, P.J. | Leagle.com
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