Apocryphal SWO stories out there.......
Ken, do USAF bases not have an enlisted man who is the same rank as many others, but by his appointment/billet is the most senior non-officer there? He is essentially the 'standards' man/woman, and your standards are never good enough! All officers worth their salt give him/her respect, even though every single one of them outranks him/her.
Airmen go around the block rather than join his orbit!
CG
Airmen go around the block rather than join his orbit!
CG
A mate of mine, retired RSM, (Army equivalent of SWO) suggested that part of his job was to tell Lieutenants, counsel Captains, advise Majors and discuss the options with Colonels.
Mid 60's, the SWO at Wyton went hyper upon being told that I couldn't be in his office at 0800 the following day, with a haircut, because I would be about 2 hours out, in a Herk, by then.
The rules for starting work, as told to me by an old and bold WO:
Airmen should arrive by 7.45, ready to start at 08.00.
SNCOs should arrive by 07.55 to ensure the airmen are ready for work.
Warrant Officers should arrive at about 08.20, when any local issues have been sorted by the SNCOs, and the department is running smoothly.
Officers may attend if they wish.
Airmen should arrive by 7.45, ready to start at 08.00.
SNCOs should arrive by 07.55 to ensure the airmen are ready for work.
Warrant Officers should arrive at about 08.20, when any local issues have been sorted by the SNCOs, and the department is running smoothly.
Officers may attend if they wish.
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Not only that, but anyone turning up after the WO, is obviously late, and can expect to be having a chat with said WO at some point.
Slow Biker - sounds like the cavalry. After I rejoined and was posted to Binbrook as OC Accts (a bit older than the average first tourist), I was living in the Mess, and usually in work by 0730, which gave me the opportunity to go through OC PMS's tray in the registry so I knew what was coming my way. Only person generally in at that time apart from registry staff was the wily old OC Admin, who had done every job in the Branch from SAC to wg cdr. One day as I was taking my coat off my phone rang - no intro, no name, just a voice recognisable as Mike West - "If you come in early every day, people will realise and start ringing you early - don't do it EVERY day". great guy, great boss. His daughter gave him the old Athena Orang Utan poster, captioned, "Save time, see it my way".
My superb Met 1 at JHQ always checked in at 0730.
..................... this ensured his exclusive use of the Officers' Bog for his daily function.
..................... this ensured his exclusive use of the Officers' Bog for his daily function.
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Not Quite a SWO Tale
When 5 (AC) Squadron formed up with the Sentinel at Waddington the Squadron Warrant Officer post was Army (Jointery Rules OK) and the occupant was called the RSM 5(AC) Squadron.
One of the holders of the post was a somewhat formidable lady and when I visited the Squadron she took me to the Sgts Mess for lunch. As we approached the dining room, a group of Master Aircrew (not an uncommon sight at Waddington), exited and the following exchange took place: RSM 5 Sqn: "Good Afternoon, Gentlemen" Response: "Good Afternoon Ma'am." My only thought was that if she had got Master Aircrew calling her Ma'am she must have stamped her mark.
A little later the rrumour went round the station that as the SWOs post was to be gapped, she woul be the interim SWO. Mass outbreak of morale.
One of the holders of the post was a somewhat formidable lady and when I visited the Squadron she took me to the Sgts Mess for lunch. As we approached the dining room, a group of Master Aircrew (not an uncommon sight at Waddington), exited and the following exchange took place: RSM 5 Sqn: "Good Afternoon, Gentlemen" Response: "Good Afternoon Ma'am." My only thought was that if she had got Master Aircrew calling her Ma'am she must have stamped her mark.
A little later the rrumour went round the station that as the SWOs post was to be gapped, she woul be the interim SWO. Mass outbreak of morale.
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Ken, do USAF bases not have an enlisted man who is the same rank as many others, but by his appointment/billet is the most senior non-officer there? He is essentially the 'standards' man/woman, and your standards are never good enough! All officers worth their salt give him/her respect, even though every single one of them outranks him/her.
Airmen go around the block rather than join his orbit!
CG
Airmen go around the block rather than join his orbit!
CG
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Dan Gerous (#227),
When I was a 16yr old Civil Service clerk before the war, we all had to sign a time book when we came in in the morning. At 0855 the Finance Officer came into the office: at 0900 he ruled a red line below the last entry. Anyone failing to "catch the line" was in deep trouble !
Danny.
...Not only that, but anyone turning up after the WO, is obviously late, and can expect to be having a chat with said WO at some point. ..
Danny.
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431 MU Eng bay were trialling a factory time clock, and the F/Sgt used to hang around it, thank Gawd I only stayed there a couple of months, it was far to regimented an idea.
Danny - I have a friend who many years ago was a Civil Servant in a department with a similar signing in book. One day she arrived after the red line had been drawn so filled the book in as required. Her boss spent most of the day trying to get her to change the "Reason for being late" - she had written "conjugal rights"!
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Wander00,
Oh dear ! Had she not heard this bit of doggerel ? :
"Uncle Fred and Auntie Mabel
Fainted at the Breakfast Table...
Children, heed this Dreadful Warning...
Never Do It in the Morning !"
(Well, I thought it was funny when I first heard it).
Danny.
Oh dear ! Had she not heard this bit of doggerel ? :
"Uncle Fred and Auntie Mabel
Fainted at the Breakfast Table...
Children, heed this Dreadful Warning...
Never Do It in the Morning !"
(Well, I thought it was funny when I first heard it).
Danny.
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What is the job title of the senior Petty Officer on a USN ship?
In the RN he is the Master at Arms, on an RAF Station the, note 'station' not a 'base', Station Warrant Officer (SWO) fills a similar role.
In our office when I was very junior, the attendance book was ruled off by a clerical assistant (women weren't allowed to be clerks in those days) who ruled the place, including the technical staff, with a rod of iron. One day, she was a couple of minutes late, and there was almost a queue to rule off the book before she arrived.
Re RSMs shouting, most can and do when necessary, but beware when they engage negative shouting mode, i.e. they speak so softly that you can barely hear them. That's when you know they are really serious.
Re RSMs shouting, most can and do when necessary, but beware when they engage negative shouting mode, i.e. they speak so softly that you can barely hear them. That's when you know they are really serious.
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After leaving the RAF I joined GCHQ as a trainee Radio Officer at Bletchley Park. The man in charge (PSRO or Principal Station Radio Officer, now Grade 7) stood by the signing-in book and watched as we all "signed in". One chap had a particularly florid signature and the PSRO remarked "I see that you are leaving us Mr X." When Mr X gave him puzzled look the PSRO said "You appear to have crossed out your name."
That particular PSRO had been at Bletchley Park for many years and insisted that typewriters should NOT be used when taking down Morse code. Came the day when he retired and on the following morning an HMSO lorry drew up with a cargo of Imperial typewriters...
A similar sort of chap was the Senior Technical Officer (STO, another grade 7) who had been in post for many, many years and was very critical of the students despite being somewhat out of touch. He was particularly scathing when one group had an exercise to create a requirement for a new oscilloscope; he said "You'll never get an instrument with such a short rise time, etc, etc." Fortunately one of the students had friends in the oscilloscope industry and next day produced publicity leaflets for the latest oscilloscope with parameters that far exceeded those in the requirement. STO retreated, mumbling, into his office.
That particular PSRO had been at Bletchley Park for many years and insisted that typewriters should NOT be used when taking down Morse code. Came the day when he retired and on the following morning an HMSO lorry drew up with a cargo of Imperial typewriters...
A similar sort of chap was the Senior Technical Officer (STO, another grade 7) who had been in post for many, many years and was very critical of the students despite being somewhat out of touch. He was particularly scathing when one group had an exercise to create a requirement for a new oscilloscope; he said "You'll never get an instrument with such a short rise time, etc, etc." Fortunately one of the students had friends in the oscilloscope industry and next day produced publicity leaflets for the latest oscilloscope with parameters that far exceeded those in the requirement. STO retreated, mumbling, into his office.
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Akrotiri 1975 walking across the bondu to the Airmen’s Mess, a figure leaps out from behind a bush and asks ‘Did you see me in there Cpl?’
I recognised him as the SWO, Jack Murray, who happened to be the brother of singer Ruby Murray of curry fame.
I replied ‘No Sir’ and he said good and got back behind the bush.
Those were the days. 😉
I recognised him as the SWO, Jack Murray, who happened to be the brother of singer Ruby Murray of curry fame.
I replied ‘No Sir’ and he said good and got back behind the bush.
Those were the days. 😉
I recall a tale from the early 80's at West Drayton. In the days of no rank slides on the shoulders of the junior ranks (that bit's important). The SWO (possibly the first female one in the RAF) was in the guardroom one day when a young man walked in wearing a light blue shirt under a blue/grey jersey which bore no insignia. He politely asked the duty Cpl for a car pass. Spotting the hatless young man, the SWO erupted, and basically informed him that no car pass would be obtained until he was properly dressed i.e. hat on head. The young man apologized and returned to his vehicle to get his hat. He re-entered the guardroom a few minutes later wearing a hat which resembled the standard RAF SD cap however, the badge on the front of said cap bore the badge of the RAC. Red-faced, the SWO slinked away to the back of the guardroom muttering "Cpl, get this man a car pass."