Wrongly Accused
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Wrongly Accused
Military, in a way, but not aviation, so if the mods want to ditch this post I’ll understand.
In the middle of WW1 my Grandpa worked in the post office in Lerwick (Shetland Isles) through which all the Naval classified mail was passed to the Flag Officer’s staff.
One day some PO writer in the Flag Officer’s front office couldn’t be *rsed to handle some TS mail and so he stuffed it the bottom drawer of his desk.
The missing mail was detected through the system and a major intelligence operation was launched.
The Fishheads couldn’t find the perpetrator and so they imprisoned the entire staff of the Lerwick main post office in the cells in the town hall, at the top of St Olaf St, IIRC (Anno Domini and Famous Grouse may have reduced the accuracy of my memory).
There weren’t sufficient catering facilities in the town hall and so the guys families were invited in to feed them. There wasn’t any furniture in the cells and so the families were invited to bring in chairs and tables for the guys to eat at.
I could go on, but to cut a long story short – someone found the TS docs in the writer’s bottom drawer and the post office people were all released. The RN never apologised or even acknowledged that they’d made a mistake.
I don’t really expect many answers but have any of you been wrongly accused in service?
Rgds SOS
In the middle of WW1 my Grandpa worked in the post office in Lerwick (Shetland Isles) through which all the Naval classified mail was passed to the Flag Officer’s staff.
One day some PO writer in the Flag Officer’s front office couldn’t be *rsed to handle some TS mail and so he stuffed it the bottom drawer of his desk.
The missing mail was detected through the system and a major intelligence operation was launched.
The Fishheads couldn’t find the perpetrator and so they imprisoned the entire staff of the Lerwick main post office in the cells in the town hall, at the top of St Olaf St, IIRC (Anno Domini and Famous Grouse may have reduced the accuracy of my memory).
There weren’t sufficient catering facilities in the town hall and so the guys families were invited in to feed them. There wasn’t any furniture in the cells and so the families were invited to bring in chairs and tables for the guys to eat at.
I could go on, but to cut a long story short – someone found the TS docs in the writer’s bottom drawer and the post office people were all released. The RN never apologised or even acknowledged that they’d made a mistake.
I don’t really expect many answers but have any of you been wrongly accused in service?
Rgds SOS
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The RN never apologised or even acknowledged that they’d made a mistake.
With regard to wrong accusations 'wasn't me chief' was an oft heard cry!
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Canberra time wasting !!!
Yes, on a PR Canberra Squadron at Wildenrath late 60's, carrying out a QTR during an exercise dropped the bottom cowling on engine to do oil check, found one of those nice RR domed nuts laying the cowling, well it had to come from somewhere on the engine so I started a look around up past the fuel pumps & gearbox, I was told to wrap it up as I was "time wasting, being bloody minded etc, etc", I refused, was threatened with murder & mayhem as was delaying the aircraft on a mission, by this time everybody & there uncle had congregated, CO, deputies, Flt Sgt, Chiefs etc but I insisted that the nose cowl come off to have a proper look, again threatened with jankers if nothing found, but the nut had to come from somewhere, anyway I did drag out the inspection crawling all over the top of the engine with torch with quite an audience even including the SENGO looking on (no doubt hoping I was in for it !) anyway what I did find was the top gearbox mounting lug cracked right through, gearbox pivoting in the breeze, everybody had to clamber up & have a look whilst I was hustled away to put an entry in the 700, result all PR7's grounded fleet check, exercise cancelled. load of work, engine changes worked overtime & some (we found 2 others with same problem), so I was justified & after all the fuss died down instead of a "Good Show" because of my "attitude & persistence" I was awarded an "Act of Conmmendable Vigilance" grudgingly I might add, strangely I did get a few apologies as it would have been quite disastrous should the whole lot broken free, no fuel pumps etc, etc. So accused of mega time wasting at critical time but was justified.
PH.
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Yes, a most bizarre thing happened to me.
I was at Catterick, undergoing trade training, and was called in to the Sergeant Major's office, where he unleashed the dogs of hell on me. Who the f*** did I think I was to give the Garrison Commander's address to a civil court, and then not to pay my fines? How was is that the bailiffs turned up at the Comd's house to seize property to the value of? And boy was I in the shi*. They had my name, and my service number.
I just looked at him and denied all knowledge. WTF was he talking about?
I eventually got sent out and called back in later, where there was another WO, and they played nice WO/nasty WO, the SSM having swapped roles. I still hadn't a clue what they were on about.
Eventually, nasty WO calls the clerk of the court to confirm my DOB. Apparently the bloke they were looking for was about 20 years older than me. The RMP must have tied the name of the accused (not me) to my service number, as I was indeed stationed in Catterick. Though not at the Comd's house!
Not even a word of apology. I think I spoiled their "International Pokey Drill Exposition" plans for me.
I was at Catterick, undergoing trade training, and was called in to the Sergeant Major's office, where he unleashed the dogs of hell on me. Who the f*** did I think I was to give the Garrison Commander's address to a civil court, and then not to pay my fines? How was is that the bailiffs turned up at the Comd's house to seize property to the value of? And boy was I in the shi*. They had my name, and my service number.
I just looked at him and denied all knowledge. WTF was he talking about?
I eventually got sent out and called back in later, where there was another WO, and they played nice WO/nasty WO, the SSM having swapped roles. I still hadn't a clue what they were on about.
Eventually, nasty WO calls the clerk of the court to confirm my DOB. Apparently the bloke they were looking for was about 20 years older than me. The RMP must have tied the name of the accused (not me) to my service number, as I was indeed stationed in Catterick. Though not at the Comd's house!
Not even a word of apology. I think I spoiled their "International Pokey Drill Exposition" plans for me.
I was interviewed by the police in connection with a serious assault that took place in Lincoln a few months after my Cranwell graduation. Apparently some CCTV of the offender had been circulated around Cranwell by the Police and one of the IOT staff thought it looked like me.
As it happened, when I looked at the pictures they did indeed look like me!
Luckily, that particular night I was enjoying the all-you-can-catch buffet on Moortrek at Linton-on-ouse at the time and was able to alibi out. My evil twin is still out there though.
As it happened, when I looked at the pictures they did indeed look like me!
Luckily, that particular night I was enjoying the all-you-can-catch buffet on Moortrek at Linton-on-ouse at the time and was able to alibi out. My evil twin is still out there though.
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Two come to mind,
1st
Jag Squadron Germany on annual Deci detachment, did a B/F on a Jag that was off with several others to Gib for a weekend p*ss up.. Find fresh Hydraulic fluid on lower Eng door and a little on the floor, snag it, Rigger Chief has a look says ok and wipes down, pilot arrives, bags stowed and fired up, checks again, more fluid on door, calls for another check, told again it's ok....
Not happy, so I signal to shut down... Pilot out of aircraft, helmet thrown, lots of shouting directed at me, dummy out of window, no p*ss up in Gib, finally get the bloody door opened, massive hydraulic leak and realisation it wouldn't have got there..... Chief calls me aside, thanks me and says sorry..... Pilot never said a word, but a glance from him said it all, he knew, I knew what he now knew..
2nd
Jag Squadron Germany myself and other Sootie open the engine door and the hinges shear and door falls off. (Crap design and a MU repair job ).... Jengo not a happy chappie, what have we done, all our fault, negligent etc etc etc.... Next time we open one up he wants to see what we did to damage the last one, day arrives, Jengo arrives, helps us open the door, hinges shear lol and door falls off... Looks aghast and dissapears rapidly..
1st
Jag Squadron Germany on annual Deci detachment, did a B/F on a Jag that was off with several others to Gib for a weekend p*ss up.. Find fresh Hydraulic fluid on lower Eng door and a little on the floor, snag it, Rigger Chief has a look says ok and wipes down, pilot arrives, bags stowed and fired up, checks again, more fluid on door, calls for another check, told again it's ok....
Not happy, so I signal to shut down... Pilot out of aircraft, helmet thrown, lots of shouting directed at me, dummy out of window, no p*ss up in Gib, finally get the bloody door opened, massive hydraulic leak and realisation it wouldn't have got there..... Chief calls me aside, thanks me and says sorry..... Pilot never said a word, but a glance from him said it all, he knew, I knew what he now knew..
2nd
Jag Squadron Germany myself and other Sootie open the engine door and the hinges shear and door falls off. (Crap design and a MU repair job ).... Jengo not a happy chappie, what have we done, all our fault, negligent etc etc etc.... Next time we open one up he wants to see what we did to damage the last one, day arrives, Jengo arrives, helps us open the door, hinges shear lol and door falls off... Looks aghast and dissapears rapidly..
Last edited by NutLoose; 30th Dec 2012 at 17:25.
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Annual Confidential Report time (the 6442).
The then SAC Taxydual quietly preening himself for he had had a good year.
Called into WO's office for debrief. For next 10 mins I am on the receiving end of a major b*llocking. 'Scruffy, lazy, insubordinate' and more adjectives come my way. Taxydual too stunned to respond.
"Now get out" snarls WO "and send Taxydual in".
"I am Taxydual" says I.
Incredible display of red face and apologies from the WO. I never did get to discover, for certain, whose report I was debriefed on. I did learn about man-management though.
The then SAC Taxydual quietly preening himself for he had had a good year.
Called into WO's office for debrief. For next 10 mins I am on the receiving end of a major b*llocking. 'Scruffy, lazy, insubordinate' and more adjectives come my way. Taxydual too stunned to respond.
"Now get out" snarls WO "and send Taxydual in".
"I am Taxydual" says I.
Incredible display of red face and apologies from the WO. I never did get to discover, for certain, whose report I was debriefed on. I did learn about man-management though.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Collective Bollocking
Buccaneer nav had dicked the oil rig HPZ. He compounded his error by saying "What HPZ?"
Sir Sandy Curtains could see his stars and K disappearing into the firmament and assembled all aircrew, 1Gp Buccs, the Jag crews, the 11Gp Shack crews and even the 18Gp SK crews for a monumental bollocking and the threat that we would never be given a 4-ship or 8-ship lead ever again if we put a foot wrong.
Oh how we SLF laughed.
Sir Sandy Curtains could see his stars and K disappearing into the firmament and assembled all aircrew, 1Gp Buccs, the Jag crews, the 11Gp Shack crews and even the 18Gp SK crews for a monumental bollocking and the threat that we would never be given a 4-ship or 8-ship lead ever again if we put a foot wrong.
Oh how we SLF laughed.
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Innocent as the day is long
At Brawdy in mid 70s charged with 'introducing alcohol and females' to the barrack block......admitted the alcohol bit but pleaded not guilty to the females on the grounds that they were already there when I arrived at the party.....found guilty on both counts!!! Got myself a reprimand just 12 days after getting my substantive cpl -always felt aggrieved by that bit of RAF justice.
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Evening of the grad ball, lots of drinking and dancing - ended up with (unplanned) 2 ladies in my room in college hall.
Breakfast in the CH mess both ladies tucking into bacon, eggs, fried bread and tomatoes.
Sqn Cdr invites me to his office with my hat on later that morning.
Turned out he was quite impressed. But I hadn't planned it. It was a kind of accident.
Nice though!
Rgds SOS
Breakfast in the CH mess both ladies tucking into bacon, eggs, fried bread and tomatoes.
Sqn Cdr invites me to his office with my hat on later that morning.
Turned out he was quite impressed. But I hadn't planned it. It was a kind of accident.
Nice though!
Rgds SOS
Last edited by SOSL; 31st Dec 2012 at 10:42.
SOSL, that's what they all say, it wasn't me boss
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At Honington in the late 80s it was quite common for the local police in Thetford to ask for a bus load of guys for identification parades. It was an afternoon off and we even got paid a few quid for our trouble. You guessed it! I got picked out of the parade as a drunken lout who started a fight. Wasn't me on that occasion Chief! Another one that comes to mind was turning up at work on a monday looking like a panda, the result of stopping a cricket ball with my nose! My Chief was convinced I'd been fighting until the Padre rang him to see if I was ok as he was playing in the same match! Nice to say that he took Gods reps word and apologised... sort of!
Picture this – primary school mid 1950s when OD is aged about eight. Summoned to see headmaster and arrive at office to see boy who lives across the road and his mother sitting there with HM.
HM: ‘You are here because you hit Dennis M*&^s and I’m going to cane you as punishment’.
Me: ‘Not me Sir, I never hit him or anybody else’.
HM: ‘Mrs M*&^s and Dennis say you did and that’s good enough for me, so you will be caned’.
Me: ‘No Sir, I didn’t hit him and I’m not going to be caned for something I didn’t do’. At this point I flee the office and rush back to my class in tears and recount story to class teacher, who in turn sets off in t’other direction. That lunchtime, I also tell mother, who also sets off to school. Big bust up occurs and nomore said.
The short bit of this boring story is that Dennis M*&^s told his mother he had been hit by the boy across the road – which was true – but his mother took that to mean me. Even when I went to HM, Dennis didn’t say: ‘No Mum, not him the boy who hit me lives next door to OD’.
The little SHOneT would have let me get a caning and in the 50 odd years since, I’ve sometimes wondered about this. However, with computerised electoral rolls etc, I might look Dennis up and go to where he lives and give him the bl£$dy good kicking I was accused off in 1954!!
OD – in vindictive and vengeful mood!
HM: ‘You are here because you hit Dennis M*&^s and I’m going to cane you as punishment’.
Me: ‘Not me Sir, I never hit him or anybody else’.
HM: ‘Mrs M*&^s and Dennis say you did and that’s good enough for me, so you will be caned’.
Me: ‘No Sir, I didn’t hit him and I’m not going to be caned for something I didn’t do’. At this point I flee the office and rush back to my class in tears and recount story to class teacher, who in turn sets off in t’other direction. That lunchtime, I also tell mother, who also sets off to school. Big bust up occurs and nomore said.
The short bit of this boring story is that Dennis M*&^s told his mother he had been hit by the boy across the road – which was true – but his mother took that to mean me. Even when I went to HM, Dennis didn’t say: ‘No Mum, not him the boy who hit me lives next door to OD’.
The little SHOneT would have let me get a caning and in the 50 odd years since, I’ve sometimes wondered about this. However, with computerised electoral rolls etc, I might look Dennis up and go to where he lives and give him the bl£$dy good kicking I was accused off in 1954!!
OD – in vindictive and vengeful mood!
Last edited by Old-Duffer; 31st Dec 2012 at 05:49.
Even the almighty isn't immune to false accusations.
RSM's wife has a baby girl. Chaplain paints the parade ground cannons pink. Morning parade. "Who painted the cannon pink!?"
From the back of the assembled ranks..."It was the work of God."
RSM's wife has a baby girl. Chaplain paints the parade ground cannons pink. Morning parade. "Who painted the cannon pink!?"
From the back of the assembled ranks..."It was the work of God."
I got into work at Lyneham and was asked to go and see the boss.
"You play golf don't you AR1?"
"Yes Sir, sort of"
"And you were on duty at the weekend - right?"
"Yes Sir I was"
"Well can you explain why a golf ball came through my office window?"
" No Sir I can't. I was on duty, I do play golf - But I've never done it in the dark"
"What??"
"I was on nights Sir"
"You play golf don't you AR1?"
"Yes Sir, sort of"
"And you were on duty at the weekend - right?"
"Yes Sir I was"
"Well can you explain why a golf ball came through my office window?"
" No Sir I can't. I was on duty, I do play golf - But I've never done it in the dark"
"What??"
"I was on nights Sir"
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Originally Posted by Old-Duffer;7603539go to where he lives and give him the bl£$dy good kicking I was accused off in 1954!![/COLOR
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OD – in vindictive and vengeful mood!
OD – in vindictive and vengeful mood!
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
I was once accused, to some extent correctly, by a fellow JO.
Some years later, abt 12, I saw said officer walking from the car park in a natty green dog walking jacket (open) and no hat, contrary to SROs that had only recently been repeated. I could see his boss in his office across the road. The opportunity was too good to miss. Rang boss, boss looks out window, ah, revenge is a dish best savoured cold.
Some years later, abt 12, I saw said officer walking from the car park in a natty green dog walking jacket (open) and no hat, contrary to SROs that had only recently been repeated. I could see his boss in his office across the road. The opportunity was too good to miss. Rang boss, boss looks out window, ah, revenge is a dish best savoured cold.
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"OD – in vindictive and vengeful mood!"
"But then you would have to accept the punishment meted out by the beak. Only had you been caned could you plead double jeopardy "
I would have thought OD would have a clue by his age on
how to give the guy a whack without getting caught or identified !!!
"But then you would have to accept the punishment meted out by the beak. Only had you been caned could you plead double jeopardy "
I would have thought OD would have a clue by his age on
how to give the guy a whack without getting caught or identified !!!