Air Marshal Sir Peter Bairsto, KBE, RAF - obit
In 1982, during the Falklands war, I was a flt lt in Int at HQSTC. Every morning there was an "inner" ops brief run by AM Bairsto with all the high-priced help, and, as duty briefer, I would start with the int brief and then sit quietly in the corner during the rest of the meeting to answer questions arising and pick up tasks. After a few days, I was taken aside by my gp capt boss and told that as from the next day I was not to brief, but would instead prepare a brief for him to deliver at the meeting. When I asked whether I was being sacked for incompetence, I was told that AM Bairsto had demanded the change as he was finding it very difficult tearing new orifices in his senior staff during the meeting with a junior officer in the room! Very tactful. He was (nearly) always very restrained during all his other int briefs.
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If that was when he was SASO, HQ Training Command/AOC Training Units, it would have been in the late 1970's when my dad was still chief pilot at Shawbury with Marshalls. I wonder if he called in at the Marshalls crew room?
During Gulf War II, A O C in C RAFG banished all ranks below Wg Cdr from future main briefings "this place has become a zoo!" quoth he.
Those banished slunk off without a bleat, neigh, whinny, roar or grunt.
Not that they missed much ......... the action was a long way away.
Those banished slunk off without a bleat, neigh, whinny, roar or grunt.
Not that they missed much ......... the action was a long way away.
Nor the time,about early `76,when the Staish at Leeming had to appear on the main dispersal in his `shreddies` and hat,carrying some briefcase full of money/secret docs/porn,as it was some kind of minival.....`B the B `really went down in the eyes of all assembled,Staish was very dignified......
Tearing new orifices and 'encouraging public humiliation' are not endearing character traits....
Leaders shouldn't try to be popular, but it certainly helps if they show humanity, decency and a modicum of respect for others.
I did not know the man....
Leaders shouldn't try to be popular, but it certainly helps if they show humanity, decency and a modicum of respect for others.
I did not know the man....
Throughout my working life I have tried, although not always succeeded, to work on the basis that you treat everybody as you would wish to be treated.
Sometimes it didn't work and on other occasions it was necessary to act the Mr Grumpy bit.
O-D
Sometimes it didn't work and on other occasions it was necessary to act the Mr Grumpy bit.
O-D
I agree. And it didn't hurt if everyone witnessed the occasional Mr Grumpy bit. If personal criticism was needed you didn't deliver it in front of anyone else.
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We had very enjoyable match and the conviviality lingered into the evening until the gentlemen retired home and my team returned to Edinburgh.
I have often reminisced of the day and can only echo what has been written of the man.
