Flt Lt C. D. Jenkins, RAF Aldegrove, Antrim
 

I sit here, writing this, as a serving airman (aircrew) who chooses, like the rest of you, to hide behind the anonymity of this board. I can not think of a truer cause than that of clearing the names of Flt Lt John Tapper, Flt Lt Rick Cook and The Royal Air Force. Therefore I am humbled by the loyalty and courage displayed in this letter.

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I know this man will reap the whirlwind but he is right, I, however, am a coward.

WELL DONE THAT MAN!!

There are not many "royals" that I would take my hat off to but the officer Jenkins certainly gets my vote. This is an act more worthy of praise than anything ever written on the annual reports of the scoundrels responsible for this long fight.

As a crewman on the "16 seater" at the time of crash I knew the individuals, not closely, but well enough to know that the slurs against them were unjust and I was very dismayed to think the service could treat those who could not defend themselves in such a callous manner.

Lets hope that the eventual and inevitable plight of the fine upstanding Mr Jenkins is made public so the country can see what happens to those who dare to critcise our lords and masters.And if a financial penalty is imposed I for one will be putting my hand in my pocket to help out.

Keep us informed please.

<img src="wink.gif" border="0">

All spelling mistakes in the above were alcohol induced.

Apologies....hic <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0">

i too doff my cap to a bloody courageous bloke. i will gladly buy that man a pint.

his written word amplifies the thoughts of the majority.

Nice one my son...just hope this 'putting your head above the collective parapet' doesn't leave you as a target...nevertheless well done..just says what we're all thinking

Big balls Jenks, big balls. Now I understand why you didn't have to submit to the essay competition like all us pongos.

A very, very brave man. Those of you who hope he won't become a target I'm afraid are a little niaive. He'll already have had the first of a number of interviews which will end up in front of Day. I fear he has severely famaged his future prospects.

Flt Lt Jenkins is a man who understands and applies the concepts of integrity, honour and loyalty. If he ends up in front of Day, then hopefully, some of it will rub off on the latter officer.

Well said mate.

Jenkins - I really wish there were more like you - a man of honour.

You may very well become a target of some vile and malicious actions in fairly short order. I know all about that.

e-mail me if you need legal help.

Well said that man. As an ancient aviator I too agree that professional aircrew do not fly deliberately into cloud below SA. Unfortunately, I don't believe we will get a similar, from the heart, reply from Day, you don't get to be where he is today without losing your compassion, honesty and integrity.

I admire your bravery Flt Lt Jenkins - though I fear the sh!t will have well and truly hit the fan by now.

Your letter came at a very welcome time. I was at an "off the record brief" by the faceless ones in the MOD on Tuesday who were quite happy to state, off the record and hence anonymously (YOU PATHETIC COWARDS KNOW WHO YOU ARE)that:

1. "I was at Odiham recently - and everybody agreed with us that (the 2 pilots) were grossly negligent"

I presume that some of the serving people might disagree with that?

2. "All this stuff about Special Forces crews is rubish - you don't have to been anything special to qualify. If you look at their (Tapper and Cook) 5000s you will see that they were nothing special at all".

I will not break the code and mention the name of the person who peddled this filth (yet) but you know who you are - indeed you read these pages - and you should be truly ashamed of yourself.

I'm so pleased that Flt Lt Jenkins has shown what a liar you are.

For me, Jenks epitomises everything that a senior Officer should be, loyal, courageous, a man of honour. Sadly it’s those that repeal these values that reach the top these days, what a pity.

Jenks, you are a scholar and a gentleman, I doff my cap to your audacious letter.

Bloody hell! Talk about laying yourself on the track to be run over.

Sir! You are a gentleman. I salute you.

Loyalty to the Royal Air Force and his friends, courage, honour, integrity - Jenks is doomed.

In different circumstances and for different reasons I have put my head above the parapet a couple of times. Experience shows that it can test friendships and relationships to the full. Flt Lt Jenkins will have the tacit support of a lot of people, but it will be interesting to see if any of the execs at Aldergrove will want to defend his actions to higher authority. My personal experience is that people will be washing their hands so vigorously that Co Antrim could well be out of soap before the week is out!

I don't know Jenks' current circumstances, but my experiences have left a sour taste in the mouth. The following are just a few of the things that happened to me:

a. Wg Cdr's wife 'phoned to say that her son could no longer play with our daughter, then aged 5 (you try explaining that to a tearful little girl).

b. Stn Cdr's wife tried to stop my wife running a stall at Wives' Club Xmas Fair (I kid you not).

c. Padre 'phoned to say that my family were no longer welcome at his church because he was worried about his next posting (cf Bible, 2 masters, God and Mammon).

d. 'Friends' forgot to invite us to parties, but always managed to drink our beer!

e. Shunned at school gate by wives of Sqn Ldrs and above (Claire S*****e, Moira M****y - you know who you are).

f. Personal paperwork mislaid, disappeared, delayed etc.

g. Person I bubbled for misuse of public funds promoted to CAS (I have been disclosed proof by MOD and all could well be revealed in Swindon County Court between 27th and 30th May).

The list goes on and on and on. I salute Jenks and admire his courage (and if it is the man I knew, and I think it is, I have always respected his professionalism). I just hope that his life doesn't become as difficult as mine became - if he suffers only 10% of what I've had to put up with he should count himself lucky. There are some very unforgiving people out there!

PS Owing to a recent change in the Road Traffic Act, 'Loyalty' is no longer a 2 way street. With immediate effect 'Loyalty' is a one way street with substantial traffic calming measures.

PPS There has been a technical hitch and the traffic light at the end of 'Loyalty' is stuck at red until further notice. Anybody wishing to use 'Loyalty' as a means of access to the district of 'Career Furtherance' should turn right down 'Stab in the Back Alley', make a left turn into 'Brown Nose Road' and grovel their way up to the top of 'The Heap'. Relieving the policeman on secondary duty could help smooth the journey.

prepare for rant.

Flt Lt Jenkins in my opinion is a man of honour, integrity and of undoubtable courage. He chose an appropriate forum to air not only his own views but those of a substantial number of colleagues. He chose not to hide behind the shield of anonymity in order to provide credibility to his / our opinion.

with reference to your post JN i would request that you do not allow those responsible for the cowardice of hearsay to remain unaccountable.

although i perhaps do not agree with the naming of the individual, making sufficient reference so that they could be identified would not, in my opinion, be out of order.

Flt Lt Jenkins chose to waive his anonymity, perhaps knowing the disproportionate response that may attract. It is appalling that some could hide behind an "informal briefing" and "off the record" remarks to further emphasise the MoD's now untenable position.

note to those people: you are bringing shame on the service i was once proud to serve, but now cannot wait to leave.

food for thought: blair has made known his disapproval for re-opening the inquiry into the tragedy, however the slimy oik mandelson has convinced him to re-open the enquiry into the circumstances of his resignation so that he may clear his name. I despair.

rant ends.

AM Day said that the decision he made required 'moral courage' - Jenks has probably used much more in writing his letter. Perhaps it is time to issue a few AMs with mirrors so that they can contemplate their souls.

I suspect that "moral courage" is often used an excuse for blind and illogical thinking.

Corporate and institutional bullying has always been present in the Armed Forces and this case will always be remembered as the very essence of it. Ultimately it was the reason for my (slightly) early departure. It exists at all levels; I have known Group Captains bully Wing Commanders and Air Vice Marshals who bullied Squadron Leaders. There will always be a few who can't help it when they find themselves in a position to abuse their power. When it is done so publicly and from such a high level, bullying of two dead men is incomprehensible.

In the pub the other day I found some sensible people who felt that Wratten/Day might be right. It took only a few moments to remind them of the circumstances and to convince them that the Lords were right.

I did BoI on a (still) unexplained double fatal many years ago. The elapsed time from their final cheerful R/T call to radar "Clear on top at 60" to impact at over 600 kts under a 1200ft ceiling with good visibility was less than 15 seconds! Twenty seconds is an eternity in which things can go wrong with an aircraft.

But let's remember, that's not the issue. Whatever Tapper and Cook may have done or not done there is no evidence that they were negligent and it is an abuse of power to fly in the face of logical deduction from the facts and say they were.

Jenks is clearly an outstanding team player; I suspect that he will find support from directions that will suprise us all. And I hope that's not just my natural optimism coming through.

That may be the bravest document I have ever read. The only decision that comes close in my experience is the day OC 22 Sqn refused to go operational with the Sea King 3A in the face of a ministerial statement that it would happen.

Loyalty 6. .Integrity 6. .Strength of Character 6. .Power of written expression 6. .Sven

I know Jenks, not well, but as a decent down to Earth chap who works on one of the Sqns over here at Aldergrove. I too am not afraid of keeping my anonimity and many of you out there will know who I am and what I have done and what I now do.

What Jenks has said is brave indeed and JHC had called in for his scalp as soon as they saw the letter.

We all know that what he has said is true and respect him for taking that bold step. Until he penned that letter he has remained silent despite the unquestionable anger that has been lurking inside him. His decision to go public' is no more unloyal than the conclusion that has been reached by our Lords. If he is punished in an unnaceptable manner I, along with many fellow aviators WILLmake a stand with him, in support of his actions. CAS cannot and I suspect will not be able to uphold the punishment of one of his officers who supports a decision made by the highest law making body in the Country. AM Day, do not hide behind your rank, as a man, you are a coward; the lowest of the low. If Jenks' humiliation continues I hope I get the chance to tell you this in the near future. Rest assured, I will!

HPT

[ 08 February 2002: Message edited by: Hydraulic Palm Tree ]

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Well done Jenk's, a gentleman and a scholar. You have bigger B***s than a lot of those senior to yourself.. . At least if they do take any action against you, you have a date documented that it occured after and you may be able to take them on for victimisation.. .what have you got to lose?

Best Wishes. .GB

Well done Jenk's, good people are telling you the reasons for your letter, its not courage, its nots balls its right and its time that people knew it was right. Buy ya a beer Friday.

Flt Lt Jenkins, I have rarely seen, let alone read such an honest and touching letter as yours. The loyalty contained is an example to us all, serving or not, Air Officer or not. If I'm ever fortunate enough to meet you in person, your's is a pint!

GOOD SHOW,

Regards, BD! <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

To Jenks

Sir,. .I have the honour to be your obedient servant.

Refreshing to see an Officer with the qualities I respect and admire. There are too few these days or am I just old fashioned?

My words are not said lightly.

Tread carefully Warrior.

Again, I do not know Jenks but as someone I know likes to say "To those of you who have done well, well done, you know who you are!"

Big Balls Colin, order that man a new namebadge. Jenks I hope you survive this one, I'll fly with you anyday! Mind you, you'll need a Wokka to lift those gonads............................ . .I walked out from the line office with John Tapper that day, never ever met such a meticulous PROFESSIONAL pilot, in my opinion he could not do the things they claim, well done to all those who fought on.

For what it is worth you have my utmost respect

Flt Lt C. D. Jenkins, RAF Aldegrove, Antrim

Besides the obvious spullin mistake, didnt Jenks get a medal of some distinction once??

Or was that one of those, he who signed the 700 gets the metal moments!

With balls as big as this I`ll bet he will struggle to walk into the AOCs office. I think "Jenks" can go up in neon lights on the crewman role of honour, after all, he used to be one <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

Hands up who thinks he said anything wrong? No I didnt think so, and the Euro Court will agree as well, freedom of speech, power to the people. Why are we led by knobs these days. Last one out....

In Ardua Veritas

Cahones grandes Mr Jenkins.

Respect.

I only hope that the excuse for an air officer remaining in the Service will not be around long enough to adversely affect your career.

To Jenks

I once fought and lost against the system. My chest swells with pride to know there are officers like yourself still serving.

fobotcso has it right - it is downright bullying. Most senior officers need to get what's coming to them.

My heartfelt support.. .ws

Although retired just on 20 years ago, it is heartwarming to see that the RAF can still attract officers of Flt Lt Jenkins' calibre.

He is going to get sh*t upon greatly, but I think he will find he has friends in places he never dreamed of.

Bob C

Huh, What did he say?

Jenks

Never met you, but would be proud to buy you a beer someday.

I'm keeping well clear of the technical arguments in the case, because I'm simply not clued-up enough to comment. However, it seems to me that 'absolutely no doubt whatsoever' is quite sufficiently unequivocal and that the original Board and the House of Lords are occupying the high ground here.

Here's a Spin Doctor's recipe for getting out of this mess, Tony. Stick forward, full opposite rudder.

Flt Lt Jenkins

I'll go to war on your wing.

Qwin

I agree - well done. Today's telegraph letters page adds to the chorus:

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[quote]An officer and a gentlemen. .(Filed: 09/02/2002)

SIR - Flt Lt Jenkins's moving example of moral courage and loyalty to his friends who piloted the crashed Chinook (letter, Feb. 7) is an example to us all. It is reassuring to know that the spirit of Douglas Bader still lives in this age of overpaid nonentities and mendacious politicians.

One can only hope that the desk pilots at the Air Ministry are magnanimous rather than vengeful with regard to this young man, and that Flt Lt Jenkins is allowed to continue with a job to which he is obviously committed. We should be grateful that such people exist.

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Pleased to see there is still some honour in the Service. Many of our "betters" please take note.

Jenks,

You have said what many have thought but feared to say in public. Good on you mate, best of luck.

Not seen you since I retired in '94 but if you are at Odious on the 26th you won't be short of a beer or two.

Take a lawyer with you into all future interviews mate....I believe you are entitled to one, at The Queen's expense too. You get my vote any day.

I don't believe the officer Jenkins has stuck his head above the parapet at all...he's climbed right out of the trench and made himself a target for any venal half-wit from planet MOD who cares to take a pot. Writing that letter was an extremely courageous thing to do. I pulled the plug in 99 and I know b..... all about wokkas as a kipper fleet man, however, I know enough about BOIs and the disgracefully contrived and illegal result of this one to know that, for sure, I would go out of my way to stick up for Jenks. "Right is right and wrong is no man's right"

I can't believe contributions to this thread have suddenly dried up. Has the RAF put out some sort of threat to would be contributors?

Jenks, you are a star! Would someone still serving please take it upon themselves to keep us all updated on what is happening to Jenks. He could well need external support as the vindictive might of the establishment is focused on him. Jenks, mate, you can count on my 100% support for what it's worth.

Awesome letter. Difficult to know what possible help a journo could be, but if Jenks reads this, he should know that he now has many admirers in the press, and many of us would go out of our way to help him out.