Top Notch Bosses

[Boarderlyne]

Now, as most of us have experienced the leadership of the good, the bad and the downright awful, I would like to use this opportunity to name some of the brightest stars in the firmanent and ask the PTB why these people are not higher up in the chain of command?

The worst thing is that I may be violating OPSEC by even using their names, so I ask that the Moderators be gentle with me as I want to do something strange and give E-goaters people that they will want to work with.

Sqn Ldr ******* - Heli pilot that look after his troops very well.
Flt Lt Lorraine ****** - Admin officer with a back bone.
Wg Cdr Craig S***** - Great boss and aware of how things affect his troops.
Sqn Ldr Paul L******* (deceased) - Hard but fair. Took the word of his troops before the word of his fellow officers.
Wg Cdr Aileen R******* - Mad as a box of badgers. But cares for her troops as if they were her first-born.
Sqn Ldr Paddy C***** - Again mad as a box of badgers, but looks after his troops.

I am trying to think what is more scary. That I have only met 6 top bosses in 16 years that are still in or the fact that I have met as many as 6 in 16 years!



Edited for PERSEC reasons by Hu

 

[sinnick]

top boss

top boss

I recall having a top boss when I was a liney on a germany bomber sqn.......one of the few who knew your names...even though most were 22 year old alcoholic singlies who lived at club maasbracht at weekends.....lol

He got bummed off the sqn after a zealous plot between the XO and the Stattie..allegedly!....The fact we were halfway through a Gulf tour didnt help.
I wonder what ever happened to him.............

 

[gemarriott]

I am fairly safe naming the best bosses I worked for they are all either out or high enough not to worry

Danny Lavender Wingco 6Sdn and 641 Tactical fighter recce wing Cyprus 74
Bill wratton Wingco 23, Staish at Coningsby later boss in gulf war 1 I recall
Dave Cousins Wingco 16 Sqdn and now ACM Sir David IC RAF Ben fund
CTs Ray Munton, Keith Head and Sgt Alf Clark.(my first SNCo after leaving training)

 

[MAINJAFAD]

Group Captain ‘Eddie’ Durham, my second CO at West Raynham. The only Staish, I ever seen to order the section OC to have a Sports Afternoon (after one of our Rigger's got a hole in one with the golf ball on the fire alarm while practising with his re-handled sand wedge, resulting in a bill to the local fire brigade for a false called out). He even turned up on the afternoon and took part in the softball match we had (in uniform, I've got a photo of him taking a swing). Also renowned on the station at the time for telling the Ground defence commander during an exercise to get two SAC's, when asked what for, he replied 'To control the ground defence of this Station as they would make a better job of it than your doing at the minute'. Actually met the guy for the first time in 18 years last weekend, and he remembered my name from stuff I'd done on the Station at the time. Top bloke.

 

[wgaf]

Good thread Borderlyne.
Best boss Andy D****. Harrier pilot and top bloke liked his flying but loved to party as well, including doing kareoke renditions of Tom Jones with a certain mt driver.
SengO Shaun H***** Sh1t drinker and bird puller but by feck he tried!
WO F. G. Big tall Irishman. A lot of the Tornado lads will know who I mean, absolute headcase, but when you were in the sh1t no better bloke to be on your side.
C/T Col S****** mech desk dad need I say more.
Sncos Kev P**** Top bloke.
Ace blokes the lot of them. I reckon everyone of thems giving me a bo**ocking at some time or another but I'd work for them again tomorrow and if they were in the poo and I could help then I'd come running.
Cheers everyone of you.
I would've put Bitburger as well but I've just found out what a sly, nasty fekker he really is!!!!!

 

[TheHogwartsBEngO]

OC 10 Sqn (initials MS) was(is) a top bloke.

Great presence and a natural leader. On my little operational det he was the Exec and was extremely supportive of me and the techies. Even when we had to declare 100% U/S at a busy operational period, he gave us his full backing.

Not always the same story back at home though - he could be a nightmare to be on the wrong side of (sorry SEngO) - but a brilliant ally when he was on your side.

 

[SirSaltyHelmet]

I am fairly safe naming the best bosses I worked for they are all either out or high enough not to worry

Danny Lavender Wingco 6Sdn and 641 Tactical fighter recce wing Cyprus 74
Bill wratton Wingco 23, Staish at Coningsby later boss in gulf war 1 I recall
Dave Cousins Wingco 16 Sqdn and now ACM Sir David IC RAF Ben fund
CTs Ray Munton, Keith Head and Sgt Alf Clark.(my first SNCo after leaving training)

Ah the bloke so deeply loved in the SH world!!! NOT

 

[Lamptramp]

I am fairly safe naming the best bosses I worked for they are all either out or high enough not to worry

Danny Lavender Wingco 6Sdn and 641 Tactical fighter recce wing Cyprus 74
Bill wratton Wingco 23, Staish at Coningsby later boss in gulf war 1 I recall
Dave Cousins Wingco 16 Sqdn and now ACM Sir David IC RAF Ben fund
CTs Ray Munton, Keith Head and Sgt Alf Clark.(my first SNCo after leaving training)

Must agree with you about Bill (Wing Cracker) Wratten - he was an OCU Sqn Ldr while I was at Coningsby '69-'70 - many a crate in the crewroom for yet another crack following an F4 display!

 

[MadMouse]

Good thread Borderlyne.
WO F. G. Big tall Irishman. A lot of the Tornado lads will know who I mean, absolute headcase, but when you were in the sh1t no better bloke to be on your side.

Fergus, yes. Absolutely agree with you.

 

[referee806]

Group Captain Jackson, CO of Hereford. 1990

Picture the scene, young Refree806 as newly posted in LAC, sitting in the CO's office drinking tea.

CO " What are your favorite hobbies"

Me " Rugby, Sir"

CO " Fantastic!"

At this point I took a sip of the old Earl Grey.

CO "Do you like shagging??"

Earl Grey erupts like a fountain across desk, and rather red and shy airman replies,

"Ere.. well yes sir!"

CO " Excellent also, the totty here is tops, are you available for Wednesday?"

Me " Pardon Sir??"

CO " For the station man, the station"

Needless to say that was the end of the converstation.

Top bloke, if only all bosses were out of that mold the RAF would be a pleasure to work in again.DT_Xtremez_30:

 

[Warwick Hunt]

CO of RAF Gib from 2003 onwards. Top bloke who used to pay for RAF-only bevvy-ups with his own money and was only interested in beer and sailing, much to the chagrin of hierarchy from the other two services. He took a great interest in those with the same interests too.

 

[Get Tae]

I recall having a top boss when I was a liney on a germany bomber sqn.......one of the few who knew your names...even though most were 22 year old alcoholic singlies who lived at club maasbracht at weekends.....lol

He got bummed off the sqn after a zealous plot between the XO and the Stattie..allegedly!....The fact we were halfway through a Gulf tour didnt help.
I wonder what ever happened to him.............

That wasnt at Als Garage and the dim wit Air Cmdr that came to give us pep talk called us 9 Sqn instead of the mighty Goldstars was it?

 

[monobrow]

That wasnt at Als Garage and the dim wit Air Cmdr that came to give us pep talk called us 9 Sqn instead of the mighty Goldstars was it?

You should have been proud to be associated with the mighty bat

 

[rest have risen above me]

That wasnt at Als Garage and the dim wit Air Cmdr that came to give us pep talk called us 9 Sqn instead of the mighty Goldstars was it?

He was only upset because he wasn't addressing the Crusaders and had to talk to those workshy fops called Brownstars

 

[kerrang]

That wasnt at Als Garage and the dim wit Air Cmdr that came to give us pep talk called us 9 Sqn instead of the mighty Goldstars was it?

Blimey Get tae I remember that one:

Air Cmde to all of 31 Sqn groundcrew " Right Chaps, I have some bad news, but I know 9B (B for bummers) will cope with this and crack on"

Unknown 31 Sqn Liniey " F*ck Off and get the right squadron mate!"

Priceless.

 

[MoggyCattermole]

Remember a certain Air Cdre at Scampton in 93 who took me flying in the Hawk and picked me up in the shiny car complete with driver, then once airborne I basically flew the hawk to the low level point .. down to earth gent, superb pilot and had a great rapport with the troops.

Or the Stn Cdr at Kinloss in 97 who came up with the Airmens Forums where we could talk to and query him directly once a month, also opened up the All Ranks Bar and was a genuine CO who kept a finger on the pulse with his troops, only fully appreciated when the fraggle who took over from him undid all his good work in about a fortnight.

Or how about a Fg Off Ops O boss who takes on the Satco to get a face to face apology from one of his (female) Flt Lt's after she makes extremely offensive remarks about me and the girlfriend at a Xmas party. He got it too due to actually giving a toss about his troops even when not at work.

 

[Sandbag]

Wg Cdr (later Air Marshal) G S******, who learnt the names/faces of every member of his Squadron before he had taken over command. - Oh & someone with the ability to drink just about anyone under the table.

Wig Cdr (Air Cdre) I E*****, another top bloke and one not drunk under the table by my first choice.

Sqn Ldr N L******* - Top bird and was always the last person to leave the bar.

There seems to be a 'hic', common thread to all of these choices!
DT_Xtremez_35:

 

[Offeh Kitt]

That wasnt at Als Garage and the dim wit Air Cmdr that came to give us pep talk called us 9 Sqn instead of the mighty Goldstars was it?

lol, i remember that one! that was funny, looking at him then everyone looking around everyone else looking for the 9 sqn contingent, if i remember correctly, there was one bloke from 9.... looking rather sheepish! was that not the time that that young wonker engo told us to make sure that all the strange equipment in 1 shed in the doughnut (the brewing stuff) would be better seperated between the sheds to make it less cluttered???

As for top bosses, 2 spring to mind.... the old WO of 31 Sam W*rk... cared not a jot about planes...just his men... and of course.. Al McNe*l.... great guy who knew everyones name and their relations and again worried more about blokes than planes

 

[wgaf]

lol, i remember that one! that was funny, looking at him then everyone looking around everyone else looking for the 9 sqn contingent, if i remember correctly, there was one bloke from 9.... looking rather sheepish! was that not the time that that young wonker engo told us to make sure that all the strange equipment in 1 shed in the doughnut (the brewing stuff) would be better seperated between the sheds to make it less cluttered???

As for top bosses, 2 spring to mind.... the old WO of 31 Sam W*rk... cared not a jot about planes...just his men... and of course.. Al McNe*l.... great guy who knew everyones name and their relations and again worried more about blokes than planes

Is that Al Mcne*l the EngO Offeh?

 

[Major Geek]

WO F. G. Big tall Irishman. A lot of the Tornado lads will know who I mean, absolute headcase...

Second that, he has been everywhere and got loads of good tales to tell. A proper wobbly!