Description
Object description
British cadet served with Royal Air Force College, Cranwell in GB, 1957-1959; officer served as instructor with Royal Air Force in GB, 1959-1962; served as pilot with 56 Sqdn, Fighter Command, RAF in GB, 1962-1964; served as instructor with 226 Operational Conversion Unit, RAF in GB, 1965-1967; served as flight commander with 56 Sqdn, Strike Command, RAF in Republic of Cyprus, 1967-1969; staff officer with Operations (Overseas) with Headquarters, No 11 Group, Strike Command, RAF at RAF Bentley Priory, GB, 1969-1970; student with Royal Air Force Staff College, Bracknell, GB, 1970; personal staff officer to Deputy Commander in Chief, Allied Air Forces Central Europe, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in West Germany, 1971-1973; served as staff officer with Operations Joint Warfare with Ministry of Defence, London, GB, 1973-1975; commanded 11 Sqdn, Strike Command, RAF at RAF Binbrook in GB, 1977-1979; served as Military Assistant to Chief of Air Staff at Ministry of Defence, London, GB, 1979-1981; commanded RAF Leuchars in GB, 1981-1983; commanded RAF Stanley in Falkland Islands, 1983; student with Royal College of Defence in London, GB, 1984; served as Senior Air Staff Officer with No 11 Group, Strike Command, RAF at RAF Bentley Priory in GB, 1/1985-6/1986; served as Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Policy) with Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) at Mons Belgium, 6/1986-4/1989; commanded Support Command, RAF in GB, 4/1989-5/1990; commanded Strike Command, RAF in GB, 5/1990-11/1992; Chief of the Air Staff in GB, 11/1992-4/1997
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Kew and Richmond, GB, 1938-1956: family; memories of Second World War; education; early interest in aviation. Aspects of period as cadet with Royal Air Force College, Cranwell, GB, 1957-1959: background to obtaining scholarship, 1956; treatment of junior entries; question of effects of lack of risk culture on armed services; pattern of training training; failure rate during course. Aspects of period as flying instructor with Royal Air Force in GB, 1959-1962: reaction to allocation to flying instructor duties; attachment to Royal Navy; landing aircraft on carrier; promotion to Flight Lieutenant; attitude to flying instructor duties. Aspects of operations as pilot with 56 Sqdn, Fighter Command, RAF in GB, 1962-1964: posting to squadron; characteristics of English Electric Lightning; air defence role of squadron.
REEL 2 Continues: question of using English Electric Lightning in aerobatic role; method of operating squadron; changes in tactical thinking and evaluation of pilots; use of two seater English Electric Lightning for evaluation. Aspects of period with No 226 Operational Conversion Unit, RAF in GB, 1964-1967: posting to conversion unit, 1964; instructional duties. Aspects of period as flight commander with 56 Sqdn, Strike Command, RAF in Republic of Cyprus, 1967-1969: background to posting; question of pay and salaries; opinion of Israeli Air Force attack on Egyptian Air Force, 1967; adoption of low-level interception tactics; method of flying low-level interception flights over the sea; North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) exercises and intelligence gathering; introduction of air combat training; reaction to ethnic cleansing conducted by Greek Cypriots.
REEL 3 Continues: reasons for problems in Republic of Cyprus; method of firing air-to-air missiles head on; Soviet forces' electronic warfare capabilities. Aspects of period as staff officer with Operations (Overseas) with Headquarters, No 11 Group, Strike Command, RAF at RAF Bentley Priory, GB, 1969-1970: role and duties. Aspects of period as student with Royal Air Force Staff College, Bracknell in GB, 1970: presence of overseas students at college; taking entrance examination; origins of overseas students; nature of course work; experience needed for promotion to wing commander. Aspects of period as personal staff officer to Deputy Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Central Europe, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in West Germany, 1971-1973: command structure; duties as personal staff officer; skills acquired dealing with foreign military personnel; differing philosophies within North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) commands; opinion that North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) structure would work in event of conflict. Aspects of period as staff officer with Operations Joint Warfare at Ministry of Defence, London, GB, 1973-1975: appointment to role; working in Ministry of Defence; effects financial constraints.
REEL 4 Continues: change of government [very short reel].
REEL 5 Continues: reaction to redundancy of colleague; appointment to National Defence College. Aspects of period commanding 11 Sqdn, Strike Command, RAF at RAF Binbrook in GB, 1977-1979: reaction to flying English Electric Lightning again; method of command; role of squadron; attitude to commanding squadron; extension of service. Aspects of period as Military Assistant to Chief of Air Staff at Ministry of Defence, London, GB, 1979-1981: memories of Air Chief Marshal Neil Cameron; duties; Admiral Sir Terence Lewin's memory; effects in change of government; attitude to role; writing speeches. Aspects of period commanding RAF Leuchars in GB, 1981-1983: taking command; opinion of McDonnell Douglas Phantom aircraft; dealing with Royal Air Force Regiment personnel; increase in Royal Air Force professionalism.
REEL 6 Continues: method of dealing with deficiencies; interception of Soviet Air Force aircraft; station life. Aspects of period commanding RAF Stanley on Falklands Islands, 1983: appointment to command; recalling aircraft in poor weather; Argentinean testing of defences; morale; guard patrols; restrictions of personnel going into Port Stanley; relations with Falkland Islands civilians; aircraft losses. Aspects of period as student at Royal College of Defence Studies in London, GB, 1984: attending course; nature of course; importance of contacts made; promotion to air commodore. Aspects of period as Senior Air Staff Officer with No 11 Group, Strike Command, RAF at RAF Bentley Priory in GB, 1/1985-6/1986: background to appointment; role. Aspects of period as Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Policy) with Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) at Mons Belgium, 6/1986-4/1989: appointment; rapid promotion.
REEL 7 Continues: attitude to role; changes in policy on nuclear weapons; impressions of Soviets; negotiations with Soviets over reduction in nuclear weapons; reaction to fall of the Berlin Wall, 9/11/1989; opinion of Germans and question of deployment of their troops overseas; contribution of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) allies; operating with French forces. Aspects of period commanding Support Command, RAF in GB, 4/1989-5/1990: role and duties; budgeting issues.
REEL 8 Continues: effect on morale on service personnel of civilianisation of support roles.[very short reel].
REEL 9 Continues: prior recollection of tactical evaluation at RAF Leuchars; testing of airfield defences at RAF Leuchars; structure of Support Command, RAF; promotional prospects; changing role of Support Command, RAF; introduction of new financial systems and reductions. Aspects of period commanding Strike Command, RAF in GB, 5/1990-11/1992: appointment to command Strike Command, RAF, 5/1990; setting up of no-fly zones over Republic of Iraq.
REEL 10 Continues: amusing story of receiving honour guard at airfield in Turkey; relations with Turkish service personnel; start of financial overstretch; initiating a paper on defence of GB. Recollections of period as Chief of the Air Staff in GB, 11/1992-4/1997: lack of political contacts and opinion of Defence Secretary Tom King; relations with politicians and civil service; question of informing Labour Party opposition of defence matters; opinion of Home Secretary Malcolm Rifkind; prospective roles as Chief of Air Staff.
REEL 11 Continues: background to formation of Allied Air Forces North West, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) at RAF High Wycombe; role of Chief of Air Staff; background to Options for Change programme, 1995; questions of reductions in manpower to Royal Air Force; newspaper campaign aimed against Royal Air Force, 1995; range of responses available to him; how negotiations with politicians were handled; implementation of redundancy programme.
REEL 12 Continues: character of Royal Air Force after changes during his period as Chief of Air Staff; improvements needed to frontline aircraft and equipment; question of if Options for Change programme could have been foreseen by Royal Air Force hierarchy; reasons for isolation during Options for Change programme; selection of successor; question of things he would have done differently during Options for Change process.
