First Sea Lord Sir Nigel Essenhigh
Frederick
Lords biography there is absolutely nothing to indicate what he was doing
between when he was born in 1944, joined the RN in 1963, and became
Principal Warfare Officer in 1972. Of what system of education is he a
product ? Public school, grammar school, University and then in the Navy? It
is interesting to know the background of emminent men as often their view of
life and society springs from those early years. Can anyone cast any more
light on Sir Nigel?
It might be interesting to contrast the background of UK and US Senior
Military Officers. Many of them came from Annapolis Naval College or West
Point, but there are many who did not. Colin Powell for instance came from
very humble beginnings and rose to be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff.
The top combined forces high command. One of the people who succeeded him
joined as a private.
FYI:
Colin Powell's life journey reads like a national myth. Raised in the
poverty-stricken South Bronx by immigrant parents from Jamaica, he went to
public ( the State school system not private) schools, including the City
College of New York, where he joined the ROTC.
After graduation, he was commissioned in the Army as a second
lieutenant and rose through the lower ranks to become the first
African-American and youngest Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, from
1989 to 1993, when he retired from the military to write his 1995 best
selling autobiography My American Journey.
For the past seven years Powell has remained in the public eye,
traveling the country speaking to schools, businesses and other
organizations about his life story. He's also sat on various corporate
boards and chaired America's Promise, a civic organization dedicated to
uplifting youth through mentoring programs, after-school programs and
education.
Note
As we all know he now is the Secretary of State, and when allowed to, he
brings a rather unique influence to bear on our foreign policy.
Unfortunately, now he finds himself working for a somewhat peculiar boss.
Are there any parallel stories in the UK forces? Or are the upper echelons
still the province of the Military and Naval elite. Not a loaded question,
just a simple inquiry.
Frederick
The Ex-Forces Network
St. Cuthbert's High School, Newcastle upon Tyne.
see http://www.st-cuthbertshigh.newcastle.sch.uk/oldboy.htm
Another "old boy" of St Cuthberts was Flight-Lieutenant John Nichol.
Best Regards
Raymond "Ray" Day
The Administrator for :
The Ex-Forces Network
e-mail: the_admi...@the-ex-forces-network.co.uk
web: http://www.the-ex-forces-network.co.uk
"Frederick" <fyoun...@lakefield.net> wrote in message news:a8e840$rp3v9$1...@ID-139090.news.dfncis.de...
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M.J.Powell
snip
>
>Are there any parallel stories in the UK forces? Or are the upper echelons
>still the province of the Military and Naval elite. Not a loaded question,
>just a simple inquiry.
Yes, there are. If you keep an eye on the obituaries in the 'Times' you
will quite often find them.
Many Air Marshals started in the RAF as Boy Entrants.
Mike
--
M.J.Powell
Frederick
I notice your ISP is Pickmere. I spent a couple of happy weeks camping
at Pickmere Lake back in the mid 30's. I was a strong swimmer as a boy and
made an attempt to swim across the lake, accompanied by a rowboat, but the
cold water beat me. Pickmere is a deep and cold lake.
One of the things that was very evident in the first half of 20th
century was the disparity between the number of boy entrants into the RN
that reached commissioned rank, relative to their counterpart in the RAF. I
say counterpart because the training that they received was identical, and
the selection for admittance was identical. In fact the earlier entries
were cross overs from the RAF apprentices program. The RAF trained all the
RN apprentices except the Air Artificer's Electrical and Ordnance up until
August of 1942. The function of the Airframe and Engine Fitters was
identical, yet the numbers who were commissioned was very much less. The RN
made a very weak attempt at rectifying that after WW2 when they introduce
their so called Upperyardsman scheme. I think it was under pressure from the
Post War Labor Government. Almost as soon as the government changed hands
and the Conservative government came in, the scheme was dropped. I only knew
of one person in the FAA who actually made it through to Sub-Lieutenant, and
he resigned his commission not long afterwards. I guess he outwitted them.
I think the value of selecting people from all elements of society has
actually sunk into the RN, because I notice that several of the later
Artificer Apprentices in the FAA actually have reached Captain rank. That is
a breath of fresh air compared to the past. Perhaps the stifling class
discriminations of the past are actually dying. They will be mourned only by
those who enjoyed their benefits. Out of the 88 people in my entry at
Halton, I only know of three who made commissioned rank. One Lieutenant
Commander and two Lieutenants. That's about 3 1/2 % I think even at that
time the percentage in the RAF was in the high teens. Almost all of us came
from Grammar schools or Technical High schools. The entrance examination was
competitive.
Back in 1947 I was drafted to the Royal Naval Engineering College at
Manedon just outside Plymouth as an instructor. I was an AA4th class aged
23. It wasn't long before I found that we would not be allowed to teach the
Naval Cadets and Midshipmen, but had to instruct a commissioned instructor
who in turn taught them. One can't help thinking that there was some concern
that their young and impressionable minds might be exposed to the
possibility that one didn't have to be a Commissioned Officer to have a
perfectly sound and functioning brain. Any other explanation escapes me.
Maybe I was just born 50 years too early <G>
Not whinging, just reminiscing. If you are to go forward, you must know from
whence you have come. All traditions are not good.
Frederick
"M.J.Powell" <mi...@pickmere.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:uFQJLjAZ...@pickmere.demon.co.uk...
M.J.Powell
>Mike,(my sons name)
Good choice, except that every Tom Dick and Harry is called Mike these
days.
> I notice your ISP is Pickmere. I spent a couple of happy weeks camping
>at Pickmere Lake back in the mid 30's. I was a strong swimmer as a boy and
>made an attempt to swim across the lake, accompanied by a rowboat, but the
>cold water beat me. Pickmere is a deep and cold lake.
60'. But cold.
When I did my National Service in '55-'57 my Sqn Ldr and Wingco were
both commissioned from the ranks, both had war service, the latter as a
WopAG. Many officers I met came from the ranks.
> Back in 1947 I was drafted to the Royal Naval Engineering College at
>Manedon just outside Plymouth as an instructor. I was an AA4th class aged
>23. It wasn't long before I found that we would not be allowed to teach the
>Naval Cadets and Midshipmen, but had to instruct a commissioned instructor
>who in turn taught them. One can't help thinking that there was some concern
>that their young and impressionable minds might be exposed to the
>possibility that one didn't have to be a Commissioned Officer to have a
>perfectly sound and functioning brain. Any other explanation escapes me.
>Maybe I was just born 50 years too early <G>
I was born 50 years too late. Too late for the start of aircraft,
motoring, wireless and TV. All the fun times! Computers came in when I
was too old to remember things, except by rote.
>Not whinging, just reminiscing. If you are to go forward, you must know from
>whence you have come.
I came from the Valleys of s. Wales where we were encouraged to get out.
'There's nothing here for you'!
Mike
--
M.J.Powell