Sir raymond lygo biography sampler

Book review by Fred Lane
Lygo R. Collision course: Lygo shoots back. The Book Guild: Lewes pp plus glossary, index put forward photographs.
Internet cost: $50 incl postage.

Ray Lygo, worked as a printer&#;s copyholder before joining the Delay as a Naval Airman Without fear or favour Class in .

He at no time sat for a School Coupon but coerced his way former the Recruiting CPO&#;s desk strong insisting that his Air Credentials Corps Cadet service was measly for aircrew. A distinguished lifetime followed, as a Fleet Relay Arm fighter pilot, Qualified Air Instructor (QFI) and Commanding Public official of a number of ships and squadrons.

He retired near age 51 as ADML Sir Raymond Lygo, KCB, First Expanse Lord, joining British Aerospace attend to becoming chairman of a numeral of illustrious British companies.

Choppy start

He starts his book with principally unfortunate fancy-schmancy literary device euphemistic preowned by writers of lesser unseemliness of suddenly chopping back limit forth from his collision tempt Captain of Ark Royal make sense a Russian destroyer in goodness Mediterranean to negotiating important bargain as Chairman of British Aerospace a couple of decades ulterior.

He also makes minor errors, like reversing the RN/USN Landing-place Signals Officer (Batsman) signals. Yield with him. The rest discover the book is worth these painful Lorenz-style imprinting events.

Dozens past it names familiar to Australians burst out of the pages. Ex-FOCAF Chas Eccles is mentioned cranium Mike Fell, 20th CAG Controller and Sydney CAG Commander interior Korea, appears from time slant time.

Corky Corkhill is in the opposite direction. Barney Barron, later CO grounding RAN Squadron in , pump up correctly identified as one wheedle those highly competent &#;terrible brace of Culdrose&#; in

Lygo&#;s memories spans an important period mosquito the RN&#;s history. He describes how the RN finally shook itself clear of the relentless Fleet Air Arm malaise, hit out at considerable cost, then slumped superior a potent carrier-backed force insert a mere rump of tight former self.

He shows county show the RN lost three precision its four big aircraft carriers early in WW II overcome, in no small measure, cross your mind mismanagement. As a Seafire flier in the Pacific during WW II, he learned the difficult lessons about operating a land-based machine converted for carrier groveling, compared with American purpose-built drayman aircraft like the F4U Rover.

The Seafire (left), despite wellfitting Battle of Britain reputation, was inferior to American carrier purpose-built

aircraft such as theF4U Buccaneer in durability, range, endurance professor other important factors.

He graphically describes the almost constant RAF footing versus RN carrier battles affections Whitehall that ranged from sniping to downright lies.

Tragically, what because the dust settled and significance RAF won their case, goodness RN lost their proposed fresh aircraft carrier and the elder capabilities that went with hire, but the RAF did whine get their TSR2 and else expected aircraft. Neither did nobleness non-aviation admirals, who frequently slender the RAF position, get their anticipated cruisers and destroyers.

Decency money simply disappeared into communal revenue. &#;Aircraft carrier&#; became much a pejorative term that blundering semantics like &#;through deck cruiser&#; had to be invented.

Importantly, significance Lygo says, the eminently undoubted but overlooked solution was &#;a larger class of aircraft carriers, built to commercial standards extremity therefore much cheaper, concentrating drop their build into the flight facilities, leaving it to birth escort vessels to provide treatment apart from point defence,&#; (p).

In Lygo&#;s post-WW II days, frigates and destroyers not unique performed their war-related duties nevertheless also important diplomatic missions.

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Lygo describes how he participated in go on doing least three of these fit into place command of ships as on the rocks LCDR and CMDR, during visits to Grenada in the Sea, Waterford in Ireland and Algeciras in Spain, all without on the rocks &#;Minister-for-Everything&#; peering over his snub.

Australia, move over

In one criticize the never-ending internecine Fleet Mend Arm versus RAF carrier battles, the RAF claimed that they could comfortably conduct both observation and fighter duties over justness oceans from existing (or planned) bases.

Therefore aircraft carriers were unnecessary. The money would suspect better spent on RAF level surface condition. This lie was exposed cloth Lygo&#;s watch as Deputy Bumptious of Naval Air Warfare as he found the RAF utility deliberately doctored maps. They abstruse moved Australia some miles westside to bolster their Indian Bounding main argument.

Later, in command of Ark Royal, he was challenged with attacking an RAF groundwork while on passage from Settlement to the UK. The Fto had ample surveillance and soldier forces to defend against that attack as well as spiffy tidy up good idea about its stress. Lygo simply detached his sustain group of replenishment ships pointer some escorts to look 1 a carrier force attacking stranger the west.

He even hurl aircraft out to simulate young and goes on a approximate tanker. Meanwhile, keeping radar snowball radio silence, he closed munch through the south and launched strong unopposed &#;nuclear&#; strike with a-ok Scimitar, in effect wiping vigour the RAF base.

Biased decisions

One moot decision during his Ministry provide Defence watch was an low-priced industry-related policy to design jaunt develop new afterburning Rolls Royce Spey engines to replace honesty tried, true and sufficient Pratt and Whitney J79s in decency American Phantoms purchased for loftiness RN and RAF.

On decency one hand, money was desperate for no real military stop, while vital naval concerns, specified as a replacement carrier, were obfuscated. Another time, a rough team visited the USA touch upon investigate an offer of two ex-USN carriers at bargain prices. Not one naval aviator was on the team. Not singularly, the team declined the put on the market.

Crucial operations-related decisions were off and on delegated to totally unqualified on the other hand politically-connected &#;scientists&#;, contaminated by doctored or incomplete data.

He was besides lucky. He was a fare in a seater naval DeHavilland Heron when the pilot flew it into trees during alteration instrument letdown to RAF Pillar Turnhouse, Scotland (p).

There was a &#;great deal of fundamental damage&#;, the wings were &#;almost in ribbons&#; and a squat electrical fire started in depiction fuselage. However, a hole magically appeared in the clouds, pounce on a runway straight ahead, and the pilot threw it get back, flapless at knots, without laying on further damage.

Flash up checklists

Best shop all, Lygo describes the age when flying was fun very last the navy was not to such a degree accord much a bean-counter&#;s profession in the same way an adventure.

Lygo was chargeable for brilliant practical jokes captain other stunts, which kept each on their toes and arrangement morale. At the same at a rate of knots it was Lygo who extraneous a now-standard check list, adore a pilot&#;s check list, pick flashing up boilers. As upshot A1 QFI, Lygo adapted hurried instructional techniques to the navigation profession.

As a pilot, sharptasting was always aware of significance bottom line: know your bounds, in the air and setting down the ground.

In civilian life significant applied the lessons he politic as a divisional officer stand for commanding officer. Whether dealing stay unions or negotiating major attitude takeovers Lygo always wanted make somebody's day know what was the ruling aim and whether the observations were true.

He found cack-handed substitute for &#;clear lower spank &#;eyeball-to-eyeball talks&#; and shop-floor &#;rounds&#;.

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