It didn’t take the General long to get down to brass tacks.
“Rick, the reason I’m at Oxford today is for a meeting with the Bursar to finalize arrangements for US Air Force Officers to continue their education here. One of the last items I have to handle is to have an onsite Officer to act as a go-between if any problems arise with their presence. It occurs to me that you would be the perfect person.”
Alarm bells were starting to ring in my head.
“I would think that you would need a US Air Force Officer to do that.’
“Very true, but it would be easy to have the RAF second you to the US Air Force.”
Thinking fast I thought of my out.
“I’m only a flight officer, the same as a First Lieutenant. I would think that you would need someone of equal if not higher rank to the students for that position.”
“Correct, it would have to be at least a Major.”
With an internal sigh of relief, I replied, “Well as much as I would like to help that leaves me out.”
“I don’t see a rank problem, as you yourself said your seconding to the RAF is to allow you to carry passengers. You have no command authority as such. The same would hold true with the RAF seconding you to the USAF. It would allow you to act as an intermediary without being overruled by our student officers. At most, they would have a recent promotion to Major and you would have the date of rank.”
“What about uniforms, what would I wear?”
“Your RAF ones, you are seconded not part of. I have wondered why you wear the RAF uniform since you are seconded from the Messenger Service.”
“The Queen’s Messengers until recently didn’t have a uniform and the new one is really a sport coat with our discreet tie we can wear but that’s it. There is nothing for fieldwork. We are usually in first class.”
“Understood, I can see why the RAF wouldn’t want you in mufti all the time. Anyway, you won’t have to buy new uniforms.”
How can I gracefully get out of this?
“Rick, by being a student living near campus you will have a greater appreciation of the problems faced by members of the armed forces here on campus. Most campuses aren’t particularly soldier friendly but Oxford has had hundreds of years to develop its attitude.”
That gave me pause as I thought of Balliol College and my school Trinity and the singing across the wall. Trinity would only be considered conservative when compared to those people at Balliol. I would hate to have to wear my uniform to class. I could do it and be damned to them but it wouldn’t be pleasant.
“As I see it your job would be hearing students with complaints out and reporting those that are valid to me, and I would address them with the University officials. Today we get complaints like ‘They don’t like me’, and there's not much we can do about that. What we can address is discrimination in housing, grades, tutoring availability, and issues of that sort.”
“Well, this would have to be approved by the Messenger Service and the RAF.”
“Sooner started the better, who would you have to talk to in the Messenger Service?”
“That would be Mr. Norman at the Palace, that was why I was at the Palace yesterday, I had to check-in for assignments since I’m back in England.”
“Could you call him right now?”
Help, I could hear the train that is going to run me over or more likely the bulldozer that is plowing me down. This man didn’t become a General in the USAF because he was shy or slow. My best hope was that Mr. Norman would shoot the idea down immediately.
I placed a call to London and was put through to Mr. Norman. My hopes were dashed in short order.
“That is a capital idea, Rick, we have several members whose relatives are in the service and have attended the Universities, both Oxford and Cambridge. They all report the same prejudice. It has been talked about in the various Ministries but no plans have come forward. I’m certain both the Queen and Prime Minister would approve. Whitehall's support will be a given.”
“I have one concern, General Sullivan wants me to be seconded at a higher rank so that the officer students can’t pull rank on me and make demands.”
“Excellent point, let me ask you a question. Has the Queen ever handed you personally a message to deliver.”
“Just some notes to my mother.”
“But they were handed to you directly by the Queen?”
“Yes, Sir.”
I had no idea where this was going.
“That makes you a Senior Queens Messenger. We only have two ranks in the Service. Queens Messenger and Senior Queens Messenger. By handing you a missive the Queen has declared you to be a Senior Messenger.”
“What does that mean?”
“First of all, it means you have a top-secret security clearance in the UK. Second, your equivalent rank in the RAF is Wing Commander which is the same as a Lieutenant Colonel in the USAF.”
“What!”
“Now as you Americans would say, don’t get you panties in a twist. It is a courtesy rank. You would have no command authority, but by the same token those of lesser rank couldn’t order you around.”
“Rick, this is very exciting, I’m going to bring this up with the proper authorities immediately. May I speak to General Sullivan?”
Well, there went my hope of his not liking the idea. From the sounds of this end of the conversation, the General and Mr. Norman were getting along famously.
