Lt Cdr Harry Anthony O’Grady MBE RN

The Association has learned of the death of Lt Cdr Harry Anthony O’Grady MBE RN in December 2014.

 

From Records

Harry was a Direction Officer serving with the following Squadrons:

899 NAS 1967-1969

892 NAS 1971 – 1972

Direction Officer HMS Blake 1972

 

Personal reminiscences include:

 

Laon Hulme

‘Harry’ O’G was a revered Colossus of the Fighter Control world.  

 

While Bernie Steed and I (and Terry Loughran) had the privilege of being tutored by him, Bernie makes light (deliberate pun) of Harry taking his VL students on a Pub ‘Crawl’ at a critical point in our course and telling us that we could ONLY drink scrumpy Cider – because he would be looking to see how we controlled our aircraft the next day when (still) pissed!

 

At the first Inn, Harry started the evening by singing: “I am an Ice Cream Soda” – sadly I can’t remember the rest of the words.  Much later (and after quite a few) Harry ‘invited us all to ‘participate’.  

 

While my contribution is not worthy of record – Bernie (bad name!) rather foolishly (to my mind) announced that his ‘Party Piece’ would be to allow himself to be set fire to – as he was ‘blessed’ with an abundance  of body hair!  And so it was that BURNIE was sat on a chair on a table with all the Pub lights dimmed duly to be ‘set alight’ to multitudinous accord!!  (For the record he glowed with a blue etherial colour)

 

While it was a ‘blur’ of an evening I do remember two things vividly – and one ‘after the event’:

Whatever, Harry did us all and the Fighter Control world proud.  He was more than a character and, goodness, we could do with more of his inspirational sort today.

 

Chris Welland

I just could not agree more; he was inspirational. I was v fortunate not only to have HOG as my instructor at VL but then serving with him in Eagle and 899 (Vixen mk2). Not only was he VL’s assistant wine caterer (!) under D School boss late George Attrill, and key contributor to the D School line book, “Erd in the ADR”, but he was a major player at diverting and annoying senior staff at every opportunity. One such occurrence on a Friday during VL’s annual internal security exercise had us, his students, towing a v heavy cricket pitch roller plus a few pusser’s reds out to the intersection of the runways. Although the airfield was officially closed this had ATC going bananas as Mrs FONAC was due back from Bournemouth in the Heron following some Christmas shopping. Mad panic ensued as the aircraft loomed into view and soon on finals as we pedalled furiously away leaving the roller and airfield in state red! Sure we got a right royal b……ing but HOG took all the flack!
In Eagle, I had been lurked to edit the daily newspaper, Eagle Express. What could have been a rather poisoned chalice was made such fun as HOG and Tugg Wilson vied to out-cartoon each other on the front page reflecting “an occurrence” on board during the previous 24 hours. Rarely was the Editor’s decision final!
Happy days and RIP old (amazing) mate.

 

Sharkey Ward

How very sad that Harry should have left us to join the big fighter pilot in the sky.

 

From my own limited perspective and having served with Harry in 892 Squadron, I remember him as an icon of the old Fleet Air Arm, the life and soul of our Squadron and someone who earned our unlimited respect.

 

Like Terry who was my sea daddy at Dartmouth, Harry made generous allowances for me as the nugget in the Squadron when we embarked in 1969.

 

I particularly remember one night in the Firth of Forth when our buccaneers were conducting low-level strikes on the ship. I was airborne with Doug McDonald chasing the buccaneers in but without any radar contact and under the control of Harry. Doug kept on saying “faster, faster” and soon we were ahead of the buccaneers at 500 feet doing nearly Mach 1.2! As we passed over the ship, I throttled back the burners and pulled up. There was just one comment from the ship. Harry said, “we heard you Sharkey!” At the same time, Dougie giggled and said in his broad Scottish brogue, “you’re for it now Sharkey!” In that one pass our sonic boom had cleaned out 25 years of dust and grime from the ship’s air conditioning system – amongst other collateral damage. As I climbed out on deck, the petty officer of the watch drew my attention to the centreline tank which had been overstressed by nearly 200 kn and was now visibly mangled. I expected the bollocking of my life but in the debrief there was no comment at all about the incident and Harry just looked at me with that old-fashioned look and a bit of a smile on his face.

 

I shall always remember him with the greatest possible affection.

 

Rear Admiral Terry Loughran CB

What a pity we all have to go some time, especially the good ones.  Apart from the pubs, I remember Harry inviting us home and as a young unmarried remember being a little shocked that he warned us that his wife was a lovely lady, but spits a lot! Not true of course. More recently, although I can’t remember quite when, I was invited (along with a huge number) to the late Ark Royal (another recommissioning?) and Rosemary Anson asked me if I would take Ted (Captain of old Ark) as he was suffering a degree of dementia. Quite a responsibility when I lost him completely in a seething hangar.  I finally located him deep in conversation with Harry (a discussion in which time seemed to have been suspended) and I was able to get on with my own business. I hadn’t seen Harry in years, but knew in an instant who he was. Wherever he has gone, he will be setting them back on their heels!