Officer characteristics from the diary of Megan Spooner

[Fatboy Coxy]

Hi all, how seriously can we take observations about people’s characters from personal diaries. I came across a passage from Megan Spooner's diary referring to the senior officers in Singapore in 1941. Megan Spooner, nee Foster, a famous soprano, was the wife of Rear Admiral ‘Jackie’ Spooner, who arrived in Singapore in August 1941, as Rear Admiral Malaya and commander of the Naval Dockyard.

Her diary records
8 September 1941. Dined with Governor – Sir Shelton Thomas – a nice man but not a leader of men. I should say rather a rigid insensitive brain.

Another entry
29 November 1941. We want more brains in Singapore. B.P (Brooke Popham, the C.in.C) is unusual but he has a first class mind – Percival (Army) may have brains but certainly is short of guts and decision. Layton has plenty of guts but no first class grey matter. Pulford (RAF) is good – brain keen and subtle, and character firm and steady. Keith Simmons (Army) – steady brain, great tact, considerable charm and judgement but lacking in drive and not a first class brain. Governor seems a poor reed. Col. Sec. (Colonial Secretary Stanley Wilson Jones) reputed to be a bottleneck and obstructor and also to be revengeful – certainly unbalanced – I think he has ophthalmic goitre.

I have no doubt she may well have met all these men, mostly at formal or informal dinners or high teas etc, so could legitimately make observations, but…
How she determines that Shelton Thomas is ‘not a leader of men’ over an evening dinner, or that he seems to be a ‘poor reed’ seem to me a little far fetched, surely she must have digested opinions of others to conclude that. She may well be right but, is this to be taken as a fair and accurate assessment of someone.

Of others she often mentions their ‘brain’ which I take to refer to their intellect. To some degree this could be observed during a dinner conversation, and certainly some of the observations of Keith Simmons, ‘great tact, considerable charm’ could most likely be made over dinner. Nevertheless, I’m inclined to think many of ‘her’ observations may well have been repeated from those made by her husband Rear Admiral Spooner, who would have had far more opportunity in formal military meetings or private ones within that elite military circle.

Regards
Fatboy Coxy

[Sheldrake]

She was wrong to claim they needed more men with brains. She identified four men with brains and only one with with guts. History suggests they needed more men with guts,

[Fatboy Coxy]

Having 'guts' can be quite subjective to what we think they should have done, compared to the realities of the day as they saw it. Percival, often labelled a man with no guts, went into captivity along with his men, unlike one I could name. Furthermore, he worked hard after the war, in representing the interests of his men, and not hiding away, despite all the sling and shot he received, that took guts!

[Vesper]

I'm quite surprised by her condescending attitude and lack of class. After all, who was she but someone sitting in the passenger's seat of her husband's more successful life? A lady of leisure is hardly in any position to dictate her opinion with any authority. I wonder what her guests would have thought had they read her diary?

[Sheldrake]

I'm quite surprised by her condescending attitude and lack of class. After all, who was she but someone sitting in the passenger's seat of her husband's more successful life? A lady of leisure is hardly in any position to dictate her opinion with any authority. I wonder what her guests would have thought had they read her diary?

She was a COW.................................CO's Wife also demonstrating why COW was an appropriate TLA...