A Man of Honour

Wed, Feb 9th 2022 at 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Walter Hill will told us why Lord Carrington is a man of honour.

‘A Man of Honour’ was the title of Walter Hill’s talk to his fellow Rotarians. He began by asking the same searching question that had been put to him, some years ago, when being interviewed for a public appointment: “Have you ever done anything you’re ashamed of?” He had not expected it and gave an extended answer that ended in a “No” but by way of various qualifications, such as “No one is perfect” and “If I’ve offended someone unintentionally, I’ve apologised”. Walter was chosen but his subsequent reflections underlined a fundamental principle. One is responsible for one’s own actions and must take the blame if they go wrong, without complaint or explanation. Honour is key to responsibility, as exemplified by Walter’s role model, the late Lord Peter Carrington. He resigned as Foreign Secretary four days after Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands and never complained or tried to exculpate himself. It was not until 2012 that papers were released, under the 30-year rule, that showed how Carrington could have tried. The Navy withdrew HMS Endurance, a visible deterrent to invasion, and substituted a nuclear submarine, but in complete secrecy. Carrington argued strongly that the switch made invasion more likely but his advice was ignored. He continued in public life, serving as Secretary-General of NATO, but never returned to politics. Until his death in 2018 at the age of 99, he never complained or explained. Truly, a man of honour.

'What We Do' Main Pages: