1971-1981: After 6 months of "Positive Vetting" for the required security clearance, we moved to Holland, and I worked for the NATO research establishment called SHAPE Technical Centre (STC). See footnote. e.g. NC3A. My job title became "Senior Scientist" and my work included working closely with military officers, including American USAF returning from Vietnam. I decided to write demonstration software, used in our Laboratory, as a means of showing military officers our ideas, before we wrote these into our reports.

I had the priveledge of managing the implementation of SHEWS - the SHAPE Early Warning System. This supplied SACEUR with information from the NATO Europe Air Defence Systems, from Northern Norway to Eastern Turkey. Click on the map for more information. SHEWS was desribed by SACEUR General Rogers as "the best thing since sliced bread", and was presented at an international conference in The Hague, a few years later. It was in Holland that our first two daughters were born, starting with Samantha.

June and I remember the day of Samantha's birth, at home: 6th March 1974. Neither of us got much sleep that night, and I drove June and tiny Samantha, the few miles to Leiderdorp Hospital. June said she was fine, after an hour in the private room, where a nurse took this photo. I had time to drive directly into work, and get there just in time, to brief DSACEUR about SHEWS. This Brit, was deputy to SACEUR, and top of the UK Military. I was ready, just in time, before DSACEUR, and his entourage arrived. They sat down, just in front of me, sat next to my touch-interactive colour screen. My boss, John Unsworth, introduced me: "This is Robin Lovelock: sorry about Robin's disheveled appearance; he has only just got in, after being up all night, with his wife June, having their first baby". The first few minutes of my "briefing" consisted of smiling faces of top brass, thrust close to mine, asking questions like, "How is she and the baby ?", "what weight ?", "have you decided on a name yet ?". I remember responding with answers like, "6.5 pounds" and "Samantha", despite the fact that I had not made any written notes all that night :-)

More about Samantha's birth, that night before the above briefing ... In short: delivery was by Dr Kortman, our local doctor in the little village of Zoeterwoude. He was more shaken up than June or myself, but read on ... Late the night before, since this was all new stuff to us, I rang Dr Kortman at about 11pm, since June was getting faster contractions. He sounded sleepy, and said, "Ring again if things change". At about 3am, following June's instructions, I rang again, and he said he would come around. He arrived, and came upstairs to our bedroom ,and said something like "Oh my God, there's no time to get June to the hospital - she will have to have it here !". I followed his instructions, getting things like a bowl of water and towels, and Samantha's birth was very quick - and easy ??? Shortly after June said, "That wasn't so bad: I would not mind having another one !" :-) "Robin, why don't you go down and bring us back a cup of tea ?". I followed June's instructions, and Soon came up with the tray of 3 teas. I sat in one chair, drinking mine, and June sat in bed, cradling Samantha, and drinking her's. Then I noticed how Dr Kortman, sat in another chair, was shaking, and having difficulty even drinking his tea :-) Eventually he recovered, and said he would ring Leiderdorp Hospital, and I should take them there. We got into the little Fiat, and I drove them the 20 minutes or so there. I was not sure where to go, so I drove the car and parked it at the front entrance. June, in her dressing gown, cradling little Samantha, and I went in the front doors. Back in 1974, not unlike the modern Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot: years ahead of UK ? ;-) Inside the front entrance I asked where we should go: a nurse suddently realised this was a new baby, and rushed to get a wheelchair, and took us to the private room, covered by the NATO job insurance. Yes, we realised then that anyone in Holland got free medical treatment, even if it was on a ward ;-) The nurse took that photo of June, Samantha, and myself. Checkout those sideburns ;-) They spent about a week there, making sure all OK, before they came home. But that morning, seeing they were OK, I just had time to go directly into work on edge of The Hague. i.e. to brief Deputy SACEUR who was then head of the UK Defence staff, and their entourage. i.e. the account on my "NATO" page http://www.gpss.co.uk/johnman.htm That picture on the left is B&W but that was a touch interactive colour screen. That design, with my software, became "EAMACS" at EASAMS ( Elliot Automation and Advanced Military Systems ), where I worked 14 years, after we returned to Sunninghill, England. That 2 hour Youtube video, on the right, includes glimpses of SHAPE Technical Centre, and where we lived in Holland :-)

It was at STC that I learnt, from the Americans and procedures, how to approach security. e.g. use secrecy when it is needed, such as the existence of Stealth Bombers, GPS, or the Internet (ARPANet). But make something unclassified if it makes sense to do so. e.g. principles of EMP Protection, so that electronics, or even mechanical things like a door lock, can withstand the effects of a high altitude nuclear burst. Click on that leaving certificate, or Samantha, to see bigger versions.

Without doubt, the craziest, yet most loved Division Chief we ever had at STC, was John Mannielo - or to give him his proper title - Sir John Mannielo. The Vatican eventually knighted him. John was an Italian migrant, and when he entered the States, he did not speak a word of English - or American. He earned cash as a "shoe shine boy", and that skill remained with him all his life. I fondly remember arriving for work in the mornings, walking down the corridoor, and being greeted by his "Good Morning Robin !", with him standing in his office doorway, polishing his shoes. John had become an American, and by the 1940s, was flying in the US Air Force, and supporting the Allies moving up through Italy. His air missions including "mail runs" *, but he always wondered why they involved flying across enemy lines. It seems there was a pattern in John's career: he had many important and distinguished jobs, but it seems he was always promoted sideways or upwards, as if those around him could not make better use of his skills. He told us how, when working for the US Defence Department, they wanted more information on the Russian Surface to Air Missiles (SAMs). John was always a "lateral thinker", so he thought, "why not ask the Soviets themselves ?". John went into the Russian Embassy, went up to the reception desk, and asked, "Could someone give me details about your Surface to Air Missiles ?". Then all hell broke loose, with alarms going off, and armed security guards rushing in. After that episode, John's boss took him to one side and said, "John: don't ever do that again".

* It's only now, years later, that I discover how much John "talked down" his war years. Those "Mail Runs" were probably his time in the 100th Bomb Group, before he was shot down. John is listed as spending time in the POW Camp Stalag Luft III. John was Member of the Goldfish Club. (survived ditching aircraft into the sea), Caterpillar Club, (parachuted), and Tonkin Bay Yacht Club (US Navy 7th Fleet during Vietnam War). It seems John Manniello was never one to brag about his war record.

By the late 1960s, John was Vice President of CBS (American TV). He was the guy who suggested to NASA that they beam live colour TV pictures back to Earth, during the 1969 Appollo landing. On John's office wall was that iconic photograph of the Moon landing, with a handwritten personal message and signature, from the Director of NASA: "John, without you, none of this would have been possible". His office wall was dominated by a large World map, with lots of pins stuck into it, showing where he had been - mostly Italy.

John's office wall also had a photograph of President Richard Nixon, with it's own personal message: "thanks for the binoculars, John". He had been Scientific Adviser to the President during that important Ping Pong Diplomacy visit in 1971. John had given them to the President when they were needed, aboard their US Navy ship. I lost count of the stories I heard about John Mannielo, both from within STC, and from TNO, the Dutch National Research Establishment next door. I was directly involved in one of them: it was shortly after the death of Senior Italian Political Leader Aldo Moro , who had been found dead in the back of a car. A few days earlier, Aldo Moro had been kidnapped, and John had a bright idea: it was to have three TV cameras on the top of every Italian police car. As soon as the alarm were raised, every police car would send 360 degree TV coverage to a control station - enabling rapid response to a national crisis such as this. John Manniello came into my office, shared with another John, who remembers all this: "Robin, I know you are a bit of an artist, with those poster-sized leaving cards. I asked the Drawing Office to draw something, to add to a letter I'm sending to my contacts in the Italian Government. They don't seem to understand what I want. Could you draw something ?".

After giving it due consideration, and discussing the implications with my office mate John, I drew a cartoon which I'm still trying to find, amongst all our old files at home here. It showed an Italian police car, with a cluster of TV cameras on the roof, and a huge crowd of onlookers gathered around, all with smiling faces. There was an inset picture of the scene inside a control centre, with a row of TV monitors, three of which had the crowd's smiling faces. Out of shot of the cameras, were the three occupants of the police car, that had been riddled with bullets: one hung out of the open passenger door, one hung out of the broken front window, across the bonnet, and one lay slumped over the wheel. After photo-copying, I delivered the original to John Manniello's in-tray, with a post-it sticker that said, "Is this what you wanted John ?". Not long after, he stormed into our office, and I thought he was about to "give me a rocket". Instead, he said something like, "Just what I wanted, if you could just make this minor change here". I don't recall what the minor change was, but maybe John's letter with my cartoon was why he got his Italian knighthood :-)

For some unknown reason, John Manniello did not serve the normal 3-year posting as our Division Chief. I understand that the US Department of Defence needed him back there, so he only served the 6-month "probationary period". John passed away, aged 92, in Ozone Park, NY, on 8th September 2016. Dennis Marquis, the guy who came after John, had a tough act to follow. He led a Division that was handling some of NATO's most important projects, including NADGE, ACCS, SatComms, and others I won't mention here. He also had to deal with crazy senior scientists, such as one who claimed that a boat or land vehicle could be "windmill powered" . It seems that this guy, took bets from his doubting scientist workmates, then built a working model one evening. He brought it into work the next day. He collected LOTS of beer money that day, but it was many years later until he built a working Windmill Powered Robot Boat. Dennis could not have done his job too badly, because later he became the Director of SHAPE Technical Centre. Dennis passed away on 18th August 2019 in Florida.

Footnote added in June 2020 - Changes of name over the years. e.g. NC3A.

I've added a link here, to the official NATO web site: www.ncia.nato.int which says what this larger NATO organisation does. The original site of www.nc3a.nato.int seems to have gone. It used to have some of my photos, with others, taken at several "STC Reunions" in the 1990s through 2003 to 2005. Scroll down the long page on their About page, and you will see the mergers and changes of name, over the years. SHAPE Technical Centre ( STC ) is near the end, from 1963. It was preceded by the SHAPE Air Defence Technical Centre, from 1955. The picture below, from three stiched photos, should be enough for those who were at an event, or have seen photos - or maybe even a video ? :-)

This 6 minute video was found on VHS tape and is very poor quality because of how it was captured - pointing Robin's camcorder at a very old CRT TV ! It will also be seen to be very boring by everyone, perhaps other than those who worked there in the 1970s. As the years go by, things become less sensitive. This video was downgraded from "Cosmic Top Secret" to "NATO UNCLASSIFIED" :-)

Footnote added on 22 July 2022 - Robin's attempt to recreate that cartoon ...

Here below is my attempt to recreate something similar to that cartoon I gave to John Manniello is what must be about May 1978.

As explained earlier, John had asked me to illustrate his idea of putting 360 degree coverage cameras on the roof of every police car in Italy. This was probably after the kidnapping of Aldo Moro, but before the sad conclusion of Aldo's body being found.

Maybe a copy of my original cartoon is in Italian and/or USA Government archives somewhere ?

Footnote added on 22 July 2022 - Dr John Raffetto talks about Sir John Manniello ...

On 31st May 2022 I was contacted by Dr John Raffetto, after he had found this page, and my memories of Sir John Manniello.

I already knew than John Manniello was an amazing guy, since the 1970s, but Dr John's emails, shared with trusted friends, certainly cast new light on Sir John's career. e.g. his work in Italy before SHAPE Technical Centre. Perhaps his 6 month posting in Holland was just to check out those crazy NATO Scientists ? :-)

Below is the start of those email exchanges from 31st May 2022, between Robin and Dr John Raffetto, Chairman of Ambassador Care.

Yes, I did check out Dr John, including where he lived. I hope he does not mind this stuff becoming public :-)

QUOTE:
Subject: Dr John Raffetto : Re: John Manniello, Attaché, US Embassy, Rome 1975-76

To: Robin Lovelock

I came across your comments on GPSS about John Manniello. We had the pleasure of working with him at the American Embassy in Rome. He and Ambassador John Volpe incorporated us into Prime Minister Aldo Moro’s, Henry Kissinger’s and William Colby’s strategic plan to defeat the Italian Communist Party and emasculate Brezhnev’s ambitious plan to extricate US and NATO forces from Italy and move the capital of the Soviet Union to Rome.

John was the project director.

With a significant history of working on hospital development with the US State Dept and AID, we were recruited to work with Pier Luigi Nervi and his sons in the design and development of a system of private hospitals owned and operated by the Pier Luigi Nervi Foundation. Carlo Nervi was a radiation oncologist and his three brothers were in the family business. Architecture and engineering.

It is a fascinating story that culminated in the defeat of Berlinger and the unfortunate assassination of Aldo Moro involving a variety of fascinating characters from William Randolph Hearst II and his wife Austine to Edda Ciano.

You apparently worked with John after the “Roman Communist War”.

Would you mind filling me in?

With best wishes,

Sincerely,

John
-
Dr John Raffetto
Chairman
AmbassadorCare.com

UNQUOTE

from Robin on 23rd July 2022: I was delighted to get Dr John's OK to the above and to include this selfy with the "Roller" :-)

from Robin on Friday 7th July 2023: Whatsapp video chat related to "Windsor Care" concept. Correction needed to "one liner" for Dr John near end of Covid19 page ... Done :-)

from Robin on Wednesday 12th July 2023: Corrections needed to John's words above: from "worked with" to "worked for", and "after" to "during"*. Also today's Youtube video NATO, NHS, and the Lovelock Family in Sunninghill is relevant, and has glimpses of John. Robin looks forward to publishing something about the "Windsor Care" concept ;-) from Robin on Thursday 13th July 2023: Check out Robin's "Windsor Care" page for more detail, as available.

from Robin on Tuesday 2nd July 2024: Spelling corrections, such as Maniello to Manniello. Also this: WHEN was John Manniello at SHAPE Technical Centre ? Perhaps Dr John was correct when he said "after", and my correction above marked * was wrong. Help on this welcome :-)
Saturday 5th July: Thanks Dr John: "1975-1976 Roman Communist War".

There may be more here in due course ;-)

The 1975-1976 “Roman Communist War” - Historical Accuracy ?

from Robin in June 2024: Thanks to Enrico for these words below, roughly translated from his native Italian: his wish for this page to be more historically accurate. Thanks again to Dr John Rafetto, for his recent wise feedback. Perhaps this section is from the perspective of a Sicilean, and American - with Italian roots - and an Englishman - myself ;-) You will see plenty of Enrico and wife Matilde on my Holiday page :-)

QUOTE: Hi Robin, I write in Italian, you can use Google translator.
I read your history page Robin's memories of SHAPE Technical Center and John Manniello. In particular, I believe I need to make some clarifications regarding what Dr. John Raffetto states in your email exchange. In 1978 Aldo Moro was not the Italian prime minister, but he was president of the Christian Democrats, at that time the largest political party in the country. Prime Minister was Giulio Andreotti. Aldo Moro was kidnapped on March 16 by the Red Brigades, a far-left terrorist organization, and was murdered less than two months later, on May 9. Aldo Moro conceived the so-called "historical compromise", that is, a political project that envisaged the entry into the Italian government of the Communist Party, which until that moment had always been in opposition. Head of the Italian Communist Party was Enrico Berlinguer. His political beliefs had distanced him from Moscow and Brezhnev and gave birth to a more European-oriented Communist Party project. According to what is now written in history, Aldo Moro had no plan in mind to oust the Communist Party, unlike what Raffetto claims. Today we know with some certainty that the Red Brigade killed Moro precisely to undermine the historic compromise, and that this terrorist group was most likely manipulated by the deviant secret services (in the hands of the extreme fascist right) with the silent approval of the CIA. In fact Henry Kissinger, who was a staunch anti-communist, was very worried that Italian communists could participate in the government. Proof of this is that the leaders of the Christian Democrats opposed to Aldo Moro's project did not lift a finger to save his life. This sad story did not culminate with the defeat of the Communist Party, which instead, at the beginning of the 80s, reached 33% of the votes, moving closer to the Christian Democrats. Thanks also to the action of the communists in those years, Italy took steps forward in terms of work (the ban on dismissal without just cause was approved), in the social sphere, with the introduction of divorce and the to the termination of pregnancy, then in the context of the health service, which became free for all citizens below a certain income, so that today the national health system, despite recent attempts at privatisation, is among the best in the world .
I write these things for the sake of historical truth.
With love
**************************
Enrico Mirabella
*************************
UNQUOTE.

From Robin: I corrected my old words "Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro" to Senior Italian Political Leader Aldo Moro . It was I, rather than Dr John, who made the mistake :-) I changed Google Translate "services US secrets" to "CIA" which seemed more likely. I'm indebted to the CIA for their "World Database 2" mapping data, that I used on SHEWS in the 1970s, at EASAMS on EAMACS, and my GPS Software business from the late 1980s. My political views ? I guess I am an agnostic, and can see the strengths & weaknesses of any side. In my recent email to Dr John Rafetto and Enrico, I included the link to Bert Davies - his War Memories of Italy, as a POW and on the run which seemed relevant: his help as a POW during World War 2 in escaping from the Germans, by left-wing / communist peasants living in the hills and mountains of central italy.

There may be more here, and/or the page above, in due course ;-)

Was NATO born in Sunninghill ?

The words, pictures, and links above have not changed much since I created this page in 2015, but in 2018, my wife June and I woke up to the probability that NATO was born in Sunninghill. I set up a new draft page, still under construction, on www.GPSS.co.uk/sss.htm called "SACEUR, Snoopy, and Sunninghill . The NATO Alliance was not signed until 1949, and by that time, countries like Poland, who had military staff and Royalty near Sunninghill, was behind the Iron Curtain.

I am seeking declassified maps, from about 1945, that were probably Cosmic Top Secret (CTS), showing the locations of key headquarters. e.g. General Eisenhower, who became the first SACEUR, had his bunker near the middle of Sunninghill village: where it says "Convent Schools" on that more recent UK Ordnance Survey map below. The orange arrow, in low centre, is Armitage Court, where we live. More houses now :-)

The SHEWS map and images further below are taken from www.usarmygermany.com/sont.htm . During my NATO days, in the 1970s, I spent much of my time with USAF and RAF, because the work involved military air operations. At EASAMS my work widened to the three services, and my CTS clearance was renewed. However, when I left EASAMS, I chose to do only unclassified work, with less need to keep secrets.

As Mrs Brown's friend said: "I can keep secrets; it's the friends I tell them to who can't" :-)

Who has visited this "SHAPE Technical Centre & John Manniello" page ?

From Robin: It's very convenient for me, that there are so few visitors to this page: just those given the link. See map and words near end of my Home page ;-)

The visit counters may give a rough indication on who else is visiting, or has visited, this page. I don't hide or disguise my visits, but they may appear as "Ascot", or miles away, like "Southend-on-Sea, England" (on my Lounge PC), or "Woking, England" ( on the Study PC). Positions may not be accurate, but times are. These may change at any time, without control by me. e.g. if we have a power cut, or I reboot a router. So, you may see if I'm "working" in the Study, or "relaxing" in Lounge :-)

Not all visits are seen, and some browsers hide location, but you may find Revolvermaps livestats for this page interesting.

The video on the right shows several guys visiting at the same time, after I posted the link to my Covid19 page on the Microtransat forum :-)

© 1991-2024 Robin Lovelock.

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