Prince Harry in Lakenheath BX

[Brain Potter]

Not avation - but we've all milled around a BX in our time.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/10/nharry10.xml
This Daily Telegraph article states that Prince Harry tried to buy an iPod in the BX at Lakenheath but was (quite correctly) refused by the shop assitant due to non-entitlement.
As a one-off it would be a non-story, but a couple of comments made by the AAFES spokesman are interesting:
Lt Col David A Konop, a spokesman for AAFEE said: "The girl at the till just did not recognise the prince at all.
"If we had known Prince Harry was in the store, we would have arranged something special with the RAF commander of the base."
Lt Col Konop said that if the prince had made his presence known he could have bought what he wanted.
So fair play to HRH for not trying the "Do you know who I am?" technique. But, it would appear, that had AAFES recognized him then they would have happily broken the tax-free entitlement regulations.
Of more interest:
"I am told three or four distinguished visitors from the British Army come monthly and are allowed to shop there, so it would not have been considered special treatment," he said.
I would surmise that the spokesman thought he was countering an embarassing faux-pas on their part by refusing to serve Prince Harry. In doing so he has revealed that the entitlement regulations are regularly broken for certain privileged individuals.
I know that UK service personnel are not allowed to enjoy the tax-free status of American facilites, but I don't know where this is laid down. I would guess that it is in the statute concerning US facilities in the UK. Clearly these laws don't apply to Generals!

[SirToppamHat]

Wot No NATO Travel Order? :)

Always worth having an exchange officer on the unit for just such eventualities. Haven't used a BX/PX for years, but most of what people wanted was stuff you just couldn't buy in the UK - Hershey Bars, Miller beer etc, though these things are becoming more available now.

The tax-free bit was a separate issue really, as I don't think there was tax to pay on foodstuffs (including sweets) in those days anyway, you had to spend a lot to make it worthwhile.

I can't think he was trying to dodge tax, but it would be interesting to compare the relative prices (without tax) of the item in the BX and that on sale on the High Street of rip-off Britain!

STH

[Jacks Down]

A UK based British serviceman cannot use a UK BX, NATO travel order or not. My experience is the US apply the rule very strictly (they are good at that sort of thing) so I'm surprised at the hint that you can get special treatment.

Anyway, why does 2 Lt Wales need to shop around, surely he can afford the tax paid price?!

[Gainesy]

We used to just ask the Yank mates to buy what we wanted then reimburse them. Worked OK at Alconbury and Lakenheath, although the blokes at Mildenhall were a bit more cautious as their Wing King was a bit anal about it.

As said above, it wasn't usually the big stuff like stereos etc but little things that weren't readily available in UK back then (1970s) unless you were in London. Chilli sauces, Tequila, Yank beers (novelty value only) and various barbeque bits and pieces. USAF uniform shirts were also better quality and cut than RAF ones.

No big deal.

[Brain Potter]

I agree that His-Royal-Gingerness being kicked out of a BX for chancing his arm is not a big deal. Neither is an exchange tour mate getting you some chlli sauce. But "distinguished" British Army vistors regularly flouting customs regulations with the complicity of the US forces is, just maybe, a bigger deal. What are they buying regularly? Petrol?

How would we react if someone let slip that Cherie Blair had a special waiver from HM Customs at Heathrow that allowed her to bring more goods into the country than everyone else?

As for the ruling classes having no need to make any effort to avoid tax.....

[Gainesy]

Cherie Blair had a special waiver from HM Customs at Heathrow that allowed her to bring more goods into the country than everyone else?


Diplomatic Bag? (The method, not the person).

[J.A.F.O.]

Surely this should be brought to the attention of HMR&C.

Oh, it's okay to break the law if you are of a high enough rank. This is totally outrageous.

[Pontius Navigator]

Once, the the Shacklebomber we had done an intruder mission into Alconbury. After a planned night stop (I think it was planned) we tried to ration for the next trip.

As they were not used to MAC type rationing they could not help. We then asked if we could go to the Commissary. No dice. Next we said could we get transportation down town to Tescos, TFD.

Eventually a couple of the US hosts took pity and went shopping for us; they would not even let us in the store.

More recently I was able to use one of their convenience stores at Lakenheath but certainly no duty free as such.

OTOH in Italy I have seen Italian troops loading supermarket trolleys in the Class 6 with flagons of brandy and a civilian bus driver loading a huge duty free TV into his bus in the main square at NavSouth.

[J.A.F.O.]

HMR&C are now aware and I eagerly await a reply to find out whether I am of a high enough rank to break laws with impunity.

[charliegolf]

Was he lost?

CG

[Impiger]

Tax free shopping regs differ all over the place. I'm at a secret base in Belgium where the locals can use the shop but not the petrol or booze stores. I can't use the US PX at the base down the road but I can the minute I cross into Germany use any PX/BX I can find, where - somewhat perversely - I can't use the NAAFI! (why would I want to). Interestingly - I find most electrical items are as cheap tax-paid in UK as they are tax-free in Europe. Some exceptions of course but on the whole not worth the effort.:bored:

[BEagle]

I agree with you, Impiger (and don't say "Well, that's a first!"). Also, you run the risk of buying something which works only on 110V, or a car radio which only has 0.2 Mhz tuning steps rather than 0.05 - I've seen both of those happen to people who didn't know abot such things. Or those who bought Region 1 DVDs for their Region 2 player....

About the best things to but in a BX, PX or whatever were items of clothing. Uniform T-shirts and tube socks (for flying!) were particularly worthwhile. Or you could wind up some wheel by suggesting that you should buy miniature Kuwaiti or Saudi GW1 medals (the ones we aren't allowed to wear..:mad: ) to go with your mess kit.

But many a Vickers FunBus has returned from the USandA with bicycles, My Beautiful Weber barbecues, meningy slabs of Coors, the foulest 'wine' known to man (LeJohn's Cold Duck :yuk:) etc etc. I did once have to refuse a co-pilot who wanted to bring back some model rocket fuel (in the days when smoking was still allowed in the cabin) - and banned 'self lighting' charcoal..:eek: . Wouldn't that be fun if a passing fag end caught the bag at 30West.

But the best route steal I ever saw was the navigator ('Mongo') who brought back a sit-upon lawn mower back from Offutt. In a Vulcan! The wretched customs officer (Farquar-the-Revenue) even charged him car tax - despite his protestations that he wasn't going to go shopping in Lincoln on it! Although he did get that refunded later.

[FJJP]

The BX/PXs in the UK are not to be messed about with because HMRC are pro-active in ensuring the regs are enforced.

We had a USAF exchange office at Scampton [JH - who could forget him!] and we regularly had visits from the HMRC undercover bods rooting through dustbins looking for empty boxes and bottles that came from the BX [JH shopped at Alconbury].

Whilst he slipped us the odd bottle now and then, we were careful to give him back the empties!

To get caught by HMRC had VERY serious [career stopping] consequences for American personnel.

HRH? I suggest he was not fully aware of the rules...

[Melchett01]

HRH? I suggest he was not fully aware of the rules...
That I can buy on 2 grounds:

1. He is an inexperienced subaltern, probably one of the first times he has been to a BX on a shopping exped.

2. He is 3rd in line to the throne ...... why would he know the rules and regs for shopping anywhere?!

However, the bit about I am told three or four distinguished visitors from the British Army come monthly and are allowed to shop there, so it would not have been considered special treatment is just another example of feather-bedding and expecting preferential treatment not available to others by the high-paid help. I was always told that you always led by example if you wanted to retain any credibility with the troops..... apparently not if you're a senior army officer.

[J.A.F.O.]

I believe that it wasn't even HRH trying to buy it he was just in the group of 3 or 4, one of whom was attempting to purchase an mp3 type doodah.

I hope that HMR&C get back to me soon.

[TOPBUNKER]

Getting back to the newspaper article...
Perhaps one of our American brethren can explain why they are smuggling duty/tax-free goods to senior British Army Officers?

What is the rank level where they consider tax no longer needs to be paid?

Lt Col Konop said that if the prince had made his presence known he could have bought what he wanted.

"I am told three or four distinguished visitors from the British Army come monthly and are allowed to shop there, so it would not have been considered special treatment," he said.

[J.A.F.O.]

As I said before:

HMR&C are now aware and I eagerly await a reply to find out whether I am of a high enough rank to break laws with impunity.

If we all ask at:

[email protected]

then maybe someone will tell us.

[Archimedes]

I am told three or four distinguished visitors from the British Army come monthly and are allowed to shop there, so it would not have been considered special treatment," he said. (empahsis added)

Is it me, or am I wrong to assume that if a Sun journalist had written a story 'Generals dodge tax' based on a single piece of evidence that was clearly second hand (at best) we'd now be chuntering about the iniquities of the media?

Granted, there may be something to it - but evidence that begins 'I am told' hardly constitutes a smoking gun, and hardly suggests that there's going to be an instant reply from HMRC until they've worked out whether or not there's anything to the story.

[You want it when?]

I used to go out with a DODs lady who had BX privileges – the cash points would distribute $$$$ and beer was cheap - $10 for a slab, I think it took $12 to fill my car - normally around £40. I just had to marry the girl - then she lost her privileges. DOH.

On topic.

It's easily done - if the cashiers recognise you then they don't always ask for ID. I don't think it makes any difference how much money you have - if you can get something for a few pounds cheaper then you give it a try.

[Faithless]

Why is it that German service men can use All PX/BX facillities in Germany but we cannot use PX/BX Facilities here?

Ho I know its Tony B.lair kicking us in the balls again:D

[BEagle]

And it used to be VERY annoying when the only on-base fuel station at RAF Brawdy in 1975/6 was solely for the use of the USN SOSUS goons. The pumps were even marked in US dollars... There was also a USN commissary and Navy Exchange - but we couldn't use either even though there wasn't a NAAFI shop!

Tried to convince then that Wales was a foreign country and therefore English personnel would be OK to use the Navy Exchange - unfortunately they didn't agree....:hmm:

But there was an unusually large number of My Beautiful Webers sitting in the back gardens in the OMQs at Haverfordwest......:rolleyes:

[GreenKnight121]

"Ho I know its Tony B.lair kicking us in the balls again"


I know your hatred of the man has reached the pathological obssession level, but do you really think he was responsible for US policy that has been in place since the 1970s... if not earlier? See other posts for that info.

[J.A.F.O.]

I know your hatred of the man has reached the pathological obssession level, but do you really think he was responsible for US policy that has been in place since the 1970s... if not earlier? See other posts for that info.

Yes. Probably has an evil time machine for doing stuff like that. Faithless is spot on, it's all Tiny Blur's fault.