Nice one Airborne, you've just reminded me of a similar occurrence during my basic training days in November '86. It was during the "battle camp" phase at Pen Hale (near Newquay) when our section commanders decided to get us out of our pits with a fire alarm at 3am. We formed up into a squad outside the non-flaming Nissan huts wearing only our shreddies (underpants for the US folks) - and if you were lucky a pair of trainers. The NCOs had clearly just arrived back from a lock-in at the local pub and thought it would be a laugh to give us a bit of PT. We were doubled over to the assault course and beasted up the ropes and over 10' walls for 20 minutes before they got bored and allowed us to return back to our welcoming beds.
The next day approx half of the platoon reported to the MO with foot and ankle injuries (not me of course, I was nails) and 2 or 3 were so serious that they had to have a few weeks sick leave, meaning they had to then start basic training all over again with the next in-take.
The NCOs got to have an interview with the camp CO (without coffee), and that was that. It was all pretty normal back then and we just took it as part of the game that had to be played in order to join the British Army - that said though, the NCOs picked on all of us equally, and it would've be very hard on a young bloke if they'd been singled out for special attention.
No need for bullying, but there's nothing wrong with treating recruits firmly in order that they toughen up - it also helps them bond as a team...strength in adversity.