Then there was the AAC attached subbie with an infantry Bn near Celle who hatched a plan more cunning.............
New young officer to the Bn. On his interview with the Bn 2IC was convinced that while the Bn was on exercise he would have to go on a recce of the Active Edge deployment areas and a Gazelle had been booked for his use. As a side issue his peers briefed that the flower pots outside the mess were full of East German soil and if he was up for it he could persuade the Gazelle crew to cross the border while on the recce and he could have it away with a fist full of soil to join the rest and then he would be a true member of the Bn.
The fateful day dawns and when he is picked up a solemn briefing is given by the crew of the Gazelle on what has to happen if there is any compromise as they are going closer to the border than is really sensible.
An hour into the sortie and the young subbie plucks up the courage to ask the crew whether they can nip over the IGB to give him the chance to grab his soil. As you can imagine, much persuasion was required with the attendant crates to be delivered to Hildeshiem asap before the crew agreed to the crazy proposal.
The border was approached, a check in each direction and the crew decide all is well and a dirty dash is in order.
On the ground on the east side and subbie has the door open and is leaning out to grab his soil when, horror of horrors, an Eastie helicopter appears at pace and forces the Gazelle to stay on the ground. Not long after a Kubelwagen appears with East German Border Guards and starts to threaten the aircraft while it is still running but unable to take off because of the other helo.
On turning to the Subbie the aircrewman sees him eating the paper as briefed if compromised that held the IFF codes with a horrified look on his face as the Subbie realises the impending doom.
Being unable to take off the crew were forced to shut down the Gazelle and briefed the Subbie to comply with any direction as they were all severely in the s*i*!
The aircraft shut down, all three occupants were forced by the Border Guards to exit the aircraft, lie down on the floor with their arms stretched out and the Subbie was bound and blindfold.
At this point the crew stood up, suppressed a giggle and waved goodbye to the bound and blindfold Subbie.
Said Subbie spent 24 hours being held and interrogated by 'Soviet interrogators' in the cellars of Celle camp before being frogmarched, again bound and hooded, to the steps of the officers mess whereupon his hood was removed and the 2IC was stood with his mess dress and the regiments officers to welcome him to his first mess function as he was Mr Vice.
For the record, the border/wall was the training facility near Celle (well he never had a clue where he was anyway), the Eastie helo was a BO105 from the Bundeswehr and the Kubelwagen and Border Guards were the local West German Bn in the borrowed training equipment that used to be used.
A good evening was had in the mess as the crew had a very enjoyable evening joining the rest of the Bn Offrs and main players for many a beer. The sad part; the Subbie never paid his debt for going over the border anyway
and young Mallett never coughed up his beers for organising it either!
