MG i remember being in a similar excavation to yours one row closer to the sea on a dark night with 3 others at least in the trench. your infamous sergeant major could be heard shouting "lights out, take a NAPS tablet, in fact take 2!!" i duly took one (only did take 1 other when the OC was stood next to me one time as NAPS time) and contemplated taking the other as well as atropine and morphine. after about 10 minutes in the dark it suddenly dawned on us all that turning the lights out, sitting in the dark was OTT when missiles were the only thing allowed cricket side!
do you remember the choggie camp janitor who would rip us off for using his telephone to make international calls? he didnt know i had a telephone in my bergen that i would connect up to other chalets that still had working phone lines in them. the electric shocks were well worth it.
he did do us one favour though. while trying to deal with some u/s marines they would only part with the desired equipment for a bottle of whiskey and a bottle of bacardi. as we had been dry for over a month, i wasnt sure how we were going to swing this one. on asking the choggie, he duly gave us a 2 litre bottle of clear liquid, with a toothless knowing smile and simple instructions of "very good stuff, cut 2 or 3 times minimum!" My father had told me when he worked out there, pour some into a spoon and set light to it, if it all burns, its good stuff. the choggie was right. we cut it, poured it into black plastic water bottles of 1 litre each and went to the rv down at the docks with the sgt bilko types. we watched in amazement as each in turn professed it to be the best bacardi/whiskey(irish spelling) they had ever tasted and immediately put an order for more.
memories of war:
its 98% very boring except for the 2% bit that makes you wish the director would say "cut luvvies".
gazelle pilots are excellent for passing the time.
lynx pilots have the best grass in their tent.
you get to know your mates very well, their good and bad parts.
biggest regret? only taking one photo through my nvg, i didnt know it was so easy, id have made a fortune.
claim to fame? being charged on active service somewhere in iraq.
most fun? souvenir hunting.
funniest sight? seeing a lynx at dusk lighting up in flames and then the american exchange officer come running out from under the CARM cover juggling a peak petrol stove.
most enlightening moment? finding out my true worth. 4 gold sovereigns and an IOU for £10,000 from HMG. i think my flight comd got 5 sovs.
thats enough tilly lamp swinging i think
[This message has been edited by Jeep (edited 21 January 2001).]