I remember watching The Paras.. 1982 I think. I worked with one of the featured recruits 18 years later - he was a Sgt at that point. His maroon beret was pinched, cut in half, and then stitched together with a Crab one. Sure, he ranted and raved a bit, called us crabfat w#nkers.. but with a twinkle in his eye. Whenever he used to get a bit.. well, 'army', we'd remind him of
his repeated failings..
Al Slater was one of his JNCO instructors - he was to be posthumously awarded the MC.