Sepulot; the middle of Sabah, Borneo in 1966. I was on a short detachment with my own Whirlwind 10 and was accomodated in the Ghurka officers mess. This was a long hut constructed by the Ghurka Engineers out of bamboo, wrinkly tin and parachute baseboards as the floors. The were no windows, just an awning the was pushed up and propped. Dinner was always served on the Regimental China and drinks were always in solid silver goblets. Naturally there was a batman who would bring you your char in the morning.
There were only two problems at the time. A trumpet bird would settle outside my room just before dawn and let the whole world know that the sun was coming up. The other was that my room's floor was not that secure. I had to be careful where I trod because a board edge was a bit loose. I was too lazy to report this as I was only there for week or so.
One morning the Ghurka orderly came in with my char. I was asleep after having that damn bird blaring in my ear for half an hour. He was about to place the tea on the side table when I woke and he, as Ghurkas do, crashed to attention. This broke the baseboard fixing and he sank about two feet to the jungle floor. Unperturbed, without spilling a drop, he reached up and placed the tea on my table and bolted under the floor outside.
I drank the tea, got up and when to the ablution block outside. Whilst showering away I heard this hammering and banging. Back to my room and there was a new floor installed.
OC HQ Coy and I had a joint moan one night about the trumpet bird. OC A Coy said he would sort it. Next morning the bird started up.
BLAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR BANG.
Problem solved.