A bit of a laugh would be incomplete without a story from Ascot airlines regarding the superiority of the Air Load Master, and their antics.
A certain MALM, P*** T***, was part of a crew taking some, I heard, Coldstream Guardsmen on a training deployment to Kenya. On the way down, and whilst suffering a delay to departure from their overnight stop, our hero decides that as he is at least the equivalent of an RSM, and they had an hour to spare, he would exercise the troops, who, by that time had been delivered to Albert. Come on you lot he shouts, fall in, in three's at the rear of the aircraft.
Imagine the scene. MALM PT on ramp, giving orders to about 40 Coldstream Guardsmen, marching in threes behind the aircraft. Left turn, Right Turn, About turn. Then it started to rain, and as always in Africa, a bloody deluge ensued. This in no way affected our MALM who continued to drill the troops, from the dry, luxury of the aircraft ramp. Feeling a tap on his shoulder, he was surprised to see the Senior, SNCO from the army detachment smiling at him, "very nice bit of drill P***", but can you excuse the Colonel the drill in the rain, he's getting on a bit and it might not be good for him.
Anyone who served on the Herk fleet will know numerous stories of this "legend of a loadie", I hope this one brings a smile.
Smudge