In the days when the Buccaneer and Suffolk had a close acquaintance I was ground defence commander for 208. Once everyone had got their act together we decamped over to the dispersal on the other side of the runway and played our various games until endex. A few desultory attempted incursions; lots of very secret plumber work etc etc etc but usually no great dramas.
Until this exercise. The secret plumber activities had just been completed and we idly watched as four Wessex appeared from the north east. No problem - that was not unusual given that Stanford lay in that direction. Then two landed just outside our wire disgorging yelling cammed up thugs and two hovered over the centre of the dispersal while more cammoed thugs roped down chucking smoke grenades all over the place.
At that point I realised the utter futility of it all and ordered everyone to put up their hands and shout "Kamarad". I mean, a joke's a joke.
