It came to light that the staff in the ration store had been exceedingly generous with food that should have found its way into the mess. One particular Sergeant was allegedly burying frozen chickens in his garden when the SIB arrived. Wensleydale could be spot on with the year, because this individual had been court martialled in Aden and reduced in rank from Flt Sgt. One of the butchers, remember them, was also caught up in all of this.
Reminds me of the time when the Chief Petty Officer Cook (CPO CK) in a Major RN training establishment came under suspicion on similar grounds. Arrangements were duly made for his car to be searched by the Regulating Staff (Snowdrop/MP equivalents) as he left the establishment late one evening and, having duly been stopped at the main gate, the CPO CK threw his car into reverse and departed at high speed back towards the Main Galley.
When the Reggies arrived in hot pursuit a few minutes later, the CPO CK blithely informed them that he had suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to switch off the vitally important main power switch in the galley, as well as the "last out chit", and of course there was absolutely no sign of any contradictory evidence so "No case to answer"!
Jack