I have worked in the construction industry all my life apart from a s short spell with RTR2 as a Rupert, so the list of lost kit is legendry. Personally my own biggest losses on a project were a Temporary Bridge (I was junior engineer so did not have to explain that one) and two Caterpillar Dozers on a different job which I did have to do the paper work for. The CATS turned up in Kuwait apparently some 12 months later on one of our projects, and we tried to have them impounded as stolen property, but anyone who has worked there will know the world does not work like that in that neck of the woods, but our accounts dept made a good stab at it before admitting defeat.
Fantome
There is a tale of 2nr Luftwaffe officers escaping from a POW camp in UK Lake District and stowed away on trains and got down to Suffolk where they purloined a small A/C to make good their escape, but when airborne found there was insufficient fuel . They landed and the British Home Guard came to the rescue thinking they had crashed. The two German officers made out they were Poles and that they were out of fuel. The HG turned the A/C around and dispatched one of their number for fuel. Unfortunately before he returned a regular soldier happened upon the scene recognised the German uniforms and the game was up for the two German officers, but not a bad stab at an escape.
Regards
Mr Mac