Horse-play in the Mess
 

When responding to a discussion in Jetblast I referred to an RAF Court Martial in 1992.

Post 31 of this thread: http://www.pprune.org/jet-blast/546574-guilty.html

The convictions were quashed by the Court Martial Appeal Court.

Just out of curiosity, does anyone here know if those involved continued their RAF careers?

I know that Aitken went on to fly for BA as there was a case some 10 or so years later when Gibson's (the Nav that received the 35% burns) wife (BA cabin crew) was expected to fly on the same a/c as Aitken. I don't think the other two involved returned to the RAF.

Edit: BTW the incident was June 1989. The outcome of the appeal may have been 1992, but the three of then would have been discharged long before then.

Thanks Courtney.

BTW, I found a report on the internet about the subsequent employment case you mention.

Mrs Gibson claimed breach of contract and unfair dismissal in 2007.
BA said she was never asked to work with the captain involved.
There was a pre-tribunal hearing but I don't know if the claim was pursued or, if it was, the result.

BA faces tribunal

There was a chap who let off a flare after a Dining In at Boulmer in c 1992; the 'system' was not at all sympathetic to him: he was kicked off station the following day, kicked out of the then Fighter Control Branch and stripped of his Permanent Commission. At no stage did he face a disciplinary hearing of any kind - all the actions were 'administrative'. I believe he went on to follow a rather lack-lustre career in the Secretarial Branch before vanishing into the Foreign Office. I hope the FCO had a sense of humour...

Things had clearly changed since the sixties.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...gbadly1968.jpg

Take one Ministry ashtray, invert top, place two Roman candles therein, liberally douse with lighter fuel and ignite.
And that was one of the lesser stunts.

At one 'do' the band was blown up with a thunderflash resulting in an on-the-spot rebuke - followed by an anxious wait until Monday to discover if it was going to be 'taken further'; it wasn't :ok:

Yes Basil and not a 'grow bag' in sight :ok:

Reminds me of 2 occasions at Coningsby some years ago. The piano burning after a Dining In Night. The car on top of the burning piano. Fire brigades from a 20nm radius being called out. Who was driving the car? Senior officer disappears into the night. Could it be the AMP in years to come? Someone must be able to tell the story fully?

The other occasion was 29 Sqn inviting a piglet into a Dining In when WW was Stn Cdr. I understand that the sense of humour was tried to the full. But still, no careers were ruined on that occasion!

The second of the incidents you mentioned, Dominator, was banned from discussion at the time. And it's referred to as the "Pink Rabbit" incident, not the P-word.

Wonder if these guys have hit that "Google remove my information from searches" button a la Max Mosley.

Not a great moment in Chiv's history, for anyone involved.

I would go further than "not a great moment", Chris. The Mess was famous for brilliant high spirits, but that was just shocking.

Courtney,
I guess that you were one of those reprobate F/Os on 29 at the time. Surely the 25 year rule applies and the Pink Rabbit is out of the hat by now! Even WW may raise a smile (or sniff)?

My twin brother may have been there. But I won't say anything that might cause W to raise a smile!

Edit: I'll see if I can dig the story out of my website for you after happy hour chez Les Courtnages.

CM

Extend your happy hour. Your previous post on the topic (clicky)

Thanks, Wrath. Saved me the trouble. :ok:

Courtney Mil wrote: Agreed.

But in earlier days, I was on the first Hawk course at Chiv and we had a rather meagre combined mess, whilst the new one was being built (facing the wrong way, I gather....:uhoh: ).

At the first Dining-In night, the usual pranks took place. Starting with the usual cling film between seat and pedestal in the loos. A WIWOL knew how to make nitrogen triiodide, which was carefully applied between two bits of kneepad plastic hidden under the block - as the PMC smote the block with the gavel, there was a loud bang and the game was on. During the meal, crow scarers outside the mess went off with monotonous regularity; as soon as the loyal toast had been made, a well-timed slow burning fuse deflated a met balloon full of French chalk powder up in the eaves....

A few other japes, which I can no longer recall. But the bar had a shiny stone floor; I watched with interest as a banger came spinning across the floor, to stop at bottom dead centre under a rather plain (that's being polite) WRAF's blue tube - there was a muffled bang and she hopped away shaking sparks out of her knickers, or so it looked.

Guest of Honour had been a local mayor. Next day, the word came down from on high that such things would no longer be tolerated at Dining In nights - there was to be no noise before the Loyal Toast and nothing destructive thereafter.

Came the second dining-in and the band finished its first piece; the conductor turned to face us expecting the same applause as they'd had the first time. Nothing came, the poor chap turned back and the rest of the band's performance lacked much style. When the Guest of Honour got up to speak, he was another local mayor. He proceeded to say how surprised he'd been - his oppo had briefed him to expect all manner of high jinks, but nothing had happened.... Of course this received considerable applause and laughter from everyone except the Stn Cdr.....:(

We did a few silly things, but never anything as criminally stupid as setting people on fire. Even 'Afterburners' of flaming Drambuie weren't attempted unless a mate was standing by with a 'safety pint'.....

At Christmas 1957 at Seletar these Erks celebrated on the parade ground by overturning this instructional airframe.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r...tar/Image3.jpg


While the navy (Ark Royal) celebrated with some style by launching the wardroom piano off the flight deck.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r...oCatapault.jpg

AKA Operation Pink Rabbit (Courtney Mil's description of the event is hilarious)

http://www.pprune.org/military-aviat...ml#post6824605

Which I may add is not quite in the same league as Arson or discharging firearms and explosive devices indoors (the first time I heard of Piano burning, the story also involved dodgems with real cars in the Offices Mess car park (the most damaged car got burnt with the Piano), plus somebody discharging both barrels of a 12 bore into the ceiling of the Officers mess foyer). The funnest story about Piano burning however the last one that got torched at Coltishall. A work colleague's wife worked as a mess hand in the Officer's mess there and he was sitting in the car park waiting to pick her up at the end of the evening. While there he observed the Station master (Air Commodore, detached) and the acting station master (Group Captain) outside the main entrance was having a blazing shouting match on wherever the Piano was going to be burnt or not (The Air Commodore was the man wanting said event to happen, which of course it did). The Group Captain got his revenge later though.

Spent a rather tedious morning picking the piano wires out of the tarmac in front of the Mess at Colt in 92 or 93. Boss wasn't impressed by the damage down to the Mess car park. IIRC we had bought the piano from an old lady who had wanted it to go to a good home :}

Horse-play in the Mess
 

MAINJAFAD.
The rather annoying postscript to that particular piano burning was that after the JPs had dutifully carried out the torching on the Air Cdr's orders it was the JPs that were left to pay for it. He denied all knowledge.
BV

In 1975-6, there was a piano in the OM bar at RAF Brawdy, but I don't think anyone ever played it.

A notice attached to the piano stated that, if someone's squadron tradition involved burning a piano, they were at liberty to do so - provided that they would be prepared to pay for its replacement. The cost of which was also prominently displayed.

Whether it was that which ensured the piano's survival, I don't know. Perhaps it was simply the fact that the bar was on the first floor, accessible only by steep stairs?

Summer of '76 and the single seat Hunter - bliss!

Enjoy the stories from the good old days, the fun police have ensured the mess is a "high spirits" free zone today so there won't be any new ones.......

Exascot,
Yes, and, I'm sure, even Flt Lt ******** there, in his suedes was thought slightly louche by some ;)

I had a couple of shirts made with ties of the same fabric in order to see how many double-takes I could score from our senior officers. What a little sh1t! :E

Bob

Wasn't a cheap piano either from what I heard. No wonder that most people at Colt were very happy when the the Air Cdr's boast about taking the last jag out of Colt didn't happen.

Indeed so Basil.

One dressed "adventurously" oneself in ones youth, and was - on occasion - accused of being a "Weekend Hippy"! :ok:

At BFTS, we also had the problem of a living-in bachelor Sqn Cdr. One time I was thrown out of Saturday Breakfast by the same, for daring to wear a cravat (told you I was adventurous!) with my natty cav twill/Tattersall shirt/tweed jacket/Hush Puppy ensemble (yes, really children!), with the immortal words:

"Teeteringhead, whatever that is you have around your neck, it does not constitute a tie within the meaning of Mess Rules. Get Out!"

At the end of a carrier commission it was a regular ritual to launch a piano from the catapult.

Mainjafad
 

You're not wrong. In fact it was well known by everyone in the Colt Officers Mess that it was not a burner. Without specific orders it would never have been touched. C'est la vie.
In fairness he may not have specifically been aware that the JPs were picking up the tab since I can't be sure anyone ever told him that it needed paying for. However, the burning was preceeded by a very obvious confrontation between said VSO and OC Admin witnessed by many so there should never have been any doubt who had called for the bottle of Brandy and matches.
BV:eek:

Speaking of horseplay in the mess - I recently finished reading Robin Olds autobiography, now THAT'S how a fighter pilot should live his life, I recommend both the book and the lifestyle.

He was of course the first American to be given command of a British combat squadron (Meteors) and he frequently made mention of an officer's mess game called "Highcockalorum" I believe (spelling ?).

He didn't describe it in great detail but said he took the rules back to the US with him and introduced it to American pilots.

The game was described as essentially a combination of drunken mayhem, brawling, and a form of open warfare between participants.

Please can someone provide details ???

Fonsini, Sounds like Mess Rugby. This is similar to Ruby OR Gaelic Football OR Australian (No) Rules. Only to be played after consuming large amounts of alcohol, otherwise serious injuries may occur. Not for the faint hearted.

Highcokalorum?

There were two teams of about eight or more.

The head of one team stood with his back to the wall with No. 1 ducked down facing him with his head between his legs. No2 was behind No.1 with his head between No1.'s legs and so on. You then had a line of blokes looking like a caterpillar.

The other team would take it in turn to vault over the rearmost member of the caterpillar and land with maximum effect on one of the other team. He would remain there and then another one would then vault and join him. Bouncing and bumping to was permitted and the object was to load one of the crouching team until he collapsed.

The would normally happen once you had got four or five on one person. Sometimes to their severe injury.

It was banned in the early sixties.

Hicockalorum
 

a.k.a. "Trust" (Lon More would recall).
Two teams 10-12 being typical.
Requirement : one large area ( e.g.dining room or bar) with a spare amount of wall space.
First team : One (or preferably two or three for buffer effect) stand with backs against the wall, in tandem. Wall guy locks arms around mate in front. Both have legs splayed.
First of the "bench" bends down with head between legs of wall team and also splays legs. Next man does same behind him ans so on until you have a line of guys so positioned coming out from the wall .

Second team: Each in turn runs up and jumps, i.e. does a flying leap, along the "bench" to land on it.Rapidly followed by the rest of the team, aim being to collapse the "bench".
(There are tactics to this, e.g. everyone pile on No .3- or worse, the end man) )
Once last man is aboard there is a count of ten whilst the second team attempt to break down the "bench".
Following the success or otherwise of this episode, the teams reverse and the next round is played.
Apparently banned in RAF messes for some many decades now ( can't think how I learned it :rolleyes:)

Hicockalorum

Played it at my, boys only, school. It was called Jump Jimmy Knacker in those distant days. Played it again in the RAF, post rugby game pi$$-ups.

At the end of DENY FLIGHT party in Colt Mess, I remember hearing from the PMC that the Mess piano was not a burner as they had bought a nasty £50 effort left outside for this purpose. Guess what? The "not-a-burner" burned quite well!

What was even funnier was that the burners of the "not a burner" were on Form 95s as the Mess was full and therefore only those that stayed in the Mess had a "piano supplement" added to their Mess bills! That'll learn those for not booking accomodation until the very last minute (basics, ladies and gents!).

Good party though, from the Jag mates (which was another reason not to stay in the Mess as the locks on the doors are somewhat flimsy for ease of access :eek:).

LJ :ok:

^^^^Game described above^^^^

I always knew that game as "Mutti Kitty 123"...

Learned how to play that in the Scouts and "Scottish Greyhound" after "British Bulldog" was banned! :ok:

LJ

Banned in the ,60s??

Last played Highcokalorum in a mess in 1990. Last had to dodge a motorcycle being ridden at high speed down a mess corridor in 1984. Car driven through burning piano by a Station Commander? 1988. Drove a burning car? 1992

We were still having fun until the end of the Cold War :cool:

When will they ever learn that such comments are simply a challenge?

Random thoughts:

Highcockalorum was certainly around in the 70s

Cat launches of the wardroom joanna were an exercise in logistics to get the darn thing onto the flight deck. Just fitting through hatches designed to keep water out was one thing, but maneuvering the piano into the weapons delivery lift to get it up to the flight deck was another!

After a boring wardroom dinner at Culdrose I thought it a jolly jape to ride my Honda step through up the carpeted steps into the bar and ride around the fireplace: Wings was good enough to charge me a horses neck and let the rest of the guys try to set lap records.

Friday Happy Hour at CU would often degenerate into pingers vs junglies. Moet was the weapon of choice, only 19/6d a bottle but on our salary it made a fair dent in the mess bill!

Occasional dinnertime event was to make a long rope from tying the napkins together and sending the junior midshipman under the tables to tie it to a senior officer's chair. A concerted pull by all involved usually removed the chair and started the evening on a downward spiral.

Tradition was that most carrier squadrons took on a spare pilot or observer for the long deployments (6 months away or more) to allow for 'wardroom damage'. Catching a 6" shellcase ashtray thrown across the wardroom bar when three sheets to the wind oft led to broken bones or worse.

Which leads on to the Vixen (?) driver who had his scalp opened one night, and was duly carted off to the sickbay to be stitched up (literally) by Doc Adamson. Swathes of bandages duly wrapped around the wound and back to the bar. Day or so later the pilot was complaining of the large lump under the bandage but told in no uncertain terms not to worry and leave it alone by Doc. A lot of mumbling until Saturday lunchtime in the bar, Doc deemed it the right time to remove the bandage there and then. Most of the attendant drinkers were quite amused to see the shipboard fuse attached to the needlework :cool:

Soap Box [on]

What classes as 'Stupid behaviour' in the 'mess' and is considered as and treated as horseplay would, if carried out by a J/R in the NAAFI or Barrack Block be considered as and treated/punished as criminal damage/assault in 99% of cases.... It FEKIN* Stinks.... Criminal damage/assault is criminal damage/assault and should be treated and punished as such.... If it kills a career then it kills a career and maybe the culprit should have thought a bit before making a twonk of themselves.

Soap Box [off/]


* Apologies for language more suited to ARRSE, but one feels strongly about the subject and percieved inequalities apparent in the system....

An interesting point Sapper.

Not an attempt to justify the difference, but ultimately the reason for the difference probably lies in the answers to the following questions.

1) If we don't let the Junior Officers/Junior Ranks 'let off steam', what happens?
2) If we do, etc....?

After the Cold War, when an ever-increasing number of the Rules suddenly started being applied to the letter, I left early, as did many others. Your rules, but my life.

Did occasional flagrant disregard for Rules lead to a breakdown in discipline among Junior Officers when it mattered operationally? No, not a bit of it.

I can recall several occasions when a look at the Mess at 0700 hrs would reveal an apocalyptic scene, yet by 1159 hrs the place was spotless. Once this involved, among other tasks, relaying an entire croquet lawn (finding that much grass on a Sunday morning in rural Wales is, pardon the pun, sodding difficult). Furthermore, on no occasion were the Mess staff expected to clear up after us - we did it ourselves.

Certainly on operational squadrons there were times, especially on detachment, when our JR were supplied with copious quantities of alcohol and left to their own devices, with ample time for a clear-up in the morning before any inspection.


What is your perspective from the JR side?

Fox3, My perspective?

Probably slightly one sided considering my background before joining up (2.5 years as a Constable in Devon & Cornwall Constabulary, I was one of those that would have nicked me own grandmother for fartin or shall we just say 'keen')...

Personally I didnt find a need to get legless, break stuff or have a right bun fight to have fun...

Germany, circa 1981 RE Regt. Mess Dinner, local town dignitaries invited to O/Mess dinner. A few J/O's having made merry with pre meal drinks decided the second course wasnt coming out at the speed they wished and started banging plates, eating irons etc on their table and managed to break the extending part off the main table. Town Mayor and other guests not impressed (rumour had it table had been a gift to the mess by the Stadt or something) anyway guests had a nice evenings entertainment by the 'stars' of the regt and went away with the expected opinion. Culprits reqd to pay for repairs nothing further said apart from 'it never happend, RIGHT' or words to that effect to the waiting on 'voluntolds' (I was one, btw). One other thing, their behaviour brought the Regt and Corp into disrespect and just made us look like a bunch of numpties in front of the Regts Guests and that is UNFORGIVABLE

Couple of weeks later, late (very) noisy drinks in Sqn Bar, no damage. them as was there ended up on OC's orders, fined and 3 days ROPS (I wasnt there btw).

UK, RE Regt. O/Mess. I did a stint as Mess Manager (omg....) the amount of time that I had to take various bits of silver to the local jewellers for repair after some drunken (supposedly responsible Commisioned Officer that the toms were meant to look up to as a Troop Commander) had busted through 'horse play' or just downright 'lets throw it across the room' itis was embarrassing. I was on first name terms with the jewellers even to the point of them knowing how many sugars I took in a brew ffs. What happend to the culprits? They sometimes got the bill, but never charged mostly the repairs came out of mess funds.

Any of the guys doing something similar in the NAAFI and they were on OC's then CO's before the week was out.

Many other examples.

I don't know, right or wrong but it ALWAYS seemed to me that there was two Army's there was one that the Commisioned Ranks were in and then there was the other one. And then you had the farce (in peacetime anyway) of the person setting the rules (OC / CO) being the judge and jury on orders.

My view, right or wrong. To be honest I dont think they really understood just how much it pi**ed off the lads to see one group of the Regt (who were through their position meant to be responsible and setting an example) getting away with stuff while they would be hammered for far less.

Should we allow them to 'let of steam' ? Of course, but there's limits and the playing field should be level and BE SEEN TO BE LEVEL otherwise we have resentment setting in and a lack of respect which can lead to loss of discipline.

Am I glad I did the 22 years? yes, would I do it again? yes, but next time I would take the advice from the recruiting centre and go get a few A levels/degree and go for a commission.

And therein lies the difference between the Army and the RAF

Bob C :E

On RAF Squadrons, there is no damaging "horseplay" with civilian guests around, and there is a Sqn Silver Officer who deals personally with any repairs (though damaging the Sqn Silver is also never done).

You get some right jerks in the Army, don't you?