The guy was only buying fags; what proof is there they were for him and not his girlfriend/wife etc?
I'm reminded of an occurrence in nearby Woking a few years ago.
Serviceman goes to check in to a pre-booked room in the Holiday Inn (yes I'm naming it, nasty aren't I) and is refused a room by the new Asian owners as he was in military uniform.
Didn't get too many headlines at the time (during a Labour government) I wonder why?
PS. I knew a guy (over 65) who worked there a couple of days per week for a bit of extra money to supplement his pension. He said the new owners wanted to charge him and his workmates £8 per day to park his car there whilst at work and this was a substantial portion of the wages they gave him.
Another guy I knew was a bus driver operating one man buses out of Uxbridge. If anyone in uniform got on his bus, whether regular forces or cadets, he would refuse to take a fare off them saying 'your money's no good on this bus mate, now go and sit down'. I even encountered this when I was an ATC Cadet, the conductress saying she had no change for a pound note for a 20p fare.

HTB,

I do recall a rather more straight forward ad for re-enlisting, the 3 Rs;
Revaluate
Reconsider
Re-enlist!

Then there was a particularly public groveller with various, largely middle-class looking people, back home stateside dancing down/up the steps of what appeared to be a City Hall. I can't replicate the musical manuscript notes here, but I can the lyrics.

To a real hand clappy tune, the ditty went;

We'd just like to thank you for co-mi-ng through(thru) you're do-ing us a world of good, and so on. I can also remember close ups punctuating the song to various every day folk giving a thumbs up to camera delivering a more personal thanks to the United States Military.

That's what has stayed with me since 1983, but there was more, and yes, if there was a queue at the PX/BX or Commissary, regardless of length if somebody in uniform joined the distant far end or immediately behind the next person to be served who simply wasn't in uniform (your's truly and a chum in the R.A.O.C. on one specific occasion) then they got propelled to the till ahead of all! They weren't rushing off to risk life and limb or nuttin, just doing a bit of shopping before, after their shift or during the lunch break.

FB:)

These 'stories' crop up about once every 6 months and are sent viral by Britain First on FB & such and often include a Muslim for good measure - or at least a reference to Islam.

Cracking wind-up from "Trim Stab"! Took a few good bites there.

(I'd rather think that than the fact that she might be serious...)

Just flicking through a booklet about the proposed Bomber Command memorial in Lincolnshire - every other pic all the lads have a fag on, Just strange how times change.

Shaft, just thinking the same myself but later. For the first couple of terms at Locking,1961, we could only go off camp in No.1s, even when going on leave. No problems then in having a beer, coffee and lighting up in a pub or café. Not a good idea on the street though.

And that's the point. On the street was a no-no, but there was never anything wrong with smoking in uniform indoors, but now that is illegal it presents a problem to smokers.

A few years back I saw a naval Lt Cdr in uniform standing hatless on the street outside a pub in Oxford smoking. I know the law meant he had to go outside for a fag but it just looked wrong. He was wearing a sword (I think he'd been to a wedding in one of the colleges) which made it look worse for some reason.

33 1/3 years ago I was doing post-Selection training on the live ranges at Brecon.

We came to a mid-morning break, and the DS said "15 minutes break lads, you may smoke".

There were about 30 of us. No-one lit up. The times they were a-changing.

Reminds me of an incident many years ago, when young Teeters was training at Ternhill.

A number of us - well a car load - had ventured as far south as Shrewsbury on a Saturday, for some lunchtime drinking - as you do.

One of our number was a re-roling sqn ldr, a suitable bad influence on young lads comme moi.

As we were in the pub, a couple of (Cosford?) apprentices in uniform appeared, and were drinking adjacent to a couple of (very) hairy rockers and their young ladies (sic). Said rockers gave apprentices a hard time - particularly over their shorn locks, and it looked at one stage as if it might all get physical.

Whereupon, our sqn ldr mentor commented:

"If we were a decent regiment, we'd join those lads and all get stuck in!" :eek:

Fortunately not necessary, and in fact the rockers soon departed - sans young ladies - who eventually left with the apprentices - looking as if their afternoon entertainment would be more than just playing Scrabble :E - result!