The station padre, of Squadron Leader rank, came out the doors of the Supply Sqdn and headed in our direction. I stopped yapping and brought myself smartly to attention in preparation to give the salute. I noticed that Wurzel Gummage was looking at me with his one good eye and carrying out the same movement and just as the Padre stopped by us we both gave the salute. The Padre and I had big grins on our face at the antics of the painter. We talked about the impending landing and I noticed that Wurzel was staring at the Padres chest … only a foot away.

He reached out grabs one of the Padres decorations and says, “Were you in the German Army?” The Padre and I broke into a fit of roaring laughter. Wurzel had just mistaken the Order of Malta Cross for the German Iron Cross. It still makes me laugh a quarter of a century later.