We had a new intake from Blighty [all white knees and brown KD] and it was a case of all hands to the pump to book this new intake in, and I was assigned to check each intake's 1157 documents [record of kit].

Things were going well, and then as one chap moved up to the desk a moment of madness took me over for he looked so vulnerable.

Getting him to affirm that he was in possession of the items of kit on the list, I inserted one or two of my own, such as KD overcoat, tie and boots, naturally, as those items were not in existance I explained that the soldier was kit deficient and could be in trouble, so I advised him to report to the Squadron Stores to draw the deficient kit.

The Squadron storeman was sat behind the stores stillages with a cup of tea reading the omnibus edition of the daily mirror when my dupe arrived and requested the "missing items of kit"

Being of the same evil mind as myself, the storeman asked the chap,"What size are you", and receiving the requested information, promply retired to his cup of tea and his newspaper.

After a while the storeman informed the luckless character that he didn't have the required size and that he should try the Regimental Store elsewhere in the Garrison, then wishing the chap good luck, phoned the Regimental storeman to let him know that we had another one coming.

The Squadron storeman and I were evil I admit, but the Regimental storeman was positively macheavellian, for, after going through the same routine as the other storeman, he told the poor guy that his best chance was at 10 Base Ordinance Depot at Geniefa, at the other end of the Canal Zone, expecting the bloke to give up.

I'm afraid we underestimated miladdo's tenacity for, unbeknown by everyone, he thumbed a lift to 10 BOD, and on arriving, requested the "missing items"

Unfortunately, our Regimental storeman had neglected to inform 10 BOD of our little jape and they were somewhat displeased as he was returned with an escort to be told that he had been reported AWOL, so why the dickens were not the perpetrators made to suffer for what we did I'll never know.