An amusing article I came across on the net titled, 'The Military Memoirs Of John Tennis Wood.' gave an account of his time in Catterick during the winter in a hut equipped with a coke burner and barely enough fuel supply to keep warm which was supplemented by pinching chairs from other huts.
Reading this reminded me of basic training at Ramilies. Coal was collected in a galvanized tub daily,
Two weeks into basic training, I was well aware by then the coal orderly NCO's. were relieved at 8am,
Perfect. Two of us nipped round daily and double dipped from an unsuspecting new orderly immediately after eight am.
430. pm. sharp, First in lit the stove with Brasso. The fire was well alight by the time we got back from tea.
Everyone cleftied bread from the dining room and it was toast and jam all round.
The hut remained (pardon the pun) warm as toast throughout the night for the two weeks we occupied it.
Disaster struck on the very last night. Literally glowing a dull red from being over stacked The damn thing cracked from the heat, resulting in a quid being docked from our pay for a new stove.
Topic: Hot Topic. (Read 4275 times)