Barrack Tales
Posted: Tue 16 Jul, 2002 4:50 pm
Bootnecks piece under Gibraltar, about Seaton Bks Guardroom brought back memories of the old Wooden Sentry Box:
During Christmas Rear Party, a particularly cold January weather front creaps down from Dartmoor, and settles for about a week.
OC Rear insist that main gate sentry must stay in full lovats and man sentry box at all times. No greatcoats, just pusser flasher macks. Eventually Rear party CSM arranges brazier. but coke rationed to ensure no roaring bonfires etc, etc.
As on-coming Guard Commander I sign for all the usual stores, radio's, batteries, pick helves, torches, sentry box, 3 Fire Hoses, T Connector, Hydrant key, etc.
Non-eventful night hardly a soul stirs. First light, really heavy frost glistens of the playing field. Duty chef comes skidding in through the door complaining of the 'lethal' ice on the deck.
I get the clever idea of using some of the sand from the fire truck to make it a bit safer. As dawn starts to raise its ugly head I get two of the lads to spread it about abit, sparingly.
After all, I muse, the worst thing that could happen was a fire, and the fire truck is next to useless anyway..... only use a bucket of sand could be, would be for throwing on the brazier if it got out of hand and licked at the sentry box. Standing at the main door I look around to see the lads had done a good job. Waving at the main gate sentry, I tell him I'll get someone to give him a cuppa, and turn to go in...... Something was not quite right, walking over to the sentry I tried to piece things together.
"Where the F@@@ is the sentry box" I enquire
"Last piece just gone on now" says a cheery smiling bootneck.
Panic sets in I am thinking "I've signed for that" If I am in the kack so is he. Then inspiration - newly promoted Corporal due to take over from me
"Here you are mate, sign for all the stores, nothing to worry about, I've counted everything - you just need to check the radio's, or do you want your 2i/c to do it". I say
"Oh, thats okay I will do that then I will inspect the guard........". He says
Following week I come back into camp - wooden sentry box, painted "40 Blue" stands proudly next to the gate. So I did my stint, another quiet night, next morning guess who takes over from me........
So I enquired if there were any probs last week,
"No" he says, "But, you should have heard the bollocking the Guard Commander from 59 got".
So, I had to ask why - to which he responded,
"The dim twat only wrote in the incident book:
001 0900 Cpl ***** on duty
002 1730 Sentry box appears missing
003 0810 Fire practice cancelled - Fire Truck appears missing
"Thats odd, I wonder what happended to the Fire truck" I said.
"Well how do you think we kept warm, painting that damn box"..........
During Christmas Rear Party, a particularly cold January weather front creaps down from Dartmoor, and settles for about a week.
OC Rear insist that main gate sentry must stay in full lovats and man sentry box at all times. No greatcoats, just pusser flasher macks. Eventually Rear party CSM arranges brazier. but coke rationed to ensure no roaring bonfires etc, etc.
As on-coming Guard Commander I sign for all the usual stores, radio's, batteries, pick helves, torches, sentry box, 3 Fire Hoses, T Connector, Hydrant key, etc.
Non-eventful night hardly a soul stirs. First light, really heavy frost glistens of the playing field. Duty chef comes skidding in through the door complaining of the 'lethal' ice on the deck.
I get the clever idea of using some of the sand from the fire truck to make it a bit safer. As dawn starts to raise its ugly head I get two of the lads to spread it about abit, sparingly.
After all, I muse, the worst thing that could happen was a fire, and the fire truck is next to useless anyway..... only use a bucket of sand could be, would be for throwing on the brazier if it got out of hand and licked at the sentry box. Standing at the main door I look around to see the lads had done a good job. Waving at the main gate sentry, I tell him I'll get someone to give him a cuppa, and turn to go in...... Something was not quite right, walking over to the sentry I tried to piece things together.
"Where the F@@@ is the sentry box" I enquire
"Last piece just gone on now" says a cheery smiling bootneck.
Panic sets in I am thinking "I've signed for that" If I am in the kack so is he. Then inspiration - newly promoted Corporal due to take over from me
"Here you are mate, sign for all the stores, nothing to worry about, I've counted everything - you just need to check the radio's, or do you want your 2i/c to do it". I say
"Oh, thats okay I will do that then I will inspect the guard........". He says
Following week I come back into camp - wooden sentry box, painted "40 Blue" stands proudly next to the gate. So I did my stint, another quiet night, next morning guess who takes over from me........
So I enquired if there were any probs last week,
"No" he says, "But, you should have heard the bollocking the Guard Commander from 59 got".
So, I had to ask why - to which he responded,
"The dim twat only wrote in the incident book:
001 0900 Cpl ***** on duty
002 1730 Sentry box appears missing
003 0810 Fire practice cancelled - Fire Truck appears missing
"Thats odd, I wonder what happended to the Fire truck" I said.
"Well how do you think we kept warm, painting that damn box"..........
That steve has got to be 'Bloody Hilarious' Typical Bootneck Humour.
Friday afternoon Chatham Barracks,1500 hrs 'Jenny' Wrens drill session,and woe betide any Bootneck caught looking out of the Barrack room windows,if caught Provost staff would burst into the room and escort the offender to the Main parade,the DI would growl and foam at the mouth and you would be placed in the centre rank and carry on with the drill,
Aye jr