We took the Spitfire that stood at the Training Camp gates and hoisted it onto the roof of a hanger for our pass-out celebration.
Got 7 days confined to barracks for that one and the Spitfire was henceforth chained down to its concrete plinth.
For those unaware 7 days CB meant that we had to parade in full dress kit at 0600, be inspected by the (i) The Orderly Corporal, (ii) The Orderly Sergeant and finally by (iii) The Orderly Officer. We were then marched to breakfast, given ten minutes to change into working dress and spent the day performing cleaning tasks in the cookhouse, peeling spuds etc. If they ran out of work we polished dustbins with Brasso, moved coal from one bunker to another, painted the now empty bunker white and shovelled the coal back into it and repainted the newly dirtied one. If there were no more chores we drilled for a couple of hours until the cookhouse needed more washing up done. At 17.30 we had to change back into Dress Uniform and parade at the Guardroom to be inspected by the three previously mentioned at 1800 (when the flag would be lowered). We then had a meal, changed uniforms and worked in the washing up rooms until 9 pm when we had to parade again in full dress kit for inspection. We then had half an hour in which to clean all our kit and be stood to attention, in our PJs, by our beds at 22.00 for "Bed Check". Lights out at 22.15.
I don't think I will ever forget the call "Duty Guard and Defaulters Fall In" and even when one of those defaulters I felt the hair on the neck stand up when the bugler played the "Last Post" as the flag was lowered.
Gruelling work for a week but the look on the CO's face when he saw that Spitfire on the roof was worth every minute of it.
The answer to today's yoof problems? ~ IMHO YES!
