Tales to make your blood run cold

[EternalOptimist]

Brilliant Gibbon

[NotAllThere]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7622102.stm

Any of the Mitty types kill themselves under your watch? Just wondering.

(While thoroughly appreciating that you can't carry such types)

[Moscow Mule]

Did You Order The Code Red???

[OwlHoot]

.. keep your bell polished and clean (you do that one twice) ...

Yes, that's important. I've heard (and I'm sure EO with his experience of army life will back me up) that recruits each have a little bell by their bed.

When they want a mug of cocoa last thing at night, or when it's time for breakfast in bed, they just ring the bell and a sergeant brings it in.

[Flubster]

Yes, that's important. I've heard (and I'm sure EO with his experience of army life will back me up) that recruits each have a little bell by their bed.

When they want a mug of cocoa last thing at night, or when it's time for breakfast in bed, they just ring the bell and a sergeant brings it in.

A double tinkle and a selection of biscuits is brought in. The hob nobs go first, quickly followed by the bourbons.

[EternalOptimist]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7622102.stm

Any of the Mitty types kill themselves under your watch? Just wondering.

(While thoroughly appreciating that you can't carry such types)

Not suicide no. But that brings me onto part II, the truly spine-chilling story.

If you are of a nervous disposition, or are easily upset , then look away now.

The second Walt, I never actually met. So my involvement was not hands on, but I knew the main players, one of whom was my best friend. We talked about the situation and I gave him my forthright views,

so I might not have actually laid a finger on the guy, but Columbo would have found a fingerprint.


This happened in a barracks half a mile from where I was based, again, it was in a spider, so zero privacy, hot-house environment, where everyone is breathing down everyone elses neck.
The guy in question had been bigging himself up, (which is acceptable, provided it doesnt dominate), he was bull tulipting, (same rule applies) and he started to Walt. i.e. trying to gain some advantage through pretending to be something he was not.

so the decision was- lets take him for a bath.

And this is where it all went horribly wrong. Because the alcohol kicked in one friday night, and they deided that instead of a bath, they would use the static tank (cant remember what they are actually called now), which is a 30 foot square, forty foot deep tank full of water, dotted around camps and bases for emergencies. fires , drought and such.

The lip of these things is only a few feet off the ground.


So they pulled his locker down, emptied it out, shoved him in, put the padlock on, and carried him out to the static water tank, singing a witty dirge as they went. They put him in the water, and started to push him back and forth like a toy boat.

He realised where he was and started kicking up a heck of a racket, apparently. And I wouldnt blame him. Because these lockers have small ventillation holes in the back. He would have felt the water come in. cold.


By the time they realised the danger, there was too much water in the locker for them to lift it out, water is actually quite heavy, and by the time they had gone for help and returned, all that was left was a few bubbles.


Apparently he wore his finger tips down past the nail, trying to scratch his way out, but thats probably just young -man-ghoulishness and black humour.
I will never know.

They didnt set out to kill him, but he never transgressed again

[fullyautomatix]

What is the moral of your story then, if you try and be a Walt you meet your creator in a grisly watery death ?

[EternalOptimist]

What is the moral of your story then, if you try and be a Walt you meet your creator in a grisly watery death ?

The moral of the story is this.

These guys will whine and say, 'what harm did I do'
'I didnt hurt anyone'
'Where is the damage'
'I didnt actually damage his arm, she wasnt really pregnant'
'the judge was wrong'
'if i wasnt sure, i referred them to their gp'


etc.

and it may be true. it probbly was true, they may have been 'damage-neutral'

but a military unit can not carry passengers. we are talking about life and death here, these units go together into war. You rely on your mates 100% to keep you alive.

so taking up the slot, where there should have been a proper trained doctor, is not harmless.


and that, fullyautomatix, is the moral of the story

[RichardCranium]

What is the moral of your story then?

Moral? That was real life, not some Merkin TV show.

[norrahe]

Did he get cocoa afterwards?