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 Who said we don’t  understand other Services

 

A very salty Submarine Coxswain and a crusty Infantry Sergeant Major are sitting in a bar debating the merits of how hard their respective careers were. “I did over 30 years boy and man in my Regiment,” the Sergeant declares proudly, “Fought in just about every war and conflict from 1940 until the early 70’s”

 

“Only 3 months with the Colours and lifted off the beach at Dunkirk, running up and down the beach to avoid them Stukas no RAF fighter cover for us.  Next it was off to North Africa, sand and blood then more bloody sand, 88’s and Panzer kicking the shit out of us. A nice rest before the delights of Italy for me, no such luck it’s the Forgotten Fourteenth Army, clawed our way inch by inch back into Burma. Dysentery, Mosquitoes, Sores and Boils; the Jungle was hard, Japs they were the easy part.”

 

“Home after VJ Day?, not bloody likely. The War Office thought a short holiday in Palestine to chase the Stern Gang around would be nice for us regulars. Hated by Jews, Arabs and rich whites alike. They are still fighting over a postage stamp, well they would would’nt they. Then, would you Adam and Eve it, they send us to Korea. 5000 of us, 40,000 Chinks after 6 days of holding up human wave after human wave being slammed every which way, we get captured. Six months of rice and water in a freezing POW camp.I lost 3 stone in weight before we get home.”

 

“Then I make Staff Sgt. thinking I have got a right result not being sent to Malaya, but no Kenya, Suez, Cyprus, Aden and Borneo, poor bloody infantry.  Cop  a Blighty in Sarawak, operated on in field hospital, CasEvac to Singa’s. Then home for nine months in hospital before I am fit. Restricted to Depot Duties as the Regimental Sergeant Major. Who, in this world, did I upset.”

 

The Coxswain takes long slow pull on his glass of ‘Woods’ looks up at the ceiling and says, “ I thought so, all bloody shore drafts.”