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Articles
DEAL DRESSING ROOM IN THE LATE-40s
from Wally Bullimore
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A well-known DI always pushed the door open, never knocked, smartly stepped inside, pace-stick under arm and, in his typical parade ground voice, shouted: ‘No. 546 Squad, present and correct’! That great ‘character’ Frankie Pratt (alas, no longer with us) didn’t think that a DI should come into our Dressing Room without knocking and decided to do something about it.
When this particular squad was next due in, he left the Dressing Room door slightly ajar and balanced a bucket of very obnoxious liquid on top. He timed it well and it worked perfectly! The DI was not amused but he always knocked from then on.
Same F Pratt, same Dressing Room, very cold winter of ’47. He started by flicking a few flakes of snow around. He was then stripped off, ankles tied, and dragged around the Drill Field. Ended up in the Sick Bay – his rear end very battered and bruised!
Same place, same era. Different character. The one and only Tommy Lenham. Ex-Golden Gloves Champion, Corps and Navy Rugby player, and a Boxing Instructor of great repute. He always came in by bike. One day, he came out of the Gym to go home for lunch – no bike! Eventually, he found it dangling from the top of the high scaffolding used for climbing and the ‘Death Slide’. On another occasion, it was found in the reserve water tank, with just the saddle and handlebars showing above the water! The tank was situated on top of the galley behind the Gym. He took it all in good part and am sure he would have got his own back!
Wally Bullimore
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