In the military there are always “Urban legends.” One I heard from a bunch of RAF Aerial Riggers in Singapore, I wasn't there so I cannot confirm the story, but knowing Aerial Riggers it's the sort of thing they would do. Anyway, this is the story I heard.

During a show at the Royal Tournament at Earls Court in London many years ago, one of the displays was a no command drill display by the Queens Colour Squadron of the Royal Air Force. As they march into the arena all the lights are out, the airmen with L1A1's are at port arms, as they enter the arena they fire blanks into the air, then the lights come on and commence the display.

Apparently one of the aerial riggers was in the rafters with a dead duck (bought from some butchers in London still clothed in its feathers), when the lights came on, the dead duck was dropped into the arena. The sight of the duck and howls of laughter from the audience threw the colour Squadron completely off their display. From what I heard the Officer I/C the Queens Colour Squadron had to be physically retrained from attacking the riggers.

That must have been some scene...!

I wonder if the Queen would have found it funny????

Originally Posted by BritinAfrica

I wonder if the Queen would have found it funny????

We are not amused!

Originally Posted by 42RM

We are not amused!

You took the words out of my mouth.

When they play the national anthem I wonder if she says, "Oh Phillip, they're playing our tune."

Saw a documentary on the training of the teams for the Gun Carriage Race in the Royal Tournament.
This was back in the seventies, age before "Health and Safety"
This one Sailor got his fingers crushed when the limber was pivoted over the wall.
As he was a key member of the team, the competion was days away, and they had used all their reserves, he was sent to the medical ordely who taped up his fingers, pumped him full of morphine, and sent him back to training.
He was staggering around, high as a kite, with no idea where he was, let alone who he was!

Originally Posted by Trooper1854

Saw a documentary on the training of the teams for the Gun Carriage Race in the Royal Tournament.
This was back in the seventies, age before "Health and Safety"
This one Sailor got his fingers crushed when the limber was pivoted over the wall.
As he was a key member of the team, the competion was days away, and they had used all their reserves, he was sent to the medical ordely who taped up his fingers, pumped him full of morphine, and sent him back to training.
He was staggering around, high as a kite, with no idea where he was, let alone who he was!

Now that's what I call medical treatment.

Originally Posted by 42RM

We are not amused!

Party Pooper!

My Great Grandfather joined RMA in 1856 as a youth he went on to become one of the original people to drag those guns all over South Africa while fighting the Boers, so he was one of the people that started the gun carriage race. He later got decorated during the Egyptian uprising in the 1880's