Who could ever forget a hot summer's day in Wagga on a parade ground with one poor buggar flat on his back only to awaken to the wrath of a Sargeant and a couple of Corporals screaming at the poor sod to get on his feet and to thank him for f***ing it for the entire platoon......which of course meant we had to stay out even longer until we all got it right!

You struggle to understand the logic until later in life.

It's a curious noise when a fellow falls over. As they're out for the count, there's no attempt to soften the fall, no hands in front of the face or body. Not one defensive manouever to help themselves. And there's usually no knee bending either as they've just spent the last hour standing bolt upright, it's not the knees that give way, just their balance.

Just a complete composite *SMACK* as the unfortunate soul lands flat on his nose with the rifle bouncing on the tarmac next to them.

Their face is usually a big mess after.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

Absolutely - it was his fault, he forgot to wiggle his toes when he began to feel faint.

At our recruit passing out parade (aptly named) , we were reviewed by some military big wig who i had never heard of either before or since. Of two recruit companies and three infantry training companies (Singleton) on that parade about 15 passed out. We did the big march around the circle and had to simply step over them as they lay. Several were awakening and difficult to step over.

I stayed upright

Serious ! You had to step over them !

Fortunately CAMBRAI DAY parade is mounted

Too right we are serious - step over them and pick up the step and the formation almost immediately as though they wern't there.

The psychology and logic of military discipline has been developed over thousands of years.