Act, with "Conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline". Many times, after some altercation or other, was it threatened that, if the opportunity arose, he would be met on a dark night and made to suffer the consequences of his actions. I was never aware of this actually happening but it came close more than once. Fortunately our other Drill Instructors were of less vicious temperament.
There was a roster for barrack latrine cleaning. These were kept immaculate, and were subject to inspection at almost any time. I remember an instance when, during a snap inspection immediately after someone had used a toilet, a mark was found in the back of the pan. The roster was consulted and the 'duty' cleaner was put on a charge. Our Flight Commander took the charge and, in evidence, it was stated that the toilet had been improperly cleaned "...because the shite 'ad an 'igh glaze on it". The poor Cadet was awarded 3 days CB. That was the sort of situation we endured, unfairly biased as it was at times.
There were pranks and dodges. The standard cross-country run was twice round the airfield. After enduring this ordeal we quickly found that no-one checked our progress, but someone always watched our barrack block for skivers returning early or after only one circuit. Those of us not so keen on running, after one lap, hid in the Works Department Compound where only sympathetic civvies worked. We waited there until we had word that the leaders were returning to barracks and followed them in.
There was one night when an unpopular Cadet who happened to be a heavy sleeper, awoke one morning in his bed, clothes locker alongside, in the middle of the parade ground. The authorities ignored this, but he modified his attitude to others markedly thereafter.
We had another Cadet who was regarded as dirty. He was told about it but did nothing. He, in due time, was forcibly undressed and frog-marched to the showers where he was scrubbed red raw, with particular attention to his nether regions.

Full of confidence - before our raft turned turtle and pitched us into the icy water.

One of the initiative exercises involved us being taken, together with some doors, planks, rope, and oil drums to one of the nearby drainage canals. We were given a limited time in which to get ourselves - all of us - to the other side of the canal and back again. No one said we actually had to build a raft but we did try, and it capsized. By this time a crowd of civvies had gathered to watch our antics. We failed at a second attempt. By now thoroughly soaked we gave up the raft idea, stripped off, and swam naked in the freezing water (it was March) to the other side, and back again. One of our number missed his footing when climbing out and had another go at a different part of the bank. When he got out he found two leeches, one attached to his leg, the other to his foreskin. A lighted cigarette end (applied with great caution) soon removed them.
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