That's what my
BSM said to me one day, as I was passed his office. My head started to race
what had I done wrong? When the BSM says cellar you think, dam I have done
something but what was it? I could not think at all what it could have been. As
I headed down the stairs to the cellar, Mal Holmes one of the guys from my
Battery walked through the doors at the top of the stairs. He asked me where I
was going, I told him what had happened and he said to me "a word to the
wise, don't get back up".
At that point I knew I was in trouble. Standing there in
the corridor of the cellar I was racking my brains trying to think what I done
and to see if I could talk my way out of it. Then he came in, looking
straight at me, I think I froze on the spot at that point. He stopped in front
of me and said McMullan you failed to do this, on this day at that
time (for the life of me I still cannot remember what I had done), do you want
my punishment or the old man's. Well the old man's (Battery Commander) meant it
would go on my record so I opted for his... CRACK... and down I went like a ton
of bricks, although back then I was just a skinny little runt. Then I
remembered what Scouse had said, so I did not get back up.
The
BSM offered me his hand and pulled me up to my feet, he then said “be outside
the NAFFI tonight at eight smartly dressed”. I was stood outside the NAFFI to
attention in my suit and shiny shoes as he came down the path, he inspected me
and then looked me in the eye and said, "right, what are you
drinking" he then proceeded to get me drunk I was not expected to buy him
a drink. So what is the point of all this, well back then, his punishment meant,
if I took it and I had learnt from it, it was not recorded on my documents and
it was forgotten about, chalk it up to experience you might say.
These days his
punishment would not be acceptable. I learnt a lot from him, he taught me well,
and he showed me respect, as I did him, not borne out of fear I might add
because he really cared about his men and he would stand up against those who
tried to give his men a hard time.
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