The Camouflaged Tent

After a few months in the J (jungle), Woody and Boodgie had pretty much settled into a routine.

During ten minute smokos they were experts in getting a brew:

Woody would get the hexi cooker from the side pocket of his pack; and
lay some C4 plastic explosive in it;
Boodgie would fill a cups canteen with water and put it on the hexi cooker;
Woody would light the C4 which would boil the water in about 5-10 seconds
(as long as it wasn't rolled up into a ball ... 'cause then it would explode);
While Boodgie got biscuits ready Woody would make the brew;
They then had time to sit back and enjoy a brew and some biscuits
... all within a five to ten minute break.

When the Platoon would harbour up at night they had a similar procedure:

Woody would set up the hootchies, hammocks and sleeping gear, while;

Boodgie would organise cooking tea.

Doing it this way they had their camp set up and were settling back eating tea while many of the rest of the platoon were still setting up.

During one leave Boodgie got an idea about shortening the time down even more ... Boodgie saw a command tent that was made up of large panels. Now one of these panels was a bit bigger than two individual hootchies clipped together. To Boodgie's way of thinking if they had one of those panels it would provide more cover and Woody wouldn't have to waste time clipping the two individual hootchies together.

Boodgie liberated one of the panels on the night before we were due to head bush again.

We headed out before sunrise the next morning. The day was very hot and humid and we clocked up a fair number of clicks that day. By the time we harboured up it was dark and we were buggared. Woody and Boodgie swung into their normal procedure and then settled down for a well earned rest, broken only by picket duty. This night they were lucky 'cause they had drawn the last picket, which meant that they would get an unbroken night's sleep.

About two o'clock the clouds parted and the moon light penetrated the thick jungle canopy. The pickets immediately woke Dogs ... who almost had a bloody heart attack when he saw what they were pointing out to him. Dogs immediately charged over to Woody and Boodgie's spot:

"Get that bloody thing down", roared Dogs

"What", mumbled Woody and Boodgie, rubbing sleep from their eyes

"Come out here and have a look you bloody clowns" Dogs whispered between clenched teeth.

Woody and Boodgie struggled out of their hammocks and nearly fell over when they saw their tent. Obviously Boodgie had never been inside a command tent ... the inside was lined with silver foil and in the dark Woody had erected the panel inside out ... now the moon was reflecting off the foil panel and it looked like a light beacon in the middle of the black jungle. If there were any Nogs around they would have seen it from miles away.

Woody and Boodgie pulled the panel down and slept the rest of the night without covering ... as they did until the next resupply and they could get another couple of individual hootchies. Woody and Boodgie buried the panel deep in the J ... I wonder if the officers ever knew how much trouble their missing panel caused.