A Stonking time

Firstly here is the Grandson, he is commencing his first day of Jedi instruction under his Master, "Oh Knee the Lonely." For his first day he was initiated with the ancient rite of passage and renamed "I Am Itchy." He is delighted with his new name and decided on the spot that his 10 month old brother will become, in time, "I Am Gnasher." The light sabres were a great buy at £5.50 from Amazon, which supplies most Jedi, the sabres have sounds and lights which change as it's waved in combat. In order for him to look the part I got him to put his anorak on and put up the hood, then climb into his mother's boots. (Mother less than overwhelmed with Grandpa)

As with many words which are part of military parlance Stonking has been absorbed by civilians and is now used, usually correctly, to describe a great time being had by one and all.
The derivation is however probably surprising to many. A "Stonking" is what you do with or receive from Mortars. What?
There is a small device called the 2" mortar. It is fired and used at close range. The sound the bomb makes as it slides down the tube and hits the lever operated firing pin is just this, "Ssssstonk." Followed by a crack as the lever is used to fire the bomb. The larger 81 mm mortar has a fixed firing pin and the bomb makes the same sound until there is a huge bang when it reaches the fixed firing pin. Here are two videos, one showing how it should be done, and the other.....well you decide. (Both are very short)

RM Mortar training.


NOT the Royal Marines.