Jacob

Jacob works with his best mate Nathan, yesterday’s Blip. They are really easy going, Nathan was pleased with the print I gave him. Jacob kindly let me move him around so I could grab a few images. We then got down to the important business of discussing Rugby. What is it about Rugby that can seal a friendship instantly?
When I turned up I called him Noah, then said, "Nah, Noah had a boat!"


Extra. 
It’s a very poor image taken in a slightly inhospitable climate. I’m on the left, my wrist isn’t indicating a sexual preference, I was resting my arm on part of my kit. The rest is in the bergen, along with a radio, spare batteries and all the things you need to survive when working remotely; the long line is a 10’ whip aerial. There were three of us, a section from 41 Commando Recce Troop, we were a man short. Ian McKay took the picture, Ian MacMillan is to my left. Two nights previously we had been landed by helicopter about halfway up a mountain in Northern Corsica. We were playing big boys Cowboys and Indians against the Foreign Legion, Légion étrangère. 
The first night we moved to a location near the top of the mountain we now knew as home. Our task was to ensure the Landing Zone, LZ, for the Commando unit was secure. The next morning we discovered why we were so bloody cold (our base was Malta); our equipment and sleeping bags were covered in ice. How could this be? Puzzlement turned to incredulity, then humour at our own stupidity. All of us had been trained using 1:50,000 maps, which had replaced the old 1” to the mile. Height on our maps in Malta and UK were in feet. We had been issued with 1:50,000 maps, it was only when our boss took a good look at the scale that we discovered we were not at 3,000’ but 3,000 metres, 9,000’+. That explained why the helicopters could not get us further up the mountain and why we were so cold. Basic error. 
The second night the three of us located 14 Legionnaires, jumped them and were somewhat surprised when they refused to play, claiming they were having a quiet beer and eating. So we joined them, had a beer then wandered off into the darkness, smiling and liking them instantly. Crazy happy days.

I have a long story about that first night and morning, later.