Many thanks to all who have replied so far.... I will use suggested areas to advertise once I have figured out a realistic price for Bedford.
I liked the story about the sigs, I have a good one of my own from Munster, Germany regarding bad comms resulting in the whole Garrison being put on 'Active Edge'... down to a lonley Lance corporal on guard duty.
Real story but I will omit the names....a couple of L/cpls from my Squadron doing stag one night. One was Sqn duty NCO, his duty was located at the bottom floor of the Squadron accomodation block to book in/out squadron personel as they went out on the pop for the night plus other administrative duties.
The other was NCO of the West gate entrance to the camp, this was a little purpose built glass fronted hut commonly referred to as the 'goldfishbowl' monitoring access of pedestrian persons to and from the camp.
Both were 24 hr duties and both were mind numingly dull to the extent they were painfully long and excruiatingly boring.
About 02:00 in the morning the Sqn Duty NCO decided to ring his mate in the 'fishbowl' for a bit of a laugh and just simply said "sausages" then put the phone down. (Its amazing what you will do to pass the time).
His mate thinking that it was the guardroom pratting around then promptly phoned the guard room and replied " ...and mash" straight after putting the phone down.
Unfortunatley the phone in the guardroom was picked up by the Orderly SGT who miss-interpreted the "and mash" for "HANG MARSH".
Assuming this was some new code name for a call out he clarified it with the Orderly officer who in turn not sure, decided to act upon it and bounced it up the chain and so on.
In the mean time the camp is now fully awake, a buzzing hive of activity, married personel arriving by the truck load having been fetched from their quarters. Armouries all opened up weapons being dished out, the noise of a whole Regiments fleet of vehicles being roared in to life, the clanging of bay doors....the hustle and bustle...you get the picture.
Now this is no longer an isolated event, as the message gets passed up stream other neighbouring Regiments are also being 'Stood to'... the local population must of thought World War III had just started!
How far upstream it finaly went I don't know but eventualy we were 'Stood down'. A quick investigation later uncovered the root of the mass mobilisation... the two L/cpls involved blissfully unaware up untill this point that they were the ones responsible, having commanded their posts when the shout went up with vigour worthy of any mention in dispatches, carrying out their reponsibilities and orders to the book.
In the end they got of lightly with only a few weeks worth of extra duties between them. Over all on reflection the whole thing was a huge success the quick reaction time of our Regiment and others was very immpressive.
The funny thing was not long after the Berlin Wall was pulled down and the whole cold war thing come to an end.... I know its silly but I like to think we put the frighteners up them!!
AL