Bizarre Punishments No 7 (cont) - The Desert Rats Story

Two members of the 'Desert Rats' combat unit have be sent on a routine, reconnaissance mission behind the enemy lines. Sergeant Drummond, a man with considerable combat experience is accompanied by a recent recruit, Private Jenkins, whose mettle is as yet untested. That is about to change. The two men are surprised by the enemy and taken captive. They are soon handed over for interrogation and their nightmare begins as they are led into a deep, dark dungeon.

~

 Sergeant Drummond knew the questioning would be aggressive, but he was bemused and horrified when his captors forcibly undressed him. All of his uniform was taken from him, except for his shorts. They had begun removing them too, but the Corporal in charge had stopped them, rebuking them for their indecent, over-enthusiasm. Drummond was strung up by his captors, suspended in the air with his ankles tied below to an ancient winding mechanism from a desert well. It created an improvised 'Rack', a medieval torture device he had heard of at school. He'd never imagined then, that one day he'd experience it's horrific capabilities himself. One particularly muscular guard stood below him and stripped off his own shirt. He started to tighten the wheel and Drummond felt the ropes tighten, the tension in his arms and legs increasing. At that moment the Commandant arrived.

Mitchell - Desert Rat 1, Sgt Drummond Captured

The Commandant wasted no time in trying to extract information, but Sergeant Drummond was a mature and experienced soldier and had no intention of giving any. The tension in the ropes gradually increased as the wheel was turned by the torturer, pitting these two men against each other in a sweaty, crude test of physical strength. Drummond's joints seared with pain but he resisted the relentless questioning of the Commandant.

After twenty minutes or so, the Officer paused and turned to Private Jenkins. He had been forced to stand and watch this terrible treatment of his NCO*, a man whom he admired and respected as a mentor. Now his turn had come, but he resisted as the guards began to strip him too. Some well-placed body punches quelled this resistance and he too was soon strung up facing the Sergeant, feeling the tug of the ropes as the muscular shoulders of the torturer addressed his wheel........

*Non-Commissioned Officer, men promoted from the ranks to command small units

 

The Commandant surveyed Jenkins' tensioned body with interest. Drummond's bulky physique was a fitting subject for his Rack, but this slender, young man's torso, though prettily shaped, would quickly break like a twig under it's harsh leverage. Jenkins didn't even have the information the Commandant wanted, but the threat to him would make Drummond talk eventually. However, the Sergeant was a proud and wily soldier, so he would resist as long as possible. It wouldn't do, to break the boy and let Drummond off the hook, before it could happen. He motioned the torturer to stop winding and a deep silence settled on the dungeon, broken only by Jenkins' mournful whimpering and Drummond's soft, more manly groans as he sought to endure the agony in his own limbs. 

 

Mitchell - Desert Rat 2, Private Jenkins Captured

 

These interrogations were sometimes long affairs and this looked like being one of them. It was necessary to pause from time to time in cases like this, to impress on the captives how hopeless their resistance was. He and his men could have a coffee and rest or catch up on what was going on outside the dungeon. He was about to leave when something caught his eye. The guards had left both men's shorts undone at the waist and the writhing of the bodies inside them had caused them to drop below waist level, where they were kept in place only by the bulk of the men's thighs and the spreading of their legs by the pull of the winder ropes. A patch of dark hair was just visible in the 'V' of Jenkins' open flies. Below it was an intriguing bulge. Perhaps there was another way to make Drummond talk. He gave the order to strip them both naked.

It was some hours later when the Commandant returned. Night had fallen and the gloom and chill of the dungeon had deepened, relieved only by the warm glow of a brazier which the guards had lit to warm their hands. During his absence, the torment of the two men had continued but with the worst levels of the rack kept in reserve, in the hope that Drummond might be persuaded (but kept intact) by relentless but relatively moderate pain. The bodies of both suspended men were coated with sweat which gleamed in the light of the fire and the candles overhead. Drummond in particular was a magnificent sight. Despite his comrade's agony (which was only too apparent now) he still hadn't cracked. It was not entirely unexpected but the Commandant's patience had waned now and so he addressed Drummond more bluntly.

Mitchell - Desert Rat 3, Sgt Drummond Naked

 

The Commandant's words chilled Drummond to the marrow. He was being given a choice between new sources of unimaginable pain and an equally unimaginable ordeal in the tempting comfort of the Commandant's bed. Drummond was a career soldier, a man's man. He understood pain but not this. He had no knowledge of the (to him) dark and sinister world of men who furtively sought intimacy with other men (though he suspected other men in his unit did). Brave though he was, the unknown terrors of a night of intimate contact with the cruel and sadistic Commandant, as a captive in his bed, scared him more than any amount of pain. His response should have been defiant, but instead he had resorted to bleating about the Geneva Convention like a pathetic, barrack room lawyer. As if these torturers cared anything about the Geneva Convention!  It was a measure of how much the words had shaken him. Jenkins had lifted his head and was looking at him and he felt ashamed.

 

Drummond's confusion did not go unnoticed by the Commandant. He ordered a fierce twist of the wheel to remind him that there was still worse to come for him. Drummond cried out involuntarily as the sudden escalation took him and his seared muscles by surprise. Thankfully it also drove the nightmare imaginings out of his mind temporarily and he shook his head when the offer was repeated. The Commandant pursed his lips, as though bored with the game. He turned to Jenkins and surveyed his taut body with obvious appreciation.

Mitchell - Desert Rat 2, Private Jenkins Naked

 Even after all he had suffered that long day, the Commandant's contempt for his manhood still had the power to sting Jenkins and it showed. As if sympathising, the torturer spoke up for him, pointing out that it was only the pain that was responsible for his diminishment. The Commandant snorted that Drummond did not seem to have the same problem, momentarily forgetting to reprimand the underling for his unrequested intervention.

The exchange made Drummond feel guilty. His intransigence had put pressure on an inexperienced subordinate and now he was exposing Jenkins to a terrible exploitation that words could not describe. (They could actually, only Drummond did not have them). Given what had happened to them already, their outlook was bleak anyway. Torture was a war crime, so the Commandant would probably have them both executed as an insurance against repercussions. He had managed to delay the questioners long enough to know that his unit would have moved to a new location by now, as a precaution after realising they were missing. He knew his duty lay in a different direction now.

Drummond called out to the Commandant. "Let Jenkins down and I'll talk" he whispered hoarsely, the craven words sticking in his throat, "but not here".

The Commandant turned and smiled at him, knowing exactly what he meant. The burly oaf would probably never understand the genuine warmth his manliness had kindled in a cruel man's breast. If the evening went well he might have a difficult decision tomorrow.

~

The 'Desert Rats' was the nickname given to part of the British 8th Army during WW2. They were credited with turning the tide of the war in North Africa defeating both Axis armies in 1941 and 1942 and driving them out of the continent. Their exploits inspired one of my earliest short stories in which a Desert Rat scout is caught by the enemy and tortured. The picture below depicts the moment when he is taken by surprise and captured. His persona here seems to fit Jenkins better than Drummond.

Mitchell - Desert Rat Captured

You can read my 'Desert Rat' story at the mitchmen archive at Adonis Male. 

Read previous instalments of Bizarre Punishments 7 (The Rack)  

This is No 22 of the 'mitchmen at war' series,
to see the rest click on the 'War Comics' label below.

Bizarre Punishments No 7 - The Sequel

 

When I find an image I particularly like in my War Comics meanderings, it usually makes me wonder - what happened next? These images are quite racy in their own way but were constrained by the young target audience and publishing controls, so bare tops are about as daring as it ever gets. I like to imagine scenes going further. 

This image was featured in Bizarre Punishments No 7 in the original black and white form and my starting point for 'improvement' was to apply some colour. This brings out the captive's impressive muscular frame and closely cropped hair, that neck is so sexy! I've also used colour to shape his bottom and hint at what else he may have suffered in this captivity.

Stripping off those tattered trousers reveals a very cute pair of buns. No wonder his captor looks so smug and attentive! I can't help thinking either that the guard's strategically-positioned gun might be code for another weapon inside his pants, but then, I'm just a pervert.

 Uncovering the captive's leg joints and colouring the machinery also exposed some very odd perspectives. The distortions help to condense the image in the original and the crazy angles help the drama too but they make it difficult to develop a more fetishistic view of the scene. I've started on a more realistic re-creation of it. Watch this space for that! 

The companion picture is probably better as a composition but not quite as sexy in the detail. You can imagine the crafty Officer contemplating what delights await him when de-bagging time arrives. The torturer is a rather good cameo in both images, exuding muscular strength and limited imagination.

 In the naked variant I decided to go for realism in the cock department. You can tell the Officer is teased by his victim's still-hidden potential and the torturer seems to think more pain will help. 

 

The limbs were easier to work with in this variant but the ropes and the arms don't stand up to close examination. I'm working on a Desert Rats variant to go on my mitchmen gallery at Deviant Art gallery, with skimpy rolled-up shorts providing the sexy modesty required there.

It's the basis of a further sequel 'The Desert Rats Story'

mitchmen at war - 23 Going Down?

My twisted humour aside, the muscular embrace of these two men is both moving and distinctly homoerotic. Now they are alone, adrift together in the open sea until rescue comes.

 

Interestingly, the artist who painted this 1960 war comic cover seems to have been guilty of wishful thinking. This incident doesn't occur in the story. The hero does see his ship go down, but he is cast adrift all alone in the expanse of the South Atlantic.

This splendidly dramatic image documents the last moments of his ship, under attack from a commerce raider. It's very much in the vein of Victorian magazine illustrations which used to accompany accounts of heroic deeds and stoic manliness in adversity. 'The Boy Stood On The Burning Deck' and all that. 

 

Our hero, Dave (far right) seems less than heroic here, given the circumstances. You might be tempted to think he's caught a splinter as a result of kneeling on the deck while up to no good with a member of the crew - like the cute seaman with torn vest, left foreground. However I think it's probably a flying shell splinter from the bombardment that's hit him and rather more serious.

Sadly, Dave is the only survivor of this disaster, but fortunately he doesn't have to cling to an oildrum like the two men in the cover illustration, since a ship's lifeboat is floating nearby. This artist may be different from the cover artist, but he has a flair for drawing attractive men. The ripped shirt detail and chin stubble hints at the homoerotic.

In this image (from earlier in the story) there's a gratuitous but not unwelcome detail in the shape of a youthful steersman in the background . He seems distinctly stylish and very reminiscent of Leyendecker's illustrations. Sadly this bright young man is fated to go down with the ship. The Captain's words are grimly prophetic

Dave is eventually saved when another cute and very sharp-eyed Sailor spots him signalling his distress by using the boy scout trick of reflecting the sun's rays. Any self-respecting lifeboat should have been equipped with flares, but it gives Dave the chance to be romantic and resourceful. I love the square neckline of these Royal Navy shirts which are flimsier in real life than this drawing suggests.

 

~

This comic is a decent adventure yarn but despite the cavalcade of promising men, my mitchmen sniffer cannot find any hint of buddying up in this story. There's no captivity sequence, nor does any properly exposed flesh develop from the rips and tears. It must have been a great disappointment to those who were seduced by the cover art!

 This is No 23 of the 'mitchmen at war' series,

to see the rest click on the 'War Comics' label below.

Bizarre Punishments 7

 I expect he'll think of something!

~

Following the suspension torture of 'Hung Out To Dry', this excerpt features an evil villain with a taste for retro-torture in the medieval style. The hero and his torturer are both stripped to the waist in accordance with ancient norms although the swirling smoke/steam suggests this dungeon is quite warm anyway. Converting the traditional rack into a vertical, unsupported position is a fiendish adaptation which provides extra scope for access for all kinds of purposes. However, intimate interrogation as the evening wears on might require a step ladder. The giant spiked wheel which brings about the demise of the villain is not entirely original, but it's presence adds to the sense of macabre brutality. The investment in this dungeon must be quite considerable! 

View the mitchmen, Naked Sequel

These pictures are taken from Battle Comic 345 (1981).  They are pretty much unchanged apart from the dialogue in the last frame where I have added a suggestive twist to the original words. I have also removed obvious indicators of nationality which are not relevant to our interest in these posts. This could take place anywhere in the world during wartime. The original page is shown below (click to enlarge). You'll see that the prisoner stops to dress himself before he makes his escape with his rescuer, dimming hopes of a raunchy celebration afterwards.

This is No 22 of the 'mitchmen at war' series,
to see the rest click on the 'War Comics' label below.
 

'Bizarre Punishments' is a subset of that series,
there's an index of the previous ones in 'Hung Out To Dry' 

 

~

N.B. I have now posted better quality images for No 11 of this series

Military Punishment by Paul

Paul - Punishment Cell

 These images by the (vintage) spanking artist 'Paul' (aka P.R.) depict Military Correction scenarios. All the participants are dressed in shorts, which used to be regulation wear for Desert Fighting and sometimes in Jungles. I've always been excited by the idea of men fighting in scanty clothing* and the shorts shown here are exceedingly scanty and very tight. What they would do to the enemy we can only imagine. The rolled-up sleeves have an equally provocative effect on me.

The two Military Policeman have a manly appearance and being dressed exactly the same as those facing punishment adds an element of skin-to-skin earthiness and intimacy to their raw brand of bare-ass discipline, which is strictly non-regulation of course, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen. The discarded shorts of the victim lie under the bench nearby in a crumpled heap, a sexy detail. These highly erotic elements are augmented by the spice of bondage and boot-licking submissiveness. 

The condemned men waiting their turn look on, tied to posts and sweatily anticipating their own humiliation. Watching their comrade's fate has already induced impressive bulges in their shorts, one man's underwear is seen forcing it's way out into the open. Their half open shirts reveal manly chest hair, echoed on thighs and forearms, but their burgeoning manhood has not spared them from a less than manly punishment.

This image is overflowing with erotic elements from a bygone age of military service, enthusiatically exaggerated and lovingly drawn with an attention to sexy detail that will especially delight those whose who can remember it. The famous Royale Studio military photo series and later 'Guys in Uniform' tread similar ground and are contemporary.

Paul - Military Punishment

 The cane has always seemed a ferocious implement to me and this picture expresses just how painful it can be, thinly disguised by frivolous cartoon technique. These unfortunates have at least been allowed to hang on to their shorts and a semblance of dignity, but the absence of a patch pocket on the left buttock of the man currently under examination creates the suggestion of a bare cheek. Paul depicts shorts with single back pockets like this in other drawings, a useful substitute for nudity in less tolerant times. (click on 'hidden eroticism' label below for more)

 

As in the first picture, the glum man awaiting his dose of correction shows a degree of sexual excitement. The use of these minimal, very tight shorts might be seen as a deliberate part of their humiliation were it not for the fact that the Officers are similarly attired. In fact, the portrayal of the disciplinarian here is most unmilitary compared with the first picture. He has more the appearance of a mischievous, malevolent imp than a real person. He also turns up in other pictures by Paul. The non-human spanker is a device quite often used in this genre. I suppose it's to distance the artist from the acts he has portrayed. An equivalent to the use of classical settings for depicting slavery for example.

Paul - Raw Recruit

That distancing is conspicuously lacking here with the spanker exhibiting a degree of venom that must flow from deep inside the artist's psyche. There's also an open acknowledgement of sexual gratification playing a part in his actions. Paul's characterisations sometimes veer towards unacceptable age ambiguities which I wouldn't endorse. It's allayed here by the Military setting but much of his work is unsuitable for publication at mitchmen.

 

 ~

 

* Men in shorts often feature in my Vintage War Comics series, notably my 'Buddy Rescue' image, click on the 'War Comics' label at the foot of this post to view more.

For the complete collection of Royale Studio and 'Guys in Uniform' militarty punishments at mitchmen click on the 'GIU/Royale' label below

A Story of our Time

This mitchmen story begins with a pilot who has just returned from a reconnaisance flight
He has seen something very strange and tells his incredulous colleagues about it...

 

The explanation is stranger still..........

The pictures need no comment from me! 

 

All these images are taken from Commando War Stories No753, 'Castle Sinister'. It was first published in 1973, nearly 50 years ago. I've edited out as far as possible the original, overt references to nationality because it seems irrelevant to the central message. These events could have taken place in any country in peacetime or war. For example see Britain's Anthrax Island 

and one for conspiracy theorists

 

~

By way of lighter relief, this is the next frame of the story....

 

 

 He may or may not be a bad ass, but Sgt Bailey has certainly got a mean-looking ass!

For once in these comics we get a decent look at it, since it's not in dark shadow
(in curious and pleasing contrast to his back, which is).

Notice how his bayonet is parked, nestling between his cheeks, most suggestively! 

This means he can still get at it when lying face down in mud, it's not ideal for sitting down though.

 

There's some nice domination innuendo in the rest of the story which I will explore in a future post.

 

The 'Castle Sinister' of the title is the location of the virus development lab, 

it's eventually destroyed by Sgt Bailey and his lads of course.

For the time being anyway, but viruses have a nasty knack of coming back
(even when humans are not giving them a helping hand).

This is No 21 of the mitchmen war comics series.

For other 'mitchmen' War Comics featuring curious and sexy incidents, click on the label below

mitchmen at war No 20 - Hung Out To Dry (Bizarre Brutality 6)

This image shows the dramatic rescue of a soldier who has been tied up, hung up and tormented by his captors. The noose-like suspension rope and the wildly swung machete conjure up all sorts of unpleasant outcomes, but these men are on the same side despite my different colouring of their kit. The original image shows the suspension rope having already been severed but I restored it in this 'take', otherwise the swinging machete looks oddly out of sync. 

 

It's common in these comics to obscure any body details which might be construed as suggestive using speech bubbles or objects, but this image is uncensored and provides a nice glimpse of pec cleavage and crotch creasing. The lower half of the Sergeant's body has a bulkiness which looks not quite right, but is curiously attractive!

This picture shows the moment earlier, when the searching patrol first catch sight of their missing Sergeant (see in the distant middle background). This simple suspension arrangement is unexpectedly menacing. The mocking deprivation of water underlines the captive's helpless plight while the simmering threat of the other captors is conveyed by their casual, half-disinterested activity, as though waiting their turn. 

 

For gay detectives, the bantering friends at the far side of the group are interesting and I couldn't help noticing that the pouring water also seems to spring suggestively from a secondary source at the bespectacled tormentor's groin. The pair squatting by the fire are not without erotic interest either although the only backside view is screened by a branch (an element which is not just gratuitous blocking, but helps to link the the two groups together visually).

 

For a cheap comic the drawing of this image is remarkably careful and interesting and the miniature figure studies within it are realistic and characterful. The drawing style is not exactly simple but has a sketchy and strikingly angular feel (in the clothing creases, for example). The original images were published as roughly 4"x3" size (11x7.5 cm) and the line thicknesses here suggest they were actually drawn that size too, which makes the effectiveness of the face detailing all the more remarkable, notably the squatting man to the left of the fire whose features are rendered almost entirely by shadowing.

 

 

The patrol close in stealthily. Another 'nice' picture with the dangling captive still looking interesting even at this tiny scale - a ripe fruit waiting to be plucked - as are the campers round the fire in a different sense! I suspect a military man would haul this lot over those coals. No sentries posted and a roaring fire in 'bandit' country, not only advertising their presence but hindering their ability to sight attackers in the shadows. Silly boys!

From a gay point of view the highlight of this image is none of the above, but rather the two majestic bottoms in the foreground. I have slightly enhanced  the cheek shaping and clefts here, but not the poses which, like the first picture, relatively uninhibited for this genre. The machete resting on the right hand soldier's buttock, obscures his valley of lust, but in it's own way stirs thoughts of vulnerability, penetration and even spanking! 

More deviously, the Officer poised (suggestively) just behind his men and pointing his weapon in exactly the right direction seems like another example of ''the artist didn't have to draw it like that, did he?" Admittedly that alignment, like the branch in the previous picture contributes to the cohesion of the composition, which in this case has every person in the picture facing or looking at the fire. My colouring accentuates that (compare the original).

Having been freed by his colleague, the Sergeant scampers into the cover of the jungle, a bit like a school kid running off after being caught scrumping apples or some such mischief. The drawing itself has a more comic style to match. I have slightly smoothed and clarified the Sergeant's bottom contours here (compare original). No wonder they wanted him back! In that original comparison image, notice also how neatly the two frames fit together, conveying the flow of the action - freeing, turning and running. Clever stuff.

I haven't changed at all the deliciously woof-able forearm in the foreground of this picture which maintains a proper balance of serious manliness. This element of the picture also illustrates the fragmentation and incomplete contours which are a rather classy characteristic of this artist's style.  

We are not given any clues about the Sergeant's treatment whilst in captivity, he's not obviously injured, but there is circumstantial evidence further on when a comrade strips off his shirt to reveal the scars of his own period of captivity.  

The enigmatic dialogue here reflects a complex plot in which this man offers to sacrifice himself and save the patrol by impersonating an enemy officer. He feels he can't go back to base with them because he disgraced himself by revealing secrets under torture, which led to many deaths.

 This example of Bizarre Brutality is similar to BB No 5, but featuring a slightly different (more humane) form of suspension. In both examples evidence is produced of beating having occurred but it's not explicitly shown because of the nature of the audience. This form of punishment is documented elsewhere in the drawings of Okawa showing suspended captives being beaten with bamboo sticks like those used in the Martial Art of 'Kendo' 

Okawa - Captive Suspended and Beaten (in loin cloth)

Our captured Sergeant seems to have escaped a naked beating like this.

Okawa - Captive Suspended and Beaten (with CBT)

 See my A-Z article on Okawa for more images implying punishments of this sort. They suggest that treating captured soldiers in this way was an extension of an existing cultural practice.

Wading in the Jungle

The comic images in this post are based on selections from
Commando War Stories, No 987 "The Silent Enemy"  

~

For other articles in this series, click on the 'War Comics' label below

Previous 'Bizarre Brutality' posts:

 Bizarre Brutality No 1 (staked out) and it's mitchmen sequel 'Devil's work'

Bizarre Brutality No2 and it's mitchmen sequel 'Loco Peril' ,

 Bizarre Brutality No 3  Darkie's crucifixion

Bizarre Brutality No 4 Buried up to the neck

Bizarre Brutality No 5 Suspended and beaten (incl mitchmen sequels)

Gay Heroes

 

Justin Fashanu presented as a role model for young men

 

I stumbled across this picture of Justin Fashanu while indulging my interest in old war comics. His photo was featured on a back cover, the spot reserved for inspiring young men with sporting heroes. That was in 1980. A year later he became the first British black footballer to be transferred for a million pounds and was playing for one of the top clubs in the UK, winning acclaim for his spectacular goals and represented England at U21 level.

Million pound legs

In October 1990, almost exactly 30 years ago, Justin came out as a gay man, aged 28. To this day he remains the only player to have come out whilst still playing in the top levels of UK soccer.

Even today, black soccer players face a barrage of abuse when they step out on a football field, it was worse in 1990. At that time too the homophobic element in UK life was mounting a (last?) stand against gay rights exploiting the AIDS crisis and helped by Margaret Thatcher's nauseating 'Family Values' campaign.  In such a climate it's not hard to imagine the courage needed for a gay, black player to come out and play in the public arena. 

Justin Fashanu - Proud and Gay

Fashanu was publicly disowned by his equally-famous, footballing brother, John. It later emerged that as a million pound player he even had to deal with the anti-gay bigotry of the manager who had signed him (even at 21 Justin was not ultra-discreet about his life-style). Perhaps not surprisingly in view of that, the mega-transfer deal proved to be the peak of his career, he never reproduced the same form at his new club and suffered an injury soon after that limited him to lesser clubs for the rest of his career.  Nevertheless he carried on playing successfully at the senior level until 1994 and was still a prolific goal scorer for Torquay Utd in 1993.

In 1998 he committed suicide after being charged with a sexual assault in Maryland where gay sex was still illegal. He said it was a consensual act but believed he would be convicted anyway.

~

Apart from the coincidental 30 year anniversary of his 'coming out', Justin's story struck a chord with me since it's only a 10 months since another well-known Englishman came out in very different circumstances. Philip Schofield has had a long career in British Television as a co-presenter, most recently of a day-time magazine style show This Morning' and 'Dancing on Ice'. In February he came out on air and revealed that at the age of 57 and after 26 years of marriage he had 'finally come to terms with being gay'. The media response was to praise his courage and treat him as a hero and even laud him as a 'Gay Icon'. As you might expect these days, his Television career hasn't suffered at all, which is good news, unquestionably. 

 

I have no particular gripe with Schofield, but to laud him as a hero seems wrong. For me the real Gay Heroes are men like Justin Fashanu who had his faults but tried to live openly as a gay man in a very hostile climate. There are many thousands of gay men who you have never heard of, who do just that, leading the lives nature has assigned to them, openly and without concealment, fuss or fear. 

They are all heroes.

The 'coming out' of a role model is important, particularly for some gays who struggle to liberate themselves, which is why I applauded Tom Daly, the Olympic Diver when he took the plunge at the peak of his career. Schofield, a man who has taken 57 years to (begrudgingly) accept what he is, can be praised for biting the bullet and welcomed into the gay community of course, but his coming out is hardly an inspiring example for others or a ringing endorsement for being gay.

Justin Fashanu articles: BBC article 30 years anniv, The Life and Death of Justin Fashanu , Justin Fashanu, Wikipedia article

mitchmen at war No 19 - Special Duties for GI's

 If you think my tales of ordinary soldiers being conscripted as 'personal servants' for Officers (see 'Batmen') was a purely British phenomenon born of the Public School and Class System, the story of GI's sent to the Pacific Island of Belangor (affectionately known as Bell-End-cor!) may change your mind.

US Soldiers serving on Belangor were a peculiarly handsome lot and their superiors delighted in sending them out on training missions that involved wading through muddy rivers, so that their uniforms clung sexily to their bodies. On return to camp the whole lot had to strip naked and shower under the watchful eye of instructors and other 'interested' parties.

 It had all started 6 months before when Corporal Suchak had approached his superior, Colonel Madison, with a novel and audacious proposal for improving Officer morale. 

 

 

Madison was wary of Suchak's plan, codenamed 'The Full Treatment', because it involved diverting valuable men from combat duties. But Suchak knew from personal experience that when Madison said 'No' he often meant 'Yes, but I must know nothing about it'. So he wasn't put off and began an unofficial recruitment campaign around the Army base.

 

 

 

Suchak had spotted Private Lowery swaggering round the base in his tight, revealing shirt and pants some time before. After some clandestine observation to confirm his suitability for service, he put his name down on his selection list for Belangor. The MP's soon found an excuse to pick him up, the most minor of infractions could be used to effect a requisition into Colonel Madison's 'fatigues squad'. Within days Lowery was labouring in the tropical heat of Belangor wondering what he had done to deserve it. But the best was yet to come.

 

Sooner or later most of the enlisted men on the island were 'seen' by Colonel Madison. It usually meant that one of the Senior Officers had requisitioned them for some private R&R. The men soon learned that stripping off your shirt was a sure way to get chosen, but Lowery wouldn't be told, he liked to show off his physique. General Norvis, the Commander of the Island no less, had spotted him on one of his walkabouts and you can guess the rest....

 

Inevitably, Suchak's dubious activities eventually reached the ears of someone higher up.

General Norvis, was summoned to explain just what he was doing on Belangor. 

Norvis knew the game was up, he'd make sure Madison and Suchak got the blame of course,

but perhaps he could salvage something from the mess.......

 

 

THE END

For more tales of the privations of WW2, click on the 'War Comics' label below