Page 129 - WishStream Year of 2023

Rover hook. One of the party laid down in the Land Rover, gripped the trail, and the little convoy pro- ceeded to drive out of the Academy grounds, ‘past some bemused sentries.’
A short distance up the A30, they parked, took the gun to pieces and distributed the parts among the Land Rover (wheels), panel van (gun) and trailer (gun carriage). To avoid attracting attention, the vehicles split up and travelled separately to Wind- sor Great Park only to be met, coincidentally, by a police car. When the policeman enquired about the presence of the gun carriage, one of the party explained that it was ‘an agricultural implement, intended for lifting potatoes,’ and that they were in the process of returning it to Oxford University! At that point he lost interest.
On return to College, the gun was taken through the Great Gate, reassembled in Caius Court, cemented into the grass using quick-drying cement, and trained on the Master’s Lodge; after some photos the undergraduates retired to bed.
Next day, a College Professor, an Intelligence Officer in the TA, informed the Academy of the whereabouts of their gun, but events then took an unexpected turn. On arrival of the ‘rescue party’ the gun was missing!
Other students ‘not entirely unconnected to the College Rugby Club,’ had overnight sawn through the steel bolts connecting it to the concrete, dis- mantled the gun, heaved it over the College walls and reassembled it facing the main entrance of Newnham College, nearly a mile away, think- ing that if they blasted the door off its hinges ‘it would save them climbing over the walls to visit the young ladies.’ No doubt the journey of just under a mile would have taken them more than the esti- mated 15 minutes in their inebriated state!
After a short delay, the gun was located and the rescue party of a Sergeant and several cadets took it back to Sandhurst. The undergraduates were so impressed by the way the Sergeant entered into the spirit of the joke, that they immediately elected him an honorary member of the JCR and pre- sented him with a Caius tie and scarf!
Over the next few days, because of where it was eventually found, several newspapers picked up the erroneous story that the Sandhurst gun had been stolen by a bunch of girls! Perhaps unsurpris- ingly, there was no mention of the escapade in the current issue of The Wish Stream.
Bold action on contact with the enemy can over- come a failure of intelligence.
HISTORICAL 127