The

Egg

Banjo

a collection of anecdotes and articles on military lore

A Punk History of…. Combat Boots

by Dominic Adler | September 13, 2024 | Punk History | 0 Comments

Forget artillery, tanks, battles and stuff… this week we’re talking boots. Next to weapons, boots are possiblythe most important bit of military kit. Unless you’re a signaller or something. They wear slippers. You know, the ones that look like novelty monster...

Taking The Rough with The Smooth

by Craig Douglas | August 31, 2024 | Basic Training | 0 Comments

Drill is a pill, and it’s to be taken every day. Today, the bombardiers ensured that there was ample space in the guardroom for new visitors that morning. The new visitors were to be treated accordingly – with utmost cruel efficiency in dealing out pain and torture....

The Tenby Invasion

by Craig Douglas | August 18, 2024 | Basic Training | 0 Comments

I think it was week 5, and we were meant to have a little ‘break’. We were off to Tenby. Bdr JC’s own Battery was based near Tenby. I think that was the main reason we went there in the first place. I don’t think any of us complained as it would mean we’d be away from...

A Punk Guide to Military Drill & Ceremonial

by Dominic Adler | August 3, 2024 | Punk Guide | 0 Comments

You 'orrible little manThe point of military drill is stunningly simple: someone shouts an order and you comply, immediately and efficiently. If you don’t, in peacetime, a scary person calls you very un-PC things and throws a stick at you. In war? Well, you’ll...

Changing Parades & Block Inspections

by Craig Douglas | July 20, 2024 | Basic Training | 0 Comments

At the time many of us didn’t understand the reasons why things happened in Basic Training. Especially with regards to being ‘fucked about’. Our seventeen year old mind’s hadn’t matured enough, or experienced enough of the world to realise it was for a purpose. The...

A Punk History of Camouflage

by Dominic Adler | July 7, 2024 | Punk History | 0 Comments

Warfare wasn’t always a game of heavily armed hide-and-seek. In fact, it was quite the opposite, a riot of pomp and circumstance. In days of yore, warriors deliberately sported gaudy decorations on their armour, wore bright red coats or, like Polish Hussars,...

Week Two and the Gloves are off!!

by Craig Douglas | June 19, 2024 | Basic Training | 0 Comments

Meanwhile... outside the Gymnasium, March 1990 - at 7.45amWe were all stood to attention, in three ranks, in our neatly pressed black shorts and red issued vests. A bloke with a huge scar down one cheek made one lad do 20 press ups as a tramline had miraculously...

A Punk History of Mercenaries

by Dominic Adler | June 7, 2024 | Punk History | 0 Comments

This week, Punk History fans, we’re talking about bad people who do bad things… for money. And no, I don’t mean lawyers. Back when I studied ‘proper’ history (as opposed to dicking around with the punk version) a lecturer asked, “what is War?” Of course, earnest young...

Week One Day One

by Craig Douglas | May 26, 2024 | Basic Training | 2 Comments

London, March 1990Apart from Sutton Coldfield I hadn’t been far on any trains before. Going to London, I knew this was going to be a challenge due to the tube stations. I’d received my rail warrants the week before to turn up at Woolwich Station at 3pm on 5th March...

A Punk Guide to Staging a Military Coup

by Dominic Adler | May 11, 2024 | Punk Guide | 0 Comments

Here at The Egg Banjo, we’re all about high-quality, peer-reviewed content (well, Craig skim-reads my copy while shot-gunning cans of Special Brew). And this week, due to the incompetence at Number 10, we’re taking a look at how to stage a full-on military coup...

Dominic Adler

Dominic Adler is a writer and former detective in the Metropolitan Police. And before that, a very long time ago, he spent six years as the lowliest form of military life – an army reservist. This led to an enduring interest in military history, defence and itchy shirts. His latest novel, ‘Red Labyrinth’, is published by Lume Books. Dom also writes a popular Substack on contemporary policing.

Craig Douglas

Born when the Beatles were still fashionable and the moon landings hadn’t finished, Craig spent most of his youth as a PAD’s brat. He joined the Army in 1990, was sent to the usual shit holes and fell off the ‘wagon’ many times. He now spends his time in Northampton, co-parenting, being a youthful pensioner and publishes books as a hobby.