A curious thing to post about, an obituary but I’d like to here.  The Telegraph has an article about the life of the recently passed Lt Col John Pine-Coffin, of the Kings African Rifles and Parachute Regiment.  And what a life it was, my personal favourite tale that is recounted:

“A series of staff appointments followed. In 1963 he was in Nassau when he was ordered to investigate a party of Cuban exiles that had infiltrated Andros Island, part of the Bahamas. His seaplane landed in thick mud and Pine-Coffin decided that his only chance of reaching dry land was to strip off.

On coming ashore, plastered in mud and wearing only a red beret and a pair of flippers, he was confronted by a party of armed Cubans. Mustering as much authority as he could in the circumstances, he informed the group that they were trespassing on British sovereign territory and were surrounded. The following morning, when the Royal Marines arrived to rescue him they were astonished to find him and his radio operator in a clearing standing guard over the Cubans and a pile of surrendered weapons. He was appointed OBE.”

As Nothing To Do With Arbroath stated, it’s like a tale from ripping yarns – real Steampunk adventurer/officer.  What a character he must have been.