[Commander Wallace]

Originally Posted by Eichhörnchen

When I was 18 I dumped my girlfriend in favour of a younger model, but I soon realised I'd left my cap at her parents' place. I did so need to get that cap back but I couldn't risk seeing her... you may remember my story in the 'Violent Women' thread of how she and my newer girlfriend rolled and grappled on the ground in front of me just after I jilted her.

So I asked a mate (who she'd always liked) to go round and get it for me. He didn't have much choice really, since we were both Army Cadets and I was older and outranked him. Besides, he was six feet tall and not likely to come to any harm, so I reckoned.

I waited down the road a bit, behind the garden hedge, while he went round and knocked on the door. There was a commotion... a lot of shouting... and he came running round the corner with her right behind, beating him over the head with the cap, telling him that I could bloody come and get it myself if I wanted it. I don't remember why she didn't see me... maybe I was under the hedge.

Now this old mate has suddenly turned up in my life again on Facebook... he joined the Regulars and became a Regimental Sergeant-Major. He sent me a photo of his (our) old cap-badge yesterday, which he's kept all this time, and it reminded me of the battering he bravely took for me all those years ago.

Is this what they mean by the term, " taking one for the team ? "