Fancy-dress can cause problems for living-in Officers, as I had found out at Jever. This time I had enough notice to be able to do something about it so, on the Saturday of the weekend before the party a couple of us went into Kassel to do some shopping. There, in the Kaufhalle (a department store), I bought some plastic sheeting such as one would use to make a shower curtain. Back in my room I contrived, with scissors, glue, sticky tape, and bits of string, to make this into some sort of dress which I could fairly easily put on. I kept the secret to myself.
I made arrangements with Flt.Lt. Bill Billing (my Flight Commander) and his wife, Peggy, to go to their house so that I could change for the party. I thus turned up with my 'kit', and with my moustache freshly shaved off. I put on my PT shorts over my underpants but with the legs tucked into them, and a PT shirt inside which two rolled-up pairs of socks were suitably attached, ankle socks and gym shoes. Over this I donned my 'dress', borrowed lipstick and rouge were added, and I thus became a 'Polythene Bag' (Greek prostitute).
When we were ready, the three of us left Bill's house together, but by this time word had gone round the married patch and everyone else who lived there was already waiting outside the Hanmores. They watched all us partygoers arrive from various directions. We were jeered, cheered, politely cat-called and wolf-whistled at as we appeared. We created more jollity that night than we ever anticipated. As the party went on I became hotter and hotter in my unventilated plastic covering. The lipstick came off and the rouge disappeared in the perspiration.

Peggy Billing with Colin & Irene Hanmore.

David Hattersley with a nearly headless Greek prostitute.

Fg.Off. & Mrs Taylor with Irene Hanmore sitting on David Hattersley's knee

Roy Bertram

Bill Billing and Dorothy Hogg.

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