Highland Light Infantry

Just before the end of term, all cadets who were graduating [from Sandhurst] were given a War Office form to fill in: "Name in order of preference three regiments into which you desire to be commissioned."

I wrote as follows:

1. The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

2. The Black Watch

and then for some reason which I never fully understood possibly because it was the only one of the six Highland regiments that wore trews instead of the kilt, I wrote:

3. Anything but the Highland Light Infantry

Somebody at the War Office was funnier than I was and I was promptly commissioned into the Highland Light Infantry.

David Niven

The Moon's a Balloon.