Not so surprising when you throw in enough boredom. This is the days when a pub had a dart board, pack of cards and a piano. Not a Steinway though, probably in dubious tune. Now add all that waiting on base or in camp for the mission to start, or the squadron scramble call to come. Add enough beer figure the entertainment out for yourself, then carrying the tune doesn't matter much any more. :)
There was a whole organisation devoted to entertaining personnel - ENSA in the UK - who produced shows, theatre, concerts etc, and often travelled to surprisingly near front lines everywhere the forces were, and included many famous names of the era. Course there were plenty of entertainers and stars conscripted too. There's still a modern equivalent that's organised live entertainment in the Falklands, Afghanistan, Iraq etc.
I know the US has (or had) something similar, but I forget the name.
Both Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe I believe entertained the troops, With Spike commenting in his autobiography on how hard the American Sides (arrangements) where.
There was a whole organisation devoted to entertaining personnel - ENSA in the UK - who produced shows, theatre, concerts etc, and often travelled to surprisingly near front lines everywhere the forces were, and included many famous names of the era. Course there were plenty of entertainers and stars conscripted too. There's still a modern equivalent that's organised live entertainment in the Falklands, Afghanistan, Iraq etc.
I know the US has (or had) something similar, but I forget the name.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entertainments_National_Servic...