Strange but True

In 1960, as an eighteen year old male working in a small town in a British colony, I was not surprised to receive my Army medical forms to fill in and send back. I was a fit and healthy lad but I had suffered an accident in the past which periodically caused lower back pain. This I mentioned on the forms. Soon the summons arrived to attend a medical, which for ease of access was to be held at the small hospital of the Air Force base nearby. I had often driven past the base and knew that the hospital was near the road between the main gate and a concrete sports area. I had also noticed that recently they had built an extension to the hospital with large windows on three sides, probably a lecture room.

I had a late afternoon appointment and it was cloudy when I pulled into the base entrance. There were a few lights on in the hospital. An Airforce gate guard let me through when he saw my appointment letter and told his colleagues that I was an 'Army med exam'. One told me where to park and the other directed me to the hospital which was opposite the gate house. A senior female nurse took me directly to the room with lots of windows and told me to stand in the centre of the room. She stood to one side. The room was empty except for a desk at one end and a few stacked chairs. The doctor, who was in Army uniform, sat at the desk looking at some papers. I could see the three guards standing at the gate house which was directly behind the doctor. They were looking in my direction. The light was on and there were no blinds at the windows.

My past high school exams and my pre job med had involved stripping to the waist so I was at ease. "Strip"! I was brought back to reality. "Strip" the doctor said again and I hesitated. "Take your clothes off"! I started to undress not knowing where to put my clothes and the nurse pointed to the floor. My clothes in a heap on the floor I thought I had done enough and I was standing there in my underpants when he pointed to them and said "Get those off". I stood there in front of him while he looked at my naked body while he sat back in his chair behind his desk....continued

Ok i'm ready to read more ;-)

"Put your arms straight out in front of you, palms down" this I did, "Palms facing up" this I did. "Place your hands on the top of your head and run on the spot" I had never run on the spot with my hands on my head with my clothes on before and certainly not naked with my dangly bits flying all over the place and with spectators. I noticed the three gate guards standing there and they gave me the thumbs up sign - how mortifying! "Stop, turn around, legs apart and bend over" I then noticed about seven Air force guys on the sports area and I was now facing them in my glory for a few seconds until I remembered that I had to bend over. Was there no privacy in this place? "Stand up straight" this for a few more moments until "Turn back to face me". After a while he got up and said "A1" and handed the papers to the nurse, said something and walked out. The nurse then weighed and measured me and did an eye test with me still naked before letting me get dressed. I couldn't wait to get out of there. At the gate the grinning guards congratulated me on my A1 classification (how did they know?) and as I drove past the sports area the Air force guys all gave me the thumbs up sign. My old Ford V8 exceeded the speed limit in record time!

The following weekend I drove to a small local outdoor event with a work friend and he introduced me to two of his friends in the car park. They said they recognised the car and enquired if I was at the Air force base for a medical a few days earlier - yes, they were two of the gate guards! They explained that the doctor came from the army barracks about 60 miles away and he never got up to examine the recruits. They knew that if you weren't A1 then the nurse did not do the weighing etc. so they knew who had passed, by simply watching. To this day, I don't know how a medical could be so strange. It wasn't long before I received my call-up papers and that is another story!

Very interesting story...thanks for sharing.

Maybe I missed it in your story, but did the doctor ever get up and actually examine you? Or was everything done via visual observation? What about a hernia, genital and rectal exam?

No, the doctor did not get up - he did not come anywhere near me - that is what I could never understand.

Your story is a little strange even if in the army when you have to undergo a physical examination as a draftee, I think that all is possible.

I am nevertheless skeptical because it is difficult to believe that the doctor did not look at you, in that case it was useless to instruct you to bend over.

I am not really surprised by the fact that you were in display for some spectators outside, it could happen sometimes in the army, but some details seem to me too incredible as for example the behaviour of the nurse.

Once the doctor left the exam room, I can understand that she wanted to weigh you completly naked as it was most of the time done in my own experience of a french draftee but why did she left you naked for the eye test.

when it is done at the start of the exam, we can understand but like it was done at the end and you were alone with the nurse, there was no need for nudity.

Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction and I quite understand your disbelief. However maybe this will help - The army doctor was not assigned to the Airforce hospital, he was only using the room to carry out army meds instead of me and others having to travel the 60 miles to his base. Apparently he only used the room 2-3 times a month. He was about the age of my father (+-45yrs at the time). I received a comprehensive exam with emphasis on my back at a later exam at the army barracks at the time of my induction (story to follow when time permits). I cannot guess as to why the doctor did not examine me. Also, I would think that as I was naked with the nurse for weighing and measuring what was the point of getting dressed for the eye test which was right there where I was standing! I have already stated that the doctor was waiting for me when I arrived so there was no time to do the eye test etc before the exam. He left the base before me ,he was in a hurry to get back to his base (according to the gate guards later). Please feel free to question me further if you don't believe me!

THAT puts things into perspective.

Since he was a visiting doc, he must have had to use whatever space was available. (I don't know about the UK, but in the States, there is a bit of "friendly rivalry" between the services, especially the Air Force and Army, because the Air Force was part of the Army until 1947.)

Obviously, since you got the full physical later, a visual inspection might have been all they needed to determine your status before your induction physical. (There would be no sense in putting you through a full induction physical if you came up 4F on the screening.)

If he had a bunch of guys to screen, and 60 miles to drive home, it's no wonder that he only gave you a cursory exam. (It's still, in my opinion, shoddy medicine, but it happens.)

They probably had you dress for the eye test because, let's face it, you don't need to be naked to have your eyes examined, and they probably figured that being exposed for so long that you might get cold. (It was, as you point out, a bit late to worry about your modesty at that point.)

The day of our army draft came and about a hundred of us reported to the barracks where we were herded into a huge hanger, each of us carrying a nearly empty suitcase containing some personal effects that the Army had told us that we could bring. We were lined up in alphabetical order inside the southern side of the hanger. Along the western side was a row of large trestle tables and along the northern side (opposite where we were standing) were various medical stations and the last three of these had examination tables. The eastern side had rows of uniforms, shirts etc and shelves of boots and soft clothing and other army kit behind a row of trestle tables (I shall call this area 'the store'). The middle of the hanger was clear. There were uniformed soldiers everywhere, from privates to sergeants, female nurses in white and three doctors in white coats. I felt sorry for the recruits at the the head of the line as they did not know what to expect.

The first four recruits were called to the western tables where a sergeant for each got them to open their cases on the table and proceeded to sort out the items that they could keep. A private then supplied a small canvas draw bag each and these items were then secured in the bag and labelled, later to be transferred to the store. The four then had to strip completely, underwear as well, and all their clothing was placed in their suitcases which were sealed and labelled. Other soldiers took the cases to the centre of the hanger.

One by one the naked recruits went to a med station staffed by a nurse, where the were weighed then on to a station where their height was measured (a soldier with a clip board noted all their measurements at each station) and at the next they had their neck, chest, waist and inside leg measurements taken (you were allowed to hold your own privates to one side for the tape!. These measurements were then taken by other soldiers to the store so that the right size uniforms etc were brought out in readiness for fitting when the recruits had finished the medicals). The eye tests, blood pressure etc followed and then the doctor's examinations took place. There were no screens or partitions anywhere in the hanger. No privacy.

In the meantime, more recruits were undressing at the first base and others getting ready for the weighing and measuring section. Us guys at the back of the queue were of course intrigued by what was going on but then we realised that we would be doing the same soon. There was a cross section of all types of guys, big guys with small genitalia, small guys with big ones and all sizes between. One chap who was my build about 5' 9" and 145 lbs, we will refer to him as 'bigboy' for reasons other than his stature (he features a few times later). Most of us were born in the early 1940's during WW2 and were British born or of British parentage and about 80% of us were circumcised.

The doctors were very thorough and nothing was overlooked. Skin was searched for evidence of skin cancer, feet for verucas and athletes foot, anus for haemorrhoids, DRE, foreskins pulled back and health advice given to those that needed it, testicles felt for testicular cancer and groin and abdomen for hernias. The uncircumcised chaps all looked very embarrassed during the foreskin check and 'big boy had his foreskin looked at by two of the doctors for some time.

It was then on to the store to be kitted out with uniforms etc and kit bags to carry everything. Still naked, the clothes had to be tried on to make sure they fitted but eventually the clothed recruits went with their kit bag and little draw bag with their personal possessions (from the first station) and joined the back of the queue of the recruits who were still to experience what they had been through - a complete circle. The whole operation was skillfully planned and we all got to see our fellow recruits in naked and embarrassing situations! When all had been processed we were 'marched' off to our platoon barracks leaving our civilian life in our suitcases which were neatly stacked in rows in the middle of the hanger.

Incidentally, I was informed by the doctor who examined me that my lower back problem would be investigated the next day. Something to look forward to?

The next day twelve of us were called out of ranks after breakfast, three of us from my platoon, including 'bigboy' and we were marched to the camp hospital. Just off the main entrance was a dead end corridor but with a door in each side wall. We were herded through the door on the left which was a changing room and instructed to strip naked and then form up outside. We stood against the wall opposite the changing room almost in terror - we were not allowed to speak either.

One at a time we were called through the door on the right and each time one came out, the embarrassment on the face was plain to see. They had to stand back in line still naked.

'Bigboy' went in before me and when he came out he had a semi erection with a very tight foreskin retracted and a very red glans. He wasted no time in going to the changing room where he stayed for a while before coming back to join us looking a bit more normal with his foreskin back in place. My turn came to enter the room. Straight ahead were two doctors in white coats and to the right an examination table with the feet end pointing to the middle of the room.

The left side of the room was filled with tiered seating, about five rows, and sitting on those seats were the uniformed Officers and Nco's of the Company! The Company Major down to the Sergeants, Corporals and Lance Corporals, about 15 in all. Anyway I was not allowed to dwell on this situation as the doctor was asking me questions about my back and the treatment that I had had in the past and then gave me a thorough back exam, both standing and then lying on the table. My back was bent in all directions and my legs were placed at funny angles and sometimes the other doctor would assist or comment. Eventually they decided that I was fit enough to stay in the army but the Officers were to note my possible problems in the future.

The final indignation was caused by his helpfulness - he got me to stand on all fours (doggy fashion) on the table with my legs apart within the width of the table and with my feet just over the edge of the table and with my bottom facing the Officers. He told me to let my back sag, as if I had a weight on it. Then he got me to fall back on to my heels to cause my back to stretch - this of course gave the spectators a wonderful view of my open buttocks and my testicles and penis hanging between my feet. This exercise I was to do every morning and whenever neccessary. I still do it to this day but without spectators!!!

I went back to my place in the corridor and when all of us had been through the experience we were allowed to get dressed except for three guys, including 'bigboy', who were all called back into the room, still naked. We did not see 'bigboy' for nearly a week and when he came back he was sporting a circumcised penis -he seemed pleased as his very tight foreskin had been a major problem apparently.

The army in those days used to give us Bromide in our food and drink to stop us getting erections for the first four weeks and when they stopped 'bigboy' was one of the first to have a morning erection and he was so happy that he paraded up and down the barrack room with his magnificent throbbing cock before going for a shower!!!!

For those men who were subject to military recruitment during the 1950/60s, I have just read a book that refers to most of what I have already related but one thing that did slip my memory was the name 'Bluestone', which was the common name for Bromide. The taste of bromide laced tea/coffee for those first few weeks remains with me to this day!

I have recently had a discussion with one of the officers who was watching the 'show' and he confirmed that the supposed reason for all of them to be present at the medical in the camp hospital, was to be aware of any medical problems that the doctor found with any of us. However he also confirmed that it was a bit of a laugh and really they were there to embarrass us poor recruits especially those who became erect!

Two doctors looking at my foreskin would be so humiliating and arousing. Do you know what they were doing to him?

Not to mention the 15 Officers watching as well. He had Phimosis (tight foreskin) and this could have caused health issues in hot tropical weather in Africa. Apparently they were fiddling with it and trying to pull it back and forth thereby causing him to have an erection!