The CCF was augmented in the Christmas term 1957 by the aquisition of a 25 pounder field gun. The photo shows that some boys are pretending to crew the gun.

The first morning after the gun was delivered, it was found outside the headmaster's house with the barrel pointing at his front door! The gun was duly removed but the following morning it was back again, this time draped in toilet paper. The gun was removed once more but this time chained up in the domestic area yard.

Initially it was not known who had been responsible for moving the gun and suspicion fell upon the adjacent Welbeck College. Malcolm was one of a group of seven boys who decided to 'get their own back' and launched a nightime raid. Malcolm can remember the group walking past the South front on a bright night and one of the boys having a clicking ankle which sounded very loud in the quiet night. Once at Welbeck, the group just did a few silly things such as move the cricket sightscreen across the road before coming back to school.

The next morning, the headmaster, who had been advised about the incident by the principal at Welbeck, addressed the school to invite the culprits to attend his study. Malcolm and the others decided that it was best to come clean immediately so they complied. As they stood outside the headmaster's study, curious boys came by to see who had been responsible. The headmaster gave the culprits a suitable lecture then dismissed them without serious punishment remarking that they had not been malicious and had shown some degree of initiative and adventure.

Malcolm applied to join the artillery section and was accepted. He enjoyed his time there is it was more relaxed than the main body of the CCF. He reached the rank of Lance Bombadier.