THE NATIVITY STORY ACCORDING TO THE ROYAL ENGINEERS

(apologies to Gospel writers Matthew and Luke) This how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. In the sixth month God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a young maiden called Mary, pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendent of David. He was a chippie and had finished his trade training. . The angel received a FRAGO for Mary which stated Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of FRAGO this might be. But the angel said to her Do not be afraid, Mary. You have found favour with God. Your mission is that you will be with child and give birth to a son and you are to give him the name of Jesus. He will be great and called the Son of the Most High.. His kingdom will never end. Nothing is impossible with God. Mary was terrified but said, I am the Lords servant and under the control and command of the CO. May it be as you have said. Then the angel left her. Joseph was due for his promotion board and did not want this going on and had in mind to get rid of Mary, but an angel appeared to him in a dream with a Warning Order. All this will take place to fulfil what the Chain of Command said years before: the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Emmanuel which means God with us. In those days the Commander Royal Engineers issued a Corps wide directive that Op Tally should take place across the whole of the Royal Engineers. And everyone had to report to their own barracks to register. So Joseph went up from the town of Nazareth to Bethlehem. He went there with Mary to register at the MCCP. While they were there the time came for her to give birth to her firstborn. She wrapped him in MTP and placed him in a Gorilla Box with wheels because there was no room for them in the transit accommodation. And there were sappers living in the CPs nearby, keeping watch over the sangars by night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terrified even though their weapons were made ready and their arcs were covered. But the angel said to them. Hold fire! Stand down! Do not be afraid! I bring you news of great joy that will be for all engineers. Today in this town a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be the sign. You will find the baby wrapped in MTP and lying in Gorilla box in a HESCO RAB. Suddenly a great company of angels appeared, praising God and singing Glory to God in the highest and peace to all engineers.

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the sappers said to one another Lets sing Hurrah to the CRE and then go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about. So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby, surrounded by Hesco. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what they had seen and been told about the baby and all who heard it were amazed at what the sappers told them. The sappers then returned and continued filling more Hesco plus doing their CLM exams in their own time. After Jesus had been born, planties came from the East to Jerusalem and asked Where is the one born king of the engineers and the world. We saw a shmoolie in the east and have come to worship him. They continued on their way and the shmoolie that they had seen in the East went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. On coming to the RAB they saw the child with his mother and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of a Goldie, a Valon and Horn). Then they returned by another route to prevent setting patterns.