Back in the early seventies before conservation became a buzz word. While on exercise in Germany late one night we deployed into woodland with our Fire Direction Centre (FDC) which was an armoured fighting vehicle.
In the morning I realised we had parked right next to a tree which was directly under a Black Woodpeckers nest. I went into the command post and asked the officer in charge if we could move so as not to disturb the nest.
Back then as a young gunner to ask such a thing
was really unheard of, however the officer in charge came out to take a look
and he agreed we were too close, so we moved our vehicle. It’s nice to know
that I needed no law to enforce my request, just the right approach.
