Although he enjoyed ceremony, John was also keen to serve in the field. He was on NATO exercise with the Sharpshooters in Germany when he was arrested on suspicion of being a member of the IRA (Irish terrorist).
John was in charge of the lorry containing his squadron’s weapons on the return to the UK via Belgium. The convoy got split up, and the Squadron Leader gave an emergency message to all NATO countries that John was missing with a lorry full of weapons and that he was a member of the Territorial Army.
Near Antwerp he was arrested by a fully armed unit of Belgian police, and taken off for questioning, weapons pointed at him all the time. Furious, John asked his interrogator if he had ever met a black Irish terrorist. There was a deathly silence then everyone except the interrogator started to laugh when they realised the big mistake: territorial does not mean terrorist.