Soldiers pose naked on Red Arrow jet next to memorial to dead airmen while on coronavirus testing duty

THREE soldiers on Covid-19 testing duty wound down by posing naked on a Red Arrow jet — next to a memorial to two dead airmen.

Colour Sergeant “Tats” Taylor, Corporal Shane Woods and Private Anthony Panton had spent ten days carrying out Covid-19 checks in the community.

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After a boozy party they stripped off and scaled the retired Hawk T1, at the gate of the RAF aerobatic team’s Scampton base, Lincolnshire.

Hours later Sgt Taylor, 49, posted snaps on Facebook next to a laughing emoji, joking: “Think we took over RAF Scampton.”

But top brass are furious. The base holds a revered place in RAF history as the historic home to 617 Squadron, better known as The Dambusters.

And next to the aircraft sits a brass plaque marking the deaths of Flight Lieutenants Jon Egging and Sean Cunningham, who died in separate tragic accidents in 2011.

Tonight a source told The Sun: “The soldiers were naked except for their regimental headdress.

“It brings the army into disrepute and the battalion as well. It’s so disrespectful.

“Tats put the pictures up on Facebook but took them down after, but it was too late, everyone had seen them. They know they’re in the s***.”

The soldiers were naked except for their regimental headdress. It brings the army into disrepute and the battalion as well. It’s so disrespectful.

Source

Taylor, Woods, 27, and Panton, 30, of 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment were at RAF Scampton while running mobile testing.

Sources close to them said they “worked their t*** off for ten days straight” before Friday’s prank.

One added: “The local council gave them some booze as a token of local appreciation.”

Friends of Sgt Taylor said he was “devastated and distraught” and had not realised the jet’s significance.

An Army spokesman said: “This behaviour clearly contradicts the discipline we ask personnel to display. We will deal with the matter accordingly.”

RAF Scampton plays a vital role in protecting UK airspace with 600 RAF personnel on site.

Flt Lt Egging, 33, died when his jet crashed after a display at Bournemouth. Flt Lt Cunningham, 35, died when his ejector seat fired during pre-flight checks three months later.

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