It was an incredible mask. No one had ever seen anything like it and it was so life like in appearance. It was of an old withered up man with long grey hair balding on top, a wrinkled up face with big nose and a sickly smirk of an expression on its face.

It really was horrible. The mask actually fitted over your head and covered the whole of your face so that no one would know who you were unless they knew what you were wearing.

This particular morning one of the operators who was on A-Bay working ships on HF CW was sitting facing the entrance and shouted out, "Hey Paul, Billy Brown has just nipped into the toilets. Go and surprise him with your mask!" Billy Brown was my relief coming on shift.

I quickly put on the mask and headed straight for the toilets. I opened the first door and checked in the mirror to see if the mask was on straight, then I turned to open the second door which led into the actual toilet area to jump out on Billy.

As I opened the door who should be standing there but Mr Clendinning the Manager of Sydney Radio who had decided for some reason to come in early that morning. Mr Clendinning nearly passed out and gave out an almighty shout.

I nearly wet myself and ripped the mask off and ran back to the operating area. As I looked around the room all the operators were rolling around the floor in laughter.

Mr Clendinning raced into the room red faced and seething. The whole place went silent, you could have heard a pin drop in the room. As Mr Clendinning approached me he raised his voice and said "I'm surprised at you Mr Thomas, what do you think this place is, a theatre restaurant"?

Paul Thomas, VIM