Variation on a theme of Philtaz:-
Officer in Foreign Legion gets posted to a desert outpost and is being shown round by a gnarled old Sergeant Major.
"This is your billet, SIR!"
"Thank you, ser'nt major"
"This is the Officers' Mess, SIR!"
"Thank you, ser'nt major."
And so it goes on until the officer espies a manky evil smelling horrible looking flea ridden camel. "What the bloody'ell is that, ser'nt major?"
"Erm, it's a camel, SIR!"
"Yes, ser'nt major, I can see it's an effin camel. What's it doing here? Get rid of it, fast as you like!"
"Let me explain, SIR! The camel is here for, ahem, recreational purposes, SIR! The chaps miss their home comforts when they've been here a month or two, SIR! And, erm,well SIR, that's when they, erm, use the camel, SIR!"
After a couple of months, the officer is beginning to think of home,etc, etc, etc and calls over the sergeant major. "Bring that camel over, Ser'nt major!"
The s-m duly obliges. "Get me a stepladder, ser'nt major!"
Again the s-m obliges, whereupon the office climbs up the stepladder and gives the camel (what in these parts is known as) "a reight noggin of his nasty nature."
"By jove, I needed that," said the Officer, "Is that what the chaps do?"
"Not exactly, SIR! They usually ride it into town, SIR""