Crumbs! Captain’s blistering biscuit memo to Lieutenant Hobnob

WHEN an Army captain lambasted junior officers for keeping top brass waiting for their coffee and not giving them enough Jaffa Cakes, it seemed like a storm in a teacup, especially when Britain is on the brink of war in Syria.

But Captain Clare Coward, the adjutant who fired off the furious memo, has faced a backlash from troops who have taken to the internet to ridicule her.

Last week it was revealed that the officer had roasted officers responsible for refreshments at a Wiltshire base in an email which read: ‘Get a grip and do the duty properly. Never run out [of coffee] and don’t scrimp on biscuits. A selection of the following always goes down well: Jaffa Cakes, choc malted milks, choc Hobnobs or digestives and as a treat party rings and pink wafers.’

But troops have responded with pictures and messages on the web mocking her rant and defending Second Lieutenant Charles Webber, named in her memo.

They include a picture of pink wafer biscuits with the message ‘#JeSuisWebber’ and a mock-up of the Army’s ‘Be The Best’ recruiting slogan: ‘Army: Be The Barista.’

In Bristol, soldiers suspended a banner from a bridge saying: ‘Pray for Webber.’ Last night an Army source said: ‘Captain Coward should see the funny side and accept that a time when a lot of people of all ranks have more serious considerations, she made a big deal of a small issue.’

An Army spokesman confirmed: ‘This matter remains a storm in a teacup, so nobody is going to get into hot water.’