Spud-bashing

Most of the work was classed as spud-bashing; each volunteer squatted on an unturned bucket and with a sharp knife peeled potatoes from one pile and then threw them on another.

For these first few weeks you do your basic training: square-bashing, spud-bashing, a bit of cryptography, a bit of sea-time, then you learn your Russian and play at being spies, right?

Anything from dishwashing to salvage, from spud-bashing to coal-heaving.