This is an absolutely true story.
When I was in the Army, we were being bought back as a regiment, from Osnabruck to Aldershot to be re-deployed as part of a different Brigade. As a farewell parade is always a good idea so the Brigadier was invited. The day of the parade came, about this time of year, and we were all out bright and early in our overalls getting the barracks ship-shape. This included a team picking up each and every leaf that had fallen onto the parade square and the surrounds, these were deposited in bin bags round the back of the gym.
We were duly inspected, and, as the Brigadier was taken into the Sgts Mess for drinks he said, quite innocently "Blimey, it's autumn and theres no leaves"
He was due out after drinks and some lunch, and was to be transported from the camp on a gun carriage. By the time he came back out, the ground was festooned with leaves as we had spent the last 1/2 hour rushing back and forwards re-distributing the leaves from behind the gym
His face was an absolute picture, the previously sparkling honour guard now had leaves stuck in their belts, puttees had leaves stuck to them like limpets, the previously completely bare parade square was covered in leaves, it was by far the most hilarious episode of my Army career
(except the Browning .50 incident)