I went to a public school in the late 1940s/early 50s, where corporal punishment of some sort was guaranteed for any misbehaviour, no matter how trivial. Having never been spanked as a child (and a natural wimp!) this prospect was quite frightening.
On my second night at the school, I had just come out of the washroom and was on my way back to the dormitory when I noticed another boy, in his regulation white underpants, bending over while our housemaster hovered above him with a large slipper.