Cryptic crossword clue
Third of army missing from canteens is what’s found at beginning and end of sorties 5

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word ESSES

E
S
S
E
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "what’s found at beginning and end of sorties" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case what’s found at beginning and end of sorties = esses.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does ESSES mean?

ESSES noun
  1. The name of the Latin-script letter S.
  2. Something shaped like the letter S.
ESSES verb
  1. To move in a changing direction, forming the shape of a letter S.
ESSES noun
  1. (usually plural) A sequence of winding turns.

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