You could'nt make it up !

Futher to thoughts along this theme. . .

I was nineteen years old in 1960. I was a Lance Jack in charge of the Battery Commander's OP party.

One dismal SLTA drizzly afternoon I was sitting in a hole in the ground with a National Service signaller when a tank suited apparition emerged from the bushes. It was our CO. In a voice like Montgomery before Alamein (we'll knock Gerry for six !) he demanded to know where our Battery Commander was. "On a Battalion Commander's conference Sir" I replied.

"Right, can't be be helped", he said, "2 o'clock, bushy topped tree, right two degrees tank". "Seen", I replied in, time honoured fashion.
"I want the Battery on it" he said. ( At this point it must be pointed out that a Battery consisted of four 5.5 in Medium guns, hurling a shell weighing 80 pounds)

"Battery Target" I said to the signaller (changing into Brown Trousers Order,) and in due course, came a rumble from over the horizon followed by a terrifying screech overhead as the rounds passed on their way to their target.

Having corrected the fire up to a "Target destroyed, Stand easy" I got a "Well done !" and the CO disappeared back into the bushes.

At this time in my career we were beset by orficers who had been in Korea.
I was nineteen and unprepared. Harm can come to a young lad like that !

2 o'clock. Should have told him the army use twentyfour hour clock and it was 1400. Pretty good though knowing what time an enemy tank was coming.

Could have been dark, Royal Artillery Commanding Officers can see in the dark, then it would have been 0200hrs. Royal Artillery Commanding Officers also know what time Tanks are coming!

Well if you must quibble about it, it might have been five past two. It was a long time ago.

Such nitpickers !

I could never understand how the OPs went through all that fictitious target rigmarole without laughing?

Talking about Exercises (loosely) does anyone remember the "Wibbly Wobbly Way" in Munsterlager Sud - or was that just a Gunner "thing"?

Shelldrake wrote:

I could never understand how the OPs went through all that fictitious target rigmarole without laughing?

You're right we used to have many a snigger at it all.

Thing is, all the OP party had to be proficient at that stuff. Historically, OP officers have a habit of getting bumped off, leaving pimply teenagers to call down fire.

The incident I mentioned earlier couldn't happen these days. The CO had me using Salvo Ranging, such ammunition expenditure ! That would be a whole days allocation today !

Shelldrake wrote:

Talking about Exercises (loosely) does anyone remember the "Wibbly Wobbly Way" in Munsterlager Sud - or was that just a Gunner "thing"?

Can't say it rings a bell with me but it does describe the way I walk with a skinfull.

Reminds me of how I talk with a skinful - I do not walk once skin is full I crawl!