"Unlikely Diplomats"a new book on the 27 Cdn Inf Bde BAOR,

A heads up to former members of the 27CIB, BAOR historians, Steve and Peter, et al
    This very recently released book, Oct 2013, is entitled "Unlikely Diplomats:The Canadian Brigade in Germany, 1951-64.  It is written by Isabel Campbell, PhD, Laval Universite, Canada.  Isabel is a military historian with the  Directorate of History  and Heritage, National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa. The book is available from Amazon.ca for $89.29 Cdn.  Orders from the UK may also be made  through eurospan@turpin_distribution.com.  But hold it, why not wait until the book becomes available shortly through free interlibrary loan.  
     I was greatly surprised when one of the pictures which I had posted to the BAOR forum was selected with my permission for the hard cover book jacket shown below.


The three pictures taken in Jul 1952 were posted to the BAOR forum on  16/11/2011 under the title :Installment No.17 Company Exercise in the Teutoburger Wald. The TW is a large heavily forested area where the Germanic tribes defeated three Roman Legions under the Roman Commander Varus appointed by the Emperor Augustus Caesar in 9AD.
Picture 1

L to R
2/LT Bob Ritter,  Royal Hamilton Light Infantry
Officer unknown from Support Company QOR
2/LT  Andre Desjardins, RHLI
Picture 2

 No.2 Pl, B com, RHLI, 1st Canadian Rifle  Battalion 27CIB, BAOR
 2/Lt Ritter with Sgt Cox and a great group of guys
Picture was taken at the base of the Hermandenkmal, a famous monument in the TW near Detmold, West Germany in Jul 1952
Picture 3

Ritter & pal Desjardins at the outdoorhospitality site
The graphic artist for the book wanted to use this shot but got overruled because of  a lack of propriety. LOL
      An overview of this book indicates that military researchers and historians are monitoring and mining the posts on the BAOR forum because it is a gold mine of relevant information.
     ritter

Bob

Thank you for the tip. Fame atlast

Is there any explanation why the Book stops in 1964 when the Canadian Brigade stayed in the Soest area till the early 70s? Fortunately we have Stephen Locke's (and others) personal memories to cover this later period.

Officers drinking, never seen the like!!! If the Intelligentsia are using this site to garner information, Brum and Gordon need to be a little more circumspect.  

Officers drinking ale, the shock, the horror LOL

I've just looked on amazon to see if they've got the book, yes they have but at £67-I think I'll wait for the ebook !
The picture, top left on the cover, reminds me of how the DJs on CFN used to pronounce the names of the towns in their area. Wickede, for example, managed to become "Wickerdee" !

Shelldrake wrote:

Brum and Gordon need to be a little more circumspect.   

Why do I need to be circumspect ? I'm not Jewish !  

Eric

The original lager louts perhaps?

Eric England wrote:

Officers drinking ale, the shock, the horror LOL

Deviating a lot, but maybe it'll bring a laugh...... We had a col. who despised strong ale....... used to say "You're either an officer, or you drink beer ! Can't have it both ways !" Then it came to pass that outstations were ordered to take post at a regt cocktail thingy 40 miles away.

The effect of driving after a surfeit of fizzy French stuff was unknown, but the ability to absorb best bitter was well researched and documented. Accordingly, a waiter was tipped the wink, he had a topping up bottle filled with ale which would stay out of sight in silver goblets. It would have been more helpful if an intelligent squaddy had been selected for the task. He came across whilst the CO's wife was in deep conversation with the outstation group, ignored the kick on his ankle & respectfully tipped the contents of his bottle into the goblets. CO's wife insisted she wasn't to be left out, even at this stage she wasn't squiffy enough for it to go unnoticed. Neither did her surprised squeals. To say the CO was dis-chuffed would have been understating it.

Back to Canadian capers.........

brum wrote:

Shelldrake wrote:

Brum and Gordon need to be a little more circumspect.   

Why do I need to be circumspect ? I'm not Jewish !   

Prove it! 

I only came across the Canucks twice in my short time in Germany. Firstly, & not personal, we had a DR captured by the opposition on Ex. Battle Royal, a big, big end of trg, season thing in '54. We didn't see him for a week after hostilities ceased, he'd been lodged in a POW camp under Canadian control. They played it for real, pinched most of his kit, fed him on swill ( What's new ?) He thought the guards weren't happy at being warders when the rest were out in the sticks enjoying soggy slit trenches.

Second time, I was overnighting in the Union Jack Club, on the way to a course in UK. I palled up with a lone Canadian, an airborne lad with Princess Pat's Canadian LI. With just £ !. 40 a week pay, I had to be careful, but my new mate was on leave for seven days, he'd a bank roll of around £600 and insisted on paying for nearly everything. Don't remember too much about how we finished up, but I do recall picking up a couple of likely lasses in the Nuffield Centre....... It must have been one of the best nights in khaki.

This was very popular in the Eighties.

[quote="Shelldrake"]




It has always been popular and still is. Burp

Shelldrake wrote:

brum wrote:

Shelldrake wrote:

Brum and Gordon need to be a little more circumspect.   

Why do I need to be circumspect ? I'm not Jewish !   

Prove it! 

Oy vey ! 

I used to drink in the only Jewish run Gasthaus in Lippstadt, it was called "The Bar Mitzvah".  

JPW wrote:

Bob

Thank you for the tip. Fame atlast

Is there any explanation why the Book stops in 1964 when the Canadian Brigade stayed in the Soest area till the early 70s? Fortunately we have Stephen Locke's (and others) personal memories to cover this later period.

Because 1964 was the year I had my first posting to 4 CIBG. After that it was all down hill. I accept the responsibility for that. Also Apfel Korn was my first drink on my first night in Germany, probably had something to do with the down hill spirial of the Bde.

27CIB BAOR
Peter, I don't know why Isabel Campbell aborted her book, "Unlikely Diplomats" in 1964 .  Perhaps it was because the additional surprising diplomatic  phase of the mission for the 27th with the Hannoverians (1951-53) had expired.  So far I have not read any reviews of the book.  I plan to go to my library branch on Tuesday to put my name in for an interlibrary loan of the book.
BTW, what is Stephen Locke's pseudonym in the forum?  Was he with the 27th?
 Bob

Stephen doesn't use a pseudonym ... just uses Stephen Locke ... he wasn't in the Service but his father was, I believe in the 27th .. he is possibly keeping a listening watch.

Len (Ciphers)

Hi Bob, I thought I recognised the base of 'Herman' The lads from 4 ADOC (4th Armoured Division Ordnance Company) used to run from Elles Barracks to 'Herman' and back for PT.

Len

You are correct, Stephen's father was stationed in the CIBG area n the mid 60s. Stephen remained in Germany and worked on the local economy for a time where he developed a network of former Canadian soldiers who helped him with his contributions to this site. Eventually he moved back to Canada and is now living in the Winnipeg area I believe.

27CIB BAOR
Len & Peter,
                Thanks very much for your information  on Stephen and his father's service in the CIBG in the mid 60's.  Also a very smart picture of yourself, Len.
               The best to both of you.
               Bob

This years Remembrance ceremony in Mt Lehman, BC.

Len (Ciphers)

[quote="JPW"]Len

You are correct, Stephen's father was stationed in the CIBG area n the mid 60s. Stephen remained in Germany and worked on the local economy for a time where he developed a network of former Canadian soldiers who helped him with his contributions to this site. Eventually he moved back to Canada and is now living in the Winnipeg area I believe.[/quote

Stephen lives in Calgary. Might be mixing my location for his. I believe his dad was in charge of the rear party that closed down the old 4 CIBG area in Soest.

Hardrations

My apologies for confusing two proud Prairie Province Cities.