GUNNER GOSSIP
This anonymous newsletter appeared on the Armoury floor after the Yakima Exercise in March.
Date/Time - 23Mar892400
4...4....This is 0....send SITREP....over
4...SITREP...Have just returned from the YAK...All pers accounted for...All ammunition accounted for...All vehicles...well...that's another story...Just what is a torsion bar and why are they such a pain in the ass.
Anyways, as I was saying...Good exercise...Got off to a shaky start...Sgt Jackson tried to drive to Yak on water instead of diesel...I guess Recovery wasn't too impressed about Militia Maintenance schedules not allowing our drivers to carry spare filters...but she made it down eventually...Almost left Gnrs Murray and Gonsalez at the border...how do you get lost when you're the middle vehicle in a packet??...and how is it that Lt Mathews never did find you until you got to Yak?...Good thing the BSM and BK saw you at the border...Understand those ILTIS headlights are almost as good as MLVW torsion bars...
I hear tell the BK Capt Jensen had a talking to by the Camp Cdr in regard to the apres convoy beer party held in WO Stockhorst's room...Seems he knew it was the Gunners but didn't know which Battery until the BC 5 Tribe pointed the finger at the guilty party during the Camp O'Group...speaking of the party the room decoration was apparently somewhat unorthodox for the time and place..maybe Hamburg 1940 might have been more appropriate..eh..Warrant..
Well anyway, we're at the Yak all set to go...no...hang on...we seem to have MLVW problems already...Sgt Laing empty your POL truck, you're on ammo now, put it in that truck...ok great now that that's done let's move it again so 5 Tribe can borrow the truck...Ah well they'll take care of it...They wouldn't just unload it on the ground so everyone can just help themselves, would they???...
Okay, we're off...anybody see Recce...Lt Wickens knows he's in the right spot...they've got to be around here somewhere...oh Hell...Don't know where they are but the Guns are deploying here and the BK can go look for them...
Oh what's that black dot on the horizon 3,000 meters away...could be Recce...Hi 2Lt Watts...nice weather we're having today...You seem to have a nice position prepared here...where do you think you are???...Oh, nice try but you know that there are 2 landing strips around here...and yes, you've got the wrong one...yes, those are the Guns over there nicely deployed...
Oh well, Recce and the Guns are together again at last...the Guns are all deployed and the Battery is Ready...But where's MWO Jacobson and the Ammo...they should be coming out of the West at any moment...Off goes the BK on another search...He goes West just as the Ammo arrives from the East...seems the BSM had some delay at the supply point...and had to detour slightly...just a detour, mind you...
Speaking of detours...did everyone see the one that the BK tried to take on Friday night...With his wheel hanging over the cliff it seemed necessary to get an MLVW to pull him back from the edge...too bad 4 or 5 Senior NCOs and Officers came with the truck to assist...good thing there was no film in the camera, eh BK??...I guess this is a good example of why Officers usually don't drive...Notice how the BK took the RSM with him on his next drive...
Hey...like that Gun Position at night...looked like some ghetto shanty town...what about those nice new MLVW conversion kits with the heaters and the hot water...who's idea was it anyway to sleep on the ground???...and who were all those people that forgot their shelter halfs...
More fun with vehicles...was that Bdr Campbell who rolled the CP trailer...and were we really on a trek to the high country while we were looking for FP 0337???
Let's try this again...all our MLVWs are grounded???...until tomorrow morning's inspection???...Oh well, so much for the Night Occ...might as well get some supper in camp and have a few litres of beer...oh speaking of supper, let's set it up in camp...No, MBdr Healey take it out to the field...No, take it back to camp...
Ah...safe at last...on the road home again and enough MLVWs to take our Guns with us...nothing can go wrong now...Oh, look now its 5/4 Tons that won't start and Lt Mathew's packet has lost him...
4...Out
Date/Time - 23Mar892400
4...4....This is 0....send SITREP....over
4...SITREP...Have just returned from the YAK...All pers accounted for...All ammunition accounted for...All vehicles...well...that's another story...Just what is a torsion bar and why are they such a pain in the ass.
Anyways, as I was saying...Good exercise...Got off to a shaky start...Sgt Jackson tried to drive to Yak on water instead of diesel...I guess Recovery wasn't too impressed about Militia Maintenance schedules not allowing our drivers to carry spare filters...but she made it down eventually...Almost left Gnrs Murray and Gonsalez at the border...how do you get lost when you're the middle vehicle in a packet??...and how is it that Lt Mathews never did find you until you got to Yak?...Good thing the BSM and BK saw you at the border...Understand those ILTIS headlights are almost as good as MLVW torsion bars...
I hear tell the BK Capt Jensen had a talking to by the Camp Cdr in regard to the apres convoy beer party held in WO Stockhorst's room...Seems he knew it was the Gunners but didn't know which Battery until the BC 5 Tribe pointed the finger at the guilty party during the Camp O'Group...speaking of the party the room decoration was apparently somewhat unorthodox for the time and place..maybe Hamburg 1940 might have been more appropriate..eh..Warrant..
Well anyway, we're at the Yak all set to go...no...hang on...we seem to have MLVW problems already...Sgt Laing empty your POL truck, you're on ammo now, put it in that truck...ok great now that that's done let's move it again so 5 Tribe can borrow the truck...Ah well they'll take care of it...They wouldn't just unload it on the ground so everyone can just help themselves, would they???...
Okay, we're off...anybody see Recce...Lt Wickens knows he's in the right spot...they've got to be around here somewhere...oh Hell...Don't know where they are but the Guns are deploying here and the BK can go look for them...
Oh what's that black dot on the horizon 3,000 meters away...could be Recce...Hi 2Lt Watts...nice weather we're having today...You seem to have a nice position prepared here...where do you think you are???...Oh, nice try but you know that there are 2 landing strips around here...and yes, you've got the wrong one...yes, those are the Guns over there nicely deployed...
Oh well, Recce and the Guns are together again at last...the Guns are all deployed and the Battery is Ready...But where's MWO Jacobson and the Ammo...they should be coming out of the West at any moment...Off goes the BK on another search...He goes West just as the Ammo arrives from the East...seems the BSM had some delay at the supply point...and had to detour slightly...just a detour, mind you...
Speaking of detours...did everyone see the one that the BK tried to take on Friday night...With his wheel hanging over the cliff it seemed necessary to get an MLVW to pull him back from the edge...too bad 4 or 5 Senior NCOs and Officers came with the truck to assist...good thing there was no film in the camera, eh BK??...I guess this is a good example of why Officers usually don't drive...Notice how the BK took the RSM with him on his next drive...
Hey...like that Gun Position at night...looked like some ghetto shanty town...what about those nice new MLVW conversion kits with the heaters and the hot water...who's idea was it anyway to sleep on the ground???...and who were all those people that forgot their shelter halfs...
More fun with vehicles...was that Bdr Campbell who rolled the CP trailer...and were we really on a trek to the high country while we were looking for FP 0337???
Let's try this again...all our MLVWs are grounded???...until tomorrow morning's inspection???...Oh well, so much for the Night Occ...might as well get some supper in camp and have a few litres of beer...oh speaking of supper, let's set it up in camp...No, MBdr Healey take it out to the field...No, take it back to camp...
Ah...safe at last...on the road home again and enough MLVWs to take our Guns with us...nothing can go wrong now...Oh, look now its 5/4 Tons that won't start and Lt Mathew's packet has lost him...
4...Out