Under Construction
Annual Camp
New Zealand Farm Camp
14-28 July, 1986.
and
The King George Fifth Cup took place at Otterburn ranges, Northumberland.
26-28 July, 1986.
Nominal Roll Bty H.Q.
Battery Commander. Major R. G. McKenna R.A.
Battery Captain [B.K] Capt J. Smith R.A. [v]
Administive Officer Capt W. Cross R.A. [v] [late Lt Col QM]
WO11 [B.S.M.] D.J. Driscoll
Wo11 [T.S.M.] R. Lockyer
BQMS Peter Scattergood
Sgt Terry Cox [Signals]
Attached personal
Brigade Sgt Major Rodney Harville. Georgia National Guard
1st Sgt Charles Butch Watts. Oklahoma National Guard
Sgt 1st class Ben Clarke. Oklahoma National Guard
see U.S. National Guard Visits includes Photographs.
Battery Officers Nominal Roll
Lt. Michael A. P Webb. [v]
Lt. Eric Mellor R.A. [V]
Lt. Peter Randall R.A. [V]
Lt. Paul Caukwell R.A. [V]
Other Ranks Nominal Roll
Ivor Ealden
"Nobby" Clarke
Keith Neagle
Phil Manning
Peter and Colin Palling x 2 brothers
Bdr Harry Harris
*****
The Bty strength at camp was low due to regimental attachments later in the year, but this made for a good basic training routine for our American friends from the U.S. National Guard, to join in the training that was organized.
The Training centred around the King George the Fifth Cup, an artillery competition which was to be staged at Otterburn ranges, Northumberland on the last weekend of our camp. After a long day on the ranges I was informed that one of the Subalterns had some thing for me. it turned out to be a V.T. fuse, he had picked off the range "It will go nicely with the rest of your ammo collection" he said, on closer inspection I was not to sure that it was safe, so I had the young man walk to a near by field and placed it down carefully on the ground.
Capt W. Cross the A.O. arranged for a A.T.O. [Ammo Tech Officer] from S.T.P.A. to turn up to explode the device, on examining the fuze he confirmed to me that it was possibly still live, he then set a
The latter part of the first week some personnel were detached to act as safety for Bristol O.T.C. on Dartmoor ranges for their artillery competition, but the weather was so bad on Dartmoor that it was changed to Salisbury plain at the last minute. apart from a wrong Bty centre which was sorted, before the guns arrived on the position and a lesson in not trying to use the director with a Hexamine cooker in your top pocket, the competition went well.
The rest of the week went off very well
The battery left new Zealand Farm Camp for Otterburn ranges on the early Thursday evening, unfortunately we had to leave our American friends behind in the care of Captain Smith, as we drove out of the gate of the camp our three new found friends were at the gate standing smartly at attention and saluting as the guns passed them. We went to Otterburn via Bristol and picked up more members of the Bty.
We had to re-fuel our vehicles at motorway service stations, at the time they were giving away a small Brown pot complete with a cork stopper, as so many tokens were being given for a full tank of fuel, we took advantage of the offer and cleaned them out of the little brown pots. There was a rumour going around after camp that one unscrupulous soldier had collected all the pots he could and then gave them to his wife as a thank you present for letting him go to camp, smart or what.
The trip to Otterburn was long but we made good time and only one vehicle got lost but turned up later under his own steam. The competition was a little different from those we had took part in previously, more emphasis's was put on the actual deployment and tactical awareness of the guns, i.e. the use of camouflage nets and the speed in which we could put them up were much to the fore as never before. These competitions, were the start of our preparation to be not only proficient in our O.P. drills but also to be a recognized gun battery those members would in future equip themselves very well when called upon to support the regular forces.
The usual disciplines were also tested AFV recognition, NBC, medical and radio procedures, the gun's also had a anti tank/direct shoot to do, which in the competition Sgt Manning ? of the bty came a close second.
We did not win the competition but we all thought that it was a fix anyway, as winning gave a unit confidence and self belief, as I remember some of the marking decisions were to say a little dubious.
To be continued
Comments/ Observations
mailto:derekjd@blueyonder.co.uk