EX COUGAR SALVO 2012 SLIDESHOW

This video is of the biggest exercise done recently by the 39th brigade, which is made up of all of the Reserve units in British Columbia. the artillery guns are C3's which I used to command one when I was in the 15th FD Regiment  RCA. The exercise took place in Idaho and the Canadians were working with US National Guard.

There are times when I miss this stuff, but with a busy job, 2 young kids and a couple of hobbies. I know I don't have the time to devote to it. so of the guys I trained are now the Warrant Officers and Sergeants. they bugged me to come back, but I suspect it's so they extract their revenge on me because I would have to restart as a gunner. I can see it now; "Gunner! remember how you made me run with my rifle over my head 50 times around the parade square? Get you butt moving and get that rifle up high!!!!" 

I think I will just stick to have a beer with them and recall the good old days!

21 gun Salute

Took the family to Remembrance day, we watched the 15th Field Regiment RCA fire a 21 gun salute from their 105mm C3 Howitzers, I managed to get this very good shot of the #3 gun firing. You will note that the crew is kneeling, unless you are wearing a knee pad under your uniform it sucks. Kneeling as such is a holdover from the WWI days when horse drawn artillery was expected to go into the Direct Fire mode against infantry and kneeling kept you behind the gunshield.

Afterwards we went back to the Armouries and had lunch at the Sergeants Mess. It was great to see the guys again as I served with the Regiment from 1977 to 1987. My kids had a great time there and enjoyed the food and playing in the WWII vintage Field Artillery Tractor (FAT) that they have restored and pulling a 25pdr field gun and Limber.

Iman at the wheel of the FAT




The guns must be cleaned before the men can have lunch