Great Names in the Royal Canadian Armour Corps

[TCBF]

Hey George, I signed for the mess again, and me and Jim Catterall and a few others are sitting here yackin.  How's Pet?  I will be there in 6 days to teach an O/C Crse.

 

[George Wallace]

Hey George, I signed for the mess again, and me ...........

You don't hear that very often anymore......signing for the mess and keeping it open.

Say Hi! to Jim for me.   I imagine Chris Seefried is kicking around there also.   I know Andy Wright is working in the Brit QM or something.   Pass on my regards to Chris Lawrence for me, also, before he disappears.   I am the Phantom RCD, so he will have to take on another moniker.

What has happened to Bruce Montrose, Bill Woodford, Howard Forsee, Magic Wand, and then a few others of the Petawawa Persuasion?

Weather has been sunny for the last week and a half, except for rain yesterday.   More rain in the forcast for the weekend, and the Reg't is praying for it.......a few rounds of 25 mm due to go down range Sat.   The Reg't is gearing up for a large deployment in Aug, with CO and RSM both on board.  

When you get into town, let Franko, 2Bravo or me know and we can have a small I&I at Kelsey's.   Recce41 is posted back later this summer.

 

[TCBF]

Bruce (On the Lake Geneva Shoreline) is RSS Edmonton.  Chris just got back from teaching an O/C Crse in Borden.  The Brits have pulled out of Wainwright, and Andy has found new employment.  Bill  was the other Tp WO with me in Kandahar, and he just did a stint as the Recce Sqn SQMS in Kabul.  Majic is retired, I think.  Howard, I am not sure.  Conversation still rocking here.

 

[George Wallace]

Just got a couple emails from the Hussars and the RSM passing on an email from Al Denny saying that the Annual Borden Black Hatter BBQ will be taking place at the CFB Borden Rod and Gun Club (same as last year) Friday 06 May 05 from 1200 hrs until ?  Capt Terry Shaw and MWO Kevin Lee are again doing the organization.  They will be collecting a small fee at the door to off set the costs and BBQ.

Talk about names from the past.

 

[army guy]

Mr Slainy was Base Chief at CFE Lahr in the early '80s.   You may be thinking of RSM Cady?

Ron Breckenreid was an RCD, as was Ron Brownridge, in the early and mid 80's.   Ron Reckenreid was a Strat before and after.   I was confusing both as Breckenridge.

GW

George
Rick Breckenridge was both strat and RCD I served with him in both Regt.
Zig

 

[George Wallace]

George
Rick Breckenridge was both strat and RCD I served with him in both Regt.
Zig

Ziggy

I was in Recce Sqn with him in Germany, and across the fence from him in Gagetown, me in C Sqn, him in TSS.

 

[laura39]

I'm trying to reach Andy Reid. Are you still online?

 

[Scott]

Laura, welcome to Army.ca

There is a section here for locating lost trails of people, it is here: http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php/board,8.0.html

I took the liberty of moving the topic you started there so that people will be able to view it in the proper board screen.

 

[ZipperHead]

Regarding the story about Gen Dangerfield, and his kindness leaving an impression. I oddly enough have a similar story regarding Gen Bell. I was a young Tpr assigned to pick up Gen Bell and his wife in a staff car at the Fredericton airport (I was C Sqn RCD at the time) for some Corps function or another. I was sweating bullets, as I had it impressed upon me the importance of a man such as the General.

When I picked him up, I snapped off what I'm sure is the finest and most nervous salute I have ever executed, opened his door, put his pennant on the vehicle,and drove at exactly the speed limit to base. Of course, that is 80 km/h, and the pennant almost flew off. Flustered, I had no clue as to whether I should slow down, stay the course, or lose the pennant. Gen Bell assumed command, suggested that I remove the flag until we get to base, and then replace it. Sensible enough.

Once on base, he directed me to take all the alcohol out of his suite (the Sqn was trying to brown-nose, and loaded his fridge) except for a 6-pack, or mickey, if memory serves, and distribute it to those who paid for it (the soldiers of the Sqn). He then had a picture taken of me with him and his wife, which is a tradition of theirs, I understand.

For such an important person as Gen Bell to put a young soldier at ease, and show that he is, after all, human above and beyond all the other descriptors, made me have that much more respect for him. Which was the polar opposite of some of the self-important jag-offs that I have "served" in similar roles, who can only wish they could be 1/100th the soldier that Gen Bell was.

That was an interesting trip down memory lane.....

I would say my top 2 NCO's would be Pete Wonderham, and Luc Rousseau. I don't think that I have met 2 people who cared half as much as they did about their soldiers. Rick Mercier (another man in my top 5) was another one that had a common character trait that Pete and Luc had: they let soldier's be soldier's, and if you screwed up, you paid. Not the whole Sqn, which is the way it seemed to go for such a long stretch (and still is to some degree, but better than it had been). Trust and mutual respect. That was when we had leader's, not "managers" and "supervisors". Any wonder that we have become like a corporation???

I'm sure that I'll think of a few more, but my collective memory doesn't go back as far as some of the old-timers here ( I remember when Donny Head and Bruse Montrose were only names I heard in the saga's of yore about the Rhein and the North Marg.... then I met them. Somewhat of a letdown to meet a "legend", to discover that they weren't 6ft8in, barrel-chested with a diamond in their tooth.....) No doubt some of my contemporaries and their exploits are talked about in such breathless tones as I heard about Bruce and Donny. I'm getting old.....

Al

 

[TCBF]

I just got back from Thunder Bay.  While I was there, Andy Reid came out to visit at the cabin at Trout Lake.  We had a good chat for about two hours. 

Tom

 

[Reccesoldier]

No, not Deputy Commanders of 3 Div.

Deputy Commanders of 2 Corps.   Which means that they are deputy commanders of a force much larger than our army!

Walts over in Iraq now, as deputy commander of 2 Corps.

Smilin' Walt is back from Iraq now and has been dragged to NDHQ by Gen Rick to impliment his vision in some capacity.

Had the opportunity to talk to him at Lillie celebrations on the weekend. Hasn't changed  ;D

 

[sabot41]

Greetings all, how could anyone not mention "Mr.Natural" Dean Jones when talking about Lahr in the early '80's. Another old soldier I have lost touch is Cyril Duke, went to the rock in the mid 90's and was never seen again??

 

[George Wallace]

Greetings all, how could anyone not mention "Mr.Natural" Dean Jones when talking about Lahr in the early '80's. Another old soldier I have lost touch is Cyril Duke, went to the rock in the mid 90's and was never seen again??

Just heard that "Jerrycan" Jones is down in Toronto Recruiting.

 

[time expired]

Surely you guys missed a couple, how about Gen. Fox,Gen.Meating.Took them both to the last
Canada Cup shoot in Grafenwhor in my 1st. retirment job as civilian driver at Lahr MSE,apair
of real gentlemen.CWO Slainey was Base chief at CFB Lahr from 80 to 83 I believe, another outstanding
soldier,he took his basic para crse. at the age of 46 the only snr. NCO in a serial of young PPCLI grunts
which speaks volumes about the man,I took mine at 36 so I an imagine what he went through.
    Definately a soldier that the Armoured Corp can be proud

 

[extanker]

Al, during that same visit by General Bell, I was voluntold to serve a mess dinner and had the great embarrassing pleasure of serving the Gen. his desert.....a nice orange sorbet...served inside a frozen hollowed out orange...an orange is round..and being frozen was also slippery..resulting in General Bell chasing it across the table and stabbing it with his fork!!!
He chuckled loudly, said something about working off his supper and asked for more port. He did have a way of putting one at ease.

 

[R Stacey]

TCBF showed me this site prior to heading off on a 10 week block french crse in Edmonton.  Thought I would drop in a few names of people whom I have a great deal of respect for and had the privilege to serve with over the years.  Tunner Martin, Winston Rutledge, Doug Harvey, Doug Seed, Lee Topp,Tom Falls, Sean Mercer, Ben Aubin(RIP), JJ Johansen(RIP), Sean Eggett(RIP), Jerry Olsen, Tom Hoppe, Fraser Rankin, Paul Jeahrling, Ashley Flemming, Col Corrigan, Gen Hillier,Gen Macdonald, Gen Meating, and the list goes on.  I have had the opportunity to read through this site over the last few hours and think it is an excellent way to keep in touch with people and stay current with events that affect us all.

Perseverance


R Stacey

 

[sabot60]

Just looking at some of the names...Rick Breckenridge was a strat at the time and my troop warrant in TSS Gagetown in 86, I was 1troop mcpl at the time with Sgt Rousseau.  Couple of other names I recall such as Tom Falls, who back in 1981 was a young mcpl and my TQ3 NCO as well.  Did my advanced gunnery crse with Lt. Tom Batty.  Fred Valley, for those who may recall the ex-hussar is retired and works downtown Toronto I still see him on the odd occasion in Union Station.

 

[Too Poor II]

Following this string is like talking a walk down memory lane…CWO Fred Alcock, CWO Doug Harvey CWO Lee Topp, CWO Ken Jacobs (He has to one of the best Sr NCO’s that I worked for a consummate professional through and through)

 

[FormerHorseGuard]

Captain Jack rothernburger was the g3 courses officer I think when i worked at LFCA HQ in the early 90s then retired and was the civilian running a test course for the army at george brown college in toronto.

How about SGT MAJOR  TOONER MARTIN, fav Sgt major I ever worked for and later after he retired from rcd went gghg RSm

 

[rmacqueen]

TCBF showed me this site prior to heading off on a 10 week block french crse in Edmonton.  Thought I would drop in a few names of people whom I have a great deal of respect for and had the privilege to serve with over the years.  Tunner Martin, Winston Rutledge, Doug Harvey, Doug Seed, Lee Topp,Tom Falls, Sean Mercer, Ben Aubin(RIP), JJ Johansen(RIP), Sean Eggett(RIP), Jerry Olsen, Tom Hoppe, Fraser Rankin, Paul Jeahrling, Ashley Flemming, Col Corrigan, Gen Hillier,Gen Macdonald, Gen Meating, and the list goes on.  I have had the opportunity to read through this site over the last few hours and think it is an excellent way to keep in touch with people and stay current with events that affect us all.

Perseverance


R Stacey

Hey, how you doing?
Too many RIP in that list that I wasn't aware of, good memories.  Any idea where Olsen is now, he was best man at my wedding but lost track of him after leaving the Regt.

I would add WO Douthewaite to the list.  He really knew his stuff and how to handle a troop.  Digging deep into the memory banks there was the OC of B Sqn 8CH 82/83 whose name I cannot remember (Maj Douglas maybe) but he was an outside the box thinker when it came to armoured tactics.