Photos of 1 RCHA at Sennelager 1970

[exspy]

Al Ditter (RCR by way of The Canadian Guards and 3 Mech Cdo) has allowed me to share some of his photographs from the 4 CMBG parade held at Sennelager on June 28, 1970.  It was the same parade that saw the formation of 3 Mech Cdo.  I've taken the artillery photos and posted them separately below.  At this time 1 RCHA was commanded by Lt Col Mike Calnan.  Calnan was the gunner who saved the Canadian artillery in Germany being reduced from 24 self-propelled guns to 12.  He worked to get the powers-that-be to agree to a compromise 18 gun regiment, with a fly-over capability to 24 guns in wartime.  An unsung cold-war hero.

The guns are the original short-barreled version of the M-109 SP 155mm, and had only been in Canadian service for 2 years at the time of the photographs.  They probably still had that new-car smell.  The second photo shows 2 M-577A1's and 2 M-113A1's with antennae.  I don't know if the antennae were for communications or counter-mortar work.  Also note that the SP guns were equipped with .50 cal HMGs while the APCs in the first photo are shown still equipped with GPMGs.

Cheers,
Dan.

 

[Old Sweat]

Mike Calnan lives in the same area as I do. We have discussed his initiative, which did not have the support of the artillery hierarchy at the time, on a number of occasions. In my opinion, the senior gunners were in denial, and were tied to the Second World War gun end organization as the answer to the army's needs. Thus, in their minds, it was preferable to have two BCs and four FOOs per brigade with 12 guns in a two battery regiment, instead of fielding the additional BC/FOO combination as well as six more guns that a three battery regiment provided.

The deeply held belief that Calnan was a heretic was not shared by many of the intermediate officers - Captain and Majors, including a large number of the Instructors-in-Gunnery and/or Staff College graduates - who noticed that the trees made up a forest.

Mike was able to pull it off because he sold it to the Comd 4 CMBG, who in turn convinced the Comd FMC that it was the way to go. Incidentally, much of the detailed staff work was done by the RCPO of 1 RCHA, Captain Ernie Beno, who is the current Colonel Commandant of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery.

 

[exspy]

Brian,

Since you mentioned Ernie Beno, I thought I would add this photo to the thread.  As you well know, Phase 1 OCP was a common-to-all training phase for officer cadets, so where one took phase 1 training could have had nothing to do with where one was headed for corps training in phases 2 and 3.  Ernie took his Phase 1 course at the RCASC School in Borden, as this photograph shows.  He is the first person in the third row.  I got the photo from Alex Intenson, who was on his way to a commission in the RCR, and is the last person in the fourth row.  All of the candidates are wearing the General Service cap badge with crossed swords and 3 maple leaves.

No 14 OCP Phase 1, The Royal Canadian Army Service Corps School,
Officer Training Company, Camp Borden Ontario, 23 Sep 63 - 13 Dec 63 ​

Cheers,
Dan.

 

[Old Sweat]

Dan

Thanks. That year the army tried running a separate Phase 1 for serving soldiers. I am not sure of the reason, or if or for how long the practice continued. The rationale apparently was that officer cadets straight from civilian life were not getting a fair assessment alongside ex-serving soldiers, who had a head start in things like dress and deportment, weapons handling, minor tactics and field craft and the rest.

My experience was that we ex-serving soldiers were expected to help the others along and were assessed with a more critical eye. Anyway at the end of the day, there was one standard for commissioning.

 

[Rifleman62]

Dan, in your first post you state GPMG. I forget when the GPMG was first used by the Reg F. With 2PPCLI , Germany, Nov 68, it was still the .30 Browning.

Have these photos been posted here:
Canadian Ruhr Memories 1953 - 1971
Dedicated to the members of the Canadian Forces, dependants and teachers who lived, worked and played in the Ruhr

Valleyhttp://www.ruhrmemories.ca/

I got photos to scan and submitt also.

 

[exspy]

Brian R,

Thanks for the info on Ernie Beno's OCP Phase 1 class.  The person who provided the picture, Alex Itenson, was in fact a serving soldier from the PPCLI and was on the course with two other Patricias.  Are you saying that EB was an OR as well?

Brian B,

You're right (as usual).  I used the term GPMG out of laziness, and perhaps should have gone with MMG.  I a) did not know if the .30 cal MMG had been re-barreled to 7.62 mm by 1970 and b) was too lazy to look it up.

After checking an old issue of the 'Infantry Journal' I found that by 1970 the .30 cal MMG had been re-barreled to 7.62 mm and redesignated the GPMG C1.  I never meant to infer that the current GPMG was the weapon in question.

As for 'Ruhr Memories,' I will gladly suggest to Al that he consider that forum as well.  Glad you liked the pictures.  There are many more, some of which I will post here on the military history thread.  Stay tuned.

Cheers,
Dan.

 

[Old Sweat]

Dan

Yes, Ernie had been a gunner in 2 RCHA and would have been on OCP a year earlier but for a broken leg.

 

[Rifleman62]

Dan,

I too was in a rush this am (church), and did not look up. I meant that the picture may have been the MMG vice the GPMG C1 which was being issued around that time. I did not mean the current GPMG. Point was to keep the facts correct to prevent "revisionest history".

I had at one time, the little blue CAMT on the "Interim" Browning Machine Gun, 1942, butt stock and all. In the intro, it spoke about the MMG being a interim weapon. Compare the MMG pam with the GPMG C1 pam, and there was lots more in it even w/o translation.

 

[Spr.Earl]

Thank's for the photo's,I think we should still have a mobile plat form equal to the old 155.

 

[AVI]

Brian R,

Thanks for the info on Ernie Beno's OCP Phase 1 class.  The person who provided the picture, Alex Itenson, was in fact a serving soldier from the PPCLI and was on the course with two other Patricias.  Are you saying that EB was an OR as well?


Cheers,
Dan.

Dan,
There were actually THREE other Patricias besides myself on that course, John Bremner, Nick Pope, and a guy whose first name may have been Todd.  He quit and took the option of going back into civilian life rather than return to the Patricias at his former  rank, one of two options available to former serving soldiers who either quit or didn't make the grade on OCP.
Alex

 

[exspy]

Alex,

Welcome to army.ca old friend.  Glad to see you aboard.

Cheers,
Dan.

 

[Old Naval Guard]

Nice to see Old school Army, so to speak. It would be nice to see the Sam browne belt back agian for service dress. Ah well for that as well as Khaki. It just looks more Military. :warstory:. Nice pics Thanks for helping to persrve Canadain Military history Cheers Old Naval Guard

 

[Edward Campbell]

Nice to see Old school Army, so to speak. It would be nice to see the Sam browne belt back agian for service dress. Ah well for that as well as Khaki. It just looks more Military. :warstory:. Nice pics Thanks for helping to persrve Canadain Military history Cheers Old Naval Guard

Neither I nor, especially, my batman mourned the passing of the Sam Browne belt.