3BAM was very busy on the Remembrance Day weekend. Both guns were deployed to separate locations on both the 10th and 11th. I deployed with CWO Aubé's group on both days, spending Saturday the 10th in Ste-Therese, then going out to the Field Of Honour in Pointe Claire on the 11th. Though I shot a fair number of photos on the 10th, my main mission, as far a I was concerned was to start shooting some video so that I could assemble a short film, as this was something Gilles had asked me about right from the beginning. I got just enough film of the guns firing to make a short that combined both the moving images I'd shot that weekend with others that I'd shot on all the events I'd participated in since September.
The folks in Ste-Therese were very hospitable. After the parade and services, we were invited to the legion hall
for drinks and dinner. The legion president, a well decorated former member of the R22eR and the Canadian Airborne Regiment is pictured here, while our honourary gunner for the occasion was another former Vandoo / paratrooper and veteran of the Korean War.Aside from 3BAM, other units parading in Ste-Therese included the local legion post, a detachment of 5RALC from Valcartier, the local air and sea cadets, the Navy League and detachments of the local police and fire departments. I rode in the back of the gun tractor during the parade itself. I'm not sure i this was because CWO Aubé thought this was where I'd get the best view (it wasn't) or because unlike the rest of his entourage who were were wearing the old Canadian combat uniform that day, I was of course dressed in civilian clothes complete with my trademark grey fedora and stood out like a sore thumb.
As I knew he would of course, Gilles tried to convince me again that day, this time while we were at dinner in the legion hall. Again I refused, but seeing his point, I countered by offering instead to wear an armband identifying me as the unit photographer, the only role I would agree to play at any rate. That kept him satisfied, for about a day at any rate, though to be fair, I'd been starting to notice that I had to resist the notion to salute rather than merely tipping my hat when meeting or being introduced to officers, or when the national anthem was being played, or some other occasion where everyone else was saluting.
The flip side of this is that today I'm a photographer and want others to see me as a photographer with a knowledge of artillery, not a gunner with a knowledge of photography. Whatever event I show up at, my job is to get the photo, not fire the gun or yell "fire!" Still the idea began to form in my head that I might agree to wear some sort of distinct uniform that would identify me as part of the 3BAM entourage but at the same time, make it clear that I'm the unit photographer. 
I digress. The next day, Sunday, the detachment I was assigned to cover was deployed to the Field Of Honour, a military cemetery in Pointe Claire. Aside from firing two shots as part of the ceremony, we were joined by another pro-photographer who's father had served in the artillery in WWII and who wanted to donate his well-preserved service dress tunic and helmet, complete with camouflage net, also well-preserved. These will now be kept and hopefully displayed in the artillery museum on Ste-Helen's Island. Despite the generally poor weather, a lot of people came to the ceremony. Elements of several local reserve units were paraded for the event and 3BAM fired two shots in salute. As always, the 25-pdr gun drew a lot of attention from the spectators, many of whom were prone to wander just a bit to close without ear protection, just prior to firing. Safety is always an issue at these events, but CWO Aubé has been doing this for a while and deployed everybody not strictly necessary to shoot the gun (or the video) at intervals around the perimeter to keep unwitting civilians from having their eardrums perforated. 
We hung around for a while after the ceremony was over, allowing spectators to come and ask questions and get a bit of a lesson in history. One who stood out among the others, was a young British army captain, in full service dress, accompanied by his wife and young infant in his pram. He was a charming and polite young officer, who asked a lot of questions and who frankly remarked that they had nothing like 3BAM back home in the UK. I found this kind of odd, given Britain's long and illustrious military history and tradition, and given the fact that a number of private citizens own surplus armoured vehicles in the UK, and was surprised that none of them might be firing blanks with old field guns. Still, it's nice to have a serving regular come and express his admiration.
Ubique!
Gary Menten
Photographer
