TTBR

Boom!

TTBR
Most people reading this probably don't need this explained, but if you didn't come up in the artillery, in our arm of the service, "Time To Be Ready" aka TTBR-- the time you must be ready to shoot-- is not negotiable. When your TTBR is 13.00 hrs, 13.01 is not acceptable. That's how it works. How you make it happen is your problem. Got it? Now I know that 3BAM is not a real military unit, but we're mostly old gunners and if if you know anyone more stuck-up and by-the-book about punctuality and precision than a guy who was twice RSM of a field artillery regiment (i.e. our Sunray), then I'd like to meet him. Seriously....TTBR is just as important to 3BAM as it is to anyone else who wears a gunner badge. We take it to heart. We can't but do otherwise. Once a gunner.....

Where was the Navy?

3BAM members scan the horizon, waiting for the navy.

But where was the Navy? We were deployed in the Old Port for the annual event to honour veterans of what I consider the WWII's most important battle; the Battle of the Atlantic, which if we had lost, everyone in Europe would be speaking either German or Russian by now (I haven't decided which but that's another matter.) Let's not digress too much. We were there over an hour early with plenty of time to rehearse drills, greet passersby and tourists and explain what was going on, pose for pictures, have lunch...but when the appointed hour came and we stood too our posts, ready to shoot....nothing. Not a sailor in sight. People had gathered around, waiting to watch us shoot...but nothing. Things were very behind schedule with the bateau-mouche on which the ceremony was being held.  They were more than an hour late and by the time the finally showed up, a good many people that had stuck around to watch us shoot had given up and moved on.

Making the Best of the Situation.

A young lady originally from Russia happily poses while wearing one of my hats.

This was the second mission in a row in which 3BAM was ready long before we were called to shoot. In a sense, not a good thing, but in this case, it was sort of a blessing in disguise. The delay gave us more time to mingle with and explain the 25-pdr gun, 3BAM, the Royal Canadian Artillery, and why we old farts in 3BAM who could be spending our Saturday afternoon having a barbecue instead of doing this are doing this instead of having a barbecue. It was the perfect moment to pose for photos, pass out our card and answer a myriad of questions from curious onlookers. As they guy who mostly manages 3BAM's publicity, I couldn't ask for a better screw up, and I have to say that all the other members took the opportunity to heart, happily posing for photos with spectators, answering their questions and doing what we do best; promoting the Royal Canadian Artillery. Ubique!

I am right now wondering how many of the many people I had pose wearing the spare hat I brought along for the purpose have already posted their photos to their Facebook pages or to Instagram. A lot I hope, and I hope that at least a few are checking out out blog to find out what we are all about. I made a special effort myself to speak at length a lovely group of very interested American tourists; after all, it isn't just our branch of the service we want to promote, but our city and our country. When people vist here from anywhere in the world, I would like for them to leave saying "Wow! Montreal was awesome!"

All's Well That Ends Well
Did I mention that the boat finally showed up and we fired the salute, much to the enjoyment of the many spectators who had gathered? So mission accomplished and in the end, I was grateful for the extended opportunity to mix it up with all the curious people in the Old Port who had so many questions about us and what we were doing. I can't think of a better way to bring attention to Canadian veterans or promote the regiment than what we had the opportunity to do today.

Another two missions tomorrow.



Ubique!


Gary Menten
3BAM Photographer and,
Once-a sergeant, long ago.

The Well-Dressed Gunner

All 3BAM members are required to (eventually) acquire a 1943 era reproduction uniform as worn by the 1st Canadian Division in Sicily and Italy in 1943. Members may however wear any service decorations or insignia they earned while in military service.

Required Uniform.
The 1943 uniform below  is the ONLY one that members are REQUIRED to obtain.  
1943 dress.
Complete uniform costs approx. $300

MWO (WO class II) and below

Khaki beret   
(WPG cat #204505000) C/W brass king’s crown badge (ebay, surplus etc.) 

Aertex desert shirt 
(WPG cat #201214000)

Khaki drill (KD) desert shorts 
(WPG Cat #20126500)

KD long trousers 
(WPG cat #20132500)

Web belt 
(WPG cat #204738000)

Regimental belt plate**

Khaki socks 
(WPG cat #203091000)

Puttees 
(WPG cat #204477000)

Black ammunition boots 
(WPG cat #201501000)
modern parade boots acceptable (army surplus)

Rank and divisional badge will be worn on an armlet on the right arm. 
(We usually provide an armlet or brassard and appropriate rank and unit badges) 
 

The Phases Of War

Ask any francophone soldier in the Canadian military what the four phases of war are, and if he's been around long enough his answer will be as follows.

Ordres
Contre-ordres
Désordre 
'pis on recommence

MWO (Ret) Tom Savoie tells a story as we wait.

Denis Dumas has a chuckle while waiting in the garage.

Anglophones might say something similar, but it sounds better in French. The ancient Romans probably said much the same thing.

Ordines
Contra ordines,
Inordinatio
Repetitur provincia

Like I said, it works better in French.  The army never really changes and this simple little set of rules very neatly summed up 3BAM's evening on May 3rd when we set up a 25-pdr beside the CDN Armoury at 18:30 hrs to allow guests at the Candlelight Dinner organized by the RCH to fire it at 19:00, only to be told that as it was raining (just a bit) we would be shooting out back, just outside the garage door, and no sooner were we set up there than we were told that the shooting would be done much later that night...between 21:00-21:30 hrs. In the event, we didn't start shooting until 22:00hrs, which must have really annoyed the neighbors. I damned-well know that if my next door neighbor were firing artillery in his driveway at 10:00PM, I'd call the police to complain. That might be why I counted two police cars in the armoury parking lot as Will Gallant and I left the building to go home once everything was over. On the other hand, maybe they were just looking for a stray cat, right?

Marc Castonguay and Gilles Pelletier exchange stories.

But basically, someone upstairs, and methinks that someone was wearing a blue uniform and cavalry epaulettes forgot that the guys sitting in the garage for two-and-a-half hours were unpaid volunteers who could have packed up and gone home at any time. We didn't of course; we wouldn't let down our affiliated regiment or CO that way, I have to admit that it isn't as though the thought didn't cross my mind. Then you see, I only showed up at around 17.30 to begin with. Many of the others had been at the armoury since ten in the morning because the cadet corps we directly support was having its annual ceremonial that day.

Poster-boy Marc Castonguay

As we were sitting around in the garage shooting the breeze, a message was relayed to me that my presence was being requested in the mess, presumably to shoot photos. It sounded suspiciously like an order actually, except that since I was here as part of 3BAM and not in the pay of anyone in particular that night, and that most of 3BAMwas sitting in the garage, largely being ignored, I stayed with 3BAM and shot the photos you are seeing here and a couple more for eventual use on the uniforms section of our website. Time is only as good as what you make of it. Marc Castonguay was good enough to pose for these and he makes a good poster boy.

Sgt (Ret) Marc Castonguay: The army never changes; only the names and faces.

All being this being said, I'm sure we all had a good time, and the moment of truth, what makes it all worthwhile, is when the gun gets fired. This I know from the reactions of the spectators and the lucky few guests who got to fire, was a big success. After the shooting was completed, Lcol Garon, the CO of the 2nd Field Regiment, as per his custom, came over to shake hands with and personally thank every 3BAM member present, which of course is a very appreciated gesture, especially given how long we had to sit around and wait for our moment. I'm sure if this event had been run by the 2nd Field, we would have shot at 19:30hrs and been on our way home at 20:15.

I digress, but the gist of the story is that while things didn't quite go according to our expectations, 3BAM did its job as always and came through. The loudest grumblings I heard that night were my own. And in the end, I got the opportunity to shoot some interesting photos of the gang: photos I would have had the chance to shoot if we had fired earlier and simply gone home.


Ubique!

Gary Menten
Photographer and,
Grumbler-in-Chief, 3BAM