ONCE A GUNNER ALWAYS A GUNNER

I just lost a dear gunner buddy, none other than Maj. Alan James Campbell RAA retd. He died of lung complications yesterday in Townsville Australia. Alan and his lovely wife Claire lived with us in Seremban when Alan was on the AAATM exchange programme at Arty School Paroi in 84/85. He was instrumental in setting us forth in the discipline of Locating Arty, being a locater himself. He was here on a short visit in May this year and he walked memory lane, starting from what is left of Paroi.Gunners, somehow go beyond the boundaries of normal friendship, simply because we are gunners. "Farewell Alan, I learnt a lot from you, and still own some of your pamphlets on training,I pray that your soul rests in peace."

Hearing News Through the Grapevine

CCR did a great number on "I heard it through the grapevine".I recall whilst in service, we had fantastic 'grapevine". Firstly, as officers, we had our good ole reliable drivers. Then the batman. Then our wives through the Bakat Channel. I wonder if this still exists? As a BC ,I treated this as alternative media, to feel the pulse of my Battery as well as the Regiment as a whole. I found it as useful and no harm done. Malicious gossip is another thing altogether and must be nipped in the bud as a pooh-pooh. The reason I brought up this subject was, I just was out on a jog today and a soldier I bumped into asked me "Do you know sir, so and so passed away/so and so is not well?"This info never reached me through the normal "channels" so the grapevine seems to be a powerful tool of communication. I duly thanked the soldier for telling me about it and I also expressed some concern over our lack of communication. Surely, us Gunners can do better than this?