Of Commanding Officers

I had served 5 Commanding Officers. Lt Col Webb, RA, Lt Col Huchingson RA, ( I am still trying to recollect if this is the right name and I will correct it later) Lt Kol Tony Morel, Lt Kol Nagalingam Zain (Bob) and Lt Kol Harbans Singh. The first 4 COs in 2 ARTY in two separate postings and Lt Kol Harbans in 1 ARTY.

My first CO was Lt Col Webb RA, a World War 2 veteran with war wounds to boot. He was tall, slim and walked with a limp. A very stylish kind of walk, impaired by his wounds. If Col Webb wore a black eye patch, he would pass off as a buccaneer. I remembered him as a soft spoken man, a very experienced gunner and perfect gentleman. Unfortunately I had very little direct contact with him except for happy hours and mess nights. And he would be in the center of all the other Mat Salleh officers in the Regiment. I had more contact with my BC, Major John Lane, but was mostly brought up by my first BK, Kapt Mustapha Saad.

Over the first three years in 2 ARTY, I was away in the YO course Larkhill, followed by eight months tours in Sabah. Whilst the Regiment was in Sg Besi and Taiping I was more away on courses and ops. I had spent more time away from the Regiment. I was a 2Lt for two years and hardly 2 years as a Lt before I was posted to FMC on promotion to Kaptain. I never had the chance to be senior subaltern, a Regimental appointment I would like to hold. I was still on Sabatik Island, Sabah when the Regiment moved from Taiping to Kluang. I got my posting direct from Sabah to FMC and I do not recall being dined out from 2 ARTY.

After 2 years as the Gunner officer instructor in the FMC, I was posted back to 2 ARTY and had directly joined A Bty 2 ARTY in Kota Belud, Sabah. A Bty 2 ARTY was my former E Bty 2 ARTY and my BK Mustapha Saad was now BC. As fate would have it I had came back to 2 ARTY because I was not previously dined out.  I met my CO Lt Col Huchingson when my Bty returned to Kluang from Kota Belud.

Lt Col Huchingson was a big man, rough looking, friendly but officious most of the times. He had the biggest set of eyebrows ever. And he could twitched them effectively when angry. By early 1970s, we had less Mat Salleh officers in the Corp. Lt Col Huchingson was the last Mat Salleh CO with us.

I could never forget an incident with my CO. I was back to 2 ARTY as a Kaptain and was qualified to sit for my Kaptain to Major practical exam that year, which was held in Kluang. I was only a couple of months in the Regiment and my CO did not know me well. Over the same time we were preparing for the annual CIV inspection and the CO did not allow me to sit for the practical promotion exam because of the intense CIV preparations. He said that I could always take my exam the following year. CIV came first. I appealed to him to sit for the exam and he finally agreed, provided I would work hard in the preparation of the CIV.

He was really hard on me as I had told him that I would give him a good grading for the CIV inspection and also to pass my practical exam as the same time. The CO would come around and oversee our CIV preparation, inspecting the vehicles with his white handkerchief.

The day came for my practical Tactics Kaptain to Major exam. Tactics was the hardest paper to pass, both practical and written. Time was always the essence.

On the morning of the Tactics exam, we were on a hilltop and were given our scenario and requirement. We were to come back to present our solution to the invigilating DS. The requirement that year was for the attack phase.

Generally I did not have problems with tactical solutions, but time was always against us. We would use our ponchos as models and other aids to deliver our solution. Gunners had an advantage during our exam, we had the Fireplan Performa (AB 545) to show off. The AB 545 was our bread and butter.

I was ready to present my solution to my invigilator, Lt Kol Abu Samah RAMD. I came up to him and had the shock of my life. My CO was seated on his walking stick talking to the DS. He had come to listen to my attack plan.

 Presenting to the DS was tough enough, what with my CO in attendance? Big sweat right? I was already sweating during preparation time and could hardly finish my model poncho and AB545 in time.

Before the start of my presentation I gave a copy of the AB 545 to the DS and also one copy to my CO. And I went on to present my attack plan. I finished by reading the AB 545 to impress the DS.

As I confidently presented the AB 545 with objectives and target numbers ZTs and all. H minuses and H pluses timings to the objectives were emphasized. The DS was most impressed.

My CO did not say a single word throughout my presentation. I was watching his broad eyebrows twitching and raised in utter confusion. I had big sweat drops and goose pimples. Sure die lah.

The DS dismissed me, pleased and winked that I would pass.

As I left, the DS tent, the CO asked me to see him in his office the next morning. He did not give me a hint of why he had wanted to see me.

The next morning, I was in the CO’s office. He had my AB 545 for the attack plan on the table and he just looked at me, speechless.

He finally said “ Allen, I don’t understand your fireplan yesterday”

I replied “ Yes Sir, I also do not understand my fireplan, but the DS did”

“Why? ” He said, not amused.

“Sir, This exam is in theory. It is not a life battle. I had assigned my fire units to their targets. There were target numbers, H minus and H pluses timmings. That were all that matters and it meets the expectations of the infantry DS. They do not normally discuss the fireplan because they all think Gunners are OK with fireplans. I gambled that there would be no discussion on my fireplan and pulled it off”

The CO asked me “What happens if I interrupted and asked you to elaborate on your the fireplan?’

“Thank you that you did not, Sir. I would have failed the exam and sit again next year.”

I had to redo my fireplan and presented it to the CO later that day. He passed me.

All said and done, I had to really do a good job with the CIV inspection.

I had served well with all my COs. Best time was with Lt Kol Tony Morel, worst time was with Lt Kol Nagalingam Zain.

Kol Morel was a thoroughbred gentleman. Gentle, responsible, compassionate and soft spoken. He was a good CO and everybody missed him when he left the regiment under an unexpected  circumstance. He could not serve his Bde Commander, not then, not anymore.

Kol Zain’s leadeship style was best described a Mandor. He does not delegate nor trust his officers.  But he works very hard and was very strict. We had major differences when I was his 2 ic.

Kol Harbans gave me a free hand as his BCs for several Btys in the Regiment that I had commanded including HQ Bty, and also as his 2ic. This had given me a lot of confidence to run the Regiment.

The role of the Regiment 2ic is to prepare, train and administer the Regiment for the CO to command.

All told, I recalled every CO that I had served and had learnt from them. I later became a CO myself. I commanded 1 ARTY for six straight years.

Allen Lai