266 (GVA) O.P. Bty R.A. (V)
1971

In 1971, 266 (Gloucestershire Volunteer Artillery) Observation Post Battery was formed as an independent Observation Post unit as a reinforcement unit for the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) supplying observation post teams. The battery had a four gun troop of 25pdr field guns. In time of war the battery would provide 18 Observation Post Parties to regular army units

266 [GVA] Observation Post Bty R.A. (V) was formed on the 1st April 1971. Commanded by Major Colin S. Harvey T.D., Battery Captain (B.K.) Captain Norman Webber T.D., with four regular soldiers, Captain Keith Dann R.A. as training officer, WO11 R. Bryant acted as Administration officer, BQMS B. Durance and Sergeant Roy Tanner was the signals instructor, and a civilian establishment of five, Chief Clerk Mr. Fred Hawkins, typist, mechanic Mr. Ray Ducamp, Limber gunner and a driver were also on the establishment, the Battery office and stores were situated in the main drill hall, it was some time later, that the battery moved into it's own accommodation in the original 1860's gunner building.

Around 1973, the MOD gave us a half Battery of 3 Q.F. 25pdr Field guns and increased the establishment of Observation Parties to 22.

New Zealand Farm Camp

The battery's first camp was at New Zealand Farm, Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire. 49 serving Regular and T.A. soldiers attended.

226 GVA Bty, 1971, New Zealand Farm Camp
(Click for larger image)

Back row: Fred. Flook, 1......., 2......., Chris Grimes, Ray Colman, 4......, Mr. R. Desborough (civilian limber Gunner)

3rd Row: Mr. Ray Ducamp, (Civilian fitter), Sgt Brain Durance, ? Dewland, A. Brighton, Pat Corrick, Derek Driscoll, 5........., Dave Barber, Alan Holden, L/Bdr W. Satchel, L/Bdr John Garland.

2nd row: WO11 Bob Bryant PSI,. Dave Butler, L/Bdr A. Blackwell, Andy Stevens, Ivor Hymen-Heyburn, 7......., M. Wandless, ? Weeks, Bdr Ken Eagle B.E.M., 8....., Bdr Mike Hambly, Bdr Brooks, Bdr Bowell, 9 .... ,10......, Dennis Righton, L/Bdr A. Hanna, Roy Tanner PSI. 10.......

Front row: Civilian Sec, Miss Eileen Dinham. Lt. Nick Orr, Capt. David Raeburn, Lt. Ivor Johns, Capt. Jeffery Smith, Capt. Norman Webber, Major. Colin S. Harvey, Major. Keith Dann, Capt. Chris Hill, Capt. Neil Campbell, Capt. John Muse, Lt. Chris Bradford, 2nd Lt. Pat Sherry, Mr. Fred. Hawkins.

PSI = Permanent Staff Instructor (Regular)

Memories from Derek J. Driscoll

This was my first bty camp and also the bty's first camp, and as I remember it, it was a learning camp for all involved, most days we would do basic training, some trade training and map reading, the unit borrowed a 25pdr from the Royal School of Artillery (RSA) and the BQMS took us on gun drill and it was a little slow, as this was the first time any of us had been near a gun. I was shouted at for ramming the cartridge, it was explained to me in army language that I was a very silly boy and if the cartridge had been live I could have set the thing off and could have killed myself as well as the gun crew.

We played rugby / football on the grass in the late afternoons and after last parade, all we wanted to do was eat and go down to the local pub, to get to the pub we had to walk down the long road from the camp to the main road it was a easy walk, but it proved a problem getting back as the beer and the night air proved to much for some. So a Bedford R. L. and driver was used to ferry the men to the Pub and back.

Every morning we went for a run around the camp perimeter or down the road to the main road and back again. Then we had breakfast, after breakfast we had about 10 minutes to get ready for parade and we were then detailed off to our trade trading. My trade training was as a signaler, learning all about the Larkspur range of radios the C45, B48, A41 and the A42, and codes i.e. Slidex. Our instructor was Sgt Roy Tanner ex 5 Regt. Come the middle weekend I and some others went back to Bristol, on returning on Sunday night I was told by the guard commander to report to the BC in the Bty office. Why me what had I done wrong, was their trouble at home?. On entering the Bty office, I was told that I had been absent with out leave and I had not read Bty orders, if I had, then I would have seen that I was on guard duty the previous night. The B.C. was a bit put out to say the least, but he admonished me and sent me packing with a flea in my ear, after I promised to read Bty orders in the future.

On one day of the camp, we had a Sioux helicopter land at the back of the camp, we were split up into groups and were given a short flight, the pilot pointed out a large black cloud in the sky "That's where you live, Bristol" he said, all the industries dirt, smoke and the pollution of a big city, and it was just hanging all over Bristol. The flight was a very good experience some even went up in the Sioux as casualties being strapped in to the stretcher pods on the side of the helicopter, one said it was all right at first until you read the sign above the window which informed the casualty that he was not dead. My memory is very fuzzy about the rest of this camp, well it is some 36 years ago!! and I remember I did get a liking for Wadworth's 6X.

Suffice to say I must have enjoyed it, to have stayed so long with the Bty, within a couple of weeks of returning to Bristol a list of promotions went up on the notice board, and my name was one of them, I had got my first stripe. Now my problems just got worse, I now had responsibilities.

The rank of L/Bdr is about the worse rank, because the Sgt Major gives orders to the Sergeant, who then give orders to the Bombardier, who then give orders to the L/Bdr, and the L/Bdr, trying to carry out his orders, is now running around in circles like a blue A???? flying Bumble Bee. All the while, the Bombardier looks on with mild disinterest and distain, as to the mayhem you create. As it go's from bad to worse shouts of dismay are uttered from the bty office window, two Sgts then shout and the Bombardier knowing that the L/Bdr would have heard the shouts goes back to reading his book. The rank of Bombardier is the best rank, as there is always someone above and below him to blame, when things go wrong or so I'm told.

Gunner Derek J. Driscoll

Sources and Resources

Derek Driscoll's original pages

266 (GVA) O.P. Battery R.A. (V)
New Zealand Farm Camp, 1971

Other References

Fake refugee camp built on Salisbury Plain to train troops (BBC News)
New Zealand Farm (AtlantikWall)
New Zealand Farm Camp - (Landmarc)