Page 28 - Demo

THE OUTPOST (THAT WASN’T)
by Kirk “Al” Du Guid
I wish to preface this article with an oft-used army expression, “no names, no pack drill.”
I joined the Black Watch, Royal Highland Regiment of Canada, as a recruit in 1964. After basic training in St. Andrew’s Barracks, Camp Gagetown, New Brunswick, I transferred along with all member of 149 Squad to “A” Company (Coy) 1st Battalion (Bn). Once there I received training on my chosen trade and became a Group 2 Signaler. I was later assigned to Headquarters Company Recce Platoon. Ernie Rose, a Group 2 Signaler from D Coy was transferred at the same time. We became buddies and stayed together until the end of our service in 1967. It was during this time that 1st Bn was assigned as A.C.E. (Allied Command Europe) Mobile Force. We were Canada’s contribution to a five-Bn mobile force on the northern flank of NATO., Norway.
In January 1966 we deployed for training with the rest of the force, which consisted of Norwegian, British, Italian and United States troops, in an area north of the Arctic Circle in Norway. After seven weeks of training we returned to Canada, cleaned up our equipment, returned our winter stores, and settled back into camp routine. The Regiment’s 2nd Bn was also stationed in Gagetown, following a deployment to Germany. Then we heard a rumour, which was later confirmed, that the 2nd Bn was going to deploy fifty men to a six-month UN mission on Cyprus to bring the Bn up to strength there. Ernie and I immediately volunteered. We wanted to go to where soldiers were doing an actual job and earning their pay.
After about six weeks of hounding, our Sergeant and Platoon Lieutenant decided to let us go, probably just to shut us up! We were both transferred to A Coy, 2nd Bn, Sigs Section. Once there we joined two 26 part one: army stories other 2nd Bn signalers and their Corporal to complete the complement of the section. I was sent on advance party in April 1966 and teamed up at Oneisha Pig Farm (the charmingly named location of our Company Command Post) with the Canadian Guards signalers we were to relieve. There I learned the routine of a Coy CP (Command Post). Within two weeks our Bn deployed and the rest of the Sigs section arrived. We settled into a regime that would last most of the next six months.
I was involved in two special assignments during our rotation. One included finding some hidden Greek Army tanks, the other diving under Greek P.T. boats to find out where they came from.
Once, on our way to a U.N. OP, my buddy and I climbed into a Turkish militia position by mistake and were stuck about three hours in custody before they allowed us to go on to our original destination.
When our Coy was rotated back to Camp Maple Leaf from regular outpost duties, the members of Sigs Section were allowed to man an outpost, to break the monotony of being in a CP constantly.
During one of these rear-echelon breaks an officer and his driver from our Coy “invited” Ernie and I to take a jeep ride. We had absolutely no idea where we were going but ended up on a flat, clay road surrounded by equally flat, lifeless fields, staring at a shack beside the road. The bottom was made of hessian. There was no door or mosquito netting. The canvas roof was full of holes. It looked like something you would see in a refugee camp. We certainly didn’t want to ask what it was or why we were there, but, sure enough, we were enlightened by the officer. He explained that at this point we were right between the two mutually hostile national contingents on the island, the Greek National Army and the Turkish National Army. Ernie and I apparently were going to create a U.N. OP, right here, at this site.
With a lot of help from our friends a shack was built, although digging the requisite L-shaped fighting trench and latrine was strictly my job and Ernie’s. The others put up a proper shack with tin walls and roof and erected a bell tent. A flagpole with the UN flag was erected, along with a sign mounted on sandbags with the establishment’s name “UNCLE” and “OP” painted on it. We weren’t the men from Uncle, so we decided to make our own acronym out of this. UNCLE was now the outpost (that wasn’t) “United Nations Cabaret Liaison Establishment.”
A piece of equipment would arrive later, we were informed, which we would have no trouble learning how to operate, with a short period of instruction. Sure enough, the mysterious piece of equipment arrived, called an “Albas.” After being put together by the instructor, it was a medium-size tripod with a wooden seat, circa World War 1, on the rear leg and a metal yoke between the two forward legs. The instructor attached a parabolic dish between the arms of the yoke and covered the front with opaque glass. He produced a battery and cables and hooked them up to the rear of the dish. Sitting on the seat he screwed an eyepiece into the rear of the dish.
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