The Intercom - The Royal Montreal Regiment

The
Intercom
Vol. 3 No. 1
December - Décembre 2012
The Royal Montreal Regiment News Bulletin
Le bulletin d’information du Royal Montreal Regiment
WORKING TOWARDS
100 YEARS OF SERVICE

THE ROYAL MONTREAL REGIMENT
BATTLE HONOURS — HONNEURS DE BATAILLE
First World War — Première Guerre mondiale
Ypres
Gravenstafel
Saint-Julien
Festubert
Mont-Sorrel
Somme
Pozières
Thiepval
Crête d’Ancre
Arras
Vimy
Arleux
Scarpe
Côte 70
Passchendaele
Amiens
Drocourt-Quéant
Ligne Hindenburg
Canal du Nord
Poursuite vers Mons
France et Flandres
SECOND World War — DEUXIÈME Guerre mondiale
Calais L’Escaut Canal Léopold Nord-Ouest de l’Europe
HONORARY DISTINCTION — DISTINCTION HONORIFIQUE
The Second World War badge of the Canadian Armoured Corps borne on the regimental Colour and appointments, for service
with that arm. — L’insigne de la Seconde Guerre mondiale du « Canadian Armoured Corps » est inscrit sur le drapeau consacré
régimentaire et les insignes du Régiment en raison du service avec cette arme.
These battle honours are on the
regimental Colour.
Ces honneurs de bataille figurent sur
le drapeau consacré régimentaire.

ot du comm
HONORARY COLONEL HONORAIRE
Colonel Henry F. Hall, C.D.
HONORARY LIEUTENANT-COLONEL HONORAIRE
LIEUTENANT-Colonel ANDREW MOLSON
The Intercom
COMMANDING OFFICER — COMMANDANT
LIEUTENANT-Colonel PAUL LANGLAIS, C.S.M., C.D., ADC
REGIMENTAL SERGEANT-MAJOR — SERGENT-MAJOR RÉGIMENTAIRE
CHIEF-WARRANT OFFICER — ADJUDANT-CHEF WILLIAM CRAWFORD, C.D.
AFFILIATED REGIMENT — RÉGIMENT AFFILIÉ
THE YORKSHIRE REGIMENT
Sommaire — Summary
COUVERTURE
The Second Battle of Ypres, [circa
1915] d’après Richard Jack, A.R.A.
Mot du commandant .................................4
Mot du Sergent-major régimentaire ..........6
Cold Warriors or What did Reservists
do before Afghanistan? ..............................7
Summer at Camp Vimy ............................9
BMOQ — A survivor’s story ..................10
High note ending for CC2806 ................11
The RMR and the Old Port ....................12
WAMA!? – What’s up with that? ...........13
TF 4-12 OP ATTENTION Update ......14
News from the Yorkshire Regiment ........15
The Intercom est imprimé en 100
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theintercom@royalmontrealregiment.com
Éditeur
Capt Joey Thibault, C.D.
Collaborateurs
Major Siket et Cpl Guité-St-Pierre
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Prochaine parution
Mars 2013

Mot du commandant
Par le lieutenant-colonel
Paul Langlais, C.S.M., C.D., ADC
Comme vous le savez, dans deux ans à peine débuteront les
festivités entourant notre centième anniversaire. En début d’année
d’entraînement, j’ai lancé un appel à tous pour former un comité
de travail en lien avec cet anniversaire et sachez que je suis ravis de
constater votre grande implication envers ce projet unique. Sachez
aussi qu’il y a encore de la place pour ceux qui désirent s’impliquer.
Comme le mentionne l’Adjudant-chef Crawford dans son article,
de nombreuses activités ont déjà été identifiées. Activités qui
débuteront en novembre 2014 pour se terminer en novembre 2015.
Il s’agit d’événements qui seront bien sûr organisés en étroite
collaboration avec la famille régimentaire mais dont le Régiment
sera maître d’œuvre. Cela signifie qu’en plus
de vaquer à nos responsabilités de soldat, nous
serons de plus en plus sollicités pour veiller à ce
que notre centième soit un très grand succès.
D’ailleurs, parlant de succès, il y a quelques
jours à peine, j’ai rencontré le Commandant de
brigade et son équipe afin de leur faire part de
notre rapport de progression depuis avril dernier.
Il y a de quoi être fier ! Nous sommes l’une des
meilleures unités de la Brigade à participer aux
exercices du GPE et selon nos prévisions, il en
sera de même aussi pour l’EXERCICE NOBLE
GUERRIER 2013. Sans compter que nous
avons aussi été en mesure de répondre à 26 tâches
au niveau de l’instruction individuelle. À cela, je
peux ajouter que nous avons aussi participé à 18 autres tâches dites
« institutionnelles ». Vous avez aussi répondu en grand nombre
et rapidement à ma demande de volontaires afin que le RMR
puisse fournir un peloton lors de l’EXERCICE GUERRIER
NORDIQUE 2013.
De plus, les différentes remises de la Médaille du jubilé de
diamant à certains de nos membres, les citations et les nombreuses
promotions remises au cours des dernières semaines témoignent
avec force de votre professionnalisme. Au risque de me répéter,
tous ces succès sont la résultante de votre implication et de vos
sacrifices. Je le constate à chaque fois que je vous croise : en tant
que membre du Royal Montreal Regiment, vous être très fiers de
porter l’uniforme et vous savez faire la différence !
By Lieutenant-Colonel
Paul Langlais, M.S.C., C.D., ADC
As you know, in just two years from now, the celebrations of
our centennial will begin. Early in this training year, I ask some
volunteers to form a working committee in connection with this
anniversary and know that I am more than happy to see involvement
in this unique project. Please note that there is still room for those
who want to get involved. As stated by CWO Crawford in his
article, many activities have been identified. Activities that will
start in November 2014 and ending in November 2015. Of course,
these events will be organized in close collaboration with our
regimental family but under the responsibility of the Regiment.
This means that in addition to fully fulfill our responsibilities as a
soldier, we will need to get fully involved in order
to ensure that our hundredth anniversary is a
great success.
Speaking of success, few days ago, I met our
Brigade Commander and his staff to present
our progress report since last April. There is
something to be proud of! We are one of the
best unit in the brigade to participate in GPE
exercises and according to an estimate, it will be
the same for NOBLE GUERRIER 2013. Not to
mention that we were able to fill-up 26 tasks for
individual training. To this, we can also add 18
other tasks related to what we call “institutional
support”. On top of that, you also responded
very quickly and in large numbers to my request
for volunteers so that the RMR will be able to provide a platoon
during GUERRIER NORDIQUE 2013.
In recent weeks, some of you have received a Diamond Jubilee
Medal, a commendation or a promotion. All that vividly
demonstrate your professionalism. At the risk of repeating myself,
all these successes are the result of your involvement and your
dedication. I see it every time I have the chance to meet with one
of you: you are very proud when wearing the uniform and you
know how to make a difference!
That been said, we need to continue our efforts. Particularly
regarding recruitment and leadership. If each of you gets involved,
we will be able to have an excellent pool of recruits in order to
achieve our goal of being able to parade at least a full operational
company in 2014. In addition, those of you who are looking for
4

Nous devons toutefois poursuivre nos efforts. Particulièrement au
niveau du recrutement et de la chefferie. Si chacun d’entre vous
s’implique, nous serons en mesure d’avoir un excellent bassin de
recrues afin d’atteindre notre objectif d’une compagnie complète
sur le terrain en 2014. De plus, ceux parmi vous qui recherchent de
nouveaux défis, croyez-moi, il y en a à l’horizon car notre Régiment
a aussi besoin de chefs. Et par chefs, j’entends des caporaux-chefs,
des sergents et des adjudants. Bref, des gens prêts à s’investir pour
le Régiment.
Il y a quelques semaines, j’ai eu la chance de discuter avec vous
pendant une période d’heure du Commandant. À cette occasion,
vous m’avez soulevé certaines de vos inquiétudes à l’égard, entre
autres, d’équipements de conditionnement physique et du possible
ajout de vendredis soirs d’entraînement. Vous serez heureux
d’apprendre qu’il y aura des développements positifs après les Fêtes
concernant ces deux sujets.
Je confirme aussi les nouvelles orientations que prendra le Régiment
au cours des prochaines semaines. Ainsi, nous effectuerons un
retour à la base. J’entends par là que nous ne chercherons plus à
effectuer toutes les phases de guerre en un seul week-end. Plutôt,
nous nous développerons sur les rudiments du fantassin afin de
bien maîtriser notre arme. Parallèlement à cela, je souhaite faire
l’acquisition d’un mur d’escalade qui nous permettra de développer
l’expertise de rappel en montagne et de rappel héliporté. Une
étude du Service de Génie sera effectuée dans les premiers mois
de 2013 pour valider la faisabilité physique d’accueillir un tel mur.
Si tout va bien, le mur pourrait être en place à l’automne 2013 et
nous formerons alors le maximum de nos membres à cette nouvelle
expertise. De là, notre prochain défi sera de tenter de développer la
spécialité de guerre en montagne.
Comme vous pouvez le constater, nous avons devant nous de
beaux et grands défis qui nous amèneront encore plus loin. Voilà
pourquoi, plus que jamais en tant que Commandant du RMR,
j’ai besoin d’officiers hautement qualifiés, appuyés par des sousofficiers
pleinement engagés et une troupe reconnue pour son
professionnalisme et son efficacité !
new challenges, believe me, there are some in the horizon since
our Regiment also needs leaders. And by leaders, I mean mastercorporals,
sergeants and warrant officers. In short, people who are
willing to invest themselves in the future of our Regiment.
A few weeks ago, I had the chance to discuss with you during a
CO’s Hour. At this occasion, you have kindly raised some of your
concerns about, among other things, fitness equipment and the
possible addition of Friday night training. You will be pleased to
learn that there will be positive developments after the holidays on
these two subjects.
I also want to confirm that the Regiment will take some new
orientations over the coming weeks. We will return to the basics.
By this, I mean that we will stop trying to conduct all phases of war
during the same weekend. Rather, we will concentrate ourselves in
order to masterize our profession as infanteer. Along with this, I
would like to purchase a climbing wall that will allow us to develop
a repelling expertise including from mountains or helicopters.
Early in 2013, a study will be conducted by the construction
engineering services to validate the feasibility of hosting such a
climbing wall. If all goes well, the wall could be in place in the fall
of 2013 and then, we will qualify the maximum of our members
on this new expertise. From there, our next challenge will be to
develop the mountain warfare specialty.
As you can see, we have ahead of us great challenges that will bring
us more than one step further. That is why, as your Commanding
Officer, I need highly qualified officers, supported by fully engaged
NCOs and soldiers known for their professionalism and efficiency!
In closing, I want to take this special occasion to wish you and your
family Happy Holidays and a splendid 2013 full of new challenges.
HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE!
En terminant, je profite de l’occasion pour vous offrir, à vous et à
votre famille, mes meilleurs vœux et une année 2013 extraordinaire
et remplie de nouveaux défis!
HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE !

By CWO William Crawford, C.D.
Regimental Sergeant-Major
The Royal Montreal Regiment
Mot du Sergent-major régimentaire
The Royal Montreal Regiment...
100 years of service!
I would like to take this opportunity
to welcome you to this edition of the
Intercom and to talk about a very special
milestone in the life our Regiment, that is
to say 100 years of service to our country.
We are still 2 years away from the kick-off
for this event however we can’t wait for
this very important date to arrive before
taking action. Soon, our 100th Anniversary
will start to take shape and become more
important in our planning.
The key events for this activity will start
November 2nd, 2014, our Regimental
Birthday, and will culminate the
following year in November. Some of the
forecasted activities will include an allranks
Regimental Ball, an open house
weekend with displays and demonstrations,
Parading the Colours in various locations.
In addition the Regiment will, pending
approval, exercise the Freedom of the
Cities for Montreal, Westmount, Pointe-
Claire and Hampstead. There is also a plan
that has been initiated to have our museum
grow and become more visible within the
Regimental lines.
During all of this, there will be several
other events incorporated into the
Centennial year calendar that will mark
this momentous event.
2014 is fast approaching and will prove to
be a challenging year as we will still have to
carry on with our CF commitments. That
being said, the effort, preparation, work and
execution of this Centennial will see our
Regiment showcase what is best about the
RMR. It will be an opportunity to reflect
on 100 years of sacrifice, re-establish links
with the communities that are so much a
part of our extended Regimental family
and re-assert our place for the present and
the future of the Regiment.
This is the reason that I’ve chosen to explain
a little of this to you in this edition of the
Intercom some 2 years before the event. It
must be remembered that it is impossible
to turn around on a dime and ramp up an
event of this importance if it’s going to be
done right. The success of this Centennial
will also be dependant on the assistance
and commitment from the members of
the Regiment therefore, should anyone
be interested in contributing, regardless
of rank, please contact the OPI for the
100th committee, 2Lt Dobrosielski or WO
Langlois.
I would also like to take this opportunity to
wish you all a well deserved Happy Holiday
season and enjoy the time with your friends
and family as they are the ones who are the
unsung hero’s of our Regiment. Without
their support for you we would not be
able to do our job. Along with the festive
season comes celebrations, please take full
advantage of every benefit available to you
and come back to us safe in the new year.
Once again, I would like to thank you all
for your commitment to the Regiment and
leave you all with the knowledge that the
Regiment is strong. The challenges we face
are nothing new and I’m sure that we’re up
to the task as we have been for close to 100
years!!
HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE!
6

Cold Warriors or What did Reservists
do before Afghanistan?
By LCol (Ret) Henry F. Hall, C.D.
Honourary Colonel
The Royal Montreal Regiment
In today’s day
and age not much
is said about
the Regiment
in the context
of the NATO
and the “Cold
War” or about
our experiences
as part of UN
P e a c e k e e p i n g
Operations. Understandable, the emphasis
has been on our most recent “war-fighting”
experiences in Afghanistan and recognizing
those brave men and women who have
served on these operations. But let me take
you back to a time not so long ago when
reservists were for the first time used as
an individual augmented and some of my
personal experience in the context of both
of these missions.
Canada was a founding member of
the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty
Organization) which was established to
combat the “red menace” (communists)
shortly after the end of WWII. In the early
50’s Canada deployed a Special Service
Force Brigade Group to Germany under
NATO command, initially in northern
Germany. In the 60’s that Brigade Group,
then known as 4 CMBG, was moved to
southern Germany at Baden Baden and
Lahr. Since the late 60’s members of the
Reserves had been tasked to participate on
summer deployments to the units that made
up 4CMBG in Germany. This was a “top
up” role as it was well understood following
unification in 1968 that all army battalions,
including those in Germany were only
ever ~70% manned to establishment with
the intent to rapidly deploy augmentation
troops to these battalions in times of
emergencies.
GERMANY
In the fall of 1972 I was a Corporal,
a Section 2IC in B Coy referred to at
that time as “MobCom” or the “Mobile
Command” company as it was the trained
company vs. C Company which was the
Recruit Company. I was out of high school
trying to find my way by doing callouts
and courses. I had spent the summer of ’72
instructing on a SSEP (Student Summer
Employment Program) at the Armory
and Farnham. Some of our soldiers had
just finished a 3 month jungle training
deployment with the Canadian Airborne
Regiment in Jamaica, so as you can imagine
the war stories were flowing in the JRC’s
and we all wanted a chance to do something
different and use our training. The call
went out for volunteers for “REFORGER
IV” exercise to be held in January/February
1973 serving with the R22eR in Lahr.
These series of exercises, started in 1969
and continued to 1993, were intended
to ensure that NATO had the ability to
quickly deploy forces to West Germany
in the event of a conflict. I immediately
volunteered and was accepted with about
7 or 8 other RMR’s (Leo Steinberger,
Gary (Gid) Tuff, Pete McIntyre and a
few others). We arrived in Lahr the first
few days of January and were immediately
integrated into our Company’s, Platoon’s
and Sections and assigned barracks. Key
learning points, they had beer machines in
the barracks, happy hour was every Friday
night and everybody liked to run. After
a few weeks of orientation, weapons live
fire, mechanized tactics work ups etc the
REFORGER IV exercise began. The actual
exercise lasted probably on 2 to 3 weeks but
all the work up stretched it out considerably.
Post Live Fire weapons cleaning,
Germany, 1972, with 2 e R22 e R
One of my memories is of conducting a
number of combat team advance to contact
with a troop of 4 Centurion Tanks from the
RCD’s and never once finishing with the
tanks. They would always fall behind with
mechanicals. I can also remember loading
our APC’s on rail cars and then spending
18 to 30 hours traveling on a troop train.
As we were the lowest priority in the rail
system we spent a lot of time on sidings,
7

where inevitably locals would show up
with beer and sandwiches. All in all a
great experience! To be part of a combat
team deployed in the field and participate
in advance to contact and mobile defense
was something that helped me immensely
when I became a senior NCOs and then an
officer. It gave me great context when I had
to lead mechanized platoons and company’s
in the field. I have attached some pictures
from that time.
UNITED NATIONS
Upon returning to the Regiment I continued
doing odd civilian jobs and callouts when
in the fall of 1973 Canada committed to
providing logistical support for the newly
created United Nations Emergency Force
II (UNEFII) to supervise the ceasefire
between Egyptian and Israeli forces at
the end of Yom Kippur War or October
War, and to supervise the redeployment of
Egyptian and Israeli forces and to man and
control established buffer zones. A number
of us volunteered and were selected, myself,
Boris Kwasiborski, Ernie Loiselle, Butch
Gannon and Bill Thibault to be the first
group of Reservists to deploy on UN
operations. A number of months of predeployment
training were completed in
the winter of 1973/74 in Valcartier with
5 Brigade before we deployed to Camp
Shams in Cairo in March 1974. One of
the training sessions stands out and it was
about how to conduct yourself as a POW.
The instructors were 2 or 3 Marines who
had recently been released after having
been captured and held for years as
POWs in Vietnam. Truthfully, this was
pretty chilling and intimidating and the
connection between our pre-deployment
training for a UN mission and their
experiences was not obvious.
After a long flight from Trenton to Lahr to
RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus and finally to Cairo
we were loaded with our kit onto the backs
of Duce and a half ’s (MLVW in today’s
jargon) for the short hop to Camp Shams
which was a tent city established in an
old horse racing facility in the Heliopolis
suburb of Cairo. We shared the camp with
all of the Contingents (initially Austria,
Sweden, Ghana, Nepal, Poland etc), as our
mission was logistical and signal support
to the force. To the shouted greetings of
“Pinky” and “fresh blood” we were assigned
to our units and shown our lodgings of
Marquis tents, folding cots, mosquito nets
and sleeping bags. I thought it was a lot
better than Camp Dube in Valcartier, so no
problems acclimatizing however some of
the air force and navy guys really struggled.
I met up with a former RMR, Cpl Pete
Melvin who had been with the PPCLI’s
since 1971 and he introduced me to Cairo
at night in semi-blackout conditions. We
got into our 6 days on, one day off routines
but in May we had 2 depressing incidents.
One was the crashing of an Egyptian Army
Cpl Hall, Germany, 1970
transport plane directly on the camp where
we were unable to save any of the 6 or 7
crew members and the second was the
crash of a Egyptair Tupolev 154 at Cairo
International Airport in which another
6 or 7 Russians and Egyptians died with
Canadians recovering the bodies. By June
we were ordered to move to Ismailia and an
old British Army Camp and Airfield near
the Canal which became the Canadian
Logistical Camp until the end of the
mission in 1979. During the war, there
had been very heavy fighting in Ismailia
and all the way down to Suez City when
the Israelis conducted a classic flanking
maneuver and crossed the canal to isolate
the Egyptian Second Army in the Sinai.
Ultimately, the lack of fuel and the stubborn
resistance by the Egyptians in Suez City led
to the ceasefire. There was a tremendous
amount of ordnance, unmarked minefields,
destroyed tanks, APC’s etc. throughout the
area and we were under Egyptian scrutiny
not to take photos, which of course we did.
Everyone got “gypo gut” otherwise known
as amebic dysentery from the local food
and water (before bottled water we had a
water purification unit that produced all
our drinking water), not the best way to
8
lose weight.
In 1974 the other major Canadian
UN mission was the United Nations
Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus -UNICYP
for which Canada bad provided an Infantry
Battalion to man a buffer zone between the
Greeks and the Turks since the missions’
creation in 1964. In July 1974 following
a Greek Cypriot military coup, Turkey
invaded Cyprus. It was a dirty small war
based along ethnic lines with atrocities
on both sides. Caught in the middle of it
was the assigned Canadian battalion, the
Canadian Airborne Regiment. Many heroic
actions by Canadians occurred during this
time but little or no recognition was given.
On leave in Germany in September I meet
up with a bunch of them, they had a hard
go. The impact of the Cyprus invasion on
the UNEFII mission was the suspension
of logistical support from Germany which
resulted in local procurement of food and
other logistical necessities. If you have
never had Corn Beef, Camel or Water
Buffalo for breakfast, lunch and dinner for
a couple of months you don’t know what
you are missing.
On August 9, 1974, the Canadian
Contingent was dealt it’s most serious
loss when our Canadian Buffalo aircraft
number 115461 while making a scheduled
supply flight from Ismailia, Egypt to
Damascus, Syria was shot down by surface
to air missiles. Nine Canadians were killed,
marking the worst ever single day of loss
for Canadian peacekeepers. We had a ramp
ceremony at the airfield but it was more a
remembrance parade without bodies as
they were recovered in Syria and returned
directly to Canada from there. I returned
in early November 1974 to the land of flush
toilets, cold beer, pretty women, beds and
sheets.
For me this was a defining experience
and helped me decide to go to University,
plan my life, but also to remain active and
continue giving to the Regiment. Thank
you for allowing me to briefly share some
experiences as a member of our Regiment.
So when you see a “Cold Warrior” or a “UN
Peacekeeper” be good to them as there were
no parades or little positive press. Please
remember that we served proudly in a
difficult time. Remember, we have always
had a great Regiment with sound values, a
strong history and great leadership in that
we should all be proud.

Summer at Camp Vimy
By OCdt Szostak
CFB Valcartier is notorius for their
physically challenging training style. I was
reminded of their reputaiton every morning
after a little 6k run up the Bernatchez
hill. Today however was a special day as
it marked the beginning of the last week:
Patrol week. Forking my scrambled eggs
and the few potatoe peices at the breakfast
table this blazing Monday morning,
I thought back on my past 10 weeks at
Camp Vimy, and how much has changed
ever since.
A typical day for the QEOM-T 1207
consisted of a 0430h wake up to a 0500h
run. Our Lt was an enthusiastic marathon
runner, so our Pl spent dusk running an
average 8k around the base’s silent grounds.
Showers at 0605h, breakfast at 0630h,
inspections at 0710h so by 0730 our day
starts. My brain was already up and running
by 0410h in the morning: God I love the
army.
The Phase II Officer course
QEOM-T consisted of an
equal amount of time spent
learning the practical aspects of
terestrial warfare through the
eyes of a commander, as well as
accelerated in-field navigation,
section attacks and leading a
four-man patrol. Lessons on
IEDs, C9s, CQB and Ranges
were all very necessary too, but
the most captivating 40mins
of my summer was when the
Sgts and MCpls took us aside
and shared their experiences
of Afghanastan. These are strong men
and respected soldiers, and it’s by hearing
their stories that you feel the commonality
between you and anyone wearing green
with the red and white on the left shoulder.
It’s with these stories that you feel the
power we have when we fight together,
when we learn together, and when we pay
the price together. Because when the straps
of your rucksack are burning marks in your
shoulders, and the blisters on your ankles
just seared to the second layer, you know
the person next to you will pick you up no
matter how hard you fall.
That’s the cohersion we learn, that’s what
makes us strong, that’s why we’re in the
army.
Keep challenging yourself, never settle for
where you are, and always keep your head
high.
9

BMOQ — A survivor’s story
By OCdt Elias Haroun
On May 22, 2012 four junior officers from
the Regiment left for CFB Aldershot,
Nova Scotia in order to complete their
Phase 2 officers’ training, a three-month
training program. Phase 2 is divided
into two courses Basic Military Officer
Qualification level 2 (BMOQ 2) and
BMOQ (Land).
BMOQ 2 is a two-week course. Starting
with the theoretical part, we learned
about management and the principles of
leadership. We were introduced to the
different styles of leadership and how to
employ each one in different situations.
Then, we saw how leading by example is
key in the army (you don’t ask your troops
to do something that you’re incapable of
doing). Later on, we learned the sixteen
steps of battle procedure; this is something
every leader in the Army must know and
they consist of the steps followed by a
commander to plan and execute any task,
from setting up a simple company HQ to
conducting a raid on an enemy location.
On that course we deployed to the field
for four days, where we learned basic field
craft, navigation using map and compass
in day and night, and how to dig trenches.
The second course, BMOQ (L), was a
ten-week course divided into five modules
(mods). This course was more informative,
included much more days in the field, and
most importantly we were evaluated on
our leadership skills as platoon and section
seniors. In the first mod we learned about
the CF fitness policy and how to lead a
physical training (PT) session. It was a
quite interesting start for the course as
we had many new comers who weren’t
with us on the past course and doing PT
all day for three days in a row helped us
get to know each other faster. Still in the
same mod, we also learned how to prepare
and give lessons using the different visual
aids available. Each candidate had to
prepare two lessons and present them to
his section members.
The second mod was on weapons and
ranges. This was the fun part as we were
introduced to new weapons: the C9 light
machine gun (LMG), the Browning
9mm pistol and the M67 grenade. We
were also qualified to use them after
passing the handling tests and firing the
weapons on their respective ranges. The
evaluation on this part of the course was
to prepare an excellent set of handwritten
range instructions and on conducting
either a 9mm pistol or a C7 rifle range
as a range safety officer (RSO); safety was
paramount on the range as many people
failed for neglecting small details related
to safety. Aside from the sleepless nights
spent on writing the range instructions,
almost everyday of this mod was spent on
the range firing live rounds, which made
it enjoyable and worth the effort.
The third mod was exciting for us, as we
had to deploy to the field for a longer
period of time. First we had to learn in
depth how to use the PRC 522 (radio),
and to master standard voice procedures.
Then we were introduced to the DAGR
(GPS used by the CF); we learned how
to set it up and use it for navigation but
since we cannot rely only on technology
it would be used as a backup navigation
device. The next week we deployed to the
field on the navigation exercise TRUE
NORTH. We had to navigate using map,
compass and DAGR for five days; we
did day and night navigation and walked
about 50km in total. It was a very nice
experience but of course not for those
who got injured and returned home.
As we progressed on the course, the staff ’s
standards were getting higher therefore
much more work was expected from us.
In this mod we learned what we called
on course the “real infantry stuff ” battle
drills. That week we also learned about
offensive and defensive operations; we
also got a chance for each one to practice
leading a section attack in preparation for
the following week’s deployment to the
field. When leading a section attack for
the first time, one feels slightly confused,
can’t find proper words for his fire control
orders, and add to that, busy clearing an
obstruction in his rifle while his platoon
commander is on the other end on the
radio waiting for his contact report.
Everything has to happen on the move,
the section commander can’t stop one
thing to do another; everything has to
happen at the same time. With practice
everything became easy and natural.
When we deployed to the field the next
week for the field training exercise (FTX)
LIGHTNING STRIKE we barely had
any sleep the entire week, yet we had to do
section attacks the all day and defensive
operations all night (occupying trenches
that we had dug the first day of the Ex).
The majority of the candidates have
become quite competent at leading section
attacks with all the repetition; my section
alone conducted a total of twenty-eight
section attacks throughout that week. I
was surprised how sleep deprivation and
tiredness didn’t affect most of us during
the physically demanding section attacks;
maybe it’s the adrenaline that kicks in
when we start doing “real infantry stuff ”.
The last mod consisted of the last two
weeks of the course. In the first week
we learned about the different types
of patrols, with the emphasis on the
reconnaissance (recce) patrols since we
had to do one during the following week.
We also learned the basics of urban ops,
how to set up a vehicle checkpoint (VCP),
and how to conduct personnel search. The
next week we deployed to the field in
order to conduct recce patrols. Something
special about recce patrols was that they
combined the application of the sixteen
steps of battle procedure, navigation, and
the use of battle drills if needed, that’s of
course in addition to the recce itself. On
the last day in the field, the whole platoon
conducted a fighting patrol where we
raided an enemy location. It was one of
the best things we’ve ever done on course.
Phase 2 training was both physically
and mentally demanding, it was very
informative and we learned a lot. I look
forward to Ph 3 next summer when I
get to apply what I learned at a higher
level and then eventually being a platoon
commander in A Coy.
10

By Capt Sibyl Brooker
Commanding Officer
2806 RCACC Pointe-Claire (RMR)
High note ending for CC2806
The month of May saw several important
activities. On May 5 we conducted our
most successful car wash fundraiser ever.
The following weekend we participated
in the annual RMR Church Parade in
Westmount. The weekend of May 25-27
was our last weekend exercise of the training
year. It was held in Glen Robertson, ON,
under the direction of our CF advisor,
WO Richard Corneau of CFB Petawawa,
who recently returned from deployment in
Afghanistan. We had a record 53 cadets
in attendance. Thanks to the generous
support of the RMR, who supplied a
vehicle, equipment and personnel, the
exercise was a great success. Our thanks to
Cpl Biezing, Cpl Drakes and Cpl Duma
for their invaluable contribution to this
activity.
We conducted a joint Annual Cadet
Review with 830 Squadron of Pierrefonds
on June 3. Our combined band had the
opportunity to perform for the first time.
They did a tremendous job. There were
more than 100 cadets on parade for this
event. We also welcomed our newest
officer to our team when OCdt Paola
Grasso was sworn in as a CIC officer on
the eve of the ACR. Among our honoured
guests, we were pleased to welcome LCol
Paul Langlais, Commanding Officer of the
RMR and CWO William Crawford, RSM
of the RMR.
This past summer we sent 34 cadets
to various summer courses at CSTCs
Valcartier, Blackdown, Rocky Mountains
and Trenton. We wish to congratulate three
of our cadets who successfully completed
the CF Basic Parachutist Course at CFB
Trenton. c/MWO Alexander Kearney, c/
WO Alex Minh Hoang-Cao and c/WO
Matthieu Thong Hoang-Cao earned their
wings at the graduation ceremony that took
place August 10. They are pictured here
with our CF advisor, WO R. Corneau. We
extend our congratulations to our outgoing
RSM, former c/CWO Daniel Saenz, who
was CSM at CSTC Valcartier this past
summer in the D&C instructor course.
c/CWO Saenz was chosen to form and
command a guard of honour comprised of
100 cadets. In his own words, “ I was very
pleased when I heard that
I would be organizing and
commanding a guard of
honour for His Excellency
the Right Honourable
David Johnston, C.C.,
C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D.,
Governor General and
Commander-in-Chief of
Canada. It was an honour
for me to represent the
cadets at Valcartier CSTC.
Also, the guard of honour
happened on August 9th,
my last day as a Royal
Canadian Army Cadet. I believe that
commanding the guard of honour for His
Excellency was a great way to end my cadet
career.” We are pleased that Daniel Saenz
will return to CC2806 this September as
a civilian instructor and eventual CIC
officer. We also bade a fond farewell to
c/MWO Etienne Simon who enrolled in
the CF last spring and was sworn in earlier
this month. He is now completing basic
training in St-Jean and will pursue a career
in communications. We thank him for his
many years of loyal service to CC2806 and
wish him all the best in his military career.
CC2806 wishes to thank the RMR for
its generous support of our activities
and program. Your implication and
encouragement are greatly appreciated and
inspire our cadets.
CC2806 wishes to acknowledge the
generosity of the City of Pointe-Claire,
who over the course of this past summer,
conducted major renovations to the corps’
premises. These renovations will allow us
to better serve our current cadets and will
enable us to extend the army cadet program
to many more youth in our region.
In December, 2012, we will be hosting
CC3133 of Burks Falls, ON in an
interprovincial exchange. We look forward
to the challenges and rewards of the coming
training year.
11

The RMR and the Old Port
By Mr Ron Zemancik
Capt Grant Furholter
Museum conservatives
This year The RMR museum was asked
to participate in the Montreal Military
Culture Festival held at the Old Port, 31
Aug - 3 Sept. The aim of the show was to
increase the general public’s awareness of
the military’s contribution to the culture
of Montreal, past, present, and future.
Montrealers are continuously exposed to
the city’s rich military heritage, of which,
very few understand the meanings and
origins. For example names like Molson,
Birks, Viger and Menard are all very familiar
but few people are aware of their military
backgrounds and experiences which
had a direct impact on the growth and
development
of our
community.
The RMR
M u s e u m
s e l e c t e d
Dr. Francis
S c r i m g e r
VC as our
contribution
to the
exhibition.
Born in Montreal in 1880, he attended
McGill University, where he received his
medial degree. During the Great War, he
joined the Canadian Medical Corps and
was appointed the medical officer of the
14th Battalion, Royal Montreal Regiment.
At the 2nd Battle of Ypres in April 1915,
Capt Scrimger shielded a wounded officer
from shell fire with his own body and
ceaselessly tended to the wounded during
the battle which lasted 22 - 25 April. For
his valour and great devotion to duty,
Capt Scrimger was awarded the Victoria
Cross. It was also said that he convinced
Dr. John McCrae, a friend from The Royal
Victoria Hospital, to send in his poem
«In Flanders Fields» to Punch Magazine
to see if it would be published. Following
demobilization in 1919 at the age of 39 he
returned to Montreal to continue a career
in surgery at both the Childern’s Hospital
and the Royal Victoria Hospital where he
became chief surgeon. Dr. Scrimger died in
Montreal in 1937.
Regretfully, the museum had almost no
artifacts belonging to Dr. Scrimger to loan
to the festival. However thanks to Captain
Peter Starling (Ret’d) of the Army Medical
Services Museum in Aldershot U.K. we
were able to borrow a number of pieces of
medical equipment that would have been
used by doctors during the Great War.
In addition to the exhibition, there were a
number of special performances, such as a
fly pass of CF-18’s and a jump by members
of the CF parachute team, The Skyhawks.
There were historical reenactments and
cannon fire put on by the 3rd Montreal Field
Battery. When asked about attendance on
the weekend, Barry Meldrum, assistant
director of history, responded that they
estimated about 3,000 vistors to the site
over the 3 days.
The Old Port was the place to be this past
Labour Day weekend if you were interested
in the Military.
12

WAMA!? – What’s up with that?
By LCol (Ret) Colin Robinson, C.D.
Former CO
So... we have all heard of WAMA over
the years, in fact we’re often asked to
donate funds to it, but how many of us
know just what it is? Quite simply put,
the Westmount Armoury Memorial
Association, better known as WAMA,
is a non-profit incorporated body, which
has a clear mission statement to “Serve
the best interests of The Royal Montreal
Regiment as stipulated by the Trustees
of the Association and accept such tasks
designated by the Trustees to help any
member body of the Regimental Family.”
I will now try and explain it all using the
famous 5W (Who, What, When, Where,
and Why).
Well WAMA is part of the
“Family” - is this like the
Soprano’s?
Er, not quite, sorry. Member bodies of the
RMR’s Regimental Family are considered
to be: The Active Battalion of the RMR
(UIC 5130), affiliated Cadet Corps, and
Veteran Associations such as the RMR
Association (Branch 14) of The Royal
Canadian Legion.
OK, that’s great and all, but
WHAT does it do?
Because of the mission, and its charter as
a registered charity, WAMA has a series
of objectives and legal purposes that it
exercises through the authority of its Board
of Trustees, mainly to:
a. Administer and act as custodian
to all of the assets belonging to the
Association for the benefit of this member
bodies and/or of the RMR family.
b. Be responsible for and maintain
those portions of the Westmount Armoury
designated as memorials to the Fallen
Comrades to The Royal Montreal Regiment
(example: the plaque on the North of the
parade square).
c. Provide assistance for the needs of
The Royal Montreal Regiment family.
d. Advise on request, the
Commanding Officer of The Royal
Montreal Regiment or any of its affiliated
units.
e. Promote the role of the Militia
or Reserve Forces within the Canadian
Armed Forces and the City of Westmount.
f. Lobby for the promotion of a more
effective Canadian Defence Force with a
strong Militia controlled by Reservists.
So just WHO are the Trustees
anyway?
The President of the Board is the Honorary
Colonel and the Vice-President is the
Honorary Lieutenant Colonel of the RMR.
Other Trustees are elected from time to
time from nominations recommended by
serving Trustees, and usually come from a
solid RMR background.
HOW did all this start and how
come nobody told me?
Well, if you remember your Regimental
history, you’ll note that the RMR was
formed for War in 1914 and when it
returned victorious in 1919, it didn’t have a
home in Canada. So WAMA was created
by the RMR veterans with the objective
of raising funds to build an Armoury for
the Regiment in Westmount, which was
completed in 1925 and dedicated to the
memory of those 1,192 RMR’s who made
the Supreme Sacrifice in The Great War
1914- 1918.
OK, got it – WAMA built the
RMR’s Armoury – WHY should I
care about it now?
WAMA continues in its mission today
by supporting the RMR Family (RMR
Intercom, Br.14 of the RCL, and the
Regiment in their hospital visits, the
cataloguing and holding of furniture,
fixtures and trophies within the Armoury,
financial support to the Regiment proper
in recruiting, storing and publishing of
historical records, sponsoring scholarships
and cash prizes for Best Soldier awards,
etc., as well as support rendered to
the Regimental Museum. Also, when
requested by the CO RMR, WAMA
has quietly helped numerous soldiers of
the Regiment with financial assistance.
With the RMR’s 100th Anniversary
coming up, WAMA’s is now focused on
supporting the commemoration of a great
fighting Regiment. This will require some
substantial fundraising.
Wow! Who knew? So HOW do I
go to make a donation?
Glad you asked! WAMA is a registered
charitable organization and all financial
contributions are gratefully accepted.
Contributors will receive a tax receipt.
At the end of 2011 WAMA decided that
this Interweb thingy is perhaps not just a
passing fad, and we set ourselves up to accept
online donations. Income tax receipts are
generated automatically and emailed to the
donor as a PDF. You can make a one-time
donation or you can establish a monthly
donation of say, $10.00 per month. Ten
bucks a month doesn’t sound like a lot, but
it sure adds up if everyone starts doing it!
Please make a donation today at
http://bit.ly/rxkKPV
13

TF 4-12 OP ATTENTION Update
By Lt Delplace
ANA Literacy Advisor - SSB - KMTC
At the present time the RMR has 6 of
it’s members training with the Task Force
at CFB Valcartier, as well as 1 clerk on
Class B until October with the reserve
administrative cell. Some of its members
have been training here since 22 May, whilst
the majority arrived on 6 August. The Task
Force as a whole is made up of a myriad
of trades, ranks and elements from all over
the country including Infantry to Fighter
Jet Pilots to Naval Intelligence Officers to
JAGs and PAFO’s. The training has been
some from the RMR, will conduct more
extensive collective training as members
of the Force Protection Platoon or Quick
Reaction Force. Some members of the
Task Force have also had the opportunity
to qualify on more specialty courses such as
TCCC as required by their positions and
teams.
The dominant themes of the build up
training have been flexibility, patience
and initiative. Given the fluid nature of
the mission overseas all members of the
Task Force have been focusing on their
basic soldiering skills and the particular
ISAF drawdown of personnel, Canadian
commanders in theatre are working hard on
maintaining a strong Canadian presence on
the ground taking on key positions within
the mentoring and training mission even as
other countries withdraw their soldiers as
per their respective drawdown schedules.
The general moral of RMR members with
the Task Force has been high, profiting
from the unique resources and training
available at CFB Valcartier, while also
taking advantage of gaps in individual
instruction to engage various forms of PT
and professional development.
individual instruction heavy with courses
in Combat First Aid, Culture, language,
Counter Insurgency and a multitude of
ranges and convoy scenarios taking priority
to bring all members of the Task Force up
to an individually operational level where
they will be able to react to the threats
and local interactions they will face in the
primarily small team mentoring roles at the
various ISAF and Afghan camps around
Kabul, whilst some soldiers, including
aspects of their respective trades all within
the contexts of their assigned positions,
yet always aware that many members
of the Task Force will likely hold more
than one position overseas and serve a
flexible time period anywhere from 4 – 9
months, all this a reality of the mission
as the Afghan National Army becomes
more and more autonomous and ISAF
carries on with the planned handover and
withdrawal schedule. Currently, despite the
I have noticed many of the RMR members
with the Task Force returning to the RMR
for Mess events and just to visit, and the
support from the regimental family is
always appreciated and essential. I have no
doubt the RMR will carry on its tradition
of setting the standard on operation while
the rest of the regiment continues to do so
at home and on tasks. Looking forward to
seeing you all before deployment and in the
new year!
14

News from the Yorkshire Regiment
By LCol Z. Stenning
Commanding Officer
3 rd Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment
Another month has passed since our last
edition and it has been an eventful 4 weeks.
We have all been compulsively watching
the Olympics and are hugely proud of what
our nation has achieved. More importantly
we are hugely proud of what are County
achieved in the medals table - Well done
Yorkshire! As an aside our Afghan partners
are still convinced that Her Majesty
parachuted into the Stadium.....
The crops are now reaching full height and
patrolling is getting very demanding. All
the Rifle Platoons are doing sterling work
in conditions akin to the jungles of Malaya
or Borneo. Rest breaks in rivers and stream
are very well received! Our Afghan partners
have been observing the Holy month of
Ramadan. Their fortitude and commitment
whilst fasting, has been deeply humbling.
We are now only 2 a few hours away from
the return of Corunna Company to the
UK. They have en- dured a challenging 6
months and their performance has been
simply stunning. As a team they have
conducted over 20 large scale operations in
support of the Brigade. They have engaged
with the in- surgent over 60 times and have
prevailed in every fight. Most critically they
have enabled the
Brigade and our
Afghan partners
to achieve their
mission. I know
that all of us are
immensely proud
of what they have
achieved for the
Regiment and
the Army. We
wish them a safe
homecoming.
Full details of
their parade in
Huddersfield on
the 18th of October
is contained later
in this addition.
Finally, I visited our wounded in
Birmingham and the Rear Operations
Group whilst back in the UK over the past
2 weeks. In Birmingham our wounded
are being looked after extremely well in
good hospital wards with first class-care.
I would like to personally thank Sergeant
Carl Stead for his su- perb performance
looking after all the Battlegroups wounded.
In Warminster, it is clear we have the best
Rear Operations Group in the Brigade - if
not the entire Division. The effort, pride and
enthusi- asm that I saw, was truly uplifting.
The ‘team of teams’ is strong in so many
areas and on behalf of the deployed force
a huge thank you to the ROG and their
families who are working so hard to support
the rest of the Battalion. My thanks
also to all the wives and families who I
know support their loved ones forward so
well. I enjoyed seeing so many of you in
Warminster.
15