Exercises with 100 Regt Royal Artillery

On a misty Saturday morning in March 2005 a troop of Basketmakers led by Prime Warden Richard Bundock mustered at a secret rendezvous awaiting orders.

Base camp was at grid reference SU091460, more commonly known as the car park of the excellent Bustard Inn near Shrewton on Salisbury Plain.

The Prime Warden presented the troop to our host for the day, Major Simon Sadler. (right)

We boarded the troop carrier and after a dusty and bumpy ride, we arrived at an abandoned hamlet where HQ had been established.

The Commanding Officer, Lt Col Tony Russell, led a detailed briefing (left), and our orders for the day were issued.

In unseasonably hot weather, we observed manoeuvres in patches of woodland to the accompaniment of distant artillery fire. 100 regiment are being retrained in infantry combat techniques because the requirements of operations around the world are presenting a demand for different skills from those of their traditional gunnery role.

Following the sound of the heavy guns, our hosts managed to locate a fully deployed battery of 105mm Light Guns and AS90 Self-Propelled 155mm Howitzers in a valley, and the associated command and control radar systems on a nearby hill. The AS90 looks and sounds like a large battle tank, but it fires much larger rounds and has a range of over 18 miles. Major Sadler explained that in the target area (some 8 miles away) was a large reinforced bunker where observers (and raw recruits!) could experience what it is like to have such terrifying firepower unleashed upon you. We had a quiet chuckle about whoever was in there today and how they were feeling right now. We were able to watch the entire battery pull off the camouflage nets and leave the valley at speed.

Our driver started to look worried at this point. AS90s are huge, weigh over 40 tons, and go at a tremendous lick, so he pulled off the track. The distant rumble turned to a gigantic roar as the 90s shot past us in a thick cloud of dust, making our minibus look very fragile. We also saw some of the MLRS rocket launchers (right)

Our next mission was to observe an assault on troops in woodland, with a warning that we might hear somewhat intemperate language during the attack as the soldiers entered fully into the spirit of warfare. The Prime Warden and Mistress Basketmaker avert their ears (left)

An invitation to take lunch with a visiting General was gratefully received and we joined him and some of the other officers in an abandoned building, with the crack of small arms fire, occasional rockets and the distant crump of ordnance shaking the tin roof.

For anyone who has seen "Carry On up the Khyber", the scene was most reminiscent, with a nice white tablecloth and polite conversation while explosions and shots rang out all around. The dust falling from the roof after each bang added to the surreal atmosphere very nicely.

We were introduced to a group of new recruits in the field on their first training exercise, and it was interesting to discover the wide range of backgrounds they came from.

General Kerr led a debriefing session where we discussed the image of the Army as we perceived it, given the somewhat mixed impression conveyed by the media in recent years. A wide-ranging and thoughtful discussion followed and we all came away with some interesting issues to ponder.

Back at the Bustard Inn following our release from service, cool drinks helped to clear the dust from parched throats. In the garden, we met a group of TV people, including Peter Snow and his son. Guess who had been in the bunker being bombarded by the gun battery we were watching!

All in all an excellent, enjoyable and thought-provoking day, throwing light on how 100 Regiment is adapting to the challenges of the modern world.

all photographs kindly provided by James Nunns