In the summer of 1979, I did the Summer Recruit Training Program with my unit of the Canadian Forces Reserve, the Lorne Scots, Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment. Back then we called it “the militia”, but living in the US has ruined that word for me.
In what is for me a stunning bit of foresight, I wrote down the names and in some cases a parenthetical remark in a sheet of paper that was tucked in the back of the picture frame. Too bad I don’t remember what most of those remarks mean and which ones were meant fondly and which were meant in malice. Also too bad that my handwriting is so awful. Also, I don’t always have first names. That could indicate that it wrote it down some time after the summer was over, when I would have had very little contact with people in the other companies. Anywhere, here is what I can decipher:
| Silversides | Charlie Robertson (I wish I was in Dixie) | Rich Aselton (Ok, security up) | Wayne Gail (but I can’t get it up) | Pete Slavin (yey-hey-hey) | ||||
| Tom Brudlo (Solar energy, man) | Rick Shepard (mentally unstable) | Dave Seaman (sloth) | Val Smith (CO’s daughter) | Steve Vandereyken (Get off my bike) | Bill Rosmus (where’s my helmet) | Scott Crowley (Black is beautiful) | M/CPL Brian Letham | Cortnage (Lips) |
| Millage (Buddy fucker) | Andy Thompson | Dave Vella | Mike Jochim (hey wow, man) | Alex McKelvey (Load) | ME | Gauthier (‘ello dere) | Malcolm Thompson (Bruce Lee) | |
| Mackenzie (you bag) | Elliot (Super bag) | Terry White (even worse) | Stew Campell (Gung-ho) | Coulter (runner) | Tim Markow (piece of shit) | Brian Bristol | Jim Dawson (strange person) | Keith Ewing (Smoke drugs, be happy) |
| CPL Carmen Macpherson | M/CPL Stewart Sherriff (All right, listen up) | LT Peter Sanderson (What do I do next?) | SGT Gary Ewing (I can do it, you can) | CPL Larry Taylor (piece of piss, eh?) | CPL Geoff Smith (CO’s son) | CPL Nick Russon (loses breech blocks) |
Update Not sure why I wrote “Peel, Halton and Brampton” when I’m almost sure it was “Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment”.
Too bad I don’t remember what most of those remarks mean and which ones were meant fondly and which were meant in malice
Is it fairly safe to assume that there’s little question over “Piece of shit”? 🙂
I’m not even sure about “Piece of shit” – military nicknames weren’t the kindest thing around.
Nice picture
I too joined the Lorne Scots back in 1963-1964, learned a lot and should of stayed in.
I was also in B company Brampton.
I am now a memeber in the Legion Colour Party and wear my Lorne Scots Collar Dogs with Pride. I have the dress balmoral and wish I could locate a tunic to wear at legion functions. The kilt is not a problem.
Ray
RE: “Piece of shit”
I believe “piece of shit” was Markow’s response to everything, not his nickname. Other comments in here are also catch phrases or often used phrases. Like my own “solar energy, man” (has to be said really fast while hardly moving your lips). I had forgotten that I use to say things like. I figure Mackenzie would have said to that; “You bag”.
Many of the other comments are descriptive observations. You be the judge.
Thomas
I recall the following:
Silversides left the Regiment shortly after the course was concluded;
Charlie Roberston stayed on with C Coy (Georgetown) for a few years (releasing in the early ’80’s);
Rick Aselton left the Regiment shortly after the course was concluded;
Pte Slavin the same;
Tom Brudlo stayed with the Regiment for a time after the course and then transfered to the Regular Force (ending up in the Canadian Airborne Regiment);
Rick Sheppard stayed with the Regiment until the early ’80’s;
Dave Seaman left shortly after the end of the course;
Val Smith stayed for some years after the course and married MCpl Letham. She now resides in Barrie and is a mother of three (I think);
Steve Vandereyken transfered to the Regular Force (Air Force) and is a Sergeant Air Frame Technician; Bill Rosmus left the Regiment in approximately 1985;
Scott Crowley left the Regiment shortly after the end of the course;
MCpl Letham (see Val Smith);
Rumour has it that Cliff Courtnage left the Regiment and ended up in Afghanistan fighting the Soviets with the Muhajideen (I’m not sure how true that one is);
I can’t remember Millage at all;
Andy Thompson, Dave Vella, and Mike Jochim all stayed for a while and then left by the mid ’80’s;
Alex McKelvey never left the Regiment and is now a Master Warrant Officer (Sergeant-Major) in B Company with overseas time in Bosnia and has volunteered for duty in Afghanistan;
Brian Gauthier left the Regiment shortly after the course was over;
Malcolm Thomson joined the Regular Force (PPCLI and Canadian Airborne Regiment) and is presently overseas;
MacKenzie (don’t recall what happened to him);
Elliot left about a year after the course ended (not soon enough);
Terry White (don’t recall what happened to him);
Steve Campbell left the Regiment soon after the course ended;
John Colter remains with the Regiment to this day. He is a Warrant Officer and Sergeant-Major in A Company (Oakville);
Tim Markow left the Regiment in the early ’80’s;
Brian Bristol the same;
Jim Dawson the same;
Kieth Ewing stayed on for a while in C Company (Georgetown) and then left in the mid ’80’s;
Carmen MacPherson married, took a Commission from the Ranks and ended up a Captain in the Air Cadets before retiring;
Stu Sherriff remains with the Regiment, after promotion to Chief Warrant Officer (Regimental Sergeant-Major) he took his commission and is the Officer Commanding B Company (Brampton);
Lt Peter Sanderson was promoted to Captain before leaving the Regiment in the late ’80’s;
Gary Ewing was promoted to Master Warrant Officer before leaving the Regiment for the Lincoln & Welland Regiment. He ended up with the Toronto Scottish as the Regimental Sergeant-Major;
Larry Taylor left the Regiment and took a job as a crewman on a Great Lakes cargo vessel;
Geoff Smith stayed on with the Regiment and made it to Sergeant before leaving in the mid ’90’s;
Nick Russon-not too sure what happened to him.
Stew (not Steve) Campbell joined the reg forces / SSF shortly after the course, stayed for a while and left in the early 80s, if I remember right.
Jim Dawson left very soon after the course and joined the Halton Regional Police Force.
Laughed my ass off when I saw this picture. Wish I could remember what the ‘where’s my helmet’ thing was about. Probably one of the many ridiculous things I have been credited with. The whole experience was worth it. Mind you, we do tend to forget the shite and remember the good parts.
I also seem to remember Markow’s ‘piece of shit’ responses. (Anyone: Nice car. Markow: Piece of shit.)
For what it’s worth, I’m working as a software business systems analyst. Was doing a lot of unix and database programming (for data warehouse and conversions, etc… still pretty good at that). Java’s the new thing. I’m in St. Louis MO. right now (good blues music… oh yeah).
BillR
Wasn’t there somebody who was always talking about joining the reg forces for the “Underwater weapons school”? Considering the state of the submarines in the navy at that time (and now, it appears), “javelin catcher” or “Labrador helicopter pilot” sounds like a safer career.
As for the “where’s my helmet”, I think that’s due to a day we spend doing compass stuff at that proving grounds next to a refinery in Oakville. You were holding the compass, so you gave me your rifle to hold and hung your helmet on my canteen. When you were done with the compass, you discovered that the steel helmet had slid off leaving just the fibreglass liner hanging there. You said it was my fault for not noticing it falling off, I said it was your fault for not securing it better, and neither of us wanted to pay for the replacement out of the piss poor money we were making that summer. I don’t remember what happened after that.
You know… I remember the compass thing at shell park. But I don’t have the slightest recollection of the helmet incident. But for some reason I have this feeling they used to cost 45 or 50 dollars though. Strange.
Brudlo… I still remember Sgt Ewing calling roll call in the morning, and Shogun was on the TV during that summer. Instead of coming to attention and yelling ‘SARGENT!’, Brudlo came to attention and yelled ‘HAI!’. On a winter ex he also became the ‘mutant ice warrior’. Too funny.
$45 or $50? I can’t remember if we made under $200 a week or if that was every two weeks. I know I spent the first paycheck on road skis and the second paycheck on some new parts for my 10 speed, and the third on a new 4 season down sleeping bag, and $200 would have just about any of those.