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The Umbrella and Duck Saga16 Field Regiment RNZA prepares for Koreaby WF Giles, 162 Bty |
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When the Regiment came together in 1950 at Waiouru, we first trained in our trades then progressed to work as a troop of 4 guns, and on to a battery of 8 guns, then finally as a regiment of 24 guns.
163 Bty, however, stayed out the extra night.
Bill Giles
162 Battery |
163 Battery |
16 Fd Regt
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It was during Bty level training that 162 and 163 Btys were on manoeuvres in different parts of the training area and working independently. It had rained heavily for a day or so and everything was soaking wet. On the evening before we were due to return to camp, Major (Dinty) Moore, 162 Bty BC, reckoned any idiot could get wet and since the exercise had gone well he took us back to Waiouru some 18 hours early.
I believe someone in LAD decided to cut two stencils - an umbrella and a duck. Using the cut-out stencils, the umbrella was painted in yellow on 162 Bty gun shields and the duck was painted in blue on 163 Bty gun shields. The colours being the identifying strips for each Bty.