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The 'A' Troop Experience - Part 4
This is the fourth part of "The 'A' Troop Experience", generously donated to us by Tom Eadie, who served throughout 1955 to 1956 in Malaya.
"The first photograph on the left is that of the Aftermath of the first 'Premature' (live round of ammunition exploding in the barrel of the gun) which fortunately only resulted in Bombadier (Bdr) Bill Bateman sustaining a broken left arm, Gunner (Gnr) Carman with an injured right arm, Bombadier (Bdr) Fenton with burns, Gunner (Gnr) Sweeney with burns and shock and Gunner (Gnr) Frued with cuts. Oddly there was no mention of this occurrence found in the Battery Diary entries."
"On the 19th of July, our sister Troop 'B' were supporting a local Forces Operation bombarding Bukit Mertajam Hill when they suffered the second instance of a Premature which this time proved much more devastating; Gunner (Gnr) David Little being fatally injured, Bombadier (Bdr) Ruffle having to be flown out by helicopter to Bukit Mertajam Hospital fighting to survive, and Gunners (Gnrs) Rousseau and Briggs eventually being discharge from hospital. Bombadier (Bdr) Ruffle was only taken off the Dangerous Injuries list on the last day of September in Singapore prior to being evacuated to the UK.", says Tom on the second picture.
The third, fourth and fifth picture is that of Gunner David A. Little's military funeral at the Taiping Christian Cemetery.
As a result of the Prematures, operations using the 25 pounder (Pdr) artillery equipment was suspended and we found ourselves assuming infantry duties and occasionally operating 4.2 inch mortars. With the suspected 25 Pdr ammunition withdrawn, it was to be transported down to the Kranji Royal Artillery Ordnance Corps (RAOC) Depot in Singapore by rail. The responsibility for the supervision of this undertaking unfortunately falling on the shoulders of the 'A' Troop.
Click here to go back to Part 3.