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George Spenceley relives his army training days in the 1950's and the many friends and memories he recalls
I was trained as a driver signaller for the Battery Major on the front line observation post. The Officer would pick out a distant target in the supposed enemy territory and it was my job to pass on the relevant information to the guns for action.
Otterburn military ranges covered a vast area and on this particular day all the Royal Artillery Top Brass were attending the exercises.
We were on the top of a hill setting up the target when in the distance we could hear the sound of heavy firing. The Officers looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. What was causing the bangs? No instructions had been given to the battery to fire.
We soon found out for about fifteen second later there was the sound of a shell hurtling through the air, then an almighty bang. The shell landed about a 100 yards to our left and the Officers became very alarmed.
Captain Francis had the presence of mind to go to where the shell had landed and take a compass reading and so check the direction from which the missile had come. There was another distant bang and a tense wait for the fifteen seconds whilst the twenty-five pound shell hurtled towards us.
The Senior Officer ordered us all to lay as low as possible in the old shell crater that we were occupying. We didn't need telling twice! I was already in the hole with my radio but in the rush I got pushed and ended sandwiched in the centre of the heap of bodies.
There was about ten of us altogether, from the high ranking Officers to the lowest gunner, me! This crater was about seven feet across and the shell had landed to our right, there was another massive bang and again Captain Francis took a bearing on its flight.
He shouted, 'It must be the Forty-Second Regiment and I fear we're their target'. He called the Safety Officer on the radio and told him to stop the firing but it was too late for a series of bangs followed, which meant that there were more shells coming our way.
The noise as they passed was very frightening as was the cursing from the Officers.
George Spenceley, 2002
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