In 1959 3 battery (or maybe it was 4 Battery) held a deployment exercise at Haltern Ranges - I have no idea how they got the erector there. Anyway the erector engine failed big time and with no replacements available from stores a cunning plan was hatched involving Napier Barracks VMs removing the engine from an erector overnight, putting it on a 3 ton Bedford and two lemons driving it to Haltern at first light the next morning. The two lemons were Cfn Rennison and yours truly.

There was a measure of anxiety amongst those in command as the engine weighed almost twice the capacity of the Bedford RL. We were told to get there as quickly as possible without exceeding 30 MPH - can you imagine that on the autobahn! Not long after we left the camp the heavy engine shifted and found a stable position on the left hand side of the load-bed so we did the whole journey at an angle of 15 degrees.

Once on the autobahn and with no bends to contend with we drove with the pedal to the metal. The Bedford RL was particularly gutless so we did 30 MPH up the gentle rises and 70 MPH down the other side.

The German diesel trucks with their trailers were governed at about 55 MPH and for miles we overtook and then were overtaken by the same vehicles. Having made better time than anticipated we arrived at Haltern Ranges just after midday, couldn't find the REME contingent and eventually winkled out the Launch Troop commander from the Officer's mess. He was not overjoyed by our early arrival, he had given his troop the afternoon off and now we were mucking up his afternoon off and that of his men. But before he could get fully into his stride at giving Rennison and I a dressing down the BC appeared having overheard all. "Well done REME. Thank you for getting here so quickly. Leave the truck with us and go and get a meal in the cookhouse".

As we gathered our kit from the cab I couldn't help but to hear the BC giving Rupert (all young proper officers are Rupert) a talking to. I can't remember the exact words but the general gist was that if a certain Royal Artillery Lieutenant had half the initiative and drive shown by REME junior ranks the regiment would be a better place and his next confidential report might well dwell on that point. Happy days!