Official Magazine of the 7th Survey Regiment, R.A.
Vol. 1. February 22, 1941 No. 1.

"THE SHINY SEVENTH".
Lt. Col. K.F. Mckay LEWIS, M.C. R.A. COMMANDING
7th Survey Regiment R.A.

I have been given the opportunity of writing an introductory article
to our magazine and, as it will not reoccur, I want to use it primarily
to welcome all ranks to my Regiment. You will notice that I say "my"
Regiment. I do so not only because King's Regulations state that "a
C.O. is responsible to the King for the maintenance of discipline,
efficiency and a proper system in the unit under his command", and not
only because I am very proud to command the 7th Survey Regiment. I call
it my Regiment because I had its interests very much at heart long
before it became a Regiment on paper.
I have them more at heart now that the Regiment is half-formed, and
those interests will become more and more absorbing as time goes on
and the complete Regiment, fully formed, trained, and equipped, mobil-
ises and goes into action.
From my own knowledge alone (though military history for ages can
point the same lesson) I know that the success or failure of a regiment
depends on its commander. I want all who read to realise this for, if
they fully appreciate its significance, I shall then feel that they will
readily give those things which cannot be "drummed into them" on the
barrack square, but which count most in the long run -- whole-hearted
and intelligent co-operation towards making the 7th the best of all the
Survey Regiments in the Royal Artillery.
Now it is part of my job to get to know all I can about every single
soul in my Regiment. Its a tall order, but whilst I am filling it I
can, so I've been told, do my part by telling you something about
myself an so, as it were, make the introduction complete.

I am a Regular Officer of 23 years experience. I went to France in
1916 at the age of 19 and found myself in command of a battery, as an
acting captain, at the age of 21. I have twice been an aide-de-camp to
G.O.G's. and so have seen something of the Staff at work. I have been
seconded for two tours of duty under the Colonial Office. This was when
peace time regimental soldering became too monotonous for me-- so I
went off bush whacking" as it is called.
I did three years in North Kurdistan (Iraq) with the Levies at one
time, and another tour in Northern Nigeria (West Africa) with the Royal
West African Frontier Force. On these two tours I was, for the time

---

2.

being, an infantry officer and had a company of natives. There was a
healthy lot of scrapping but not too much, and one lived a very free,
but NOT easy, life, with a fair amount of responsibility (something
like 100 square miles half-full of unrepentant savages to keep in
order).
I have done my tour in India (five years) and there I was lucky
enough to get the Survey Troop at the School of Artillery for 3 1/2 years
That was where I got "bitten" and realised for the first time both the
importance and the essential practicability of R.A. Survey. Here again
I was with natives, for some of whom I have a great liking.
The Survey Troop had only three British officers and the rest were
Indian Officers and other ranks. Of course, one had to know the lang-
uage pretty well, but the strain of putting across the meaning of
sidereal time and teaching the newly-joined the reasons for the in access
-ble base, or 0-45 computations, was sometimes pretty severe.
I left the Survey Troop on promotion to Major and was sent to Quetta,
in Baluchistan, to form a new Mountain Battery on Sikhs and Punjabi,
Mussalmans. Six months after formation we returned from our first
practise camp not having completely covered ourselves with Glory, but
having many more successful than unsuccessful shoots to our credit
and I went on leave.
Whilst at home I was offered the command of the Training Battalion
of the Military College of Science. I took it, thus getting out of my
sixth year in India. As I am married and have a family the question of
separation from them somewhat swayed my decision.
On the outbreak of war, we moved to Lydd where I spent my time
striving, to make a half-finished hutted camp into a liveable and com-
fortable place for 1200 permanent establishment and 800 on courses.
In January 1939 I was called to the School of Artillery at Larkhill
to become "I. G. Survey". In April I went to the newly-formed R.A. School
of Survey as Chief Instructor, and later became Assistant Commandant.
Now I have the "Shiny Seventh". I call my Regiment the "Shiny Seventh"
because I want it to shine in every way. Military History proves that
the best regiments at their job--which is fighting-- have always been
the smartest. You can all help to make this Regiment the best at its
job, in both peace and war conditions, by taking the following truths
to heart:-
Shiny buttons and boots show a man's persona pride and smartness.
Clean, well-cared-for vehicles and technical equipment betoken mental
appreciation of their value and their readiness for war. A clean body
(inside as well as outside) denotes a fit man. Dulled brains and minds
are of no use --but the mind that is shiny and polished by use---
brilliant, in fact, is best for any task.
I hope you will all use my regimental nickname, for if you do,
you must then, for regimental pride's sake, act always on the lines I
have given above.
I would like, in conclusion, to point out that though I am essent-
ially a Field Gunner of the old 18-pr, school, by both choice and
training I have spent long enough in R.A. Survey to really know it and
study it as a practical Gunner. That study and experience has con-
vinced me that a Survey Regiment properly handled in war is an indis-
pensable part of that "finding out" and then "knocking out" of the
enemy artillery which is the job of the field, medium and heavy guns
of the Royal Regiment of Artillery.

HERE we are "On Parade" for the first time, rather proud of our-
selves but ready for as much criticism as you can offer,
We are proud because we have overcome many difficulties, with
willing help from all sides. We want criticism because this is the
only sure means of producing a magazine of which we shall all be
proud, and lifting it from its humble beginnings to a more com-
plete, more polished record of regimental activities.
Colonel Lewis points out, in his inspiring welcome, that in the
long run only the intelligent and whole-hearted co-operation of all
will make the 7th the best of all the Survey Regiments in the Royal
Artillery. So too, "On Parade" will become a first-class magazine
only if everyone in the Regiment actively co-operates to make it so,
Its success, as well as its failure, depends entirely on YOU.

There can be no doubt our success. Ours is a new Regiment,
ours the pride of place in its yet unwritten history. Every day adds
a new part to that story. so there can be no dearth of material,
instructive and amusing, worth permanent record in these pages.
If we can help you learn a little and laugh a lot we shall have
fulfilled our aim to foster esprit-de-corps and pride of Regiment.
If you want a regular magazine of your own, improved and enlarged,
it will have to be sold at, say, twopence a copy to provide the
minimum essential funds. Those willing to buy future issues can put
their names on lists in the various huts.
What we want most of all are articles, Semi-technical or amusing,
all the camp gossip and adventures, and all reports of sports and
social activities. If you provide the raw material we guarantee an
interesting production, It is up to YOU.

.............

THE farmer watched the surveyor set up his theo. and tape the
distance to the trig, point. "What be yo agoin' to do thare"
he asked, " A satollite", he was told. "Nay", retorted the farmer,
"ye baint agoin' to set alight anythin' 'ereabouts. Jest you clear
to 'ell out o' this.".

MY esteemed friend, Professor A.H. Witless, Ph, D. M.A, Edoritus
Professor of Slopophagy, Warminster University, has patented yet
another world-shaking invention. This is a boon to breathless
harriers. He has perfected a portable trig. point with a personal
wind-graph for each subscriber. If you can't make Cow Down trig.
point on the Battery cross-country run, all you have to do is to
look up your most comfortable distance on the graph and fix the
professor's trig. point (carefully cast from blue prints stolen from
the Ordnance Survey) in advance-- if you can. The learned half-wit has
revealed to me exclusively that this new dodge-'em device is based
on his stupendous discovery that Log Diff Eating minus Log Sine
Breathing = Log Distance. It seems a first-rate scheme in theory,

but if the sergeant spots you trying it, I suggest you do a slick job
on a change of grid and vanish

SURVEYING brings us into contact mostly with farmers, and it seems
that many of them haven't a very high opinion of us, especially Sound-
Rangers. A farmer approached one of our Warrant Officers and complained
"Them Sound Rangers be fine liers. I asked one of them what be in them
green and yellow wires wot you be runnin' across my fields, and he do
say "Current". I cut 'in to see wot kind an' there baint no kind o'
currants as I can see. An' wot's more,I looked into one of them hen-
coops, but there weren't no chickens, only a tin incubator, and there
weren't no eggs in that, either."

*****
JAM ON IT.

*****
20 YEARS OF SURVEY.
By R.S.M. THOMAS.

Military Survey is not, as the uninitiated may think, a comparatively
new-fangled fad, but a well-established branch of the Army which has
more than proved its worth. Times and methods have changed since those
early days but basically Survey remains the same, and it may be of
interest to contrast conditions then with those of the present.
I joined the Survey Company in 1922 and was posted to the F.S.
section. We formed part of a B.E.F. which went to Turkey on a twelve
months "Cook's tour".
There are at present in this Regiment two others who were members of
the Survey Company at that time-- Lt. Miller and B.Q.M.S. Martin. The
latter was, and is, affectionately known to the Regular Survey men as
the "G.D.M." I have heard various definitions of this term, but the
original was implied and meant. I tried hard to be initiated into the

mysteries of survey, but at that time few understood much about it,
and those few were very reluctant even to show anyone a log-book. The
log-books then used were Shortreads and Chambers, two massive affairs
of seven-figure logs, which would be impracticable in the field.
Still, I manage to gain sufficient knowledge to be able to follow
the calibration of the naval guns, for which the Navy used the F.S.
posts to co-ordinate the bursts.

After our return to this country the Company settled down to real hard
work, (sometimes, though rarely, we even had afternoon parades, and the
hunting suffered accordingly). Seriously, though, the little germ was
spreading, and real schemes were thought out and practised.
Rather Heath Robinsonian were our efforts, and they had there humer-
ous side, For instance, the total transport of the Company was
4 horses;
1 G.S. waggon, and
4 Mess carts.
This meant (1) when coal fatigues or any other fatigues were detailed
which called for the use of the G.S. waggon, two horses had to be used,
which meant schemes were cancelled; (2) A sick horse meant one of the
four posts was short: (3) When the four mess-carts were loaded, and the
F.S. post personnel started to lay the wire, two of the horses usually
jibbed at the brow of Knighton Down and the posts did not get into
action at all.
After five years at Flash-Spotting, during which advances were made in
leaps and bounds I was transferred to the Survey Section. (The idea was
that anyone on a long term of service could spend time in each group).
I thoroughly enjoyed the work because of the varied brigades and
batteries of artillery with whom, and for whom, we worked. During the
summer we spent a week here, another there, and another somewhere else,
and the time passed quickly and pleasantly.
I was booker to an observer whom many of you from the School of Survey
will know -- B.S.M. Offley, and that man was a wizard at reading a "theo".
Full of energy and enthusiasm he would tramp up the Welsh Mountains and
others, carrying the "theo" stand while I, with one eye scanning discon-
selatly the hight of the mountain, would lower the other to the two
boxes containing the "theo"-- large contraptions weighing 28lbs, at the
foot of the hill, and about three tons by the time I reached the top.
He would then take sixteen rounds of angles faster than I could book
them, and before I had time to announce "Round Closes" he would be off
to the next point.

I had always a sneaking regard for Sound Ranging, with its com-
plicated electrical instruments, and on reaching the exalted stage of
another posting I struck a lucky patch.
The N.C.O. i/c charging room had bought his discharge, and was going
home next day. I was asked if I knew anything about accumulators, and
not wishing to appear ignorant said "Yes". Immediately I was given his
job, with twelve hours to find out what I wanted to know; the first
thing I did was to buy rubber soles and heels, for safety's sake.
I had to leave the set of accumulators that were already in charge,
and just switch on for the Saturday inspection, to show I know my job.
By trial and error I learned a little about electricity-- at a very great

cost to the Government. These "processes of elimination" I will des-
cribe in a later article.
I do emphatically deny, however, that there is anything mysterious
about Survey. So take heart, you lads, and remember that a voluntary
evening's work saves more than a week's training later on.

The officer who said "We've got everything under control", when the
Battery lost the Rugby Skittles match?
                                            *****
The Battery wit who called to a "native" sitting by the road-side,
"Marnin' Garge", and was coldly answered: "I'm afraid your'o barking
up the wrong tree this time"?
                                            *****
The gunner who was missing when the Orderly Officer turned out the
Guard, and where was he?
                                            *****
The surveyor who strolled past the R.S.M.'s office with his rifle
slung when on picket:
                                            *****
The M.T. driver who wants P.T. every day?
                                            *****
The office clerk who complains that he has to stop work at 22.15 hours
because of "Lights Out"?
                                            *****
The sergeant who absent-mindedly knocks on the INSIDE of the door as
he leaves a Regimental Office?

When you look at Orders one night and find yourself detailed for cook-
house fatigue next day you realise (is this is your first cook-house
job) that for one day you are to have the privilege of being one of the
workers behind the scenes--though "privilege" is perhaps not the right
word to describe your feelings.
You wake bright and early. Brightness is not compulsory, but earli-
ness is, otherwise the cook-house N.C.O. i/c might have to remind you
that 0700 hours does not mean 7-30 a.m. You have already made up your
mind that you will probably have to work like a horse so you don your
harness-- in this case, fatigue dress--and sidle into the cook-house
by the back door-- to find that the other five fatigue men have beaten
you to it.
It is probably snowing, raining or freezing outside, but in here
fires are roaring away merrily. You are just thinking how pleasant it
would be to relax and enjoy a nice, hot cup of tea when there is a
scurrying and bustling, and the fatigue party reluctantly leave the
comfort of the fires and breaks up into twos and threes as they obey
the national injunction to "go to it".
                                                ..............
There is no need to describe in detail the various jobs you will be

called upon to perform during your fatigue. Those who have done it do
not want to be reminded of it, and as for those who haven't (if there
are any) we will then cherish their illusions a little longer.
But in between your spells as a house-worker, scavenger, porter and
cooks labourer you do get an insight into what goes on behind the hot-
plate; and even though by three o'clock your feet are beginning the
strain, and you have discovered anew that there is such a thing as work.
You will have realised with what remarkable ease and efficiency the pre-
paring and serving of several hundred meals is carried out.
Among other things you discover are that the hot-plate is sometimes
too hot to lean on; that the dinning-room floor expands to an alarming
extent when you approach it with a broom; that potatoes have more eyes
than the inspecting sergeant at a guard-mounting; that soldiers are
allergic to crusts; that it takes many more than 60 minutes to make an
hour-- and that by the end of the day you have partly lost your appetite
for food.
Somebody once said: "Work is a sacred thing, Never touch it". If that is
in your view, too, you had better forget it the day you land a cook-
house fatigue.

*****
SOUND RANGING IN PRACTICE.
by Sergeant W.J. Hoskins.

Many people think that Sound Ranging is an expensive toy of the few
intellectuals who have drawn princely salaries at Biggin Hill and such
places for years. But as some of us can testify, it has another side
which has fully justified itself, subject of course to certain modi_
fications to catch up with the new mobility of warfare.
Only a few months ago one of the Sound Ranging batteries after train-
ing in anything but laboratory conditions, found itself pitch-forked
into action in Belgium. Gone were the ideal conditions of the Larkhill
ranges, but somehow, after the first shock was over, they were able to
get to work.
The reconnaissance party consisting of the Battery Commander, O i/c Survey and O
i/c Lines, pushed on ahead and found instead of the exposed clear ridge, an area
cluttered with outcoming Belgian and
incoming British troops. Everywhere a microphone should have gone in
theory a battery was digging-in, so our ideas had to be altered quickly.
However, a straight regular 5-microphone base was sorted out with some
of the mikes only a few yards from the guns.
The selection of H.Q. was a problem in itself. The infantry had taken
over available building, but in the end, a very well-sheltered house
and farm was found in a wooded and deeply-cut ravine, and we felt fairly
safe, The rest of the battery came on the job in a remarkably short time
and had installed their base and were ready for action, less the right
A.P., which was nine miles from H.Q.
Imagine the difficulty in getting a line of this length out. with
the wail of dive-bombers and later long-range guns. Still, this was
achieved, but not without one rather funny incident.
A certain gunner, now bombadier, was in charge of a line party, and
at one stage the line was passing through a village. "N" was hanging on
an electric power bracket at the corner of an estaminet when Jerry dive-

bombed the light A.A. battery in the back garden. One of the bombs hit
the estaminet, and blew everything down except the corner the man was
hanging on to. The wire was blown out of his hand, but 'N' calmly
called down "pass me that -- wire again", and it was not until he had
climbed down that he knew how little of the building was left.
The base was in action three days, and five locations were produced,
and all on long-rang guns which could have been located by no other
means. I should point out here that our guns were firing a continuous
barrage, and one troop of 25-pounder near us were fired nearly 3,000 rounds
in 36 hours. It was a terrible on everyone, and I think it was then
that this two-troop organisation really materialised.
The line section averaged about 12 hours sleep in five days. This
showed clearly that Sound Ranging batteries were tremendously under-
established.
What happened after and during the retreat is another story. Some
day the four remaining people who have not heard the whole history of
it thousands of times may do so, but to arrange the chaotic events
which happened in such a rapid manner is beyond my attainments.

The winds blow chill on ghostly Cow Down's height,
The rain comes blinding down in callous sweep;
Cloud-hid sky allows the moon no light--
The guard swears softly while his fellows sleep.

Snug in their bunks, in well-warmed quarters, they
Swathed in blankets and in great-coats lie,
Oblivious to wild Nature's stormy sway-
while he, in duty bound, must do or die.

He doesn't mind the doing or the dying,
For soldiers all are heroes, you must know;
His problem: How to get those wet clothes drying?
Is a greater one than how to beat the foe.

The "Shiny Seventh's" orchestra, which made its debut very success-
fully at the Sergeants' Mess dance on St. Valentine's Day Feb-14,
has set itself the task of beating the record of the 3rd Survey Regi-
ment, R.A.
This unit has one of the best dance orchestras in the Royal Artillery
and was formed and licked into sufficiently good shape to broadcast in
seven weeks. With our Commanding Officer one hundred per cent behind
us we are already well ahead by being in possession of most of the
instruments. Players are lacking, however, but I am staging a band
concert shortly with the aim of stirring up those who can (but think they can't )play.
With the help of all our men in various ways the task will be made
easier, so "Go to it", everyone, so that the "Shiny Seventh's" band
will be in demand at all the Victory Balls.
R.S.M.

Inter-Battery Rugby opened on Tuesday Feb 11, with a strenuous
game between the Surveyors and the Flash Spotters. Playing only 12
men against a full Survey team the F.S. put up a great fight, and
held the Survey pack so well that it was difficult for the Survey
line-out to get away. TREW as scrum-half, often managed to pounce
on the ball and swing it well out to his three-quarters, to give Mr
Dillistone an opportunity for his well-nigh unstoppable spurts, but
the F.S. three-quarters foiled these attempts thanks to the help of
their full-back, Mr Barlow, whose flying tackles were an example to
his team.
The winning try was scored by Bdr. FISHER, who cleverly broke away
with a pass from TREW, and skirting the F.S. halves and three-
quarters placed the ball neatly between the posts (which, by the way,
were in a "recumbent posture"). Mr Bennett's imagination was taxed in
trying to convert over a non-existent bar, but the kick was a clear
miss.

*****
SEVEN-ASIDE SOCCER.

"A" squad of Flash Spotters could only muster 12 men for this im-
provised match, but Mr Barlow and Capt Arbib came to the rescue.
Some of the players were more accustomed to Rugger, and were rather
baffled by the antics of the spherical leather. Other odd facts were
that 10 of the 14 players were wearing red shirts, and that as many
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
played in gym shoes as in the more orthodox footwear.
As the Reds were kicking very much uphill in the first half it was
hardly surprising that the Blues were leading by 4 gaols to 1 at half
time, but when in the second half the Blues added 5 more goals they
proved their superiority beyond any doubt.

                                *******

The Probables beat the Possibles 3-1 in the first Regimental trial
match on Feb 15, the referee being R.Q.M.S. Martin, Teams were:-
PROBABLES: B.S.M. S. Kirkland (F.S.); Gnr. Hempsall (Survey); Major L.
G. Lewze (S.R.); Gnr Hill (Survey); Gnr Webber (F.S.), Gnr . Tabbitt
(F.S.); Gnr. Bloom (S.R); L/Bdr. Brekenridge (F.S.); Gnr Capey (Svy),
Gnr. Smith J.S. (F.S.); and Gnr. Howard (S.R.).
POSSIBLES: Gnr Canning (S.R.); Bdr Knight (Survey); Gnr. O'Leary (S.R.)
Gnr Francis F. (S.R.); Gnr Laurie (F.S.); Gnr Dixon (S.R.); Gnr P.J.C
Vincent (Survey), Bdr Fisher (Survey); Gnr Francis B (S.R.) Gnr Mc
Creary (F.S.); Gnr Barker (Survey), Scorers Probables, Smith J.S. (2)
and Bloom, Possibles: Francis B (penalty)
.
                                    *****

The 7th Survey Regiment R.A beat the A.R.P.S. 4-1 at home on Feb 8th.
Nixon, of survey, scored the only goal which gave the Reds victory
over the Blues on March 1st
F.S. won the inter-Battery Cross-Country Run on Feb 26, with a total
of 138 points for the first ten home. Survey (140 pts) were second,
and S.R. (182pts) third. Gnr White (S.R.) was first man in, followed
by Gnrs James and Laurie (F.S.), Bdr Pittwood (S.R.), Gnr Rogers (F.S.)
and Gnr Davies R.S. (Survey).