In line with M O'L's suggestion, which I had been framing in my mind, here goes.
Employment in the artillery can vary greatly, but don't expect to do a lot of classic close with and destroy infantry work, unless you are in a FOO or BC Party, and these people are in the minority.
On the gun position, the boundaries of your horizon will probably only be the crest or wood line a few hundred metres to your front. Your work, especially as a member of a gun detachment, will be repetitive, tiring and labour intensive. Be prepared to handle several tons of ammunition and dig big holes. You will also work long days, including sentry shifts and be expected to do it all error free. The enemt seen by many troops who serve on the gun position, and its echelon, are either bodies or prisoners. All this can, however, change quickly and you could come under ground, air or indirect fire attack.
As noted, the FOO - for Forward Observation Officer - Party and the BC - or Battery Commander - Party live and travel with the supported arm, including during helicopter or arborne assaults, assault crossings of obstacles, dismounted operations and the rest.
There are other, less well known areas such as being a member of a radar or sound ranging detachment in a forward friendly position to detect and locate enemy indirect fire weapons. There also may be small unmanned aerial vehicle detachments in situ. All these gunners must be prepared to be integrated into the company commander's plan for the defence of his position and will be expected to fight as infantry as required. It, of course, is a 24/7 operation and the consequences of failing to find an enemy mortar, for example, could cost Canadian soldiers their lives.
The same could be said for certain air defence weapons systems which are located in forward areas, while others could be sited to defend vital assets to the rear of the immediate battle area. Again, this work is tiring and demanding with long hours the norm.
Last, and this is important to lock in at the start, the artillery is a supporting arm and the gunner's job is to always give that extra bit of effort to aid your comrades being shot at. It may mean, as a result, that you are often out of sight, out of mind, but your job is vital and the expected standard is to excel. This also may mean that you don't get to do the really neat stuff on exercises, but that is not an excuse for slackening off.
In summary, most of the employment is not really that close to classic infantry stuff, but there are exceptions. If you become a gunner you may well experience long periods of excrutiating boredom and hard labour that most people believe went out with the end of the galley slave era. However, you can also console yourself by remembering there are two types of people: gunners; and targets.
- he died in 1966) was a WO2 in WWI with the 5th Bn, commonly known as the Western Cavalry. He fought as Infantry.
