Reminiscences of John Burns | ||
The Map Reading Dog | ||
I remember being out on a Map Reading exercise around Cader with several other J/Ldrs which was being led by our Cambria Platoon Commander – Lt Brodie (Black Watch) who was also in charge of Map Reading Training for the Company or the Regiment. | ||
The young J/Ldr who was doing the map reading suddenly found himself lost. The rest of us had just done the usual thing and followed along behind him. | ||
Much to Lt Brodie’s annoyance the young lad couldn’t come up with a solution so he then asked for a volunteer to lead us home. To no one’s surprise there was no immediate take up to his offer. | ||
I, knowing he was my Platoon Commander, then felt the need to improve my junior career by taking a personal initiative and stepped up to the mark having no idea where we were either. (I thought I could bluff it for a while to get my bearings!) | ||
After trudging along in a haphazard way for a few hundred yards I was still none the wiser. | ||
It was then that I noticed that Lt Brodie’s black Labrador seemed to have prior knowledge of his surroundings and was intent in heading in a certain direction. | ||
All my Junior Leaders Training came forward with a sound decision to follow the dog who obviously knew exactly where home was. | ||
A very sound decision which led to me being awarded the Senior Map Reading prize at Graduation in 1964. | ||
If only Brodie had known what an excellent map reading dog that was!! |
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