Mortar instructions

Following in the Hollywood tradition (as practised by George Lucas) of the “prequel” this scene is from just before the 81mm mortar shoot video posted previously. It begins with Aidan Teevan preparing the ammunition assisted by Joe Fitzgerald. Rossa also makes an appearance here but seems disappointed when the tube he opens does not contain a 12 year old Jameson single malt.

Aidan told me that he was once discussing mortar practises with a French army colleague who was amazed (étonné!) when he heard how much ammunition we were issued to practice a battalion. “Mon Dieu!” exclaimed Monsieur le Capitaine, in France they would practice a brigade with that quantity. Mortar practise there consisted of one crew firing a bomb, they were then replaced with a new crew whose number one re-laid, and they then fired a bomb and so on and so on!

35 seconds into the video Johnny Kelly is clearly demonstrating the correct way to insert the bomb in the tube, although from the previous video not everybody was paying proper attention.

After 1:08 we see Towser calling in the drinks order to Fentons, while wearing his helmet over his beret in quite a fetching manner.

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