Conover, Robert Oliver: my Army recollections (May 25 - June 19, 1984)
PublicRank: Colonel.
ABSTRACT: Col. Robert Oliver Conover Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Conover_R_0164_01.mp3 (Reel 1, Side, 1) Born on Apr. 27, 1927 in Montreal. His father, who was a medical doctor, served in both World Wars. Joined the Royal Canadian Dragoons as a trooper in July 1946. Under a scheme for educational upgrading he attended McGill University for one year. Posted to the intelligence unit of Quebec Command where he worked primarily on security investigations. Attended the counter intelligence school in Maryland, in the United States (1949). Sent to Camp Borden for officer training and was commissioned into Lord Strathcona's Horse. Instructor in tactics at Meaford, Ont. Comments on promotion prospects; good annual reports and exams required, but still might be twenty years before attaining the rank of major. (45:00) Conover_R_0164_02.mp3 "Working conditions" in the services. Recruit training officer in Calgary (1952). Explains duties of "battle captain" in a tank squadron. Exercises at Camp Wainwright. Neglect of safety precautions when handling explosives caused an accident which occurred due, in part, to a desire to simulate battle conditions. Army more or less a separate society where the role of the military wife is very important, especially as one advances in rank; much social awareness is required. Wives must support husbands' career; a wrong attitude can slow it down significantly. Posted as recruiting officer in Three Rivers, Que. Anecdotes. Influence of local priest. (48:00) Conover_R_0164_03.mp3 (Reel 1, Side 2) Quality of recruits from Quebec declined after a quota was established for French-speaking members of the armed forces. Education level was a problem. Many thought of the Army as a means of escape from their narrow, provincial life. Next became involved with recruiting plans connected with the universities. Had to weed out the academics versus the leaders. Ideally young officers should have both attributes. At Army Headquarters during the next posting he found it to be virtually a "civilian" nine-to-five occupation. (45:00) Conover_R_0164_04.mp3 Three-month posting as a transport officer in Athens, Greece broke the "civilian" spell. Promoted to captain and posted to the regiment. Gunnery course at Wainwright in very cold operating conditions. Characteristics of the Centurion tank. Tank development; some foreign models too small for the average Canadian soldier! Tank tactics. Russian methods and design. (35:00) Conover_R_0164_05.mp3 (Reel 2, Side 1) Gunnery practice; miniature ranges described. Versatility required in tank crews. Appointed adjutant and operations officer in the regiment. After preparation attended staff college. Explains student body and methods of instruction. Posted as operational staff officer (general staff officer, grade 3) at Brigade Headquarters in Calgary. (45:00) Conover_R_0164_06.mp3 In 1965 he went to Germany as a squadron commander (major). Describes move, quarters, etc. Composition of the brigade as part of the British Army of the Rhine (B.A.O.R.). Centurions versus Russian tanks. Russians closely monitored Canadian training exercises. (48:00) Conover_R_0164_07.mp3 (Reel 3, Side 1) A political decision was made to move the brigade to southern Germany. This was of little practical value and they now only occupy a reserve position. The terrain in southern Germany is unsuitable for the form in which the brigade is constituted. Upon leaving the B.A.O.R. the Canadians lost the opportunity to train staff officers at the divisional and corps levels. The Centurions were upgraded at this time. Brigade became fully mechanized with the advent of armoured personnel carriers. Tactics discussed. New tanks considered. (45:00) Conover_R_0164_08.mp3 Maintenance of their British-made tanks considerably more difficult in southern Germany due to the lack of higher echelon facilities. The new German Leopard tank made much more sense from a repair and maintenance point of view. In 1967 posted to the British Ministry of Defence as a general staff officer, grade 2 (operational requirements). Coordinated the efforts of many in the production of the new Chieftain tank. Family transition to England not easy. Promoted to lieutenant-colonel and commanding officer of the Fort Garry Horse (F.G.H.) in Calgary (June 1969). At about that time the government decided to raise a French Canadian armoured regiment while reducing the size of the forces. For a number of reasons this was not entirely successful. The F.G.H. was disbanded and the unit rebadged as Lord Strathcona's Horse amid considerable dissatisfaction. (40:00)
Interviewer: Bell, Chris
Interviewee: Conover, Robert Oliver, b. 1927
An interview/narrative of Robert Oliver Conover's experiences during World War II. Colonel Conover served with Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians). Interview took place on May 25, Jun. 4, 12 and 19, 1984.
- In Collection:
- 8 sound recordings (MP3)
- 45.50884, -73.58781
- 51.5, 10.5
- Three original sound tape reels (ca. 360 min.) : 1 7/8 ips, 2 track, mono. ; 4 sound cassette copies : standard, mono. in Special Collections.
- Canadian Military Oral History Collection
- CRO_164
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/reginald-herbert-roy-fonds
- February 4, 2009
- Digital sound recording in .wav format at 16 bits and 44 kHz. In .mp3 format at 56 kbps and 32 kHz. Digitized by KG, technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF and JP. Transferred from audio reel to audio cassette between 1987-1997. Interview migrated to digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2009. Migration metadata by KD and MT.
- Rights
- This interview has been posted with the understanding that it may be used for research purposes only. Should the interviewee or their heirs have any objections to this interview being accessible on the Internet, it will be removed promptly. Contact UVic Special Collections for permission if using for other than research purposes: speccoll@uvic.ca
- DOI
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