Corporal Colin Turnbull was a Canadian Army corporal who made a brief stopover at the 4077th MASH in the Season 9 episode titled "Taking the Fifth". The part of Colin Turnbull was played by Charles Hallahan, best known, perhaps, as Capt. Charles Devane in the detective series Hunter.
About Colin Turnbull[]
Colin Turnbull is a corporal in the 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (2 PPCLI). In his role as a company clerk for a Canadian field hospital, he frequently communicates with Klinger. When Colin's truck came under artillery fire, he decided to make a diversion and stop by the 4077th MASH where Klinger immediately recognises "a Canadian accent" in the truck horn.
Klinger takes Colin to a meal at the mess tent where Colin surprises everyone by praising the food. He marvels that they have "real powdered eggs" and that their porridge look first rate. The server, Private Goldman, can't believe it and asks Klinger if Colin has a headwound. Canadian, Klinger replies. Colin likes their canned fruit cocktail so much that Klinger decides to give him a case of the stuff as a present. In return Colin hands him a bottle of wine which he says he got cheap at the British PX for $3. Klinger passes the bottle to Hawkeye in repayment for a $5 debt and Hawkeye uses it later to attract a nurse for a blind date. Klinger however, realizes his loss later when identifies the bottle as a 1947 Chateau Margaux, something he would pay $25 or even $30 for.
Later Colonel Potter needs some curare sedative urgently and instructs Klinger to call the Canadian field hospital (Colin's unit) to arrange a trade. Klinger senses an opportunity to make a killing and fixes up with Colin, for another trade: this time 5 bottles of the wine. The trade goes smoothly all until the drive back to the MASH when Potter and Klinger's jeep run out of water. They come under sniper fire and Potter uses the wine to fill the jeep's radiator!
Colin's Unit[]
Battalions like the 2 PPCLI did not operate their own field hospitals so it can be assumed that the 2 PPCLI was Colin's original unit but he was posted elsewhere. One possibility is the Canadian 25th Field Dressing Station which supported the 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade. Colin wears the insignia of the 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade on his sleeve. The term Field Dressing Station might have originally meant a Battalion aid station but the 25th FDS grew into a 200-bed hospital with mobile surgical teams and nurses.
Close up of Colin's shoulder sleeve insignia which is that of the 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade - the correct parent formation for the 2 PPCLI from May 25th 1951.