Strange gdb debugging problem

[Jack Howarth]

     I have noticed something odd when trying to debug gfortran generated 
code using gdb. The program in question, xplor-nih, calls fortran subroutines
from a c shell program. If I compile all the code with -g, run the gdb with
the c shell program as the argument, set a break point in the fortran code
and then run, I find that gdb stops as expected in the Fortran code. I can
then use print in gdb to look at all the integer and real variables.
However if I try to look at a character string declared as...

CHARACTER*132 JACKSTR

I find that it claims...

No symbol "JACKSTR" in current context.

However if I create a simple fortran program with the same code
gdb always finds the symbol. Executing "set language fortran"
in gdb doesn't help in the case of the mixed language program.
Is this a known issue with gdb?
                      Jack
ps The string isn't in a COMMON block in case that matters.