SQL problems with old V2R1 program

We just spent yesterday isolating an SQL problem that confounded
our staff, and turned my cubicle into something like a Turkish prison.

We have an old program used to receive downloads from a mainframe
that uses SQL and was originally written back in 1992, under V2R1.
Sometime between midnight and 4AM, the program started issuing these 
messages:

Pointer not set for location referenced.
Exception recursion detected.
Application error. *N unmonitored by *N at statement *N, instruction
  X'4000'.
Function check.  CEE99901 unmonitored by DEIAPIC at stetement 194,
  instruction X'007C'.
Processing of the SQL statement ended.  Reason code 7.

The dump showed the SQLCODE was -952

I remember reading a thread from a year or more back that some Version 2
programs would not run under the new Version (I think it was V5R1) - but 
could not recall a specific problem with SQL.  The program is SQL/COBOL.
We looked under every rock I knew of, and failing to isolate it
better, eventually just sent the customer a version compiled at Version 5.     
This worked, but there are potentially many more customers who could
experience the same problem.  

Has anyone seen a similar problem?
If needed, I could provide the DECLARE CURSOR, FETCH and UPDATE
statements privately.
 
TIA, 

Dan Rasch - because if the human species concentrated on the really 
important things in life, there would be a shortage of fishing poles!
IBM Certified twice....... but still a couple PTFs away from Nirvana.