Back to Library Journals

RAOC Gazette - page 6

Image details

Corps RAOC
Material type Journals
Book page
Chapter head
Chapter key
Chapter number
Full title RAOC Gazette
Page number
Publication date 1980
Real page
Colour Yes
Grey No
Early date 1980
Late date 1980
Transcription THE
STAFF
BAND
APPEAL
THE draw for the Staff Band Appeal took place at Andover
with the DGOS present.
The following is the list of prize winners: —
Major Ward, Headquarters 1 (BR) Corps; Corporal Fleck,
10 Ordnance Support Battalion: Lieutenant Colonel Phillips,
SO/VAG MOD; Corporal Thomas, Ludgershall: Lance
Corporal Littlejohn, Ludgershall; Captain Wilberforce, Chil-
well: WOl Mottram, 1 (BR) Corps; Sergeant Gay, Chilwell;
W02 Greenway, Deepcut; Major Davies, Chilwell; Sergeant
Walker, Northern Ireland; Private Beard, Chilwell; Captain
iRigg, TA RAOC; Corporal Williamson, Ludgershall; 49 RP
'Company Junior Ranks; Major Cook, Chilwell; Lance Corporal
. Plunkett. 2 Division Ordnance Company; A / T Todd, Chep-
istow; Private Wilcox, 45 Field Regiment; Major Cheesemore.
| DLSA; Private Guthrie, Ashchurch ; Private Kilcoyne, 3 Division
(Ordnance Company; Private Murdoch, 12 Armoured Work-
j shop: Major Hellings, DLSA.
i
The sum of £6,400 was raised.
PARTING
PRESENTATION
MAJOR FRED TAYLOR has retired from Coypool. He is
currently on holiday in PortugaJ before returning to his home
in Jersey where he and his wife are running a small Guest
House. Our photograph shows Major Taylor with his staff
and CRAOC South West District, Colonel J. Harverson, present-
ing him with his Stuart Crystal Decanter, a farewell gift from
the RAOC Officers in the District. We wish Fred and his wife
every success and happiness in their new life.
To retirement in Jersey.
i
j
I
| 1
A CORPS
FAMILY
MRS ANNE GORMLEY who retired from Bicester recently is
part of a family which has been associated with the Corps, in
both military and civilian capacities, for some two hundred
years.
Anne's father-in-law, John Gormley, joined the Army
Ordnance Corps in 1897 in County Kildare. He was one of a
large family. John went to South Africa to serve with the
Union Defence Force and took part in the Boer War at Pieter-
maritzburg. His trade was wheelwright and he completed his
service in 1922 as a Sub-Conductor. John's family consisted of
three boys and two girls: Jack, Ron (Anne's late husband), Tom,
Lucy and Kathleen.
Jack joined the RAOC in 1929 at the age of eighteen and
went to Hilsea Barracks, Portsmouth for his basic training. He
was eventually commissioned and left the Army in 1948. Jack
was a Civilian Stores Officer Grade 2 when Branston closed in
the early 1960s and was posted to Bicester in 1963.
Ron Gormley joined the RAOC as a boy of fourteen in
1926 at Bramley and was a 'Boy Badge.' In 1930 he went to
Hilsea Barracks, Portsmouth, and was posted to Shanghai in
1933. He came back to the UK in 1936 and to Catterick. In 1938
Ron married Anne in Hawick. Ron and Anne were posted to
Arborfield in May 1939 and then on to the Records Office, Hilsea
Barracks, Portsmouth, in 1940. He was commissioned in the
field in France just after D-Day. Because of family illness
and other commitments Ron decided to leave the Army
in 1946. He went to Longtown as a Stores Superintendent and
took part in the re-organisation of the Storage there. Ron
remained in Longtown until 1950 when he was posted to Vehicle
Depot, Paisley as an Ordnance Civilian Officer, until the Depot
closed in 1958. He was a founder member of the Corps
Association at Longtown and also held office in Paisley. In
1958 Ron was transferred to Donnington and, due to ill health,
died there in 1963.
When Tom Gormley was fifteen there were no vacancies in
the RAOC so he joined the Royal Tank Corps at Bovington as
a boy trumpeter in 1930. Tom was commissioned whilst serving
with the 11th Hussars and retired as a Major (QM) in 1965. He
came to COD Bicester as a civilian worker in 1970 and worked
in Traffic Branch and Printing Section before retiring in 1978.
Lucy Gormley married a Jock McQueen who had been a
' Queen Victoria ' boy, (ie attended the famous School in Scot-
land). Jock had joined the RAOC in 1925 and he retired as a
Major in 1966 at the age of fifty five.
Kathleen Gormley. strangely enough, did not marry anyone
associated with RAOC but married her husband whilst he was
serving with the RAF. After a'full career, he retired as a Warrant
Officer.
Anne Gormley's eldest son, Brian, left school and joined
the RAOC in 1956. He did his basic training in Blackdown and
was posted to Bicester in 1957. He later transferred into the 11th
Hussars. Brian was one of the first soldiers to serve in a
Chieftain Tank during the trial period. He was awarded the
BEM in 1967. In February 1979 he retired from the Army
as a Warrant Officer and is now serving with the MOD Police.
All the Gormley's who served in the Army have received
the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.
Anne Gormley now lives at 32 Windle Gardens, King's End.
Bicester, and her telephone number is Bicester 41565. She
would be extremely pleased if any old friends of the family
would like to keep in touch with her.
SSAFA CHRISTMAS MARKET
1980
THE SSAFA Christmas Market 1980 is to be held at Chelsea
Barracks on Wednesday, 26th November.
Once again, the
Corps has been asked to run the Tombola Stall which has met
with such great success in previous years.
The DGOS has written to all the Senior Officers of the
Corps in the UK to ask for their support, and a letter from
Mrs Brown has been sent to many Corps wives.
If readers who are now retired—or are serving outside the
Corps, would like to make monetary contributions or gifts to
the Stall, these would be gratefully received. The Corps Sub-
Committee for the Market would be delighted with any gift but
would particularly like chocolates, cigarettes, wines, packed
biscuits, and toiletries.
Contributions of all kinds are required by 20th October
at the latest
Book number R0404