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RAOC Gazette - page 64

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Corps RAOC
Material type Journals
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Full title RAOC Gazette
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Publication date 1980
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Colour Yes
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Early date 1980
Late date 1980
Transcription tatton J5eto£
Directorate of Supply Management
CONTROL
DIVISION
STAFF SERGEANT FRANK FALLON of Provision Branch
has had the dubious delight of creating a new Stores Section
for his Detachment to India and then having to disband it at
short notice—could this be the shortest running Unit in the
Corps History? Staff Sergeant Mick Mayes has been detached
to Kenya, he is then posted to Aldershot on promotion. Pro-
moted also is Jock Paton to acting Corporal.
In the Inter Company Cross Country race Colonel Rowsell
was first in the over forties age group, attaining ninth position
overall. Others from the Division who took part were W02
Harry Blinkhorn, Sergeant Brian Wilkes and Corporals Jock
Brown and Colin Guilfoyce. Sailing in the Corps Yacht
' Thunderer' next month will be Corporal Des Hardon, when
he takes part in the Corps Regatta. He will also be appearing
in the Army Regatta in the same month. Corporal Hardon has
recently passed his intermediate helm course at Falmouth. An-
other achievement gained was that by Sergeant Ray Northcott,
having been part of the pistol shooting team which was runner-
up in the Corps Shoot.
The latest sport to be played in the inter-departmental com-
petition was hockey, Staff Sergeant Tony Graves being one
of the star performers on the winning side.
Postings out include Sergeants Ray Northcott and Ivan
Arathoon with Sergeant Dai Green.to Belize and Lance Corporal
Nigel Ings to Northern Ireland.
Directorate of Land Services Ammunition
THE DLSA train stopped to let off Colonel Berresford on
promotion, Colonel Styles on retirement and, last out, Brigadier
Cowdry to be DDGOS. We wish them and their families good
fortune.
The Triumverate has been replaced by Brigadier
Smith our new Director and Colonel Jefferies as Colonel LSA
Division 1. In addition we have lost Major Gordon Mc-
Clean, WOl Danby and W 2 George on retirement, Staff
Sergeant O'Donnell on posting and WOl Steel on commission-
ing and gained Staff Sergeants Holmes, Creighton and Pitman.
What with the arrival of the airborne twins, Captains Mike
Parle and Mike Wharmby, Major Geoff ' Ich bin ein Berliner'
Thomas and Lieutenant Steve Cox the average age in DLSA has
dropped dramatically in the last few months.
Those sailing posters, copies of Yachting World and
yellow wellies slung carelessly in the corner of the office,
all designed to impress the Boss on his rounds, have dis-
appeared to be replaced no doubt by diagrams of Wentworth,
putters on the spare seat and old score cards distributed liberally
over each desk, but shooting is still an OK sport as anyone
in Division 1 will verify.
The DLSA Ridgeway walk attracted four takers if you
count Winston the dog. He, Major David Hourahane (his
pack leader) Mrs Val Saunders and Major Tim King com-
pleted the forty three mile stretch from Streatley to Avebury in
a ' staggeringly' good time and Winston pronounced the beer
in the Shepherds Rest acceptable.
After the success of our first Didcot Summer Fete last year
we are having another one—nothing like a little bit of self-help
to provide money for Station amenities, and it's all good clean
fun. The Derby is coming up too and DLSA punters will once
again make the pilgrimage to Epsom for a fairly comprehensive
Complete Round Proof of JC, Red Barrell, Arkells, Arthur G,
etc, while watching the Gee-Gees. Any winnings will of course
be donated to the CRP fund for the return journey.
To finish on a sombre note—we seem to have lost our
netball team. Perhaps they flew too far south during the winter?
May be they are nesting somewhere else this year? Fellow
The loneliness of the long distance walker.
ornithologists please look out for the DLSA netball flock—
distinguishing features plymsolls, white socks, short skirts,
beautiful legs—I won't go on but you'll know them if you see
them. Just send us the Grid Ref on the back on an old leave
pass and leave the rest to us
Directorate of Supply Computer Services
THE first news item must be devoted to those in DSCS, who by
some means (no doubt by reprogramming the RAOC Manning
input to the Worthy Down Computer), have engineered postings
overseas. W02 Collison is busily acclimatising himself to ice-
cream consumption before taking up his appointment in Naples.
Having heard that Neapolitans do actually drive like robots
he is having second thoughts about having taught his wife to
drive! The following extract from the Newcomers Guide he
received clearly indicates what is in store for him: —
Naples driving is at its most interesting in any situation in
which there is an interaction necessary between two or more
vehicles; the who-gives-way-to-whom situation.
The ab-
solute cardinal rule to remember is that there is no rule.
A t every intersection a ' Pecking Order' operates and it is
possible to determine immediately your assigned niche in
Italian society by noting in what order you are allowed
to proceed. The top and the bottom rungs of the order
appear to be—(1) Large double trailer trucks going down
hill, (2) Italian GT cars costing over fifteen thousand with
striking blonde passengers
(15) Large American
cars with AFI license plates driven by females. Between
those extremes all decisions are based on price, age and
cleanliness of vehicles and the dress of the driver. If you
play the game, ifs fun—if you don't it's an accident.
W02 Briggs is champing at the bit waiting for firm con-
firmation of a posting to BAOR, whilst WOl Roberts is clearly
content with his posting to Hong Kong. All three postings are
ADP appointments, so those who say that programmer/analysts
do not move outside Bicester are now proved wrong. Can we
expect a rush of applicants now to change trade?
Sport continues to be played by those in DSCS. Our six-a-
side football team consisting of Captain Harry O'Hare, WOsl
Hartley and Coolin, WOs2 Briggs and Hoyland and Staff
Sergeant Vale came a creditable second in their league against
some stiff and much younger opposition at the recent RAOC
six-a-side tournament. Congratulations are also in order to
W 2 Kuester who came first in the javelin at a recent Army
representative athletics match. Major Richard Shore is one
of the selections for the Chairman's XI versus Infantry CC.
He is having his doubts at the moment over the new System for
Book number R0404