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RAOC Gazette - page 66

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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 KYO—and modest with it.
H—Yes.
KYO—It has been said that your notes can be a bit
cutting.
H—Well you've got to keep the peasants happy.
KYO—Who are the peasants?
H—Never mind! they've all been promoted anyway.
KYO—Why did you call them peasants?
H—Because they rightly called me the ' gentry.'
KYO—Why?
H—Because I wear baggy cords and a tatty jacket with
leather patches on the elbows.
KYO—Do all gentry, dress like that?
H—Those who can't afford a suit.
KYO—Have you had any amusing incidents during the last
decade at Headquarters RAOC?
H—Yes, when I pretended I was hard of hearing and
walked round with an ear plug in my ear.
KYO—Why did you do this?
H—I was listening to the test match you idiot!!
This rather pathetic punch line ended the interview. Well
ten years is rather a long time and we hope that our efforts
have caused the odd snigger and brought back an occasional
pleasant memory to those who have served in Headquarters
Northern Ireland.
To more important matters. The visit this month of Major
General and Mrs Brown presented an opportunity for social
gatherings of RAOC which made a pleasant break in normal
routine. We trust the visitors had an enjoyable time and
look forward to any future repeat of the occasion.
Captain Bob Manners left us this month and for such a
personage no less than two farewell parties were organised by
Staff Hibbert, although we cannot give him the title of goal-
keeper of the year we do wish him well in all future activities.
Welcome to Sergeant Taylor from Belize.
Corporal Steve Prowen were both in the RAOC Northern
Ireland squad for the Corps six-a-side football competition and
Sergeant Alan Carter, Lance Corporals Geordie Joyce and Steve
Prowen all represented the Unit in the Northern Ireland Table
Tennis Championship.
We have had two visits this month, one from the DGOS
and the other being from MHTU. Most of us were meeting
Major General Brown for the first time and it was a great piece
of one-upmanship for us as the best REME have managed so
far is a visit from CREME.
Our OC Captain Simon Hall keeps picking slow horses for
his ITV 7, W02 Jim McCarrick keeps smiling. Corporal
Chippy Wood and Lance Corporal Ian Sharpe assure us that
they are working hard at Long Kesh and Corporal Tom Povey
and Private Sid Rutter keep the Unit on the move in MT.
Private Paul Tonks our versatile Driver/Clerk/Storeman does a
little bit of everything and is now studying for his B2.
Best wishes to all our friends in Munster and Bielefeld,
especially Staff Sergeant Blackwood and Private Harvey our
new arrivals. See you all in August.
321 EOD Unit
The DCOS with Sergeant McCallin, Staff Sergeant Vranch, WOl
Black and Corporal Andrews.
ROULEMENT WORKSHOP STORES SECTION
TWO months done and two to go! Today we reached the half-
way point of our tour and by the time you read this we will
have less than a month to go. Of course I don't want to give
the impression that we are unhappy here but despite their
rough, tough exteriors our married men are missing their
' home comforts '!
The Workshop continues to keep us busy in many ways
and no-one has time to become bored, for if we are not
actually hard at our various jobs there pre many other
activities going on. There have been trips organized to local
cultural centres such as the Bushmills Distillery, Guinness and
Scottish and Newcastle Breweries which have been well attended,
particularly by Corporal Stan Preston our resident ' fine wines'
expert, and there have also been numerous sporting activities.
Most notable amongst these was Sergeant Alan Carter's
sponsored fifty six mile walk which raised £300 for a local
childrens home. Alan is leading our team in the Mourne
Mountain Walk next Sunday amongst those attempting this
twenty two miles jog at three thousand feet in places are
Corporal Steve Whittaker, Lance Corporal Frub Joyce and
Private Baby Face Emerton. Corporal Alan Mayoh and Lance
#
HEADQUARTERS
SECTION.
The
/
X Lisburn EOD team, 24E have been
/ — \ busier than usual, all of the long tour
I / ^ w ^ \ 1 Personnel ' getting a few in.'
\\l 'if' 11/
Congratulations this month goes
^JL ?-J-K to Staff Sergeant Russ Edwards on his
w _ A _ J ^ marriage to Sandra, and to Sergeant
Y\ Rf" Pete Dimmock who managed to ' wait
<Z\JJ£> it o u t ' while his wife Chris gave birth
^ < J ^ ^ to a baby boy, James Peter.
We say farewell to Staff Sergeant
Bob Watson who departed on a stretcher and wish him well
on his sojourn in Woolwich Hospital. Our best wishes go to
WOl John Underhill who leaves on commissioning to take up
a new appointment at Bicester.
AMMUNITION
INSPECTORATE.
We are saying goodbye
to WOl Terry Park, the Province SAT, who returns to DLSA,
his family and his budgies. We wish him well and promise to
remember all he has taught us. Private Taff Morris's new one
hundred and fifty pound wardrobe of civilian clothes will
remain the epitaph of Terry Park's influence in the Province.
NO. 1 SECTION.
Amongst a rush of visitors this month we
had the chance to show DGOS, Major General Brown our
equipment and accommodation, after which everyone retired to
the Felix Club for buffet lunch and an informal chat.
5 Heavy Regiment RA are the new resident Unit and we
held a party to welcome them in. Champagne Punch was
served in the ' Kremlin' and followed by a sumptuous buffet
prepared by Claudia Lock the wife of Sergeant Bob Lock
RMP our new ' acquisition m a n ' who is a fully fledged member
of the Section and keeps us on the straight and narrow regard-
ing subjects alien to ATs such as stores, accounts, returns, admin
matters etc. The party flowed to the Felix Club which gave
the lads a chance to meet and talk with our new neighbours.
Book number R0404