RAOC Gazette - page 90
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 |
These St Kilda covers will only be available by post from the Philatelic Office, The National Trust for Scotland, 5 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh EH2 4DU. To commemorate the traditional method of despatching mail from the Islands to the mainland, a special Tin Can Mail, by drums cast into the sea, is to be undertaken on this occasion. Full details will be sent when available to all those ordering \:overs if a stamped addressed envelope is supplied. THE QUEEN'S NEW PIPER PIPE MAJOR BRIAN MACRAE T was in 1843, relatively modern times, that Queen Victoria irst took into her household staff a personal piper and thus iommenced a line of service extending to today. Taking over the role later this year is Pipe Major Brian VtacRae, 1st Battalion the Gordon Highlanders. Brian initially inlisted into the RAPC but almost immediately transferred to ihe RAOC. He served with 'A' Company at the Regimental Depot at Blackdown and then moved to COD Chilwell, gained promotion and led a section in the Storehouses there. A MACABRE RITUAL DONNINGTON Garrison Amateur Dramatic and Operatic Society pulled off a remarkable double victory with their performance of ' The Ritual' a macabre drama by Albert Jeanes. The play is about a group of people who meet monthly for an intellectual discussion. Basically they are shallow stereo- type characters who try to live up to their own image of them- selves as an elitest group. One member sees through the pretence and threatens not only to leave the group but also to expose them as shallow and meaningless. The others in the group, realizing that they will be subjected to ridicule if the truth about them became public, turn against the non-conformist in a savage manner. The play, produced by Brigadier Ray Thornton, was originally entered with fourteen other Companies drawn from Shropshire, in the Shropshire Drama League Festival held at the Donnington Little Theatre in March. This presentation of the play was successful and went forward to represent Shrop- shire at the District Finals of the All England Drama Festival held at the Festival Theatre Malvern in April. The cast of the award winning entry. As a change from storekeeping he later became a military raining instructor in the Chilwell training wing (an indication 3f his infantry future?) and so remained until transferring to the Gordons in 1966. Since then he has travelled all over the world playing lighland music and on many of these trips' has met old RAOC friends with whom he has recalled his very happy times in he Corps. I am sure that the RAOC is very proud to have had luch a man amongst its ranks and would wish to join in liongrarulating Pipe Major MacRae and in wishing him every !?ood fortune in his new post. RUMBLINGS IN THE NORTH NORTH EAST DISTRICT offer a snippet from a letter written in rage by a Unit in Berwick-Upon-Tweed; it reads: — Regimentally this is a most objectionable action. It took one hundred and twenty years for the Regiment to become a Scottish Regiment again after some pipsqueak admini- strator had moved us to the English establishment. Electricity and accommodation stores today—people and other matters tomorrow. This just shows how careful the innocent staff officer must be; what started off as a well intentioned and apparently simple matter about electricity charges and the transfer of responsibility from one ASU to another threatens to become an international incident! In June the play was entered in the finals of the Ministry of Defence Intra-Departmental Drama Festival held at the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough. The play was in competition with stiff opposition from groups sent by the Old Admiralty Building in London and the RAE itself. Their victory marks the second occasion in three years that Don- nington came out the winner. The cast shown in the photograph, above, worked as a team. Successive adjudicators found it difficult to comment on separate performances because the group had become so united in their collective personality although Lieutenant Colonel Ian Gane was awarded the Best Actor's prize on both occasions. KNIGHT OF THE ROAD AT a recent Massed Bands Concert Evening in the Stadthalle, Osnabruck, Sergeant Marvin Walden of the 2nd Armoured Division Ordnance Company was presented with the five hundredth ' Kavalier der Strasse' award for outstanding con- tribution to German road safety. His citation read: — Marvin Walden was the first driver to stop following a collision between two private cars. Immediately he set up warning signs at the place of the accident and busied himself with the care of the injured, giving anti-shock treatment and general first-aid. He provided a car rug from his own car and switched off the ignition in the damaged vehicles, thus prevent- ing a very possible fire from the escaping oil and petrol. He stayed with the injured until the ambulance arrived to remove them, although this meant his being late for reporting for duty. Several drivers had driven-past the accident without stopping before Sergeant Walden arrived, and, despite his not having any knowledge of German, he assisted in the very practical way described above. Well done, Sergeant Walden, we like your excuse for being late! |
| Book number | R0404 |