RAOC Gazette - page 103
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 |
that other annual, The Officers Mess Garden Party. For several days before the event it rained, it even rained on the day, but for once Friday the thirteenth was a lucky day and the sun shone throughout the evenings entertainment which included an impressive Beating of Retreat by the RAOC Staff Band. We actually saw Lieutenant Colonel John Hart the other day. He had been to Italy for two weeks. While his staff were trying to remember who he was, he flew to Brussels. Ten days later he reappeared. " How did the Brussels trip go?" " Fine, but the week'in Australia was even better!". We under- stand that his book " Round the World with AOP " will be published when he returns from Mars next year. The rest of us are not in the same league but WOl Graham Smith will be going to Ghana with the training team and his boss Major Mike Davison will lead our Complete Round Proof team of him- self, Mr Stan Twine and W02 Paul Wharton on a trip to that well known underwater resort in Belize. Congratulations to WOl Terry Park on his AEO com- mission—as nice a homecoming present as we could wish for him. Congratulations too to Captain John Bennett and Major John Davies on being selected for substantive Major, also to Captain Jim McGrellis on his MBE. Still no sign of the netball team! Training Centre THE Training Centre swimming gala was held at the new Sapper barracks in nearby Hawley recently, and WOl Claydon, our Superintending Clerk, belied his years to win the back- stroke, beating swimmers half his age. He celebrated by going on leave to the South of France claiming a tan all over— perhaps he learned a few things there! Sergeant MoIIison, who manages the Reprographic Centre, gave an excellent performance in the four hundred metres in- dividual and relay in the Travers Clarke and South East District and helped the Training Centre win the former, and came third in the latter, qualifying for the Zone meeting. Sergeant Lawrence, our Garrison Chief Clerk, has been burning the midnight oil and has now at last taken his examina- tion at the end of a civilian course at the local Technical College. Staff Sergeant Thomson has been all over the country on resettlement courses before he departs for the great out- doors later in the year. Corporal Legg is our new Post NCO; he relieved newly- promoted Sergeant Little, and came from the Stores Section attached to 22 Light Air Defence Regiment, but he has yet to show gunner tendencies! SCHOOL OF ORDNANCE THE Commandant recently presented the Imperial Service Medal to Frank Batchelor, the Head Cook in the Officers Mess. Frank served in the Forces from 1939—1946 and has been working for the MOD since 1950. We all offer our con- gratulations on this well deserved award. It was with some regret that the Officers dined Lieutenant Colonel Colin Rogers out of the School and out of the Army, he will be greatly missed by the Corps and by the School. We wish Colin and Kate the very best in the future and hope Lansing Bagnall give him enough time off to use his honorary mess membership. The School Officers Mess held its annual June Luncheon to repay hospitality received from civilian and military organisa- tions. This year the senior guests included Major General and Mrs Stanyer and Brigadier and Mrs Short. We also welcomed Brigadier Per-Erik Haglund, Chief of the Quartermaster Corps of the Swedish Armed Forces and Colonel Carl-Axel Stromberg, Chief of the Administrative School recently, when they accompanied students of the 1978—80 Ad- ministrative Staff Course. Instructors of the Logistics Wing gave lectures on the BAOR Supply System and showed the Corps film " The Providers." The school was presented with Brigadier Haglund's personal plaque, a course shield and an ATO badge similar in design to ours but in metal. He also handed over two volumes of 'A History of the Army Ordnance Services' written by Major General A. Forbes (late RAOC) published by the Medical Society in 1929 which found their way to Sweden in 1931. (Copies are held in the Corps Museum.) In return a Corps plaque was presented on behalf of the School of Ordnance to Brigadier Haglund. We welcome Lieutenant Colonel David Porter from DSM. Lieutenant Colonel Porter's arrival was delayed considerably due to his involvement with the US of S's Supply Management Studies. Colonel Hopkinson presents the Imperial Service Medal to Batchelor the Head Cook of the School Mess. Mr We have said farewell to Captain Brian Mobley who has departed for AG9, and welcome his successor Captain Ian Dexter from DSM. Captain Mike Roycroft has arrived from BAOR and his arrival has relieved the pressure on Major Stephen Roberts who appeared to survey all his Depot Methods from a great altitude. THE APPRENTICES COLLEGE HEADQUARTER COMPANY. This term we have been in- volved in the summer camp and Platoon exercises. The summer camp was held at Penally Camp just outside Tenby, the weather was extremely kind to us. Some of the activities that the Com- pany personnel were involved in included canoeing, abseiling, sailing and command tasks. The abseiling, run by Sergeant Jeff Edwards and Corporal John HIadkij, was made even more exciting by abseiling down a one hundred foot GIoop (for the un-initiated—a hole). The command tasks, which by the way were the hardest of all activities, were run by Lieutenant Befnadette Flaherty WRAC, Staff Sergeant Taff Bloomfield and Sergeant Dave Fox with assistance from Corporal Ray Bullon and Lance Corporals Mathews and Saxon. Usually we are presented with a few broken bones on these tasks but, thankfully, this year all we had was a good laugh. On the Platoon exercises we in the Company were involved in acting as enemy and also as section commanders. The OC, Captain Ted Walcroft, used so much cam cream he thought his sun tan had gone wrong. On the sporting side, we must congratulate Corporal John HIadkij on coming second in both the five thousand and two thousand metre steeplechase at the Travers Clarke Meeting. We say farewell to Sergeant Paul Wilkie on posting to Belgium and welcome Corporal Bill Gibson from Dulmen. ' B' COMPANY. Having returned after a well earned break we have continued on the winning trail. On the sporting scene we once more retained the Inter-Company Athletics Cup. From the results of this meeting nineteen members of ' B ' Company were selected to represent the College 'A' and ' B ' teams in the Training Centre Championships, in which the 'A' team came first and the ' B ' team third. ' B ' Company Sharp Shooters have continued our successes when four Apprentices from the Company represented the College in the REME and RAOC Skill-at-Arms meetings. Special mention must be made to Apprentice Private Maxwell, who, at the REME meeting, became the Champion Junior Soldier. The team then went on to win the Young Soldiers* Cup,in the RAOC Corps meeting. The highspot of the month must go to the College Summer Camp which this year was held at Tenby. A full report will be submitted through the College headquarters, but, needless to say, the Company returned tired but heavily tanned from a most 8 — |
| Book number | R0404 |