RAOC Gazette - page 105
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 |
after all his courses is Captain Mike Murphy who had to wrestle command of the section from his ' Q,' Geoff Malthouse. Posted in this month is W02 Peter Bcatty from Ordnance Depot Hong Kong. TECHNICAL EQUIPMENTS DIVISION " MORN1N. I jest ain't gotta feeling for this place yet, it could be a real can of worms. You guys flog your tails on such a short time fuze that I'm way behind the power curve already, in fact I haven't even touched first base yet. I whanna get out of the concrete and pierce the fog a bit, get into the ballgame, get the whole nine yards moving here and make the nickel and dime decisions." Yes, it's the same stable but a different jockey as we welcome to the Division Lieutenant Colonel Paul F. Thomp- son the second, US Army, our new SOI Weapons who comes to us via downtown Berlin in exchange for Lieutenant Colonel Clinton A. Hodder, US Army. Lieutenant Colonel Hodder has left us this month to take command of a Sp Battalion at Fort Benning, Georgia. We wish him and his wife Judy untroubled times. Captain Colin Kennedy has completed his Middle Manage- ment course and is now known to all as McGregor, although going by the rate he puts his money about it should be Herz- berg. Captain Brian Crawley is in hospital at Woolwich poor chap. We wish him well and look forward to his return so that the Garrison duty roster can be put straight again. Major Philip Inman looked much younger the last time we saw him in office. He's so entrenched with Mess entertain- ments, rugby matters and, because he once won the ' Frimley and District ' El Morrocco' Tearooms C u p ' for his small part in a street crowd scene with the four strong all male Black Dyke Mills Ballet Troupe, is in great demand for the Garrison Commander's open air production of Vivat Vivat Regina. Congratulations to Staff Sergeant Dennis Ellison on his promotion to big badge rank; to Corporal Dick Parkinson— now back from Belize—on his promotion to Sergeant; and to Major Philip Inman and his wife Susy on the birth of their son. A ' well done chaps' to Sergeant Graham Whittington for a provision course ' B ' grading; to Sergeant Stewart Ambrose on the award of his EPC(A), and to Corporal Jim Hills-Avery on passing his mouth-and-trousers RPC1 course. Corpora] John Williams, one of our bigger rugby players and erstwhile window dresser for Krupp turbines is detached on recruiting at the Aldershot Display. Watch out then for some rather large and frequently aggressive B3 Supply Clerks in the future. Wisdom Corner: " We trained hard, but it seemed that cverytime we were beginning to form up into teams, we would be re-organised. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganising, and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency and demoralisation.- {AD66) Ca!us Pctronius Major David Furness-Gibbon manoeuvres Wheelbarrow into position for the tape-cutting bar opening ceremony. Captain Roger Arkcy looks on. NO 1. SECTION. We have had a good month with two notable morale boosting incidents. The first being a disruption day which kept all teams busy and we welcomed the help of the Lurgan and Magherafelt teams. The second incident was a highly successful ' stag night' which was enjoyed by all in- cluding the many guests from our support SF Units. Alpha team were called out during the evenings entertainment, but due to a certain far sighted AT who filmed the event, they will be able to view it all at their leisure on the video recorder. We say farewell to W02 Eddie Weeks and Staff Sergeant Chris Turner and welcome WOl Alec Marshall and Sergeant Bob Blakely. NO. 2 SECTION is now firmly entrenched West of Foyle in Fort George. Most of the works services are complete and to- gether with plenty of self help we now have a good working and living environment. The construction of the new ' Felix Inn' was completed in record time with the help of RESA. The Inn was officially opened by SATO, Major David Furness-Gibbon, who with the aid of a wheelbarrow cut the tape to the entrance of the bar and started the festivities. We have said farewell to Captain Roger Atkey and Sergeant Tony Thorogood and welcome in Captain Trevor White and Staff Sergeant Barry Allen. NO. 3 SECTION. It's a sad note that I must start this months newsletter. Captain Mark ' Hurricane' Wickham was injured during an incident and had to return to England for treatment. He's doing fine now and is expected to leave hospital in a few weeks time. All the Unit sends their best wishes for a speedy recovery. His replacement, Captain Malcolm Buchanan, has been suitably initiated into the section by_ his appearance at the scene of a large hole in the road down in the South of our area. Sergeant Mick Stripe left us quietly but his replacement ; Sergeant Barry Taylor has had an eventful start to his tour his most recent being a thousand pound find at Dungannon. This month sees a large turnover: From Bessbrook we say goodbye to Sergeant Bob Craig who is shortly to join the Army School of Ammunition Staff. From Omagh we say goodbye to Staff Sergeant Mick Warden and Lance Corporal Ian Carey and in their stead wel- come Staff Sergeant Nick Nicholson and Signalman Phipps. Both started their tours off accurately by meeting up with SATO at three in the morning in Fintona, nastily scarred by a car bomb. Next month we move to Portadown after ten years of Regimental History in the ' knicker factory.' It brings tears to SATO's eyes who was in the factory back in 1972. Is he really that old? Yes! 321 EOD Unit HEADQUARTERS SECTION. The Unit continues to enjoy front page coverage in ' VISOR' with recent articles on a six hundred pound car bomb neutralised in Lisburn and a three hundred pound car bomb in Londonderry. Both Lieutenant Colonel Peter Forshaw (CATO) and Major David Furness-Gibbon (SATO) had birthdays this month. To commemorate each occasion, Liz Jay wife of our Administration Officer baked a large cake in the shape of the Felix badge, the appropriate features and colours were made in icing, coconut and liquorice. Completely unashamed at the prospect of enlarging our waist- lines, as we have all passed the recent BFT, we merrily tucked in and joined the celebrations. Congratulations to WOl Mick Heath who achieved a creditable fourth in his class in the Welsh International Rally. Fate failed to smile on him in the ' Scottish' where having rolled twice he managed eleventh in class. WOl Terry Park has finally departed for Didcot and WOl Jim Harper has replaced him; the original handshake, hand- over. Sergeant Fred Hailer has arrived from BATUS pending the eventual departure of Sergeant ' Taff' Davies to Ordnance Branch. — POST YOUR NEWSLETTERS IN TIME TO REACH THE EDITOR BY THE END OF EACH MONTH LEAVING ONE MONTH FOR PUBLICATION 80 — |
| Book number | R0404 |