RAOC Gazette - page 113
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 |
3 Base Ammunition Depot The tired bur successful team. Bill Rice came second in the shooting. Everybody felt that the Belgians (the organisers of this year's competition) with two Olympic shots bent the rules on weapons in coming first. With temperatures rising to thirty degrees centigrade during the afternoon, the football squad excelled. After drawing the first game with the Germans and winning the second game against the Belgians, a nerve wracking final game to decide the first two places in the event was on the cards! And so it was to be, with the British team finally losing to a last minute goal from the Dutch after we had hit the cross bar, and post and had a penalty saved. During this game WOl Vic Green suffered his first bad injury in his long and memorable career. W02 Alfie Hinds continues to embarrass us younger members with his stamina and enthusiasm, and of course there was Sergeant Ray Kennard directing the play. In the hand grenade throwing, the team including W02 John Lloyd and Sergeant Paul Wilkie, performed well. However, we hadn't a hope of beating the Belgians and Dutch for whom this is an official sport. This was the first time for some years that the British team were not bottom overall. Needless to say we won the evening activities! Now that the Summer is here, the golfers are up and about at every available opportunity beating innocent balls on- to and off the course. The professional instruction arranged for members is now a regular weekly feature, and the standard of golf is slowly (very slowly) improving. We are missing our Ace W02 Jimmy Bowen who is too far away (at Moenchen- gladbach) to play regularly. However, the Kings and Queens and even Jacks still put in some impressive rounds now and again which keeps the handicap committee busy. This year, with the changeable weather conditions, the course is in excel- lent condition. W02 Dave Barraclough and Staff Sergeant Davy Hogg (congratulations on his promotion) have put in many hours of their spare time making the fairways and greens very attractive, and even keeping the dreaded moles away. Having started the season with five wins, the cricket team has narrowly lost three recent league matches. However, they did beat 14 Topographical Squadron RE (revenge for rugby defeats) in the quarter final of the Rhine Area Minor Units Cup. Both the Commanding Officer and Corporal Ces Johnson have been ' in the runs' for the RAOC (BAOR) team. Our sailors have returned from Kiel with an impressive cup having finished as the second placed RAOC crew in the RAOC/RAPC regatta. They were third overall out of nine. The crew was Major Charles Bayley, Staff Sergeant Frank Kirkman, Corporal Bob Law, Lance Corporal Dave Stuthridge and our local Signaller Staff Sergeant Mick Huggins. The past few weeks have seen an influx of new faces. We are delighted to welcome Corporal Ginger Whittaker, Lance Corporal Pete Hockaday and Private Taff Davies and their wives, as well as Corporal John Hawkins who cycled over from Bicester, Lance Corporal Dave Pearson, Privates Steve Bosworth and Steve Leighton. Our congratulations to RSM Dave Taylor and Mrs Stella Taylor on the birth of their daughter Helen, and to Private Steve Worley and Mrs Debbie Worley on the birth of Tristan. Congratulations also, on their promotion, to Sergeant Dave Link, and Lance Corporals Nigel Rees, Giles Lamb, Gordon Speed, Jock Adamson and Bill Docherty. . THE past month has seen the start of a personnel turnover. Many old faces are now being replaced by new, who I'm sure will settle down into our busy routine. Pride of place goes to WOl John Lawrence, who is to be congratulated on the award of The GOCs Commendation. It was presented to him by Colonel Dodworth at a recent Regi- mental dinner. Our Freedom of Bruggen Celebrations took place on 24th May. The Commandant, Colonel Dodworth, and the Burger- meister opened the celebrations with speeches outside the Rathaus. A large selection of stalls, together with the usual fair were on hand, so that all could enjoy themselves. The whole affair was followed by dancing in the streets which went on to the inevitable small hours! The Control Office is undergoing a ' face lift' for want of a better phrase. Major 'Andy' Andrews the Ammunition Control Officer is leaving us on retirement, after a spell of approximately three years. He hasn't indicated to anyone what employment he will take up, but he was seen being measured up for a new deck chair and sunshade. We wish him and his wife Doris all the best for the future. Our new ACO Captain Simpson has arrived and is in the process of being introduced to what we call ' Control Office Routine.' A new landmark was unveiled recently, in the form of our new NAAFI complex. This was opened by Mrs Dodworth, after which followed a mad rush for any cut-price goods that ' might' have been on sale. Golf takes pride of place in this month's sporting achieve- ments. Corporal Ian Gray (who else) travelled to Sennelager and won the BAOR Individual Golf Tournament for the third successive year. Shortly after which he, WOl John Kearney and Staff Sergeant Paul Ladley represented the Corps in the Army Inter-Corps Championships. With 3 BAD supplying three of the four man team, the Corps 'A' Team carried away the honours for the second year running. Our three ' pro- fessionals' are to be heartily congratulated on their achievements. More silver entered the Unit coffers when our athletics team came back from the RAOC BAOR Travers Clarke Meet- ing. We did in fact win the overall competition despite intense pressure from FOD Dulmen, who won the Track Cup and 3 ADOC who walked away with the Field Cup. Our athletes are too many to mention individually, but Lance Corporal Lee Ramsay won the Long Jump, W 2 Keith Humphries, Corporal Alan Simkiss came third in the Hammer and Javelin respectively. Our APTC man SI Mai Shaw won both the four hundred and eight hundred metres, and in the process broke the Corps Record for both events. The relay teams for the one hundred and two hundred metre relays brought victories including a new Corps Record for the one hundred. The whole team is to be congratulated on their win, which includes all those involved in the training and organisation. Major Ben Cooper our SSO has finally given us a report on the exploits of the cricket team. They have had mixed fortunes, losing in the opening rounds of the Rhine Area and DOS BAOR Competitions. However, we have had three victories since, so we are hoping to continue in this vein. Major Cooper and Corporal Dave Gelling are working hard to produce a balanced team. To this end they have initiated an Inter-Departmental six-a-side competition to root out any hidden talent that might be lurking in amongst our departments. Fourteen teams are currently competing, which includes a team from the WRAC (coached by Rachael Heyhoe-Richardson!). Results will of course be reported when known. Medals, plaques and congratulations, were showered upon our up and coming swimming team after winning the Rhine Area Minor Units Swimming Championships in the pouring rain at Rheindahlen. Captain Raff Stuart is now humming Berliner Luft, an indication as to where the BAOR Cham- pionships will be held. Our stalwarts were Sergeant Mai Shaw, his brother Corporal Taff Shaw, Lance Corporals Geordie Laing, Geordie Scaife, Steve Ward, Privates Topper Brown, Scan Scanlan and Taff Hulley. Whilst the price of gold rises our birthrate is falling. Corporal and Mrs Bob Lowe are the only ones to 'be con- gratulated this month on their recent addition to their family. Promotions are also down: Corporal Stark, Lance Corporals Scott-Ker and Spears are congratulated on their promotions and its goodbye to Major Andrews, Sergeant Fair- clough, Corporals Spink, Travers, Lance Corporals Beat, Little, Mansfield, Straw, Streets, Watson, Privates Bradley, Garett, Phillips, and hello to Captain Simpson, W02 Knoll, Sergeants Dovell, Walters, Lance Corporals Edmonds, Parsons, Wittekind, Privates Sadler, Smyth, Sprackland and Taylor. — 88 — |
| Book number | R0404 |