RAOC Gazette - page 120
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 |
annual regimental training here. • This subject is not bandied about loosely in this part of the world and the fight is already on to see who will be on rear party—the Chief (Hissing Sid) is believed to be the first non-combatant on the list. The Ad- ministration Officer Captain Martin (who is re-enacting Mont- gomery's planning of his final battle tactics at Tobruk) has just returned from a recce of Vogelsang and has confirmed that Schleiden and Gemund still exist. He has made no mention of Monschau, I wonder why. On the sporting side Staff Sergeant Ray Brooks who has been recently promoted attempted to justify his promotion by captaining the Unit cricket team. Although full of zest and vigour the team lost ignominiously to 4 Petroleum Depot Other Units are now clamouring for matches with us in order to get in batting practice. Corporal Jimmy James and Lance Corporal (get a haircut) Hussey are still walking around in a daze trying to work out whether it was their fault or Ray Brooks. They have desided it was the captain's bowling and suggested he gets a sick chit against playing in future. Here is a mention of people who claim are never featured in THE GAZETTE. Sergeant Ron Eden can be seen walking around with a snarl on his face looking for the individual who threw a bucket of water on him, Private ' Smirf' Attwood is trying his best to look innocent. Lance Corporal Phil Handley had planned on leaving the Army this month but has to wait a little while longer. Congratulations are in order to Corporal and Mrs James on the birth of their son Owen and to Staff Sergeant Ray Brooks and Lance Corporal Dave Cassam on their long awaited promotions. (Sorry about bringing you all home in the June issue—hope the LOA didn't stopl—Editor.) 3rd Armoured Division HEADQUARTERS RAOC THE RAOC BAOR Athletics Meeting was a successful event for the Division. Our team, captained by Sergeant Art Matthews, produced some excellent per- formances. Sergeant Les Pearce won the hammer and was second in the shot, whilst other runners-up included Lance Corporal Patterson, long jump and high jump and Lieutenant Morrison, one thousand five hundred and five thousand metres. To round off Corporal Grahame Shead was third in the eight hundred metres and Private Doherty fourth in the javelin. This led to 3rd Division winning both the Field Events Cup and the new Field Force Trophy. Congratulations to all those who contributed to this excellent performance. ORDNANCE COMPANY MANY things have happened to the Company over the past months, some exciting, some interesting, some exhausting and some just plainly unwanted. The exciting part came in two parts and have yet again brought the Company into the limelight. First we won the DDOS Football Cup with a convincing score of four two against (their name is not mentioned here to save them from any embarrassment) and secondly the 3rd Division athletics team did well in the RAOC (BAOR) Athletics Cham- pionships. They won the Field Force Cup, the Field Events Cup, the Hammer Cup, finishing third equal overall behind FOD Dulmen and BAD Bracht. As Headquarters RAOC has submitted its own write up only two of our own stars will be mentioned. Lance Corporal Patterson won the high jump competition and was second in the long jump and Lieutenant Morrison (yes, like a bad penny he has come back again) finished second in both the one thousand five hundred metre and five thousand metre events. The interesting part, or perhaps it could be called the exhausting part, was the training for and the Harz Walkabout Competition (Exercise Sore Feet). This was an orienteering/ marathon competition held in the Harz mountains over a two day period and a distance of one hundred kilometres. Though the training for this had to be done in spare time, it was proved necessary as only twenty teams out of the sixty that entered, managed to complete the course. Two or our three teams finished. Captain Chilton, Lance Corporal Collins and Private Shearin finished in a creditable eleventh place and Lieutenant Morrison and Lance Corporal Halliwell and Private Kearney finished in thirteenth place (this could be a lack of judgment on behalf of the team leader). Our third team of Lieutenant Brownlee, Corporal Bishop and Private Packham was unable to finish due to their love of a check- point—they spent three hours within one hundred metres of it before deciding they had found it! Lieutenant Tindle com- pleted all the training but handed his team to Lieutenant Morrison as he had to go on a PQS 1 TEWT—and he wishes to take some of the credit for his team finishing. The month was exhausting due to two major exercises that we took part in, the Staff College Demonstration and the CRAOC exercise. The Company received much praise for its display during the Staff College Demo, but special thanks must go to Corporals Short and Slater and Privates Ellis and Bennett who put on the best display of the whole demon- stration. During the CRAOC exercise the Company found a new role for itself as helicopter shock troops due to our train- ing on Puma and Chinook helicopters. We welcome back Lieutenant Morrison (who is just back from a three month OO's Course) and say welcome to Lance Corporal Wisbey and Private Phillips. A belated welcome to Corporal Bishop who was missed off of last months list (the writer got six extras for leaving him out). Finally congratulations to Staff Sergeant John Ludlow and his better half Maralyn on the birth of their first son. It has always been said " third time lucky" but after three daughters their lucky number is four (at least the family name will live on). 4 t h Armoured Division THE general tempo within the Headquarters has begun a marked upswing on the Opera- tions/Training front as Exercises Javelin and Spearpoint assume a growing signi- ficance. The effects upon the S02 Accom- modation Services, Major Tony Wilson- Ing, and the Adjutant, Captain Charlie White, have however, been far less notice- able. Both officers returned from leave to find that an enforced trip to UK was next on the agenda, courtesy of Her Majesty, to attend interviews at UMIST. The dejection on their faces is apparently attributable to the fact that they should be firmly ensconced in Manchester, before Exercise Spearpoint begins! Congratulations to Lance Corporal Luke O'Neill on his pro- motion to A/Corporal. He now assumes the responsibilities of Chief Clerk RAOC. Also selected for promotion, from W02 to WOl, are ADOWO, Tom Tait, Chief Clerk AQ, Jim Donoghue and WOIC Stores Section 58 Station Workshop, Mick Tripper, our warmest congratulations are extended to them. ORDNANCE COMPANY LETS be " fwiteflee English" and start with the weather. Summer seems to have been and gone as for the past three weeks it has successfully rained daily with the result that Detmold is at its worst. During this time we have enjoyed the company of Major Rousche of the Swiss Army who joined us under the exchange/au pair scheme. He took part in all our varied activities and we were proud to accept his frequent praise for our professional approach to our role. Elements of the Company have been involved in a variety of tasks including Javelin CPX, the dry run for Spearpoint. In this Lance Corporals Burgess and Southern practised FOT deployment with the Task Forces and, aided by our two new radio operators, Cannon and Parker, spent the whole eight days bouncing from location to location endeavouring to maintain radio contact with Company Headquarters, tucked up comfort- ably in a variety of barns. We are now confident that it's all stations go for the ' big push' in September. In order to keep ourselves in trim for this we have recently practised tank killing and our photograph shows some of our intrepid heroes preparing home-made fire bombs for this task. Lance Corporal Law and Private Peach have been in Den- mark enjoying two weeks with the RWF on an adventure training exercise. To send a Jock and a Taffy on such a trip may have been playing with fire, as we expected the former to be eaten and the latter to be recruited, but both returned in one piece with many tales to tell including several about the various culture centres of Copenhagen. Lieutenant Stamps led ten of us on a Border Patrol which always provides an interesting few days for those lucky enough to take part. Unfortunately the weather dampened the spirits of the lads on the other side of the fence to the extent that they were not in the most playful of moods. Arrivals include a baby for Corporal Gammons plus — 93 — |
| Book number | R0404 |