RAOC Gazette - page 121
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 |
Lance Corporals Martin and Ayris do a bit of bomb making. Sergeant Winser ACC, Corporals Hall, Walls, and Clarke and Private Atkinson. Sad farewells have been said to Corporal Francis, Lance Corporal Pattison, Privates Moorhouse and Wilks plus two of our long serving senior ranks CSM Flowers and Staff Sergeant Stafford. The latter leaving on promotion to W02. Combat Supplies Battalion B THE volume and quality o f this month's company notes proves, once again, the effectiveness of management by fear. I am delighted to be able to hand you straight over to ^ ^ M H i m 4 n 3 a s RP COMPANY. The last month Deen ^^^^H .. 1KB? relatively quiet on the sport- ar ^ ^ B ^ B :'• 'i- M WM ing >d social scene, but this has been m^^^m*s~<z~~>~M^mm m o r e m a n compensated for by a rather hectic work load, which has been added to by 44 Company being away on their Summer Camp. We have just had our annual PRE and Staff Sergeant Leo Green's frantic efforts to find the part number to indent for ' Grecian 2000 ' were all in vain — the Company received a reasonable report! Not that this surprised Corporal Derek Palmer and Lance Corporal Phil Sharpe, our REME VMs who were responsible for the high standard of vehicle main- tenance. Our Orderly Room is pulling out all the stops to get Private ' Winnie' Winstanley on a driving course just as soon as possible, because on his being a passenger in a bogged-in Land Rover, he just could not comprehend that when four-wheel drive was engaged, all four wheels move in the same direction! CCRAOC, Brigadier Skinner visited the Unit recently and talked to nearly all the members of the Company; he also gave ' Waley' Wallace a pack of beer for coming second in the Battalion Cross Country Race! We welcome to the Company Sergeant Chalky Balding, and Privates Chris Smart (from 49 RP Company), Mark Tweedle and David Tomlinson. 44 RP COMPANY. From the sandy ranges of Sennelager to the dusty plains of Lamperfheim—a change of scenery for our annual camp. In force the fighting ' 44th' descended on the 3 Brigade ranges of the US Army, under the command, for the first time of Major Allan Allkins (known as ' putter 1 ' to his golfing friends). CQMS Bill Disberry and his merry (?) men who formed the Advance Party ensured that the camp was immaculately set up with ' soldier like' precision and accuracy. The main party travelled down by coach and private cars and the navigator in the Chief Clerks car, no less than the MTWO SQMS Bill Robinson, failed to navigate one Auto- bahn turn off and they just, carried on and on and—they made the camp site during the hours of daylight!! The Military highlight of the Summer Camp was a forty eight hour escape and evasion exercise, during which all the soldiers had to report to several different RVs and carry out some of their military skills. Whilst carrying out the tasks and ' footing i t ' between the locations they also had to avoid any contact with the UK Aggressors, made up of Second Lieutenant Gosney and the DS (or should it be SS) SNCOs. Enemy foreign agents were provided by the Military Police of the US Army. Corporal ' Tracker' Nonis managed to get caught by the MPs and they refused to let him go until Lance Corporal Charlie Peace stole an American rifle and set up his own version of ' Swap Shop.' Points were awarded at each stand and it was in fact the team lead by Tracker Nonis that eventually won the competition. During a night in which they had to ' rough i t ' each section had to attempt to plant a device near an enemy strong point. Only two succeeded—with Lance Corporal ' Daisy' Adams getting closest and Lance Corporal ' Ginge' Jones a very close second. The following day was spent visiting the other stands and carrying out more tasks; by sixteen hundred hours everyone had managed the final RV. From the RV it was a ride back to camp where everyone was re-allocated to a different section for a Company ambush/attack phase during which we were again joined by the US MPs. The ambush went well, but when regrouping and following instructions from Cap- tain Wood, all sections, with the same Grid Reference, ended up in three different locations! While no one really knew wha! was going on most people snatched a ' bit of k i p ' whilst the Americans were getting ' trigger happy.' Then, someone made a move and all hell was let loose with blanks, thunderflashes and all sorts going off all over the place. It was the 'Alamo ' all over again. The traditional Bar-B-Q was held on the Sunday evening and a large number of our American friends visited us. Suit- able * fare was provided by Corporal Pete Burn and Cooks Privates Heitt and Machen with Private Taffy Hughes on the musical side of the evening. Anglo American sports day with yet another Bar-B-Q and the 44th took on the allies at football, volleyball and, would you believe, baseball and, at the final count honours were evenly shared, although the US beer supply left a lot to be desired—they kept running out! An inter-section Patrol Race was held during which more military skills were tested and the DS team of Second Lieu- tenant Gosney, SQMS Pete Knoll, Staff Sergeant Brian Reid, Sergeants Frank Goldsworfhy, Yorky Coates and John Hop- kins (4 Petroleum Depot) were disqualified for practising the assault course phase of the race! The team' led by Corporal Matt Paul eventually emerged as winners. All in all an excellent camp which everyone thoroughly enjoyed. Congratulations this month go to Privates Westwood, Wright, Pearce and Jones (74) on their promotion to Lance Corporal. Welcome to Staff Sergeant Terry Foster and family. Lance Corporal ' Jaws' Denman and Privates Chisholm and Hindle. 49 RP COMPANY. Pride of place this month must surely go to the 49 Orienteering Team. After achieving a very creditable third place in the BAOR Championships, Captain Stuart Addy, the CQMS Staff Sergeant Dave Davies and Corporal Peter Cuthbert went onto the Army final in UK. With fifth place in the UK final, fifth place in the Army minor Units final and fourth place in the individual placings, this must surely be a first for any RAOC minor Unit. The brighter weather has enticed other sportsmen out into the open air, too. Privates 'Taff' Evans, 'TafP Davies, ' Chippie ' Wood, Mich Bartlett, Vinnie Ditchfield and Lance Corporal ' Smudge' Smith have joined Captain Pat Callan and Sergeant John ' just watch this' Claughton in their bid to form a water ski-ing squad. They have taken to it like (dare I say it?) ducks to water. 49 also ventured onto the centre courts of Paderborn. The tennis team led by our intrepid ATO, Captain Geoff Lynn, and featuring such stars as Corporal ' Nastase' Hindle, Corporal ' Bjorn ' Meach, Corporal ' Vitus' Heatherington, Sergeant ' Connors' Dawson and Lance Corporal 'Arthur' Smith. Despite the wealth of talent 43 Company won. The Company was well represented in the team which took part in the RAOC BAOR Athletics Championships. Lance Corporal McFarlane, Privates McGinn, Hannibal, Featherstone, Firth and Hardie did their bit. — 94 — |
| Book number | R0404 |