RAOC Gazette - page 150
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 |
tative Colonel Commandant, Major General P. J. O'B. Minogue and other senior officers of the Corps who were present to dine nine new officers into the RAOC. This opportunity was also taken to say a formal farewell to Major Desmond Townsend the acting Senior Instructor Logistics who leaves for his course at UMIST. His rugby and cricketing talents have been used to the full. He's been a good ' loggy ' too! Lieutenant Colonel Peter Goodwin (Retd) seems to have got himself into a ' jam ' recently or was it a cement lorry being naughty all over his bonnet! Finally this month's quote from the executive dictionary "Let's get together on this " = " I'm assuming that you're as confused as I am " ! EMPLOYMENT TRAINING SCHOOL WELCOME new arrivals at the School are WOl Clive Walch from Ashford and Staff Sergeant Stewart Thompson from 7 Armoured Workshop. Fond farewells to Captain Dave Clark, on commissioning, to 39 Brigade and good wishes on retirement to Mr Paddy Ryan and Mr Alf Newton. Staff Sergeant Alan Coulbeck had a flying visit to Rhodesia and returned with sun- tan. The block leave period is upon us and we should all be re-vitalized and ready for a hectic re-start of courses in late August. Our intrepid sailor Sergeant Tony O'Connor has returned again after a successful spell on ' British Soldier,' sailing for the Army. His sights are now set on another try at the Whit- bread ' Round-the-World ' team for 1981. At present Sergeant Garret, our Vehicle Specialist fisherman, has only produced ' The one that got away ' stories. TRAINING COMPANY THE sun shines for our passing out parades now, suggesting that the OC has made peace with his gods. Recruits continue to come in at a reasonably fast rate and many of them manage to pass out some three months later. The last lot to do so were Delhi Platoon, who paraded for Lieutenant Colonel Stark. The Inspecting Officer had been given the day off by his staff at ETS because it was his birthday. Our main news this month comes from our unsung heroes in the Military Training Wing. It is undoubtedly an auspicious occasion as I put pen to paper and attempt to record the ventures of the motley crew aboard the Military Training Wing, indeed one requires to separate fact from fiction on various aspects, however, it may be recorded as fact that a highly qualified team consisting of RSM Penrose and Sergeant Joe Dickinson was detached to CVHQ to take part in Exercise Sea Horse (a hard and gruelling exercise in the sunny climes of Cyprus) in order to render in- structional aid. Although regarded initially by the TA members as AI Capone and his top torpedo Buggsy Spiegel they were soon accepted into their midst as part and parcel of the exercise, which was conducted and executed to a high standard of proficiency, thus showing the ability of our TA counterparts to excel as soldiers. ACTION REPLAY. RSM P "Sir, it's essential that Sergeant Dickinson and I go to Cyprus with CVHQ for a week or two." OC. (Thinks: Now's the chance to replenish the duty free). " No problems RSM, it seems ages since I last tried Keo." Aside to Second-in-Command. " Remember that Keo brandy Gordon?" Scene in OCs office (two weeks later). RSM P. " Here you are Sir, one bottle of Keo each for your- self and Captain Coombs. Had a hell of a job convincing the customs that it really was Keo beer though!" It is rumoured that Sergeant Joe Dickinson may be going to Bicester (to sort it out he says). Lance Corporal Allen Kelly is rumoured to be on the move to BAOR to the good fortune of some lucky receiving Unit. All members of the team, wish them both " Bon Voyage " and all the very best in their new Units, wherever they may be (should rumour control be wrong). We welcome Corporal Ian Ross and family into the wing following his spell as a Recruit Platoon NCO. May his stay be a happy one. APPRENTICES COLLEGE HEADQUARTERS COMPANY. We have seen the return to the fold of Corporal (Twinkle Toes) Watson after his opera- tion, or should we say transplants for two new feet. We also welcome back Sergeant Jim Ward after his tour in Zimbabwe. Congratulations must go to Sergeant Allan Inder on pass- ing his QTOs Course, and he is now busy holding tests for the Apprentices. The Training Wing Staff are wondering when he is actually coming back to work in the Wing. The Platoon exercises are still playing a major pan in the programme and the OC, Captain Ted Walcroft. is busy convert- ing the College into being soldiers first. The Officer Commanding now has a Second-in-Command in Lieutenant Hopps and 1 shall take this opportunity in welcoming him albeit, so he says, just for a month. Congratulations to John Hladkij on promotion to sub- stantive Sergeant. 'A' COMPANY. Aden Platoon have carried out a growing number of Corps of Drums commitments. They have carried the name of the College far and wide, culminating in a week's performance at the Manchester Show. Captain Oldham and Sergeant Reynolds have produced a band of which the College and the Corps can be justly proud. Help to the community continues to be a feature of off- duty life. The Brookwood Hospital is the focus of Ardennes Platoon attention. Among the tasks awaiting their unrivalled skills is the demolition of old air raid shelters. The suggestion of a controlled explosion—just a tiny one—by the Platoon Com- mander. was not well received. Shock therapy it was felt ought to be left to the medical profession. As a result picks and shovels and karate have all been used and one shelter is at last, no more. Our term leavers have been kept very busy, apart from trade training, driver training and final tests, they have visited outside Units, helped out local ACF. provided helpers for exercises and sports events—now they enter their final weeks at the College and the Passing Out Parade lies ahead. It only remains to record the activities of the two Recruit Platoons Alamein and Amhem. As soldiers, sportsmen and future members of the RAOC and REME. they have already made a very considerable impact. Arnhem Platoon are to visit Arnhem, Holland, during their summer leave. Alamein, ever hopeful, may not find it too easy to get to North Africa—and as for Arakan, is Burma really too far away? Perhaps next term? ' B ' COMPANY. There has been a great number of goings on over the past six weeks. Having returned from Tenby (our Summer Camp location) we saw Brunei Platoon immediately return to Wales for their External Leadership Training course. closely followed by Bruneval and Berlin. In addition the same three Platoons carried out their battle camps under the eagle eye of our College Training Officer, Captain Ted Walcroft. On the visits scene the Company spent a very interesting day at the Aldershot Army Display followed by a Sunday at Bovington viewing a mock battle demonstration. Both visits proved very worthwhile. Platoon visits have been plentiful. with Brunei, Bruneval and Berlin Platoons visiting our cadet detachments in Reigate, Caterham and Redhill. Visit of the month must go to Burma Platoon, whose Platoon Commander, organised a day trip to Boulogne. This visit was approved on the grounds of being educational! Twelve Apprentices from Bruneval and Brunei Platoon have just returned from Holland having competed in the annual Nijmegen Marches. Mention must be made to the fact that the OIC, Second Lieutenant Jeremy Redwood and Sergeant Jim Starkey managed to get the team to complete the course without anyone having to drop out. This was an excellent achievement. As an added bonus most of the Apprentices have managed to find Dutch girl- friends, so it wasn't all just marching. Special mention must be made that Apprentice Sergeants Malcolm and Skelton and Apprentice Lance Corporal Henry have been selected to represent the Army against the Navy in athletics. This is a clear indication of the high standard achieved in the College this season. Benghazi, our Recruit Platoon, after completing their first six weeks training, had their Acceptance Parade. They are to be congratulated on the high standard achieved in such a short time. CENTRAL VOLUNTEER HEADQUARTERS CONGRATULATIONS to our Shooting Team on their many successes at the TARA Meeting at Bisley and especially to Lance Corporal Weatherby, the winner of the Queen's Medal for Champion Shot of the Territorial Army. Full details are given elsewhere in THE GAZETTE. Annual Camp is over once again, and though the weather in Devon was not very kind a good time was had by all. Brigadier Short the Commander RAOC Training Centre paid a flying visit to the camp. A belated welcome to Lieutenant Colin Auger and family. We hope their stay with us will be a happy one. 7 — |
| Book number | R0404 |