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RAOC Gazette - page 159

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Publication date 1980
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Early date 1980
Late date 1980
Transcription 15 Ordnance Group
HEADQUARTERS
REGULAR readers will recall that in our last contribution we
referred to the tennis talent which we have in the Headquarters,
and promised news of their achievements in the DOS BAOR
tournament. For posterity, however, • we feel that the event
should be photographically recorded that whilst Major M. J.
Smith did not break any records he did break something! Not
to be outdone Colonel Edwards was also seen in a horizontal
position in another mishap. Altogether a sorry result when
compared with our pre-tournament hopes.
Sports Day Winners.
During the latter two weeks of the month, we have enjoyed
the youthful presence of two CCF contingents. It was a change
for Regimental Instructors Sergeant Bill Rice and Lance Corporal
Dai Free to teach a really enthusiastic audience! Sergeant Paul
Wilkie has been seconded from ' learning' about store houses to
helping with the training.
Our monthly inter-departmental sports competition con-
tinued with a tennis tournament. In the final, the CO and the
Adjutant came out winners for Headquarters ODA against
Corporal Taff Jones and Lance Corporal ' Chiv' Chivers.
The cricket team continues to have a generally successful
season having won nine out of thirteen games. After beating
CPO Moenchengladbach by a large margin in the semi-final of
the Rhine Area Cup, we came unstuck against Viersen in the
final which was especially disappointing as we had previously
beaten Viersen convincingly in the DOS Cup semi-final.
The continued improvement in recruiting figures is still
noticeable with the new postings in. We welcome Staff Sergeant
Peter Duxbury after six years outside, Corporal Kev Bacon,
Lance Corporals Clive Webb and Nobby Clark, Privates Black-
man, Bob Oakley, Mick Ogden, Chris Atherley, Mick Tom-
kinson, Clive Young, Mark Hughes and Pete Bingham. Sergeant
Jock Armstrong has rejoined us from BATUS and Private Nick
Lovett has returned from Northern Ireland. Congratulations to
Private Steve and Deborah Brooks on their recent marriage.
4 Petroleum Depot
WHAT a month for promotion within the Unit! Our con-
gratulations must go to the OC, Major David Chapman, and
the AO, Captain Chris Murray upon being selected, and to
WOl McCabe who is to be commissioned next year. Also
Sergeant Jeff Davis as Staff Sergeant upon posting.
That is not all, as we again hit the headlines through BFBS
when to our surprise it was announced that our OC (alias Blue
Streak!) had been nominated for the 'Boss of the Month
Award,' (by Linda our typist). All we lesser beings are deter-
mined that he will not be allowed to forget it!
To cap it all we had great pleasure in seeing that Sergeant
Jim Botterill received his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
in style. Brigadier Whalley presented it at a ceremony in the
civil canteen.
We were pleased to welcome the DGOS. His arrival, which
was well orchestrated, left the OC gazing into the heavens wait-
ing for the helicopter to arrive, when the DGOS staff car quietly
pulled up beside him. Nevertheless, the visit went very smoothly.
The Unit held its bi-annual Open Day where all the local
inhabitants were invited to visit the Depot. It was also an
opportunity to raise some money for local charities, with
various side shows set up. The day went very well except for
the weather. It rained almost continually but did not stop us
raising over DM1,600.
On the sporting side the Units cricket team is having a
fair amount of success defeating 5 FFOC and RHQ 8 Regiment
RCT, but narrowly, losing to SSD Dulmen by seventeen runs,
sixteen of which were wides given to Dulmen by a certain Cap-
tain Lloyd who was umpiring. Suffice to say he has been
sent on the OO's Course for the rest of the summer.
Arrivals: Corporals Almond and Gray.
W e get all the breaks.
As the cat said—it- takes guts to be in
this racket.
ORDNANCE DEPOT VIERSEN
AFTER eliminating Headquarters AFCENT, Dusseldorf Station
and 28 Regiment RCT, our Unit team triumphantly won the
Rhine Area Minor Units cricket cup by beating British Forces
Antwerp by five wickets, dismissing them for forty five runs.
Special mention should be made of the demon bowling by
Private Mick East, ACC (five wickets for eighteen runs) and
Corporal Stretch Johnson (one for eleven). The team now moves
on to the BAOR semi-finals, and has also qualified for the
quarter-finals of the Rhine Area League Cup.
As we previously mentioned in our last newsletter March-
ing has been a major Unit preoccupation for some time and
as a prelude to their participation in the Nijmegen marches, the
CO, Captain Guest, RSM Drew, WOs2 Watford, Marshall and
Welsh, Staff Sergeant Le Quelenec, Sergeant Groom, Corporals
Leefarr, Mullen and Mulligan, Lance Corporal Millan and
Private Kanitz took part in the Rheindahlen March. The con-
ditions were reminiscent of Burmese Paddy Fields—forty kilo-
metres of them! However, several hundred training kilometres
later, the team (joined by Colonel Edwards) arrived at Nijmegen
on 14th July to meet the challenge of one hundred and sixty
kilometres in four days. At 0500 hours the next morning (reveille
was 0300 hours!) they set off, and at 1200 hours on 18th July,
one hundred and sixty kilometres later, a weary blistered team
changed into smartly pressed barrack dress, and completed the
last four kilometres march past with shoulders back and heads
held high to collect a well earned medal and a coveted team
prize.
The CO's daughter, eighteen year old Sally Rees won the
Rheindahlen Garrison Commanders prize for Community Service
during the year—a silver cup and thirty Deutsch Marks worth
of books—and had it publicly presented at Queen's School. Con-
gratulations Sally! We also congratulate Mrs Hutchings on
presenting her husband Corporal Hutchings with a little daughter,
Stephanie.
And finally we welcome to the fold WOl Gormley RAPC,
Staff Sergeants Nichol and Marsh.
— 126 —
Book number R0404