RAOC Gazette - page 161
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 |
Congratulations to Private and Mrs ' Taff' Royal on the birth of a baby boy. Also to be congratulated are the follow- ing on successful upgrading: Privates Ellison, Baxendale and Lawson on passing their Driver B2, and Corporal Ellis and Private Greenwood their Bl. Commiserations to Privates Clive Lefeuvre and Martin Wood on tying the matrimonial knot. Not, I hasten to add, to each other. We welcome Corporal Tressler and Corporal and Mrs Ellis, Lance Corporal and'Mrs Collett and Private Stoker. We say fare- well to Private Powell, Corporal and Mrs Jock Wright and Lance Corporal and Mrs Campbell. 1st British Corps HEADQUARTERS RAOC AS you can see above Ordnance Branch has now changed its title in line with the change of DDOS to CCRAOC, henceforth we are called Headquarters RAOC. CCRAOC Brigadier John Skinner is again this month continuing his initial visits to RAOC Units within the Corps Area. Although he is only pay- ing brief visits to his own office the yellow perils (memos to staff officers) are descending like leaves in an autumn gale. We were visited earlier this month by Major General Brown on his initial visit in his appointment of DGOS. After lengthy briefings by our staff officers the DGOS still found time to take coffee with the clerical staff before visiting other Units within the Corps Area. WOl Tony Mottram still refuses to take his car out of the garage as the accident rate has risen to five (seven to go). Now that Exercise Javelin has passed, Captain Glen Gillott is in the process of placing his wanted ads: WANTED ' TEDDY BEAR FOR USE ON EX CRUSADER ' Offers to Headquarters RAOC 1 (BR) Corps This month we welcome Major Dan Putt, how long he will stay we do not know as he has been selected for promotion to Lieutenant Colonel. We also welcome Staff Sergeant Keith Honeysett and family and Mrs Elizabeth Collins the new PA. Congratulations also this month to Private Graham White- house on his marriage. A M^ f^L M m ^ £ ^ ^ ^ | l y^m ^ B ^m ^ ^ ^ WF STAFF CLERKS. AQ Operations is our featured branch for this month and these notes are written by their Chief Clerk W 2 John Regan. Most people I met on my recent arrival here at Ripon Barracks either gave me a huge silly grin and said "well—I'm just about to leave" or, " I'm leaving shortly " or just simply collapsed on the floor amid guffaws of laughter screaming " I leave tomorrow." I have now got over this traumatic introduction to life at 1 Corps, now only occasionally answer the telephone with "AQ Operations, Comrade Regan speaking Sir" (my bad habits from Prague being a little difficult to shake off), and have resigned myself to the fact that three years here is probably a better prospect than three years in Kabul right now! Thankfully, most of my AQ Operations ' Logstars' are not yet in the danger zone of imminent departure euphoria, seem to be in possession of most of their faculties and still manage to retain their sense of humour—Just! Our Staff Captain Q Operations, Captain David Griffiths is deservedly gaining promotion to Major shortly—though in- formed circles believe there is something fishy about his name being in the pool this year—Wye? I can't fathom. Staff Sergeant Chris Mabbott, our Security Agent is always seeing stars, Sergeant Smudge Smith, steadily discovering that life in the Sergeants Mess is not all a bed of roses has great expectations over Exercise Spearpoint; and Corporal Steve Kemp, who has now moved into a house dangerously con- venient to the Headquarters, is Second-in-Command of the Corporals Club. Steve, an ex-para, now has to keep his feet very firmly on the ground. Lance Corporal Bob Shiels is one of that fortunate breed who can stuff their faces continually with food yet not put on weight and when he is not eating I gather he is a strong contender for the ' Golden Blanket' award. Lance Corporal John Heath dreams of a McEnroe type per- formance at Wimbledon but possibly his love-life, his effervescent grinning un-McEnroe like humour and his own tennis standard will combine to deny him his dream. Lance Corporal Jenny Campbell provides the glamour within the Branch but the fellows have to keep on their toes to catch her for she is an athlete of some repute. Finally, Private Chris Gilmore acts as my ' troubleshooter' (when not running errands to the NAAFI shop for Lance Corporal Shiels Mars bars) and we welcome him to the branch and hope he will be with us for some time. That is the AQ Logstars—a happy breed though I can't understand why, when a volunteer was called for to assist on Exercise Long Look in New Zealand recently, all my junior NCOs applied! Finally congratulations to WOl Bill Johnson now safely tucked up in the anonymity of MOD SD life in his promotion and much praise too, to W02 Pete Bedford on his rapid elevation and recent, well-deserved award of the BEM. Well done Pete and standby for an AQ Operations invasion of Berlin when you get settled in. Away from AQ Operations we would like to congratulate Corporal ' N e d ' Kelly on his recent promotion. Well done. 1st Armoured Division THIS month we start off by saying welcome back to our Adjutant Captain Tim Cross. He has been on a working holiday to Cyprus to see just exactly what he is going to have to face later on this year when he is posted there. He complained of it being too warm—how lucky he was compared to L us! Also this month our CRAOC Lieu- tenant ^BSsy—go^W Colonel Clive Pickard, went for a , © "<sJSTt>«-^\^j v ; s ; t t B e r ii n t S U p p o r t the 1st Armoured Division Ordnance Company in the swim- ming championships—we know he had a good time, and the Ordnance Company came third. On the sporting scene we have Sergeant Dick Goodfield representing our branch in the Divisional cricket team and Corporal Jock Falconer practising very hard at his golf—it seems he wasn't just caddying for the Adjutant so watch out Tom Watson; Royal St Georges may prove unlucky for you next year! Finally, we would like to welcome Private Kevin Davis and Sergeant Dick Goodfield's wife Kathy and son Nigel who ha've just arrived from UK. Congratulations to Lance Corporal Paul Ranger on receiving his sub-promotion and to Jock Falconer on his recent acting promotion to the dizzy heights of Corporal—ever further to fall! A ORDNANCE COMPANY THE Company has been active on the sports field this month, Lieutenant Dick Greathead took a ten man team to Nijmegen to complete in the four day international marches there. Our swimming team under the direction of Staff Sergeant Frank Mines and Sergeant Brian Hymers went to Berlin to represent 1st Armoured. Division in the BAOR swimming championships (Minor Units). This follows their outstanding success in the Division tournee. Congratulations on that 'one lads, all we want now is the big un! Congratulations are also in order to our CSM W02 Brian Patchitt and his wife Jackie on the birth of their second child, Jonathan, earlier this month. Well done also to Private Ian Hamilton on promotion to Acting Lance Corporal. We welcome the following—Lieutenant Chisholm and Lance Corporal Wilkes: and say goodbye to Lance Corporals Benjamin and Pennock. All the best and thanks to Mrs Young our super typist. She has just been admitted to hospital prior to the birth of her first child: what odds on twins? Late News! The Company came third in the BAOR Minor Units swimming championships thanks to some fine swimming in the relay events. In all events the swimmers beat their previous best times! Congratulations. STORES PLATOON 1 ARMOURED WORKSHOP AT present the floor of the Platoon area looks empty with many away at Rheinsehlen Camp on Exercise Big T which has the objective of raising the amount of HGV licenses in the Platoon and is the highlight of an intense Driver Training Programme, which has seen Lance Corporal Guest (Congratula- tions on promotion) to HGV1. Private Bennett to HGV2 and motorcycle, Private Lashmar HGV2 (Captain Kerr is in the process of trying to get his HGV1). Private Blazier is en- joying himself getting lost in Hannover using his newly acquired motorcycle license. Captain Kerr is keeping the Workshop on the run (it seems mostly to the MRS) but it must be working as Private Featonby proudly boasts a pass. Corporal Walker is still asking for his prize for the best caption competition from the photos of the DGOS visit. This is his winning caption: DGOS to CCRAOC " I give up, which hand is it in?" We wonder is it worth a prize! — 128 — |
| Book number | R0404 |