RAOC Gazette - page 167
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 |
ski-ing mafia comprising Captain Callan, Sergeant Claughton, Lance Corporal Smith, Privates Evans, Davies, Pettitt, Woods, Childs, Ditchfield, Fearon, and Bartlett—all now adept at ' walk- ing on water.' Private ' Baron ' Walker complaining to' the Ad- ministration Officer that he takes plenty of photographs but never has them returned; and finally Corporal Begg, PMC of the Junior NCOs ' Gaststatte,' who is seen to be smiling having at last obtained a ' Space Invader' Machine. Stop Press: 49 Cricket Team just managed to beat 44 Com- pany in the Battalion competition—shame! Corps Troops CORPS VEHICLE COMPANY ' AN inter Department cricket match between Storage and Kits v. Maint, Liaison and Workshop saw an afternoon of tense excitement only to be broken by the outbreak of a thunder- storm. Lance Corporal Gardner of the losing Workshop team- insisted the replay be played in Barbados. Private Hackett achieved victory yet again over the tiring Private Beedon! The wicket of the match was bowled by Staff Sergeant Mc- Shane, bowling out Sergeant Dodger Allan with a ball that must have bounced all of six times before knocking out the middle stump. Highest scores of the day were from Lance Corporal Gardner fifty one, Sergeants Evans forty seven and Mardi forty three. We look forward to the replay and hope the Officers and Warrant Officers can push aside their paper work and don pads. A liaison visit to Bergen Ranges at Hohne saw Sergeant Mardi on the receiving end of the Artillery Firepower Demon- stration. Whilst manning a Chieftan tank he saw various tactical defensive positions being bombarded by guns Ml 10, FH70, Abbot and Ml09 with devastating effect. The last dummy in the position to fall was a ' General'—that's what you call leadership. The safety distances calculated by the Ordnance Board were quite remarkable as the rounds fired were aimed exceptionally close to the tanks with ricocheting shrapnel smash- ing periscopes. I'm sure the tankies won't volunteer their tanks again as observation posts. The Company sent out two Border patrols over a six day period to Helmstedt. It was the first occasion for many of the Company to see the Inner German Border. The second patrol had to depart without the cook who, due to an air delay, had not arrived into the Unit in time for the patrol. Private Curthoys ' Le Chef Extraordinaire,' quickly adapted into his previous trade function with some mind blending concoctions— a real treat for all. Congratulations to Corporal Bowen, Lance Corporals Clarke and Lewis on their promotion, Congratulations also to Corporal and Mrs Lily Anderson on the birth of their daughter Nicola, to Lance Corporal and Mrs Jeanette Lewis on the birth of their daughter Nikki Joanne and to Private and Mrs Jane Burrows on the birth of their son Neil Alan—one more for the VS role! We welcome back from BATUS Lance Corporal Beck after his nine month detachment. He is certainly looking fitter. We also welcome new arrivals, Corporal Canale, Privates Herd, Perera and McCallion. We say bon voyage to Private Hackett to Vehicle Depot Ashchurch—our loss your gain Ashchurch. ORDNANCE COMPANY THE most notable event to have taken place since last month's contribution was the OC's exercise, Summer Stretch. This was a section patrolling exercise with the Officers and Warrant Officers acting as Super DS—a very ' popular' idea! As usual the CSM indented' for too much rain, a fact which surprisingly didn't seem to dampen too many people's spirits. Quite the opposite in fact. Corporal Bob McGee and his section were so impressed with the Deister Wald that they decided to do a complete round tour of it—twice! The Second-in-Command and Recce Officer disappeared for three hours when they went to find them. The Recce Officer, Second Lieutenant Mike Dolamore, apparently managed to find the only bog in the forest and the Rover bogged itself in : —correction, the MTWO has, for the umpteenth time pointed out that Rovers don't bog themselves in: people bog them in! Who asked him any- way? Comments from the sections on the way around varied considerably from the unprintable to such classics as: Lance Corporal Hodge Hodgson to Second Lieutenant Dolamore reference the water command task, " Don't worry sir, we'll fix you up with your para and your water wings, and various sections to various Super DSs." "Are you sure you are alright in that Rover sir? Not suffering, no blisters?" They were quite specific as to the location of their enquiries! On the last day, the command task day, the Unit were treated to a rare demonstration by the officers and the MTWO of a Napoleonic Sea Battle. The OC put in a fine performance as Errol Flynn, swimming out to capture the assault boat single handed, after the luckless Sergeants who were still in the water, due to their fateful raft building efforts, had been repelled several times. After the capture, the occupants, namely the Second-in-Command, AO, Recce Officer and the MTWO 'decided' to go for a swim. Overall it was an exercise that, in the end, everybody seemed to have enjoyed. On the home front, the summer leave period has started in force and all departments are beginning to understand the term ' over-stretch.' This will become even worse when Cap- tain Malcolm Ingram takes his party off to France for Ad- venture Training (amazing what you can make that term mean) and W02 Nimmons leads his merry bunch of masochists off to the Nijmegen, Marches (fond memories of the Harz walkabout?). . Congratulations go to Private Ian Dodds on his recent marriage, we wish them every happiness, and to Private Derek Draper on being promoted to A/Lance Corporal. STORES SECTION 50 MISSILE REGIMENT OUR illustrious pair of golfers, Staff Sergeant (Trevino) Dardis and the boss himself, WO I (Nicklaus) Griffin keep practising their strokes around the • storehouse. Staff Sergeant Dardis must be congratulated on winning the Regimental monthly medal. Lance Corporal Gordon Heeps our driver (training to be a supply- clerk!) entered the four hundred metre hurdles in the Regi- mental athletics and promptly broke his arm! Gordon—you're supposed to jump over the hurdles! On the work side Corporal Bob Sherwood is enjoying an all expenses paid holiday supporting the Regiment on their annual live firing in the Hebrides. Now to the Workers—the Supply Specialists. Our Eager Beaver expert Sergeant Keith Doughton is now running classes teaching members of the Regiment how to operate it. I think Keith is fed up getting wet. Corporal Jones passed his EPC a couple of months ago and keeps reminding everyone that he's now qualified for Sergeant (RAOC MRO to note—he says ' C y p r u s ' will do!). Our brand new driver Private Morgan is leaving us for pastures new after only a week. Perhaps he doesn't like the colour scheme! Last but not least our apprentice Supply Clerk, Private Sangster, has acquired a Mercedes to go with his Viva. Neither of them actually go, but he assures us he's leaving the Army on early retirement t& open a car sales- room! STORES PLATOON 12 AIR DEFENCE WORKSHOP THE Platoon, having recently arrived back from Norther Ireland after a very successful tour, then went and had a equally successful (if all the tales are to be believed) spot d post ' Operation Banner' leave, leaving the rear party to carf on doing, in their own words, a fine job. We all know that after leave, something must be hidin around the corner and Exercises ' Spring Roll—Whirlygig' wer really no surprise. Just five days after the Exercises we had the pleasure t welcome the CCRAOC, Brigadier Skinner, to the Platoon. Thi informal visit opened young new RAOC eyes and left a ver worthwhile impression. Small bands of RAOC like ourselves, don't very ofte>; produce vast amounts of sportsmen, but we congratulate Privat Winston Brown on being selected to play badminton for tH Corps and best wishes are extended to the forthcoming sor<: feet of Lance Corporal Dave Cook, Privates Vince Hill, 'Geordic' Fletcher, ' Rash' Garrett and Bob Clarke when they participate in the Nijmegen Marches. Old faces go and new ones arrive, so we take this opportunity to welcome W02 Ken Hartley, Coporals Alan Hughes, Ted Wat- son and Lance Corporal Paul Petrie together with their families. Last but not least Privates Mel Hewison and Tom Farley, we hope you all enjoyed your stay here in Dortmund. STORES SECTION 45 FIELD REGIMENT WORKSHOP THIS month has seen us on Exercise Yankee Doodle at Grafenwohr in the American sector of Southern Germany. The exercise itelf was a great success and like all exercises not with- out some amusing moments. — 132 — |
| Book number | R0404 |