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RAOC Gazette - page 168

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Corps RAOC
Material type Journals
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Full title RAOC Gazette
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Publication date 1980
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Early date 1980
Late date 1980
Transcription On one occasion WOI Tony Dudley and myself were dis-
cussing the problems involved in getting priority stores from
Dulmen. a distance of five hundred miles each way.
Wouldn't it be great if we could get a Hercules aircraft to
deliver stores to us ' we said,' (in jest).
Suddenly the Workshop is alive with details concerning a
heavy drop flight that evening.
To amuse our captive audience Sergeant Barry Moore duly
rnarked out a DZ in the middle of the Workshop area.
One person, who shall remain namesless, remarked that we
Should also lay on smoke to enable the pilot to see us better.
Also, on our latest venture into the ' gas chambers ' Private
Brook Wimbury claimed exemption on the grounds that he is
Jewish, but as always the objection was overruled.
This month we say farewell to Privates Rence and Wilcox
and extend a warm welcome to Privates Dick Pugh and Bill
Painter.
Headquarters Minden Carrison
NUMEROUS attempts have been made to get a mention in
THE GAZETTE. All have been unsuccessful to date, however,
Sf we annoy the editor long enough we just might manage it yet.
The members of the Corps employed? Here are: Major
David Bentley the GS03 Intelligence and Survey. We are sure
he has streaks of grey in his hair now. The Superintendent Clerk
is WOI Bob Callan and if you didn't know where he was
neither do we. Chief Clerk G is Corporal John (Superdad)
Clorley. He tells us he won't have any more and we know he
won't. Lance Corpora] Nick Durman is the discipline clerk
and we think it's a case of setting a crook to handle them!
Our two Privates are Mick Young to whom we offer our
congratulations on his recent marriage, and Private Hoare has
recently joined us from our ' Superior Headquarters.'
He
swapped with Private Nick Neilson who managed to survive a
year.
Despite the pressures we work at Corporal Clorley, Lance
Corporal Durman and Private Neilson recently took part in a
charity run. A total of eight members of the Headquarters
undertook to have a runner on a four hundred metre circuit
for forty eight hours. The aim of the run was to raise money
for a local school for mentally handicapped.
Fortunately,
the weather was reasonably kind and the forty eight hours was
completed and a total of some DM4,000 was raised. Each
runner completed approximately forty eight miles. A splendid
effort. We even managed to get money from Captain Beaky
and Hissing Sid. Follow that Hotel.
RAOC In Berlin
THERE is a close relationship with our allies in Berlin. • The
Americans recently celebrated their Independence anniversary.
Our CRAOC, Lieutenant Colonel John Fitzsimmons, represented
RAOC at the celebration. No doubt he will be whistling ' Stars
And Stripes For Ever' as he journeys with his family to the
Unit caravan at Lake Garda, Italy. The French Bastille Day
anniversary also looms large. We are looking for experienced
RAOC members to help with the celebration. Has anyone
Stormed a Bastille before! Anniversary is also in the vocabulary
t>f Major John Ridding and his wife Dorothy and Major Kip
Gibson and Barbara. They are celebrating their respective Silver
R'edding Anniversaries within the next month. Congratulations.
Bring out the Silver, Herr Ober.
The Supply Depot had cause to celebrate an important
tvent recently. This was the opening of the new FRIS (to
the uninitiated—Families Ration Issue Service) Section. Mrs
Richardson, wife of our GOC, formally officiated and our food
brethren now have a modern functional and hygenic depart-
ment to prepare and pack the multitudes of items in the FRIS
containers. Our photograph shows the layout of the new Section
with CRAOC in the right hand foreground.
We will be moving even more with the times in the ensuing
months as the plans for our new main Storehouse complex come
to fruition. An almighty Crane is already hacking away at
building 17 in Alexander Barracks and the vista of urban Span-
<Jau can now be seen from your scribes window.
Our recruiting progress continues unabated. We have
previously inducted Corporal Ridley and Private Quinn, ex 2
Para, Corporal Simpson ex Green Howards, Lance Corporal
Eames ex 2 Royal Anglian and Private Clarke, ex RE. We are
currently progressing Lance Sergeant Elliott, 1 Grenadier Guards
and Sapper Davis and are dealing with an enquiry from Driver
Marshall, a member of 62 Squadron RCT. Come one, call all!
Supply Depot Berlin new FRIS Section showing the packing line
on the left.
Ordnance Services report some new arrivals to replace tour
expired colleagues. These include WOI Jack Redfern as Depot
Superintendant in the Supply Depot and Senior Member of the
Sergeants Mess, W02 Brian Wicks as WOIC Control, Staff
Sergeant Ken Bartlett in RSSD, Sergeant George Handyside as
our Petrol ' King ' and Corporal Larry Hallmark at the Vehicle
Depot.
In the Headquarters, W02 Tony Morris and Staff Sergeant
Dave Beadsworth have exchanged the delights of Hong Kong
for the delights of Berlin and Sergeant Dave Parfitt has joined
from Headquarters AFCENT.
Corporal Nick Redgewell has been presented with the award
for the outstanding Class III referee in Berlin, a notable achieve-
ment in his first season as a referee.
We have chosen Conductor Peter Reid as our personality
of the month. WOI Reid is the Estate Warden at Derby Strasse
Estate complex ably assisted by his Alsation dog ' Peggy.' An
occupant's inventory book showed his name under ' Odd Jobs '
but there is nothing odd about his prowess at whist, as a
hockey umpire, a cricket scorer or as a badminton and squash
player. Two of his four sons are policemen (how does that
grab you) and the family spend much time on the Havel in the
REME boat. Peter is also renowned for the potent brandy based
concoction he makes so if you see an unsteady boat belting
down the Havel at one hundred miles per hour driven by a
man with a hockey stick, an Alsation dog and June from FRIS,
it is our man from ' Derby.'
Finally, hot off the press, we commiserate with our Fire
Advisor, Mr John Lampitt who has had to cancel his holiday
in Bavaria because the hotel he was to stay at has burned
down! You needn't take your extinguisher now, John!
British Forces Hong Kong
V -,••*••'••.••••
"j
HEADQUARTERS
E -" --ife'>•' ' "1 ^ u ^ s t certainly not easy being a Staff Clerk.
• • i ^ % E M
^
because I can do joined-up writing. I
BBrvSv^HH
S e t lumbered, I mean selected, to write the
H E >jji< EHSB notes for THE GAZETTE. I mean, after all,
j
*-£*/
there are so many other people who could
[_
""""'
_
have been asked. For instance there is Staff
" " Sergeant Ralph Fella of MS, who can usually
be found singing his theme song " I'm looking under a four leaf
clover."
W02 Graham Arscott, Chief Clerk AQ, could have been
asked. Especially as he has been awarded the MBE (Main
Building Endurance Medal?) in the Birthday Honours List with-
out even serving in MOD (OIC M and RO please note). Seriously
Graham, congratulations from us all.
With the amount of people employed in Ordnance Branch,
you'd think there'd be a budding Harold Robbins (or Enid
Blyton), but they can't write the notes for various reasons:
Sergeant Bob Green, the Chief Clerk, says he's too busy learning
German for his next posting (it's a pity he can't speak English
yet). Sergeant Tony Dales, the Sergeant Materiel is too busy
setting up a Hong Kong Branch of Athletics Anonymous—when-
ever somebody feels like going for a run or participating in
— 133 —
Book number R0404