RAOC Gazette - page 195
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 |
Sergeant Jeff Lewis (young and fit though he is) is only just coming in in eleven and a half minutes. We think there's a fiddle somewhere! Sergeant John Jones recently attended an SAS survival course. He seems to have grown fatter while he was there—must have been all the insects and such like that he ate. We're glad to report that he did pass and most of the things he learned are coming in handy herein D e t . . . I mean Wetmold! Our receipts this month feature Corporal ' Geordie ' Picker- ing, Privates Ian Picot and Kevin Jones. We also extend a welcome to another member of the fairer (well she is blonde) sex, Miss Yvonne Pollitt. I've got to come clean—the only reason that Jeff Lewis takes eleven and a half minutes to do his BFT is that he's the pacemaker for the rest of the Unit. Stop Press. It would appear that someone really does have some pull up there. We've actually seen some sun here in Wetmold. Not sure yet if that's some form of record but we'll chat up the Met Office here and let you all know. Our congratulations (or is it commiserations) go to Private Paul Gravett, who has been persuaded to sign on again for a further three years, mostly here in Detmold he's'pleased to say. Welcome to the Corps. 10 Ordnance Support Battalion HEADQUARTERS AND HEADQUARTERS COMPANY VERY shortly the Headquarters is about to become very peace- ful. This will be largely due to the rest of the Battalion being in Germany and Turkey. However, as always, Headquarters can- not be accused of being idle. The Commanding Officer has coached the Battalion shooting team Staff Sergeant Taffy Hector, Corporal Stevie Parsons, Corporal (POL) Poole, Corporal Mick Morgan, Lance Corporal Coughlan, Privates Fox, Cooper and Ebsworth in both the Corps and District shoots. They came away with RAOC Inter Unit Competition, RAOC Rank and File Challenge Cup and the South West District Minor Units Cup. It is not only in shooting that the Battalion has done well. Led by Lieutenant Paul Beerling the athletics team reached the Army finals at Aldershot, although no medals were won it was an achievement in itself to reach the final having first come second in the district Minor Unit championship. Congratulations also to Sergeant Aggie Brown on winning the RAOC Shot Putt cup at the Travers Clarke meeting. FIELD FORCE CADRE AND 1 BULK TRANSIT PLATOON CONGRATULATIONS first of all must go to Lieutenant Paul Beerling on his recent marriage. We hope Penny and Paul will be very happy in the ' ivory towers' of Wellington Drive. By the time this gets to print most of the cadre will be in BAOR, I think they are off on some sort of crusade and are busily sharpening spearpoints. This BAOR jargon is all very confusing. It is time that I mentioned the forgotten few who are detached all over the world, they are Sergeant Tonge to Belize, Corporal Megson to Northern Ireland, Lance Corporal Cresswell to Belize, Private Pollock to Northern Ireland, Private Senior to Canada and Private Cross to Northern Ireland. 6 Field Force u HEADQUARTERS ^ WE were going to submit a photograph of ^^. the Headquarters Staff but it proved to be iSej^S^^ too gruesome for THE GAZETTE. However *'^^^nw^^ we do have a photograph of our latest ^ h y S r recruit to the Corps: Private, ex-Gunner, ^2fl^H2L Michael Blake who finally saw the light and J J H P B ^ ^ ^ ^ J ' joined the elite band. Among the several J ^ delights of Field Force Life we were M particularly proud of our Lance Corporal ** Steve Green who marched along the South Downs way on the annual forty mile ' tab '—para talk for march —and finished the course with just a few blisters ; well done Steve. Our S02 Ord Major Paddy O'Connell is recovering nicely after his injury sustained whilst para jumping with the Red Devils at the Aldershot Army Display. His trousers will never look the same after the adjustments made to cope with the plaster, however the frequency with which he breaks his leg, so I am told, they may well come in handy again. In a pathetic attempt to impress our new DAA and QMG, who is a Parachute Regiment Officer, FOWO Walton has been seen running along the Fleet Road, each morning. Is it a coincidence you may ask, that the DQ just happens to drive to work down that very road at the time our intrepid FOWO is ' beasting ' his body? — 154 ORDNANCE COMPANY THIS month has been relatively quiet with most of the Company venturing forth tentatively on Block Leave. Next year will see a leave familiarisation course for Company personnel so that it won't be so big a shock! The middle week of the leave saw our intrepid birdmen taking part in Exercise Flying Dragon I, the Company Hang Gliding course in Wales. Camped to the rear of the Welsh Hang Gliding Centre in Crickhowell and within ordering distance of a ' real ale ' pub, it was a comfortable week. The first day was hard work for most, carrying the gliders up the hill to fly them down again, then carry etc, (reminds one of the song, " The Grand Old Duke of York "). Corporal Bill Smart lived up to his dubious circus con- nections by ground looping a Harrier Hang Glider whilst still ' clipped in.' The glider came to rest upside down with the pilot suspended by his harness ten feet in the air, with a huge silly grin on his face! The event was made even more amusing by a rather serious instructor who merely said, " My goodness, gosh, that should not be possible," (or words to that effect). The Company's CQ, Staff Sergeant ' Biggies ' Esser although not a student, did manage a flight on a dual Super Scorpion Glider owned by the Administration Officer, Lieutenant Mike Watkins. The glider's performance improved dramatically when 'Biggies' realised his mouth was wide open and promptly clamped it shut! The flying ' b u g ' has really bitten all who attended the course and all students are now approaching their final Pilot One qualifications. Exercise Flying Dragon will be repeated in September, so might become a regular feature of the Company's notes. Within three days of return from Block Leave the Company was prepared for a visit, from Brigadier Berresford the Chief Ordnance Officer UKLF. After an RAOC Lunch in the Mons Officers Mess with the Commander 6 Field Force, Commander 27 LSG, CRAOC, some Force and all Company Officers, the Brigadier inspected the Quarter Guard and toured each Corn- True flight at last for a member of Exercise Flying Dragon. |
| Book number | R0404 |