RAOC Gazette - page 204
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 |
training exercise has been run away from camp and both have been most successful. Congratulations to all those who passed their tests, don't despair Lance Corporals Mooney and Elkington! Exercise Rickshaw 1 was an Adventure Training Exercise in the Harz Mountains. Second Lieutenant Ian Gorsuch and W02 Ken Blackwell ran the week's activities and as everyone hasn't stopped talking about how much they enjoyed themselves it must have been a good week. W02 Ken Blackwell looked after everyone like a father and as the ACC were unable to provide a cook he also did the majority of the cooking. Second Lieu- tenant Ian Gorsuch ran the hill walking and map reading while Captain Andy Topp and W02 Keeler from the Workshop ran the climbing and canoeing. Private Steve Agass now wants to abseil from every building in sight. Lieutenant Colonel Pickard visited for a day and had the pleasure of watching Private Alan Knight (BAOR Canoe Champion 1979) canoeing down the River Oker over some Grade 5 water. Congratulations are due to Lance Corporals Gerry Madine and Dirk Wilson on their recent marriages. We hope that their wives enjoy life in the army and we look fonvard to meeting them. Lance Corporal Bob Guest is also to be congratulated on his recent promotion. Lance Corporal Mooney has left for New Zealand on Exercise Long Look. We were also so sorry for him that he had to stage in Singapore for twenty four hours: Corporal Jackson has arrived from New Zealand. Congratulations to Lance Corporal Kev Hardman on being selected to represent the Army at cricket. 2nd Armoured Division HEADQUARTERS AFTER a hectic month of internal re- organisation within Headquarters RAOC I can now see some light (although I have not convinced CRAOC yet!) and get down to writing these notes. I will start with the congratulations which go out to the following: CRAOC Lieutenant Colonel Jackson, who has been selected for promotion to Colonel in 1981. WOl (SS) A. Pedley who has been provisionally selected for an OEO commission. And finally to Corporal ' Brummie' Thyne who has passed his RPC1 which was held in Bracht. On to the happenings within the Headquarters. Exercise Javelin was successfully completed and was a worthwhile shake- down. Moving every night was not too difficult with the long hours of daylight. Our Box Body ' Bessie' has been re-designed and is now being rebuilt to the latest specifications. The rumours that a cocktail cabinet and stereo are being fitted are untrue. On to football the following RAOC personnel within Liibbecke represented the Warrant Officers and Sergeants Mess in BAOR Warrant Officers and Sergeants Mess seven-a-side tourna- ment held at Lippstadt: Sergeants Attard, Scott, Dyson and my- self, Sergeant Haverty, and the other members of the team were Sergeants Piatt RAPC and G. Owen and WOl T. White REME Note no Royal Signals). After a very good start with a win >ver 12 Armoured Division Workshop six to one the com- petition became stiffer and without subs, our team reached the lemi-finals of the main competition. Farewells go out to Sergeant and Mrs J. Scott who are off to fcipon, Lance Corporal and Mrs Cummings who are off to civilian ife. Mrs J. Tickell (our typist) and her husband the RSM who ire going to the OCT at Sheffield University. Our warm wishes |o with them all. A warm welcome goes to the new Sergeants Mess caterer liergeant Baker and family who join us from 87 Supply Depot. OD ORDNANCE COMPANY OUR two-yearly ARU (work that one out!) was carried out recently, the Inspecting Officer being Commander Osnabruck Garrison. The day began with a full Company inspection, in- door due to the pouring rain. Platoons then competed against each other in shooting (including eighty four millimetre indoor shooting), NBC, river crossings, sports skills and assault courses. The weather continued to be bad all day, however enthusiasm teemed not to be dampened—the CQMS was grumbling so morale must have been high. Lieutenant David Collins Platoon won the inter-Platoon prize for gaining the most points during the day. Vogelsang came upon us yet again. Thirty Soldiers, under the administration of 5 Field Force Ordnance Company, went down to the Eifcl. They suffered initially from the pouring rain, then from the blazing sunj and all returned with incredible war stories. Our thanks to our sister Company for looking after us so well—it was once again proved to me that Staff Sergeant Mick Gannon would make an excellent butler! Cricket has been somewhat sparse this year, with Lieutenant David Hingslon-Joncs away much of the time ' doing his own thing' and leave/commitments for approaching exercises frustra- ting the cricket programme. Our Divisional RAOC side reached the semi-final of the DOS Cup by beating 1 (BR) CTOC and we then met Wulfen. The game was extremely close with Sergeant Taff Hillard from 4 Petroleum Depot bowling well to keep the opposition total low. However, we were just pipped at the post, ending six runs short of our target. Thanks are due to all the players from 2nd Armoured Division and 5 Field Force Units who turned out for the team. On the courses front congratulations to Sergeant Marv Waldcn and Corporal Tom Avery for obtaining A grades in the Hygiene Officers Course and MTI Course respectively. Private Shotty Shotton is now a Bl Supply Specialist and Lance Corporal Airborne Schofield. Private Tab Hunter and Second Lieutenant Julian Simpson (the latter we know not how) are now HGVIII drivers. Further on the subject of courses. Sergeant Pete Ferguson is applying for a lion-tamers course (with special emphasis on wild cats), while Second Lieutenant Julian Simpson has now passed his annual NBC test with the cry "Look—no filter'.". Morale is high at the moment! A few promotions have come through recently—congratula- tions to Staff Sergeant ' Compo ' Richards. Corporal ' Marilyn ' Munro and Lance Corporal ' Budgie ' Rawson (Budgie is using superglue for his tape this time!) Welcomes to the new ' C h i e f (sorry—' Staff') Staff Sergeant John Mealin, Corporal ' Dinsdale ' Jordan and Private Young. 87 SUPPLY DEPOT THE leave season is upon us with a vengeance as everyone is frantically attempting to take a break before Crusader/Spear- point gets under way. The Second-in-Command. Captain Chris Rowland has acquired train spotters books and stationmastcrs attire in readiness for his railhead command. Major General Farndale, dropped in by helicopter for a short visit. Having been rather impressed by our ' small ' Unit (actually we mean bamboozled) he was forty five minutes late in leaving. We think he was more impressed by Mrs Johnson's baking, which he had the pleasure of tasting. His visit was, as far as we know, the last of many VIP visits and inspections to our neck of the woods, at least for the time being. Famous last words! After a lot of hard work (and gentle persuasion) the Chief Clerk, Sergeant Clive Hitchcock finally passed his BFT, giving the Unit a one hundred per cent success rate. He can be heard on Tuesday and Thursday mornings uttering " wish I were forty." At the end of the course he generally looks as though he is! We have recently taken up darts, culminating in regaining the Challenge Cup from a local German club. After a hard struggle, the Depot Superintendent, W02 George Arthur, now knows how to spell ' challenge.' We welcome Sergeant Colin James and family to our fold and hope they have an enjoyable tour with us. 3rd Armoured Division ORDNANCE COMPANY THE main feature was the week long Arduous Training in the Sauerland. Un- fortunately we were almost continually plagued by heavy rain which soon trans- ferred our campsite from its balmy, serene lakeside location to something resembling a Hurricane Allen disaster area. How- ever, despite the weather, the activities soon got under way. The activities which we undertook were rockclimbing, canoeing, swimming (or rather survival in cold water and how to avoid hypothermia), sailing and windsurfing. Captain Jacques charted previously uncharted waters by daringly ' shooting' a set of terrifying rapids; the rest of the Company stood on the banks of the river, fixed rigidly to the spot as he ran aground. With total disregard for his own safety, he got out of his canoe, emptied it of water and continued walking down the six inch deep rapids! Private Todd was responsible throughout the week for ' sailing' which took place on the nearby Mohnesee. Some of the nautical manoeuvres he achieved on the water were al- most unbelievable, had it not been for a very ' wet' personal experience they would have been ' unbelievable.' — 163 — |
| Book number | R0404 |