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RAOC Gazette - page 210

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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 quarters RAOC tennis team was not quite as good as the squash
team, even though the team members were the same. However,
in the All Island Tennis championships, the CRAOC partnered
by Lieutenant Colonel Cardozo 4/7 Dragoon Guards,Officer Com-
manding Episkopi Garrison, won the Veterans doubles final.
Other sporting news, Army colours were awarded to Captain
'jValsh, Sergeants Goodwin and Franklin for athletics. W02
Jragger managed the Episkopi Garrison cricket team which was
Saptained by Staff Sergeant Booth. Captain Walsh captained the
Combined Services athletics team for the match against GSO
Limassol. (Limassol Athletics Club). Major Whitehead, S02
Materiel, continues to put in many hours with the Water Ski Club,
le is often seen towing an assortment of ski boats around the
Samson (with the aid of a Land Rover, of course). Major
fohn, Second-in-Command is progressing well with his sailing
ind is now an intermediate helm.
Congratulations to Major John on his promotion to Lieu-
enant Colonel. He is promoted in early October when he moves
to Bicester.
The CRAOC, Major Dobie (S02 Supplies and Contracts),
and Captain Walsh wearing his UNIFIL liaison hat, visited
UNIFIL in early August. The trip was a great success and a lot
of Ord problems were cleared up. This was the first trip by
Headquarters RAOC in our capacity as the responsible agency,
and it appears that the system is working well.
We welcome Staff Sergeant Cooney from the Employment
Training School.
AKROTIRI
STORES AND VEHICLE DEPOT. RAOC personnel in Cyprus
and their families were recently invited to get together on the
beach here in Akrotiri. Good weather for the day was virtually
inevitable but the organisers went to great pains to ensure that
all the other events and activities ran smoothly. During the
afternoon, there was an ' It's a knockout' competition in which
eight teams competed against each other in various races ranging
from a complicated obstacle course carrying buckets of water to
' welly-throwing.'
The beach part of the day finished at around five o'clock
and there was a further get-together in the RAOC Club in the
evening. There was an outdoor disco on the patio and a buffet.
Captain Arthur Brown and his two children showed their potential
as high-pressure sales persons with their almost-strongarm tactics
in selling raffle tickets. The organising committee deserve many
thanks for what was a very successful and enjoyable days
entertainment.
During recent months, the ' Brains of Akrotiri' contest has
been going on. This is a Unit competition where departments
enter a team of four and they compete against each other try-
ing to answer questions on a variety of subjects put to them by'
Staff Sergeant Jack ' Bamber' Leek. The winners in the Unit
Ihis year were the Stores Sub-Depot team consisting of WOs2
pave Lewis and Kevin Whelan and Sergeants Tom Gill and
Pete Holmes. They, therefore, went to the final against our
leighbouring Unit, 48 Command Workshop. As this Unit has
von the trophy for the last two years, a win this year would
rave meant that we could keep it permanently. In view of this,
he Stores Sub-Depot, being very economically-minded, decided
o allow REME to win the final rather than have to buy a new
tophy. It was a good close contest nevertheless.
Another contest which we have won for the last two years
s the RCT ' It's a knockout' competition. This consists of a
:eries of typical ' knockout' games but all of them are carried
iiut in the sea. Our team this year consisted of Captain Arthur
Urown, WOl John Edwards, WOs2 Ken Avery and Dave Lewis,
Corporal Mick Mitchell, Lance Corporal Ken Daniels and two
young ladies, namely Sharon Avery and Karen Brown. Un-
fortunately, we did not manage to win this year but we came
a very creditable third. The^team manager, W02 Kevin Whelan,
thinks that it may be a gooci idea not to have such good-look-
ing female team members next year. He reckons they diverted
too much of the mens' attention away from the competition!
The profit made in the RAOC Club recently has probably
come from celebratory drinks. There was Sergeant Ron Markley
who was presented with his Long Service and Good Conduct
Medal. Staff Sergeant Sandy Dickie, Sergeants Dowse, Gordon,
Johnson and Perry also acted as hosts on their promotions
to those ranks. Congratulations go to Sergeant and Mrs Dowse
and to Corporal and Mrs Revill on the birth of a daughter in
each family.
On the sporting scene, we have had a fair amount of success.
Sergeants Pat Gordon and Stu Johnson completed the Cyprus
Services marathon, a distance of over twenty six miles all of
which is run on roads. In the All-Island tug-of-war champion-
, / T a r ™ fLy j _ ^
r
:^
Throwing the W e l l y on the RAOC Families Day.
Notice the
ambulance in the background! Corporals Mitchell, Dunlop and
Mayoh look suitably impressed.
ships, the RAOC Cyprus heavyweight team got through to the
final. The final was eventually won by Headquarters Company
3 Light Infantry but only after two very long hard pulls. At
last, we have news of a win! The RAOC/REME combined team
won the Minor Units athletics championships held at Happy
Valley, Episkopi.
Finally welcome to our new arrivals WOl Edwards, WOs2
Avery and Lewis, Staff Sergeants Copland and Dickie (on
transfer from Ammunition Depot), Sergeant Porter, Corporals
Moon and Thompson and Lance Corporals Dunlop, Kennion
and Stott. We welcome them and, where applicable, their
families as well as the family of Captain Brown who are also
recent arrivals.
ACCOMMODATION
SERVICES UNIT. We thought that this
month it would be a good idea to give old Cyprus hands an up
to date sitrep on the Unit, it consists of three detachments,
Episkopi, controlled by Captain McCusker, which carries out
all primary provision functions plus the Returned Stores Section
and Curtain Manufacture. Dhekelia with Captain Robertson,
where carpet manufacture and furniture repair have been con-
centrated and finally Nicosia with that Unit stalwart Takis
Chrysanthou coping extremely well with the task of keeping the
UN Force happy.
The Headquarters is based alongside Headquarters RAOC
within Episkopi Garrison with Major Brunt in the chair. We
• are still in the throes of reorganizing much to the consternation
of the civilian staff who have seen it all before, and have
suggested that the entire ASU be placed on a giant carousel!
UNFICYP
IT has been a long time since UNFICYP
appeared in THE GAZETTE Notes, an official
policy of not advertising ourselves just in case
those responsible for postings remember we
still exist.
For those who have never served in
Cyprus, it may be of interest to note that
UNFICYP consists of a Headquarters and
five Contingents, from Austria, Canada, Den-
mark, Sweden and the United Kingdom. There are civilian police
detachments from Australia and Sweden and Finland and Ireland
provide personnel for the Headquarters and Military Police
Company.
The Corps has thirty four personnel working in the Head-
quarters. All are located in Nicosia, close to the International
Airport, which has not been used since the 1974 war. The living
conditions for the unaccompanied are best described by the
official categorisation of ' Field Conditions.' Most of us can
suffer the cheap lodgings though for sight of the sun.
HEADQUARTERS UNFICYP. Major Douglas Stobie, DAQMG
Logistics Co-ord, having recovered from the shock of being ex-
tended, has been informed that in January he will be able to
answer his 1 own letters from Andover. FOWO, WO 1 Ken Stuart
167
Book number R0404