RAOC Gazette - page 212
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 |
British Forces Hong Kong THE stalwart work by the ' unsung heroes ' goes on. but at least two have received recognition. Sergeants George Garrow and Gordon Russell were presented with their Long Service and Good Conduct Medals by £?1C Brigadier Boam. Yours truly held the ceremonial cushion (vocational training?) L and W02 Mel Lee. Chief Clerk G Branch, read out the citations. It is understood that Mel is now doing a crash course in the Scottish language after pronouncing George Garrow's place of birth (Elgin) as " Eljin "! I suppose it's under- standable as Mel gets confused over any place-name located out- side Lancashire. After the presentation, liquid refreshment flowed (fairly) freely and a good time was had by all. Although not RAOC, it is felt worth a mention that Sergeant Jeannie Hoggan the 'A' Branch Clerk had her substantive Sergeant confirmed by WRAC Manning and Records. To digress slightly. I've noticed that very little mention is made of WRAC clerks who have, in the main, slotted into posts normally manned by RAOC Staff Clerks, such as 'A' Branch here in Headquarters British Forces. This is an error which it is hoped to correct in the future. After all. the quality of life must be improved if you are working side by side with a member of the WRAC and towards the same end, if you see what I mean. On the hello/goodbye scene we have two departures of note. W02 Terry Jones from ALS left on posting to Head- quarters Rheindahlen Garrison. Corporal Tony Dandy from G Branch left with a well deserved promotion to Sergeant and a posting to MOD (CGS Section) (you can't win 'em all): We have welcomed W02 Graham Hillier, Staff Sergeant Lin Cornthwaite AAC and Corporal Mick Shepherd, respectively. Of interest is the fact that Mick Shepherd took over from Tony Dandy in his last job (Headquarters Northern Ireland). We wish the departees and their families good fortune in the future and the arrivals and their families a happy and interest- ing tour in this oriental paradise. In closing, it is worth noting that Lin Cornthwaite's arrival heralded yet another post lost to RAOC Staff Clerks. Where will it end? Composite Ordnance Depot Hong Kong AT this present time half the Unit are enjoying themselves at Erskine Camp in the New Territories our Annual Summer Camp is under way. Next week the other half of the Unit will go. A full report on the Camp will be given in next months contribution. The Orderly Room Staff comprising of Staff Sergeant Dick Farren, Sergeant Joe Addis, Corporals Steve Raw and Joe Kwok have been having a lean time of it, at long last Depot Standing Orders have been finalised and distributed. Staff Sergeant Dick Farren has just returned from an excellent leave scheme to Panang Pattaya etc sporting beard and suntan, not content with the normal places for leave—Corporal Steve Raw is booked up to go to Hawaii in December, I'm sure he'll miss the sights and smells of San Po Kong. The new post NCO, Corporal Dick Sargent is still in a muddle, wondering if his new job was a promotion or demotion. Community relations have been to the fore yet again, three visits by the girls from Marycove School went off without a hitch each visit being better than the one previous. All depart- ments in the Depot were involved, providing their expertise in various sports and games. ASD have been rather busy this month turning over all the Navy ammunition held, as the RFA Resource paid Hong Kong a visit for some two weeks. Some members of the ASD were invited onto the Resource and a very good morning was had looking around the holds. We were invited to stay for lunch and sampled their Courage Special Brew (Draught) which they carry; this made a very pleasant change from the local San Miguel. Vehicle Group this month have been actively getting ready for their PUE's, for those not knowing what that means it is Packed Unit Equipments. Our visitors are from the Royal Regi- ment of Wales doing a three month stint on the border.' Sergeant Ricky Parkes has already started pulling out his hair in prepara- iion for this event. We welcome to the Depot W02 Peter Smith, Sergeant Sandy Baxler, Corporal Dave Lloyd and our Star newcomer—the only WRAC ever to be posted to Composite Ordnance Depot Hong Kong W/Corporal Sandra Treverton. Note: The singlies would like to know if M and RO could make it a single WRAC next time! — Sergeants George Garrow and Gordon Russell are presented with their Long Service and Good Conduct Medals by Brigadier Boam in Hong Kong. Mrs Russell is on the right. Brunei Garrison BRUNEI GARRISON, the very name con- jures up thoughts of tall palm trees wafting in the cool breeze of the South China Sea. the ultimate in tranquillity as we spend our lazy days floating peacefully along the Sungai Belait River, disturbed only by the high pitched squeal of a playful baboon as it dances through the branches of a woody perennial. Without wishing to completely disillusion you I feel I should come clean and point out that life is not all a bed of roses over here. For example, the price of a gallon of petrol has just doubled, without any prior warning, to almost forty four pence, disgusting! Cigarettes at almost twenty pence a packet are only marginally cheaper in the NAAFI than they are in the local shops, what are things coming to? I was absolutely stunned when I found out, so much so that as a mark of my disapproval 1 have actually given up. Amidst all of the rushing around, as we prepare for the Gurkha Fair this coming weekend, I really haven't had time to miss them. Perhaps the busiest of us all though during the build- up to the Fair has been our CQMS, Staff Sergeant Ben Carr. doing a grand imitation of Steptoe (the old one). During recent weeks he has collected enough jumble to put any self respecting relief organisation to shame, and whilst on the subject of relief organisations, Staff Sergeant Graham Manders has recently halved the workload of the Asian branch of 'AA,' not to mention mess profits, by giving up drinking. It's been almost a week now and if things go on like this for much longer the PMC. W02 Kevin Reardon, may be forced to hold a pricings board and increase bar prices in a bid to somehow compensate for the loss of revenue. Major Brian Boucher, our Garrison Adjutant, tells us that the inclusion of Tour de France winner Joop Zoetemelk in the cyling event of the recent Garrison Super Stars competition would have done little to alter his position, he still would have come last. What a pity that as he was about to make amends in the Assault Course Section the Headquarters ' B ' team had to be withdrawn, our medic had unfortunately pulled a muscle. And finally, who should we bump into stacking jerrycans for Shell the other day, ex-RAOC Captain John Nalepa, late of MOD and numerous other exciting stations. He wishes to be remembered of course. We have to humour him, you see, he gets his Corps GAZETTE a month before the rest of us and may not, in future, pass it round while we await ours. KEEP I N TOUCH W I T H THE CORPS THROUGH THE RAOC ASSOCIATION 169 — |
| Book number | R0404 |