RAOC Gazette - page 222
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 |
tains, and shops, and seas with lots of lovely sand.' But her heart is breaking with theirs, and she wonders if Army life is worth the sacrifice of lost friends. One day later, en route to the new posting, and filled with the spirit of adventure, she knows it is. That is if the baby has not developed chicken pox or the twins the measles! An ideal Army wife has the patience of a saint, the flexibility of putty, the wisdom of Socrates, and the constitution of a horse. If she dislikes money and likes curry it helps. She loves to ' crib' about the NAAFI and she lets off steam and still believes that the best solution is a shopping list to Grandma for her next visit to Marks & Spencers. She often cries on parades without knowing why. She has to be content with a husband who is a bigamist as she must share him with his other more demanding spouse—Duty-—as when duty calls she becomes wife number two, and until she accepts this fact, her life will be miserable. She is a person of many parts. She is the tired passenger coming down the gangplank with a smile on her lips, love-in her eyes and a new baby in her arms. She is the Officer Com- manding's wife who solves the Unit wives' problems before her own. She is the foreign bride in a strange British Army world. She is above all, a woman who married a soldier, who offered her the permanency of a gypsy, the miseries of loneliness, the frustra- tions of rigid conformity and the security of love. Sitting at the airport lounge amid her cases, carry-cot and quarrelling children, she is willing to chuck it all until she hears the firm step and cheerful voice of that bloke who gave her all this. Then she is happy to be His Army Wife. (Sent in by 4th Armoured Division Ordnance Company.) APPRENTICE AWARD THE Radley Cup which goes to the Apprentice making the most progress in Orienteering, was awarded at the Summer Term Passing Out Parade of the Apprentices College to Apprentice Private Christopher Rigby. Prior to joining the Army, Christopher had little knowledge of the sport, but during his time at the College he has developed into a most competent performer and has done much to improve the standard of the College team. He has also shown a growing capability to train and encourage others in what is aptly called the " Thought Sport " or " Cunning Running." Christopher's home is Ryde, Isle of Wight where he was educated at the High School. He is now in his final term at the College and leaves as a Supply Specialist; an asset to his Corps as a soldier and tradesman also as a talented sportsman who has already done much to promote orienteering. A fitting recipient of the Radley Cup. ON TOP OF THE sporting side there is a very good nine hole golf course, swim- ming pool, squash court, tennis courts, football, hockey and basket team facilities, plus a very good riding stable. If its Disco's, Night Clubs, Restaurants and TV you arc looking for this is not the place to be. If however, you can take advantage of the open air facilities offered and home enter- tainment is not a thing of the past, Dharan is just your place. One thing is guaranteed—you will read more books than you have done for a long long time. BOY TWELVE LOSES BOTH LEGS THIS Daily Telegraph headline resulted in Ordnance Depot Viersen Complex personnel swinging into action to provide some comfort for the boy. The Telegraph reported that Andrew Wilson brushed against his father's stationary garden rotovator which was run- ning in neutral gear. The machine fell on top of him, both legs were mangled and a five hour operation at Bristol Royal Infermary failed to save them. The boy's general practitioner Dr McQuade was contacted by the Unit and he said that in due course Andrew would be able to ride a bicycle and furthermore the boy wanted one. A Unit collection produced the funds, and we were recently delighted to receive the accompanying photograph showing a smiling Andrew proudly riding his new multi gear sports bike. His mother wrote to the Unit as follows:—I'm the mother of Andrew, the boy who lost both feet and legs below the knees. I'm just writing a thank you note to you and the men from RAOC in Germany. We'll never forget their kindness to Andrew. May God Bless you all. We are all delighted with Andrew's obvious pluck and spirit and wish him all the best for the future. We thought that this story would be of interest to all GAZETTE readers but especially to ex-members of Ord Depot Viersen who so kindly contributed to the gift but have since been posted. WORLD THE Corps is represented in Nepal by the sum total of three RAOC personnel. All are stationed in Dharan which is situated approximately one hundred and fifty miles South East of Kat- mandu right at the foothill of the Himalayas. The lucky three in post at the moment are Major Stuart Craven (S02 Ord), WOl Phil Simmons (WO IC Ord Depot) and Staff Sergeant Les Mitchell (Master Butcher). Headquarters British Gurkhas Nepal exists to administer all ingoing and outgoing leave personnel from Hong Kong and Brunei, all pension paying to Ex-Gurkha Soldiers and most im- portant, the selection and recruiting of all soldiers, for the Brigade of Gurkhas. There is fierce competition to join the British Army and the standard of recruits is exceedingly high. (See the Bisley results this year for example). The compact, custom built Ordnance Depot holds a full range of Ordnance Materiel and a very loyal hardworking civilian staff, many of them ex-Servicemen make it a very pleasant place to work. The Master Butcher has one of those rare appointments where he is able to practice his trade to the full. The bulk of meat for the Cantonment is bought in Calcutta by the Master Butcher who flies down every six weeks and then makes the hazardous twenty four hour road journey back with a deep freeze truck. In a station as remote as this, he is very much a key factor in promoting the morale of the families. There are no bright lights in Dharan. The nearest restaurant is twelve hours by road or forty minutes flying time away but for the open air or sporting enthusiast there is much to occupy the time. The facilities for trekking are unlimited in one of the most picturesque and rugged regions in the world. On the Photo Bristol Evening Post. Andrew tries out the Viersen bike. FOR FAREWELL A LIVING GIFT LEGEND MR RAYMOND HUGGINS, MBE, whose daunting presence as Academy Sergeant Major at the Royal Military Academy Sand- hurst is imprinted on the memory of a generation of British Officers, recently paraded for the last time, five months after his retirement. He was guest of honour, together with his wife, at an informal ceremony at the Ministry of Defence, in the office of General Sir Robert Ford, the Adjutant General. General Ford, a former Commandant at Sandhurst, presented him with a solid silver, five piece Georgian tea service on an inscribed oval tray. The gift has been bought by contributions of former cadets; officers now scattered round the world, who responded enormously to a fund to buy a suitable mark of appreciation. — 175 — |
| Book number | R0404 |