RAOC Gazette - page 237
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 |
to write any notes this month. The news has leaked out that they are to be moved from their palatial surroundings in the near future. Last heard of they were debating how much of their present amenities, together with the mountain of goodies that have been ' acquired' over the years, will fit into a Portacabin beside the Belfast Lough! On a work front they are fast develop- ing a previously unknown talent for lectures and demonstrations, it is rumoured that they even practice setting up ICPs inside the Post Office garage behind Grand Central Hotel. Perhaps this is due to their new leader Captain Steve Brown who recently took over from Captain Alan Singer. The ATOs at Fort George must easily be the fittest in the Province, whenever we in Lisburn try to contact them by telephone they are always out at the gymnasium. Staff Sergeant Nick Nicholson our man in Omagh since June has at last claimed his first IED by neutralizing a seven hundred pound command wire culvert bomb. On the other hand our man at Bessbrook Staff Sergeant Steve Wilks has only been in the Province three weeks and he has already claimed the title " Mr PE4." AMMUNITION INSPECTORATE. The recent lull in activity has given us all a chance to do other things. Captain Nigel Smellie performs well for the Malone Rugby Team, both during, and after, matches. In the office though, he is a workaholic, producing projects galore. Never a dull moment here. Sergeant Spook Anderson has had to demand for some more whistles as his stock is low. It gets more like FA Headquarters in here as the football season gets into full swing. He does, how- ever, manage to find the time to deal with Unit ammunition demands. WOl Jim Harper still breezes effortlessly around the Province, although the Vauxhall he recently acquired, has been taken off his hands. (Tears). He must be the only one who commutes to Lisburn via Belfast—Heathrow, and his numerous complaints of jet-lag on Mondays, is now becoming a ritual. Private Taffy Morris has found a new love in his life. They are called the Sex Pistols. He can be heard from one hundred yards away, blaring away obscure lyrics, which no one else understands. His pet hate is Barbara Woodhouse, probably be- cause she reminds him of an RSM. He has withdrawn his transfer request to the Parachute Regiment. Unarmed Combat. Our picture shows the COO riding a right cross fiom the Adjutant MCRM whilst delivering a karate chop to the Major Ceneral Royal Marines who has just torn off the door to the COO's staff car prior to delivery a short finger jab to the COO's solar plexus. A more prosaic interpretation might be the COO, Brigadier K. A. Berresford being greeted by the MCRM, Major Ceneral J. J. Moore on the COO's visit to Plymouth. Pollard and Major Mike Blake try to play golf sometimes and when things get dull there is always defence expenditure to warble about, together with fuel economy, manpower reviews and the ubiquitous Crusader. United Kingdom Land Forces Headquarters Scotland WE have been trying for months to get some, of what is technically known as ' in- put ' to these pages from the ' other side.' To us the ' other side ' is not the spirit world, of Madame Acarti, but it is our clerks serving in t h a t ' holy of holies,' GSD. There has always been something mysterious about GSD in Headquarters UKLF, for one thing they seem to have more chief priests than a Greek temple: there is W02 Dave Nance, Chief Clerk of GSD, then Staff Sergeant John Hind, Chief Clerk GSD2. I always thought that these represented the summit of attainment, but it seems that within the hierarchy there is an even rarer figure a sort of bionic chief clerk; he is known as a Super Clerk and is with us in the form of WOl Tony Tuck. Congratulations to him and to WOl George Thompson from UKCICC on being selected for com- missioning. They will now go to graze on ambrozia and sip nectar alongside the Supervising Officer and work miracles. I know the latter statement to be true since he got me a dictaphone tape when everyone said they no longer existed. From another source I have it on very good authority, how- ever that all the above is just a front organisation and that the real work is done by Privates Anne Thomas and Tracy Loftus WRAC, sometimes assisted by Corporal Pete Lamble when he is not pushing his car into work. Now for Ordnance Branch Headquarters UKLF. Brigadier Berresford continues a strenuous visit programme, but now much reduced by the defence ' moribundium.' Our picture shows a recent visit to the Royal Marines. For some time Major Bob Price has been sporting an injured ankle. He claims it was playing hockey but we all know that he was caught in the stampede of our RO's claiming extra duty pay for Exercise Crusader. They are a tough lot our RO's. Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lawrence's latest exploit featured on the front page of the Channel Press when he was seen at Cherbourg shaping up, Jack Dempsey style, to a belligerent French Fisherman. Apart from that, life continues in much the same fashion as usual. Lieutenant Colonel Mike Watts sometimes plays golf and Major Alan WHAT with Exercises Crusader and Square Leg and the moratorium on de- fence spending there has been little chance of the dust settling in the Branch. During the Exercise, CRAOC, Lieutenant Colonel Mike Connolly visited 51 Company in Germany and was much impressed with their performance. Whilst this was going on the rest of us were ' holding the fort' in the local Exercise. Captain Sam Slade came over from Benbecula for the first part of the Exercise and did stalwart work in the AQ/Ord Cell. We welcome Mr Sidney Orrey as Fire Adviser and hope that he will enjoy his sojourn in Scotland. Finally our congratulations to Major Ian McKinnon who has recently announced his engagement to Miss Carolyn Allen. They plan to get married at the end of the year. 51 COMPANY RAOC (V) 51 COMPANY had the pleasure of receiving the DGOS and Mrs Brown accompanied by CRAOC and Mrs Connolly during the DGOS's Scottish tour of inspection. The DGOS was able to visit and talk with soldiers, engaged in weapon cleaning. He also visited the miniature range where a small bore shoot was taking place and met other Unit personnel engaged in prepara- tions for Exercise Crusader. After meeting the junior ranks the General visited the Sergeants Mess where he met the senior ranks he had seen on training, more informally. The visit was concluded by a supper party in the Officers Mess where the DGOS was able to meet several Commanding Officers of TA Units in the West of Scotland as well as officers of sponsored Units RAOC (V) living in the area, former officers, and of course their ladies. The PMC, supervised by the Unit officers ladies, had meantime entertained our guests including Mrs Brown, Mrs Connolly, 51 Company's Hon Colonel and Mrs Purdie, Colonel Reserve Army and Mrs Kelly and was — 188 — |
| Book number | R0404 |