RAOC Gazette - page 249
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 |
The three Bath Units are workin overtime, over four thousand five hundred soldiers have been for a shower in the last forty eight hours or so. I aint never seen so many dirty people at one time! Still they wus all grateful for the clean up and that was the main fing. Seem stupid to me to git all clean and sweet smellin and then git sweaty and dirty diggin another OP. I suppose theres some sense to it. I fink I'll pop down for a quick ' duche' as they say in the local vennacular, myself when I've popped this missive in the post. It's only right that on somefing as big as this exercise that there are many warry tales as well as magnificant humourus incidents but I aint got time to relate them now. But Corporal Bland will not forget 'is dive into a prone position right into a newly left friendly cow's trade mark. Not wot I call the sweet smell of success. I rekon thats taking ' cammin-up ' too seriously. Talkin of camming our CRAOC, Lieutenant Colonel Clive Pickard, is most pleased with our efforts, not only ave we made it difficult for the enemy to find us but our boss at 1 (BR) Corps, Brigadier John Skinner finds it difficult to locate us as well. 'E reckons we give im the rong grid on purpose—my boss reckons it's 'is map readin. A big welcome to our re-inlistments Corporal Irvine (Ord- nance Company) and Lance Corporal Leitch (Divisional Head- quarters) glad to ave you back where the action is Must go some twits shouted Stand To now wheres that *@!? thunder-flash! Yours Tommie. 2nd Armoured Division CRUSADER 80 HEADQUARTERS RAOC (THE following despatch was received in Deepcut direct from the front-line. We hope we have unscrambled it correctly— no doubt members of RAOC in the Division will understand it.—Editor). The War Diary has recorded the pre-war administration — including the despatch of silver from the Division to the security of the Depot. Our UK reinforcements then arrived in fine form and in good time including Corporal ' Fletch' Fletcher from CAD Kineton and Privates Guy Danavan and David Heaps having just mustered from Apprentices College. Whilst every effort was made to ensure the Division was battleworthy, the CRAOC refused A 03 demand for a No. 1 Burner pricker for Headquarters RAOC. However, we are confident that in accordance with the wishes of the Corps Com- mander and CCRAOC, all conservancy needs for our peace time dependency are perfect. Herr Osca Meyer has ensured our Divisional rubbish dumps will achieve financial savings whilst at the same time freeing Units from the onerous task of paying bills on the spot. Mean- while his wife Nelda has placed several orders for POL require- ments which too are keeping the Division mobile. The ' See Sup- pers ' supplemented by Sergeant ' Cheeky' Hitchcock from 87 Supply Depot have oiled the wheels with RCT and on each of the three Fridays of Exercise Spearpoint we received bread duly stamped Friday. Mind you we are not sure which Friday it was baked! They have a difficult and demanding task which they cheerfully carry out—they have to—Big Brother Umpire is watching! CRAOC briefed all of us, that is except his own driver, on the battle plans including the thrust of the enemy forces from the east. In the morning we peered expectantly into the sun only to find the ' Orange Sellers ' had come round the back door by helicopter. 2nd Armoured Division Ordnance Company had meanwhile warned Logistic Headquarters, allowing CRAOC to escape. The Ordnance Company then attacked the enemy but unfortunately Staff Officers escaping from Main Headquarters failed to stop on approaching the counter-attack force and certain of them had red faces. Logistic Headquarters was saved by the action to the delight of CRAOC who had been elevated to the role of Colonel AQ in the hurly-burly-oneupmanship for RAOC. On a difficult move one night the Second-in-Command in Packet 1 arrived first at the step up location followed by CRAOC from Packet 3 having been recovered from a ditch—others followed later! Headquarters RAOC are now giving map read- ing instruction. Something else we did not anticipate was an early intro- duction to Noddy suits so we are thankful for the tactical deploy- ment of the Bath Unit. It was on a visit to the delights of mixed bathing that ' Chopper' Rollins hacked the Adjutants petrol tank on his Land Rover which was elevated on a tree stump after OD some nifty driving by 'Brummie' Thynne. It was a good job they were not in a hurry to be decontaminated! 2nd Armoured Division Combat Supplies Company removing the mothballs and making hasty demands for modern fire ex- tinguishers, was the scenario to which the UK and BAOR members were introduced prior to deployment. Major Geoff Athcrton from 1 (BR) Corps Combat Supplies Battalion is the Officer Commanding aided and abetted by Captain Harry Vaughan from Ammunition Inspectorate BAOR. They un- loaded in good time and soon got. on with the task of supplying the Division in war; quickly becoming a close knit Unit they easily dealt with the attempts of 99 Diversionary Brigade saboteurs. The enthusiasm of the soldiers, particularly those recently out of training, reflects credit on both the Training Battalion and COD Donnington. They have quickly become like ' old sweats ' and have proved that reinforcement can work. The Division is very grateful to them all. 5 Field Force [!• SOME of you readers may have noticed that we were not featured in the last issue of THE GAZETTE. The reason for this was simply ' buck passing' from one to another down the chain of command with the inevitable break in communications somewhere along the line. I will try and bring you up to date with events. August was an extremely quiet month as we have moved inexorably closer to the great event. An assault was made by this company and 4 Petroleum Depot on Phantasialand— Germany's answer to Disneyland. Privates Paddy Walsh, Keith Best and Brian Smith caused some amusement as they prom- enaded in their umbrella hats, posing for photographs and one white faced, visibly trembling member was wandering around claiming a record for the number of times that he had been on the big dipper. All in all a good day was had by all. Lance Corporal Robertson has our sincere thanks for organising such a wonderful day out. Q 'The Chew' Collinge led a team around 1 Glosters Wander- weg March, an event that tried the patience as well as endurance of the men. The first team to set out was 113 Provost Company RMP and oddly enough all the teams that followed them got lost and added a further ten kilometre to the overall distance of twenty kilometres. The aforementioned ' Red Caps' were awarded first place with the Company placed second. Private Keith Best still insists that the route signs were changed after the first team went through, he has been informed of the laws for slander. Con- gratulations to the team on a well deserved effort with special congratulations to Private Ray Ferguson for sticking to the course and the pace and taking photographs at the end. The Unit has bid farewell to Sergeant Paul Eldred RAPC and family and welcomed his successor Sergeant Steve Singers and family—there is no truth in the rumour that the Sergeant Major John Matthews breathed a sigh of relief. The maverick of the PRI, Staff Sergeant Graham Chapman has slipped out of circulation and is due to surface at DSM Bicester. Thanks Staff for running a well organised PRI and best of luck. Lance Corporal Bob Phillips and Private Steve Duffield have returned from the UK after having been on the Satisfied Soldiers Scheme. The reports received from the ACIOs St Albans and Leeds bear out their claims that they were responsible for a few potential recruits. Private Steve Duffield is now satisfied that the Air Trooping flights are helpful as they got him and his wife Susan to UK and back safely on time. Some news of Spearpoint. The role of the Company on this exercise is umpiring and four teams went out to umpire in their vehicles with the white crosses being very prominent. The rest of the company reinforced 2 ADOC and 12 Armoured Work- shop Stores Section. Lance Corporal Dave Roberts (anxiously awaiting his second tape) joined Headquarters RAOC 2nd Armoured Division, the Sergeant Major and his merry men Sergeant Eric Blunn, Lance Corporals Ian Sharpe, Phil Hussey and Private Brian Smith set up Combat Supplies on the square in Catterick Barracks, Bielefeld. John Matthews claims the OC specially picked him for the task as it was a difficult one. W02 Ron Ferguson in a deadpan voice agreed saying " Yes, he is only out for a week." Lieutenant Cable is doing watchkeeper for Headquarters 5 — 200 — |
| Book number | R0404 |