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RAOC Gazette - page 266

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Early date 1980
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Transcription roles of each Unit. The Patenschaft is thought to be the oldest
recorded between Bundeswehr and British Units.
A parade of British and German soldiers was inspected by
Oberstleutnant Bones, CO 34 Panzer Battalion and Lieutenant
Colonel Pickard QGM, CRAOC 1st Armoured Division. The
Band of the 1st Battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment Beat
the Retreat and the British and German Units exchanged com-
memorative scrolls and gifts.
At a reception given afterwards the principal guests were
Major General Hewlett the GOC 1st Armoured Division and
Oberst Scriba, Commander Panzer Brigade. Other guests included
Brigadier Mullens and Brigadier Ward, Commanders Task Force
Alpha and Bravo, Brigadier Whalley, DOS BAOR, Brigadier
Skinner CCRAOC, and Oberburgermeister Horstmann of Celle.
Past commanders and soldiers of both Units during the ten years
of Patenschaft were strongly represented.
Photo Aldershot
News.
Sergeant Len Salisbury takes on Terry Griffiths the 1 9 7 9 W o r l d
Snooker Champion.
such a star studded snooker event and the Training Battalion and
Depot are proud to have notched up a first.
Enthusiasts will be interested to know that in fact, the
Army invented snooker. It was in 1875 and by Colonel Neville
Chamberlain of the Devonshire Regiment.
BRIGADES
Oberstleutnant R. Bones and Lieutenant Colonel C. R. Pickard
Q C M exchange tenth Anniversary gifts at the Patenschaft.
During the reception held for the junior NCOs and soldiers
some three thousand cans of beer were emptied as part of the
celebration and enough food consumed to feed a small town.
Rumours were rife during and after this celebration of tie, badge
and trouser swapping between the soldiers of both nations.
W02 Patchitt of 1 ADOC held a parade the following morning
to determine the extent of the * swapping' but he refuses to
divulge how many men appeared on parade dressed as Bun-
deswehr tank operators.
A good time was had by all!
POT
BLACK
DOWN
SERGEANT LEN SALISBURY, a lifetime snooker enthusiast
wanted to encourage the game within the Training Centre so
Captain Gordon Coombs, QMSI Ron Spree and Sergeant Len
Salisbury set about the task of engaging Terry Griffiths.
Terry took time off from the World Team Championships to
come along and display his skill in front of a three hundred and
thirty capacity audience. He played against eight players from
Training Centre and gave a first class exhibition of trick shots.
One by one he despatched Lieutenant Alan Inions, W02 Derek
Edwards, Sergeants Dave Fox, Brian Garforth and Len Salis-
bury, Corporal Dave Anson and Private Barry Wilkinson—
all of the Depot.
'The highlight of the evening was watching Terry making a
century break (one hundred and twenty nine). Unfortunately,
this was against our only lady competitor Lance Corporal Lyn
Hughes, however, Terry declined to clear the table and after
frantic pleading by Lyn, allowed her to pot the final black.
The evening was an outstanding success. It is believed that
this is the first occasion that the Corps has managed to stage
COME
BACK
TO
BAOR
THE eight Task Forces of the British Army of the Rhine under
1(BR) Corps are to be re-titled as Armoured Brigades from 1st
January 1981. At the same time the Berlin Field Force will be
re-titled as the Berlin Infantry Brigade.
In 1974, in order to help find the manpower savings then
called for, the Army Restructuring Plan abolished the Brigade
level of command in the Field Army. Subsequent experience
showed however that if operations were to be conducted
effectively, then an intermediate level of command between
division and battlegroup was a necessity. Therefore, in Septem-
ber 1979, Task Forces at 'one star' (Brigadier) command level
were formally established. In effect, although by another name,
the brigade level of command had returned—but without restor-
ing the brigade headquarters to anything like its former scale.
Historically, one star formations in the Field Army have
been called Brigades. The title is an honoured one and well
understood within the Army; it is also a title that is used by all
of our allies in NATO to describe their own one star formations.
This re-introduction will involve no internal re-organisation
of Units or movement of them and no increases in the establish-
ment of either men or equipment. Equally, other than very
minimal expenses (arising from such things as repainting sign-
boards), no additional costs will be involved.
So far as the four Field Forces in the UK and the Gurkha
Field Force in Hong Kong are concerned, the Army Board has
decided to postpone any re-titling until further studies have been
completed.
SQUASH
ON
THE
ROCK
THE Corps squash team started their season with a short tour
to Gibraltar. A full programme of morning coaching clinics and
evening matches, was arranged by Major Roy Lennox, our man
in Gibraltar and Major Terry Holmes the DOPT.
Despite not being up to full strength, the touring side of
Lieutenant Colonel Ted Champion, Major John Woodliffe, Staff
Sergeants Doug MacLean and John Wallis, Corporal Clark Adam
and Major Lance Brett, tour manager, recorded convincing five
nil wins over the Gibraltar Combined Services, a Gibraltar SRC
B Side and a Gibraltar Selected team of mixed civilians and
servicemen. Only against a full Gibraltar SRC team did the
visitors narrowly lose three two.
GBS Television excelled itself by transmitting some of the
matches and Major Woodliffe appeared live on the local sports
programme.
The team was received by His Excellency the Governor in
the grounds of the Convent. General Sir William Jackson, a
former Colonel Commandant of the Corps was delighted to meet
the Corps side and hoped our visit would become an annual
event.
1 —
Book number R0404