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RAOC Gazette - page 282

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Corps RAOC
Material type Journals
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Full title RAOC Gazette
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Publication date 1980
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Colour Yes
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Early date 1980
Late date 1980
Transcription Headquarters Scotland
THE photograph shows the General
Officer Commanding Scotland, Lieutenant
General Sir David Young KBE CB DFC,
officiating at the annual Charity Draw.
He is seen drawing the winning prize for
a gallon of ' Queen Anne ' whisky. This
was won by Mr AJastair Shillington who
works in the Post Room in the Head-
quarters. The second prize of a piece of
Caithness Glass went to Mr Stan Stafford
of our Combat Supplies Branch.
A proportion of the money raised
went to the Gogarburn Group RDA
(Riding for the Disabled Association). A separate report on this
is on page 213.
Sergeant Grey who has already shown evidence of his
photographic prowess has ' seen the light' and has transferred
from the Royal Scots to RAOC. He is shortly to be posted to
Belize after a short attachment to this Headquarters.
We welcome Sergeant Bates to the ACIO in Dundee and
hope that he will maintain the satisfactory level of RAOC
recruiting in Scotland.
South East District
FUEL economies, manpower reductions,
overtime bans and a plethora of economic
measures have become the order of the
day now and we are becoming adept at
finding ' ways and means.'
All the military staff managed to pass
their BFT first time including W02
Shakeshaft our Chief Clerk who ran a
total of twelve miles last time before
passing! He can't wait to get old because
next year he gets an extra thirty seconds.
Colonel Green, our CRAOC, has been appointed DACOS
Logistics at AFCENT and is to be seen studying all the new
models of cars on which he can spend his LOA.
We were getting worried that Major John Muston had
no mountains to climb lately, but much to our relief he dis-
appeared with Major Robin Watts to the Isle-of-Arran to take
part in the gruelling Karrimor Mountain Marathon. To finish
this monster orienteering event was an achievement and is
back to his old self once again.
We say farewell to W02 John Lloyd who has left the
Army to run the logistics for a brick making company and
Mrs Molly Rochester, a long time stalwart of Mob, has moved
to Depot ACC in Aldershot.
We wish Captain Ian Jones an enjoyable four month tour
in Belize.
6 Field Force
The GOC makes the draw.
STORES SECTION RA RANGE
HEBRIDES
AS I sit in my unheated, unlit office my mind wanders to
conjure up a Victorian scene of Scrooge and Bob Cratchitt
occupying grim and meagre premises, then it suddenly strikes
me that Christmas is almost with us and I desperately try to '
remember what has happened to 1980. October is possibly the
worst month in the Hebrides, the already bleak and forbidding
landscape submits itself to the incessant battering of gale after
gale while the feeling of isolation is only enhanced by the
clocks retreating in sympathy.
But October did have its brighter moments, our Crusader-
ing hero's Corporals Byrne and Trent, Lance Corporal Jarman
and Private Stewart returned from BAOR unsung heros with
stories of glory only rivalled by the Spartans magnificent defence
of Themopolae.
During the Crusader period many things happened on the
island, we were invaded by bears or rather " Hercules." The OC
was lucky enough to be Orderly Officer that night and felt he
was at the wrong end of a practical joke, while Staff Sergeant
Hamilton headed a search team before going to St Kilda to get
away from it all. The bear was eventually caught some three
weeks later.
Staff Sergeant Ray and Sergeant Coom are being educated
every afternoon, while W02 Robson has gone south for winter
on a provision course at the School of Ordnance. ' Q ' is count-
ing the days and with a Hong Kong tour looming; who blames
him.
Next an unhappy task—which is to wish Lance Corporal
Austin goodbye, he departs the Section after eighteen months,
to spend his remaining six months army service at Kineton and
finally a welcome to Lance Corporal Pickup from 1 (BR) Corps
Stores Company.
VISITS this month have included one from
the DGOS who spent half a day with the
Company. He was briefed by the Officer
Commanding, Major MacDougall and took
the opportunity to see the Company depart-
ments and activities and speak to every one
of the Company personnel. The Company's
Quarter Guard turned out again with their
usual aura of smart efficiency led by the
CSM, W 2 J. Boyle. A credit to the Com-
pany indeed but there is no truth in the
output from Rumour Control that they have been practicing for
duties at some of the more desirable residences in London!
The Company's adventure training week (Exercise Tregantle
Tug) had to be cancelled because of the moratorium of fuel and
other cuts. The exercise was replaced hurriedly by a week of
adventure training within South East District. This included
sailing, canoeing and rock climbing and most of the Company
was able to take part The OC rediscovered his youth when
dinghy sailing at Hawley Lake.
Earlier in the period, some forty Company personnel took
part in exercise Dyfed Trek the aim of which was to march
one hundred miles of the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path in five
days a report of which, space permitting, will appear in a future
edition of THE GAZETTE.
The Potential Officers Course finishes this week and the
Company turns out six well trained ' hopefuls ' who are going
forward to the Regular Commissions Board shortly. The Com-
pany will miss being regailed with tales of exploits on initiative
tests and a number of radio and TV personalities—indeed a
couple of lady strippers, will be pleased to hear that that phase
is at an end! English Police Stations will miss the plaintive
pleas to ' Stamp our test sheet please!' The six hopefuls go
with our best wishes for their future.
Finally, (and for his dad) we must mention the Second-in-
Command, Captain Dick Carman.
Welcome to Lance Corporal Peace and family, and to
Private Hall fresh from the factory.
Farewell to Lieutenant ' P i p ' Wilson and his wife Pauline.
Our congratulations to WOl Elsey BEM and W02 Esser on their
recent promotions.
— 225 —
South West District
THE Moratoriums-bites even deeper. Supply
Management are contemplating merciful ex-
tinction on a funeral pyre of Immediate signals
and financial instructions, Combat Supplies
have gone ex-Directory, Accommodation
Services have gone mad and CRAOC has
gone to Jersey—" touring, no contact address,
don't call me I'll call you." Organisation/
Administration view the turmoil with ben-
evolent tolerance and non-existent overtime.
Major Reg Frisby almost had a heart
Book number R0404