RAOC Gazette - page 290
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 |
Corporal Pete Hockaday has given me a very long and amusing account of his recent sailing experiences. Under Staff Sergeant Frank Kirkman's excellent instruction a number of soldiers experienced the fresh air of the English Channel. I now know that Private Harold Kerstein found the ocean wave very tiring, but made him more generous when it came to buy- ing drinks. Private Toby Ives is a born sailor and Corporal Pete Hockaday is not a born sailor. On his voyage, a force eight gale blew up, which has put him off sailing for the rest of his life! Mention must be made of the Unit shooting team which competed in the Rhine Area Small Bore Target, Rifle Range Team and Individual Championship 1980—what a mouthful! The team consisting of Sergeant Bob Hood, Corporals Ned Kelly and Jimmy Docherty, in their first long range competition came third which was an excellent result. Staff Sergeant Dave Hogg in partnership with the Olen golf club resident professional Mr John Wilkinson have just won the Belgian Greensome competition. I have been told that this is one of the top Belgian competitions. We welcome the following: W02 John McShane, Sergeants Mike Lloyd, John Hunter and Private Cummings. Congratula- tions are in order to the following on their promotions: A/Sergeants John Justin, Speedy Walters, A/Corporals Pete Hockaday and Del Free and Lance Corporal Geordie Pow. 3 Base Ammunition Depot OBVIOUSLY most of September and the beginning of October was devoted to Exercise Crusader. We provided our usual Com- bat Supplies Platoon and issued simulated ammunition (pallets of bricks) to the Corps Area. Our main contribution to the exercise was that we were tasked to administer the Leuth Staging Area. A small detachment commanded by our SATO, Major Ian Marshall, spent five weeks under canvas. They provided staging facilities ie food, POL etc to reinforcements passing through to the Corps Area. During the five weeks, they collected DM1,403.00 from the transitees for the Stoke Mandeville Hospital Appeal Fund! Our congratulations go to Sergeants Bob Brien and Joe Walters on being presented with their Long Service and Good Conduct Medals. They were presented to the recipients by the Commandant, Colonel Dodworth. Sport has taken a back seat during the period of the exercise, but happily everything is back to normal. The various arenas are now back in use. We still have some golf news to report in that WOl John Kearney, Staff Sergeant Paul Ladley and Corporal Ian Gray played recently in the Army Stroke Play Championships. This was won by Corporal Gray, with Staff Sergeant Ladley in fifth place. Corporal Gray then defended his Dutch Amateur Title but unfortunately was beaten in the second round. A new activity has sprung up recently in the form of tug-of- war. The RSM has taken overall control with Corporal Keast as his deputy. At present all matches are on a friendly basis. To date four matches have taken place against 13 Signals, 21 Signals, 68 Squadron RCT and RAF Laarbruch and resulting in . wins for Bracht. Training is continuing through the winter with an eye to serious competition in the summer. The rugby team has started the season seriously with a run out in the Double Diamond Competition. Unfortunately, Bracht were knocked out by a very well drilled Bruggen team in the semi-finals. Ten players were released to play in the SHAPE Invitation Sevens and with little training retained the Trophy. The Barbarians played RAF Wildenrath in the Double Diamond League and after a bad start, ran out eventual winners thirty two to sixteen. We also provided the BAOR Corps side with eleven players in the annual fixture against RAF(G). All players featured well but alas, the Corps lost twenty one to sixteen. A very well supported Inter-Departmental Badminton com- petition was held with ten teams competing for the Musson Cup. The competition was held over one day and provided spectators with some reasonable badminton. The competition was won by RHQ 'A' Team who beat Control 'A' two matches to one. Congratulations go to W02 Bradley, Staff Sergeants Kirby, Ladley and Sergeant Sayer on promotion; Private Stephenson on his recent marriage and to Lance Corporal and Mrs Woodall on the birth of their daughter. Postings In: Staff Sergeant Holvey, Sergeants Mayor, Myring, Corporals Brown, Child, Dixon, Lamont, Lowe, Morris, Rigby; Lance Corporal Watters, Privates Barke, Doyle, Embleton, Griffin and Jones. Postings Out: Sergeants Lack, McShane, Tarr, Corporals Stark, Turner and Private Hulley. 15 Ordnance Group ORDNANCE DEPOT VIERSEN. Avid readers of THE GAZETTE may remember that we reported in our last months newsletter that the sons of some of our Servicemen took part in a sponsored cycle ride for charity. Our local charity, The Fanny Zahn Home here in Viersen requested that we purchase for them some sledges, footballs and rounders equipment. Our photograph shows the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel J. A. S. Rees and one of the organisers WOl T. Rumney MBE, with the children who did the ride and some of the children at the home. The fruits of their labours. (See page 177 of the November GAZETTE.) The Unit Small Bore Team were entered in the Rhine Area Small Bore Shoot and came out winners. As individuals, Corporal Woolley came second and WOl Cartwright came third. Whilst on the Small Bore scene, Major MacDonald, WOl Cartwright and Corporal Woolley are all in the running for selection for the Army Small Bore squad. Well done! ICP report that Staff Sergeant Marsh is burning up the miles putting in training for the Army Team which has been invited to run in the New York Marathon. Hot on his heels are the members of the Unit Cross Country Team who are putting in a serious bid to beat FOD Dulmen in this year's Cross Country Championships. Sergeant Black has been nominated as the BAOR Army Driver of the Year and will collect his well earned award this month. The Unit cooks headed by Sergeant Groom, provided an excellent supper for the Garrison Church Harvest Festival. During the auction which followed the service, a cake baked by Sergeant Groom, realised DM110 which is to be donated to the NSPCC. The Unit is supporting the Amateur Dramatics scene very strongly. Major Hatton, Mr Frank Horton and Mrs Marlene Stoney all ' trod the boards' in the Gladbacher Theatre work- shop production of ' Mixed Doubles' in aid of SSAFA. Welcome to Major Murray and congratulations to Corporal Black on promotion to Sergeant; Sergeant McGill on promotion to Staff Sergeant, substantive promotion to Staff Sergeant Smith (729), WOs2 Headon, McKie and Reifer and WOl Drew. Con- gratulations to Corpora] Lovell and his newly acquired wife, W/Lance Corporal Sharon Parker WRAC. 89 SUPPLY DEPOT THE big news in this report is that our computer is live and it's all systems go, although the once young dark haired Provision Clerk, Staff Sergeant Frank Smith, shows a little strain after dealing with the teething problems. On the sporting scene the Unit is well represented by Corporal John Longfield (Soccer), Sergeant Dave Jones (Hockey), Sergeant Mike Blair and W02 Dave Timms at Cross Country. The latter also represented 15 Ordnance Depot Viersen in a fifty metre .22 shooting competition which Viersen won. Viersen Wanderers would be lost without the staunch support of our Staff Sergeant Frank Smith and Sergeant Brian Taylor every weekend. — 233 — |
| Book number | R0404 |