RAOC Gazette - page 296
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 Americans we were able to see the similarities and differences between the US and British systems. Needless to say, the role of females in the US Army provided an exciting talking point! Volleyball and football leagues were held and numerous visits to the local swimming baths were arranged, where Sergeant Razz Rutter showed us how to dive, while Lance Corporal Pete McNally and Private Gary Downer showed us how not to! A climax of the football league was the exciting match with 5th Armoured Workshop, which the Company won by four goals to two. The cross country team had their first run of the season at Deilinghofen and performed well to finish second in the first race of the minor Units league. The rugby team had a good start to the season with a re- sounding win over 3 Regiment AAC. The football team is doing well and maintaining its one hundred per cent record with five wins out of five with Lance Corporal Mellor getting in amongst the goals in most matches. Our congratulations to Private Steve Mackey on his up- grading and we welcome Lance Corporals Paul Goodey and Graham Sneyd. We hope they will enjoy their time with us. We say goodbye to Sergeant Mark Hodgkiss and Corporal Mick Slater and wish them well. We also say goodbye to Lieu- tenant Hurst who has returned to RMC Shrivenham to continue his degree. him well and hope his undoubted abilities stand him in good stead. On the promotions side we offer congratulations to both Corporals Mick Holman and Ken Cornwall on selection for promotion to substantive Corporal. The ' Sassenach' element of the Depot are alarmed by our Senior Civilian Clerk, Herr Hans Funke. suddenly practising ancient tribal customs by the wearing of his version of High- land dress. We are all well conditioned to seeing our OC wear- ing his skirt, which is no doubt intended to boost Unit morale. Could it be that Depot working dress is about to be modified to make the display of knobbly knees mandatory? On reflection our CRAOC is Welsh so we may yet be saved. However, to be on the safe side your scribe is currently practising rolling his Rrr's. Hans is one of our longest serving employees having been employed in the Depot for over thirty years. He has requested that his regards be passed on to all previous serving members of the Depot. We would like to inform all ex-members of the Unit that Unit plaques and ties are available on request. Prices are: Plaques DM20 (£4.71); Ties DM8.50 (£2.00). STORES SECTION 26 FIELD REGIMENT WORKSHOP WE have said ' goodbye' to our old boss WOl (Paddy) Johnson and welcomed WOl John Malin, who unenviably took over the hot seat during the final two weeks of preparing for the exercise and finding out just what ' moratorium ' means. SSM Johnson in his farewell ' O Group' proved how well he knew us all; embarrassing each of us by relating stories we hoped had been forgotten; Algipan in bed (not a pleasant way to go), cat naps at the wheel of a four tonner on the Autobahn and Conduct Sheets that took a week to read etc. Rumour has it that at three in the morning he took the whole guardroom prisoner. Anyway, goodbye ' Stan the Man ' as he was affection- ately dubbed and best wishes for the future in your new post of DOWO North East District. As previously stated our new boss was dropped in the thick of it, but ably assisted by Sergeant Steve Swales and Sergeant Alan Sargeant, now back at school learning Sprechen Sie Deutch, order has been re-established, heads and backs bent and the job completed. We welcome Private Wild as replacement driver for Private Tony Potter, who successfully completed his Commando Course. Well done, Tony! Winter sports are now in full swing with Private Gary Lester once again playing football for the Regiment, Corporal Andy Carr and Private Taff Gray away at the Corps Trials for hockey and rugby respectively and Lance Corporal Pete Still hiking and canoeing around Norway. I WE have finally said farewell to Major Tony Wilson-Ing and Captain Charlie White who have left us for Manchester University. Farewell drinks were had in the Post Horn Club, where the CRAOC made the presenta- STORES PLATOON 5 ARMOURED WORKSHOP WITH Crusader now behind us the Platoon is preparing for a NIRW tour. The Stores Platoon will be led by W02 ' Slim ' Jones who has shed ten years and twenty pounds for the privilege! We also congratulate W02 Jones on his forthcoming promotion to WOl and for bringing his rugby boots out of retirement yet again. We are looking forward to seeing Lance Corporal Steve Arnold again; back from 321 EOD in Northern Ireland. We have put our tin lids on and set the lights swinging in preparation for the new crop of war stories! Welcome to Corporal Shaun Hughes, Privates Scouse Elliot, Vince Hutchinson, Paul Simpson and Jock Williamson and con- gratulations to Lance Corporal Rick Adkins and Linda on the birth of a girl, Natalie; to Private Steve Jones and Elaine a boy Lee and to Private Andy Miller and Bemhilde a girl Anne-Marie. 86 SUPPLY DEPOT WE start the notes this month by welcoming two new members to the Unit: Staff Sergeant Brian Scribbins, his wife Dorothy, and family, and hope they enjoy their stay. The other new arrival is Corporal Mick Slater. No sooner was Mick settled in than he was taking time off to be married, we offer our sincerest congratulations to Mick and his wife Julia who, unfortunately, will not be joining her husband. W02 John Darling has left us for Aldershot where he joins forces with another ex 86 Depot Superintendent, WOl Dave Jackson, a formidable' partnership who we are sure will con- tinue to tum out some of the finest tradesmen in the Army. The last departure was Lance Corporal Graham Sneyd, we wish 4 t h Armoured Division ^^•^^^ ^^H^^^k ^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^1 ^^^^^^v ^^H^^^' ^ _ Our highlight has been Spearpoint and the Work-up training. The exercise which started with a bang and just sort of fizzled out, was punctuated with a few memorable moments. One of which was the soccer trials to select a team to represent Logistic Headquarters against a local side and to all intent and purposes it went well, except that is, for CRAOC's cracked ribs and bruised kidney (who didn't have a good con- fidential report then?) As to the exercise it was two weeks of ' Hard Slog' what with WOl (long John and body scarf) Witter, W02 (Biggies) Strugnell and not forgetting Major (Uncle Bulgaria) Pike to name . just a few of the members of our illustrious team. The radio vehicle along with the intrepid trio of Corporal Hogg, Lance Corpora] Rees and Private Hicks (on loan from 4 ADOC) was located of all places under plum trees, yes plum trees and need I say more than " Hello we will be off the air for figures 10 minutes to attend the call of nature." While the Headquarters Staff were enjoying themselves on exercise we must not forget the people that were left behind (no that is not a pun from my last paragraph) I've forgotten who was left behind. Never mind huh! We welcome into our fold Major Peter Lamb of NBC fame as S02 Maint and Captain John Campbell as Adjutant, I hope they have a happy tour with the fighting fourth. ORDNANCE COMPANY OH GOLLY! I suppose I must start with Crusader otherwise our readers may think that we were absent. However, not for us the hectic dash of battle moving from one location to an- other and not for us the glamour of being in the public eye of the media. No, ours was to suffer periods of frenzied technical activity as the Orange Forces of our Division gave Blue a bloody nose whilst we sat in Steinwedel, to one side of the battle area, throughout the exercise. Our FOTs commanded by Sergeants Price and Mead, were more fortunate as they moved with the Task Force IRGs; a task that tested to the limit the map read- ing skills of their DRs Privates Hardy and Maher who rarely travelled the same road twice to Steinwedel. The Water Babies (Bath Units) were also highly active and gave a clean-up to nearly three thousand troops in a variety of locations. Our two men Fox are not speaking to each other due to Lieutenant F selecting a water site which, after being used for baths, sank the bath Unit vehicles. Along came Sergeant F of the LAD complete with Wrecker to the rescue. Alas the drowned vehicles came out but the Wrecker stayed in!! Enough said I think, as we all know how these EMEs hate to have to call on their own kind for recovery! Our proposed escape to the hills to enjoy a mixture of military, tactical and adventure training fell to the axe. At very short notice we substituted a training programme based on the barracks and centered this on arduous and physical pursuits around the local countryside practising our military skills. — 237 — |
| Book number | R0404 |