RAOC Gazette - page 297
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 |
After six days of activity the result was a fitter, better trained Company, A Platoon with Lieutenant Stamps and Sergeant Potter at the helm winning the inter-Platoon trophy and every- one having enjoyed their efforts. Trie GOC 4th Armoured Division presented the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal to Staff Sergeant ' R a b ' Pender of MT fame. Our photograph shows Staff Sergeant and Mrs Pender immediately after the event. Egg on the chin of our photographer whose flash gun failed him during the General's presentation. Staff Sergeant and Mrs Pender after the presentation. Postings have been many since the exercise and we have said sad farewells to Sergeants Inglis and Alder, Corporal Flaherty, Lance Corporals McDonald, Bayes and Hom, Privates Simpson, Pilkington, Dobson and Fennell (ACQ. In exchange we welcome Sergeants Potter, Elstub, Bell and Harris (ACQ and Privates Davies, Farrimond, Zulli (ACQ Davenport, Donaldson and Howell. Sergeant Montgomery has escaped to Zimbabwe for six months to brief our next OC. STORES PLATOON 4 ARMOURED WORKSHOP AFTER all the months of hard work leading up to Crusader we finally hit the road with all our vehicles roadworthy. Our war location—a fantastic German Farm two huge barns to stow the vehicles, and only the vehicles left outside required ' Camming,' a luxury we don't often get. The OC, Captain Hanlon duly arrived first to begin the mammoth task of putting thee vehicles to bed. Striding into the barn, which was completely empty—with the exception of a ' lone' telephone—which was ringing away merrily. The pace from then on was frantic. It was not all work of course. The CO graciously allowed us to use the local Gaststatte on two occasions, which was welcomed by all. Guards, fatigues, duty clerks, storcmen and drivers all gradually took its toll. But I am very glad to say morale and humour never failed. It was a great success and the Platoon was honoured to play an important part. A special mention to the REME's in the Workshop, who had one hundred and ten per cent service all round the clock, thank you for all the ' paperwork.' Quotes: ' O ' Group—Sergeant White beating a hasty re- treat out of the barn. Corporal Geordie Heddon sprinting to the OCs luxury cabin. " Where's me gun," spoke Geordie Robinson from the depths of his sleeping bag. " Sir, will your wife make some more ' Stuffed Yorkshire Pudd ' " says Sergeant Pete Salisbury. " Elliott, a Credit to the Naafi," from the Adjutant. 80 SUPPLY DEPOT THE past two months have been a very busy time for the Supply Depot; Prior to Crusader the lift in ' B ' Silo broke down and we had to use the grain chute to bring down the items for issue. This was achieved with the help of soldiers from the 1st Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers from Minden. Looking to the future, we await the installation of our ADP System and we should be live by the time you read this. The Chief Clerk has again been practising his German at the scene of his latest accident. We welcome back from Belize W02 Terry Stroud and Lance Corporal John Mortimer. Also we welcome Sergeant Dave Wilson. We have said farewell to Lance Corporal Jim Whitley on promotion to Dulmen. Combat Supplies Battalion 43 RP COMPANY. Since we were last thrust into print the Company has been involved in many activities : ^^ ^^ ^^^^^ outloads, inloads, sideloads, in fact I H M ^ ^ ^ H all that makes up a run-of-the-mill •AJH ' ^^^^| 43 Company week. B r a l ^^^^B We have also been heavily tied ^Hj^H ^^^^H down to laughing everyday during i ^ ^ ^ l ..-., . • H H Spearpoint 80. To relate all the many incidents that happened would take far too long. Here are a couple. We had lots of VIP visitors and we moved a bit fast for some of them. The CDS visited Pombsen but we had already deployed to the field. He was met by a friendly Aussie umpire who politely redirected him. 2/51 Highlanders brought their pipeband and gave the local villagers a quick concert before they left. The Battalion Second- in-Command, Major Ian ' Zutty' Bradley, joined in on tenor drum—he's a lovely stick twirier. The US Para drop interrupted outloading for a day when over three hundred floated to the ground. The 2/51 High- landers put up a spirited defence only to be thwarted by clan' destine umpire action and the Company was informed later that at one point we had been written off. Unfortunately, nobody had told us—and we continued regardless. The move back and wash up happened with the speed of a reprieved man moving out of his cell, probably due to the CQMS, Staff Sergeant Nightingale, who was out to keep his losses down to a minimum. We say farewell to Sergeant Bob Ferguson, Lance Corporal John Bache, Privates Punk Liddle and Tony Forster, and wel- come Corporals Britt, Davies, Palir and Simpson and Privates Munro and Thorpe and congratulations to Corporal Chris Dobson on his promotion to Sergeant. 44 RP COMPANY. The Company is now settling down to its more static role following the hectic months prior to Crusader and the exercise itself. The SIMMO Area is like a ghost town. The frantic efforts of the Depot personnel forgotten, the pallets of SIMMO lie and wait for the next exercise, or for an un- suspecting victim. Private Andy Anderson had a pallet leap out at him and land on his foot. This had serious consequences for him when, on a training day, he tried to evade a guard dog during a demonstration. Handicapped by his injured foot he failed to outpace the dog which bit through the many layers of the protective suit and made contact with real flesh! On the sporting scene the rugby team, ably supported by Lieutenant Dave Lillystone, Sergeants Charlie McAteer and Jed Stone, Corporal John Goulden, Privates Duggie Brown, Mac Maclntyre and a frustrated Captain Mark Wickham on the side- lines, have had a very good start to the..season, remaining un- beaten after fifteen games, and claiming such renowned scalps as Bielefeld Javelins, The Gloucesters and an honourable draw with RAF Gutersloh 'A' team. On the tennis front the Company retained the Tennis Cup, beating 43 by forty four games to thirty seven and strangely enough beating 49 by the same margin. This month we have said goodbye to Captain Lawrence Wood, Corporal Guy Nonis, Lance Corporals Charlie Peace and Tony Donaldson, Privates Paul Mansell and Gobbie King and last but not least the invisible AT himself Corporal Shuggie Collett. We would also like to welcome Captain Doug Hewitt, Lance Corporal and Mrs Terry Cooper, Privates Duggie Brown jind Ray Wall. 49 RP COMPANY. Well the 'Big One' is over: virtually all the Unit took part in Exercise Spearpoint and here are some quotable Spearpoint quotes: Corporal Hindle on the subject of outloading the Ammunition Depots: "Trouble with the RCT is, if it isn't a sixteen tonner, they cannot drive it." Staff Sergeant Vincent (A/CQMS): "As time went by the 'Q' side got better and better." Staff Sergeant Daview (The Real CQMS): "No problem." Corporal Ridley (A/A/CQMS): " W e just wombled through it." Sergeant Owen (MHE Choreographer): " Sir, take care, you are now entering Beaver country." W02 Brooks (Mr label): " Just stick to it lads." Many thanks to the Unit rear party of Staff Sergeant Neary and his merry men for looking after the camp in our absence, and the' cooks for the super meal on our return. — 238 — |
| Book number | R0404 |