RAOC Gazette - page 32
Image details
| Corps | RAOC |
|---|---|
| Material type | Journals |
| Book page | |
| Chapter head | |
| Chapter key | |
| Chapter number | |
| Full title | RAOC Gazette |
| Page number | |
| Publication date | 1978 |
| Real page | |
| Colour | No |
| Grey | No |
| Early date | 1978 |
| Late date | 1978 |
| Transcription |
The games evening against our old foe the RMP, ended in a Iraw, we didn't lose and they didn't win, someone stole the >core board! The metric gallon was most certainly won by us; note the Depot Superintendents freshly laundered jacket and oeer shampoo hair style, The darts match against 61 Station Workshop was a resound- ingly successful night; although no one saw the final score- board, we claim a victory as the visitors. The visit of Major General Cornock was most enjoyable and many RAOC personnel from Dortmund area had the chance to talk to the General. The Officer Commanding Major C Mclnnes was last seen doing cartwheels up the corridor gasping something about extensions, perhaps he means telephones. RAOC in Cyprus '-^^S^^A fife I J5L I I i&ljft I i(P^LXHHf VjM^^AW ^^^k)S# ^^Z^r ^^^F SO much has happened since our last notes that, with very little effort, we could fill THE RAOC GAZETTE, however, in line with the Editor's policy of keeping unit notes fairly short and my own policy of not doing more when less will do, I will be as brief as possible. I am sure that all RAOC personnel on the island would agree with my choice for lead news item and, hopefully, the Editor will also appreciate its worth and publish the separate article we have submitted, with, possibly, the photograph on the front cover. (/ hope to as soon as space permits but cover photo- graphs must be taken 'portrait* i,e. longways up,—Editor). The subject is the Cyprus Walkabout competition -1977, a gruelling, two day, sixty mile, cross country orienteering com- petition taking competitors from Episkopi up the mountain *o Troodos and then back down again. RAOC Cyprus were represented by three teams and were the only unit to have all teams complete the course, something to be proud of in itself, but we also came fourth, eighth and thirty third out of a field of eighty teams. Pride is not a big enough word to describe the feeling within the unit and the teams have been left in no doubt as to our feelings. A selection of results from the top of the table will indicate the standard of this achievement:—First 3 Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment B Team; Second 6 Gurkha Rifles A Team; Third 3 Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment A Team; Fourth ^AOC Cyprus A Team. In twelfth place came Major Trevor Seabrook running for the Episkopi Hash House Harriers and a member of the winning Veterans team. W02 Pat Moore of 48 Command Workshop Stores Section and Sergeant John Flannagan of HQ LFC also completed the course. Shortly before the Walkabout Competition we had the pleasure of acting as hosts to a TAVR unit operating under the name of 134 Vehicle Platoon RAOC for administrative rather than establishment reasons. They spent two weeks with us, accommodated at Akrotiri, carrying out various activities which included working alongside RAOC Cyprus personnel during our annual weekend camp. Many of the TAVR soldiers found the training to be very hard, which was partly due to the high temperatures, but they showed exceptional spirit and performed well. Their attitude earned our respect during the weekend camp and the social events towards the end of the camp benefited from this. The Annual camp started with a short training session, aimed at getting everyone to think like soldiers and to enable people to get used to working with their TAVR companions. \ four mile route march preceded the next phase which was to sail by RCT RPL from Akrotiri to Evdhimou, a four hour trip in quite rough seas. The tactical beach landing was made without loss of life and after eventually locating the platoons, who under the command of Lieutenant George Raggett RAOC TAVR and W02 Ken Norgate had taken cover very professionally, Captain Lawrence Wood, exercise controller, led the way to the first of a series of events. This was an ambush on WOl Ray Preston and WD2 Jim Caldwell which, in reality, would probably have been a success for them—and they were unarmed'. The next two days were filled with tactics, map reading, weapon handling, first aid and little steep, ending up on the Sunday at Evdhimou beach. WOl Rick Thistlethwaite and Sergeant Bill Orchard pre- pared a splendid barbecue which was washed down with a 4 few' cans of ice cold beer which, as so often happens, led to — Members of RAOC Cyprus caught taking weekend exercise. a breather on the an evening of singing and story telling which did not help when it came to reveille next day. This last day of the camp was spent taking part in the relatively new sport on the island of Parascending. Nearly everyone had a go and the activity proved so popular that Sergeants Jim Massey and Alan Gager organised a recent families day at which wives and children also had a go. The accompanying photographs show Sergeant Laing TAVR being briefed before takeoff and WOl Jim Harper on his way up to one hundred feet. Sergeant Laing being briefed before going up. The RAOC Cyprus Study Day was held at Dhekelia and took the form of a series of presentations to members of other Corps and Regiments on the less well known aspects of the services supplied by RAOC. Major Neil MacCormick covered the Barracks side whilst Major Richard Tregarthen explained the world of supplies and contracts. The CFA, Harry Cooper, gave an account of the Army Fire Services, which was illustrated by demonstrations and a static display of items taken from actual fires on the island. Other static displays were provided by the Vehicle Depot and the Ammunition Depot; the centre piece of their display being Wheelbarrow. In dealing with the DGOS's visit to Cyprus it must be pointed out that these notes are not in order of importance but in chronological order! The second point is that, although Major General Caltan arrived on the 25th October and departed on the 28th October, there is plenty to write about. After his arrival and a quick change into uniform, he visited Commander BFC and Commander LFC. The after- noon proved to be one of the few moments of relaxation in the trip so the General took CRAOC for a run and a swim. The evening was spent with RAOC personnel and their wives from Episkopi and Akrotiri at an informal function at the Families Club in Akrotiri. 261 — |
| Book number | R0246a |