RAOC Gazette - page 40
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 |
TIIK RAOC MOBILK DISPLAY I . accordance with the Director of Army Recruiting's policy, [. •_• Corps provides a Mobile Display which takes part in the Director of Army Recruiting Priority One Tour. The team is controlled by the RAOC Recruiting Liaison Officer who is responsible for obtaining a summer team increment and for co-ordinating the outline programme with Ministry of Defence. . The displays are intended to stimulate interest in the Army and to overcome prejudices and possible fears on joining. They provide an important contribution towards recruiting by channelling potential recruits to the Army Careers Informa- tion Offices, The team also backs up Army displays and } APE (Keeping the Army in the Public Eye) engagements i id its Members are required to be able to speak to civilians in a friendly, knowledgeable way about Army life—and of course, about the RAOC in particular. So much for what the Corps Mobile Display is meant to do, but how in practice is this carried out? The CRLO has on his staff two permanent members of the Display who, in the winter months when the team is not on the road, prepare the vehicles and equipment ready for the next season. They also, once the tour programme has been finalised, recce all the locations for their suitability and arrange accommodation for the t am where necessary. As in all military operations, lime spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted and it is of great credit to Staff Sergeant Ivan ' Paddy' Quinn and Lance Corporal k Big John ' Quinn (no relation) that not once during the twenty six locations visited this season, did anything go wrong as a result. Dinah May, the reigning Miss Great Britain. It certainly was a 'knock o u t ' that day! During our stay in Belle Vue Zoo at Manchester we had a chimpanzee calied Topaz climb the tower: she made friends wilh Private Sam Thornhill who coaxed her all the way up with nuts. The Officer in Command of the team was Lieutenant Mark Frazer who joined from the Training Battalion and Depot- Staff Sergeant * Paddy' Quinn was Second in Command and in- deed stays on during the coming winter. Lance Corporal Quinn was replaced by Lance Corporal John Watson early in May when Lance Corporal Quinn went off to Antwerp after serving with the team for three seasons. From CVD Ashchurch came Corporal ' M a c ' McKay, Private 'Ginge* Billing and Private ' S a m ' Thornhill; from 48 AMF(L) Company we had Lance Corporal John Cheeseman, Private Frank Gregory and Private Andy Middleditch. Lance Corporal *Zivs' Ziverts came to us from the Commando Logistic Regiment and from Bicester we had Private Tony Pace and our two WRAC girls, Lance Corporal * Mo ' Sammons and Private Brenda Hines. From 10 Ordnance Support Battalion came Corporal Keith ' Jonah * Jones. Un- fortunately, the team did not stay intact for the whole season, we lost Coporal Jones early on and Lance Corporal Watson near the end with a broken leg. He was very ably replaced by Lance Corporal ' D e l l ' Free from the Training Company at Deepcut. Although the team seemed to enjoy the work, which was often long and tiring, they also enjoyed their play. One of the highlights of the tour was the barbecue held at Loch Ness with some of the other teams. A merry time was had by all and although Nessie was not seen that day there were certainly some monsters about. At Manchester the team sampled the delights of the Beer Keller at Belle Vue and at Darlington some even received flowers—which were actually meant as a present to one of the girls from an admirer! Those in the Corps who like the thought of living out of a suitcase for four months in the summer, meeting many interest- ing people, working hard and playing hard, then the Royal Army Ordnance Corps Mobile Display Team is the place for them. A HOME of your OWN? Is this Your Problem ? Lieutenant Mark Frazer and Staff Sergeant Paddy Quinn with t h e reigning Miss Creat Britain, Dinah M a y . The team, consisting of twelve men and two WRAC girls, came together in April and, after a few weeks of fairly hard work putting the finishing touches to the vehicles and equipment at Deepcut—and practising erecting and dismantling the climb- ing tower, they left Deepcut in early May and headed for Southport and the first show. The team also visited Neston, Warrington, Manchester, Lancaster, Burnley, Ardingly, Crawley, Aldershot, West Bromwich, Dumfries, Kelso, Bathgate, Edin- burgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness, Darlington, Eston, Leeds, Birmingham, Aberdare, Weston-Super-Mare and Bristol before returning to Deepcut in September. The actual display consists of a climbing tower and a dis- play trailer. The climbing tower, made of fibre glass and stand- ing thirty three feet high, has three climbing faces—very difficult, mild severe and very severe. Any member of the public over the age of fifteen can climb it and this season one thousand six hundred and nineteen people did so—or at least attempted it. It is an excellent piece of equipment which, on occasions draws huge crowds. The display trailer contains various models in and many pictures portraying all aspects of Corps life. During the tour we met lots of interesting people and made many new friends. We were seen by HRH Prince Charles at ( the Aberdare Motor Show but unfortunately his programme did not allow time to climb the tower. At Neston we met Miss ! cannot f i n d you a House b u t I can HELP You Buy I t . Let me Advise You w i t h o u t any Obligation, whether you wish t o Buy N o w or In the Future, W h y Not Consult Doug Cilmour (Insurance Broker) "Woodlands", 35 The Broadway, Sandhurst, Camberley, Surrey. Telephone: Yateley 873020 (Member of the Federation of Insurance B r o k e n ) A l l Types of Insurance Transacted, Name/Rank Address Date of Birth Occupation - I am interested in House Purchase / Immediate / Future Schoot Fees / K i t / B A O R Motor Ins. |
| Book number | R0246a |