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RAOC Gazette - page 64

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Publication date 1978
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Early date 1978
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Transcription Captain John Dunn with his wife Brenda after the presentation
by Colonel Edwards at Vtersen.
VEHICLE SUB-DEPOT
MOENCHENGLADBACH
THE Unit is doing remarkably well with Long Service and
Good Conduct Medals, The CO recently presented medals to
Staff Sergeant Ron McCaffery, Sergeant Barry Rhodes and
Lance Corporal Auchterionie ACC Our hearty congratulations
to all recipients.
The Corps (BAOR) Badminton Championships were held at
Viersen during November.
In the singles event Corporals
John Millership and Dave Catchpole were unfortunate in
being drawn against the numbers one and four seeds respectively,
and were eliminated into the * Plate * competition. This was
eventually won by Corporal Millership-—well done John! Both
Conductors Peter Reed and Da Ye Siviter gave good account
of themselves and reached the semi-finals of the * doubles'
before being eliminated. As they came off court, they were
heard to mumble something along the lines of ' hope there's an
over forty spot next year'! !
Captain Jim Bridle has two things to celebrate this week.
Firstly, he has had his fortieth birthday, and secondly he now
becomes the youngest officer in the unit!
Readers of the story of W02 Bill Cowells hang gliding
prowess on page 266 will be sorry to learn that only two weeks
later Bill broke his back and was hospitalised—but they will be
surprised to know that this was a result of lifting a box of
empty .22 ammo cartridges and not hang gliding! His " wings'
really have been clipped and after three weeks in hospital he is
now encased in plaster.
Farewell this month to: Staff Sergeant White, Sergeants
Burt and Wood (on transfer into the Corps), Corporal Smith,
Privates McGlade and Young. A warm VSD welcome to:
Staff Sergeant Davidson and Sergeant John ACC. Finally a
happy New Year to you all!
3 Base Ammunition and Petroleum Depot
THE Christmas festivities went with a swing with all depart-
ments having the usual good time. The Christmas Draw in the
Sergeants Mess had its usual high attendance and good enter-
tainment, some being unplanned when the lights failed. Candles
made excellent romantic lighting, but didn't do much for the
Dutch group's microphone and amplifiers. However, the in-
genius entertainments Committee came up with the answer and
the evening carried on and was a great success.
At the Wives Club Christmas dinner it was noticed quite a few
wives had new hair styles; is there any truth in the rumour that
Major Roger Attrill is going into the hair-dressing business at
home? Unit hairdresser beware!
A number of new sports have been introduced into 3
BAPD lately, the latest is ice skating with Toyota Campers.
Captain Atkey decided to have a few practice turns in the
depot, but it is definitely not recommended as the damage to his
camper and a fair section of Building XI will testify to this.
Our squash team continues to return with honours. The
team consisting of Major Attrill, Captain Cook, Sergeant Wallis,
Corporal Ingham and Lance Corporal Luxton won the RAOC
BAOR inter-unit Squash Championship for the third year in
succession, with Sergeant Wallis winning the RAOC BAOR
Soldiers Open Competition and Lance Corporal Luxton winning
the Plate Competition.
The fencing team made its first appearance in the " Senne-
lager Open Foil Competition." To the surprise of the usual
fencing competitors 3 BAPD arrived with a team of thirteen
fencers. As beginners we didn't do too badly with five from
Braehi fencing through to the quarter-finals—Major Reggie
von Zugbach de Sugg, Corporal Tex Dexter, Lance Corporals
Chalky White and Kevin Adams and Private Gavin Lucas. Of
these Major von Zugbach de Sugg, Corporal Dexter and Private
Lucas went on and were knocked out in the semi-finals. Con-
sidering the short time the team has been formed the results
look very promising for future competitions.
Our rugby team, the Bracht Barbarians, were drawn in the
quarter-finals of the BAOR Army Rugby Union Challenge Cup
with their old enemies, the Duke of Wellington's Regiment.
The Barbarians were determined to win, remembering their
defeat by this team in the 1975 Army Rugby Union finals in
UK. But luck was not with the Bracht team. On the morning
of the match Skipper W02 Digger Denholm was rushed to the
Dental Centre for emergency treatment and was unable to
play and with three more of the first team on the injury list,
we fielded a somewhat weakened side. No excuses though, the
skill and experience of the Dukes team won them the match
thirty nine to nil, but Bracht no doubt will be back in the
running next year,
Congratulations this month to Lance Corporal and Mrs
Anderson and Corporal and Mrs Bradshaw on the birth of
daughters and Private and Mrs Hanson on the birth of a son.
Also congratulations to W02 Du-Prat on substantive pro-
motion.
Arrivals this month were Captain Fletcher, Lance Corporal
Hughes and Private Dayey also WOl Newman, Corporal Brown
and Lance Corporal Low returning from detachment in Northern
Ireland and Sergeants Turner and Davis returning from Canada,
Departures were Captain O'Brien, WOl Walker, Staff
Sergeant Gregory, Corporals Dodd, Castillo and Devine, Lance
Corporal Belcher and Privates Smith and Cullen.
Ordnance Depot Antwerp
DECEMBER is the month of festivities and parties and we have
certainly had our fair share at Antwerp. The ball started to
roll with the childrens Christmas parties, four in all, each
requiring a Father Christmas.
Ordnance Depot Antwerp
provided three of them—Corporal Terry Skeels, Lance Corporal
' Chalky * White and Lance Corporal John Quinn who were
transported to their respective parties by the Emblem Fire
Brigade.
There was a splendid all ranks dance organised by a com-
mittee from the Junior Ranks Club and what a splendid evening
this was, consisting of a combination of dancing to the "Aces"
and the disco presented by Corporal Terry Neath and Private
Chas Potts. There was also a raffle and an excellent buffet
provided by the Junor Ranks cookhouse staff.
This month, our Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel
Gerry Broome, assumed the role of Recruiting Officer when the
son of WOl AlanjGttnner enlisted as an apprentice carpenter
and joiner in the/Royal Engineers. We wish him luck in his
chosen career.
On the sporting scene, our football team seems to be descen-
ding the " slippery slope/' After being bundled out of the
BAOR Minor Units and DOS Cups, we lost our first league
game of the season going down four to one to 3 BAPD at
Bracht and three to one to 21 Signal Regiment at home. The
second game meant we surrendered our place at the top of the
league. It was no consolation that both opposing teams were
from major Units! However, we still have the Rhine Area Cup
Competition to look forward to.
The golf team have got off to a good start in the Rhine
Area Winter League by defeating 3 BAPD and SSD Viersen.
WOl Keith Whitaker recently carried off the secretary's prize
at Olen being four points ahead of the runner-up Sergeant
Jim McNee.
We feel we should stop the rumour, no doubt originated
by Captain John Fellows, that the 1978 Belgian Amateur Golf
Championship is to be held at the Royal Olen Military Golf Club'.
We say congratulations to Corporal Paul Gill, on passing
his Bl Storeman Course, and Lance Corporal Jim Kilby on
passing his Bl Staff Clerk Course, both held at Dulmen.
Welcome to Staff Sergeants Pat Hamilton and Terry Stroud,
Sergeant Richard Carroll, Corporal John Hicken, Sergeant
Bob Miller and Corporal Bob McCarthy on return from
BATUS.
Farewell and best wishes go to Staff Sergeant Dick Spiers,
Private " Geordie " Purkins, Corporal Ricky Smith, W02 Geoff
Malthouse, Lance Corporals " Nobby" Clarke and Danny
Riding and lastly Corporal "Taff" O'Meara on discharge.
— 290 —
Book number R0246a