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RAOC Gazette - page 67

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Publication date 1978
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Early date 1978
Late date 1978
Transcription Corporal Hepburn and Private Welford join Headquarters
Soest Garrison.
Finally, to complete the RAOC representation at Head-
quarters Soest Garrison, WOl Longley arrives from Head-
quarters Northern Ireland to take up the appointment of Staff
Assistant. Corporal Thatcher has been posted to the Garrison
Headquarters from Headquarters 3 Division and Private Hewit-
son is attached to Garrison Headquarters also from Headquarters
3 Division.
6 ORDNANCE
FIELD PARK
A HIGHLIGHT of the month was the unit Exercise All Change,
with Lieutenant ' Comrad Supportski' R. W. J. Oldham and
his hardy guerrillas providing the enemy. This month's oscar
goes to Private Saunders for his impression of a dying opera
singer trying to lure us into an ambush, without success. An
4th Division
exhilarating cross country ride gave the drivers a chance to
•n
i
BY the time this newsletter goes to print,
practice avoiding potholes, and for those not so lucky the
^ ^ ^ ^
we shall have restructured as 4 Armoured
vehicle recovery experience was well worthwhile!
^^H^^^^
Division. In so doing we relinquish com-
The sporting front has seen the hockey team's first goal,
^ ^ H ^ ^ ^ k
mand of 6 Ordnance Field Park and the
scored by Corporal Shepherd within the first minute, and the team
^^^B^^^K
control of 5 Field Workshop Stores
now looks as though it almost knows what it is doing. The
•^•^^^^B
Section, 26 Engineer Regiment Workshop
football team- is playing well, having beaten 1 (BR) Corps
^^^^^^m
Stores Section and 57 Station Workshop
Stores Company seven to two over two legs. Whether this is
due to Lance Corporal BarracIough T s captaincy or Lance
Corporal Pattison dancing through the goal posts is debatable.
The Christmas season was ushered in, in style, with W02
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Stores Section who pass to 3 Armoured
Farraffan putting in much hard work on the Unit Christmas
^^^T
Division. We wish them well in their
Draw. Everyone enjoyed themselves, including those found
••
'•
new role and would like to express our
sleeping under tables or next to loudspeakers. Not to be out-
hanks for all the support and help they have given to us in
done the Storehouse and PC and A have had their own functions
[he past.
as well, and Sergeant Hodgkiss of Mechanised Transport is
There has been quite a lot happening in the last month, so
busy preparing for the Restructuring Parade.
n i start at the top, so to speak. G Branch have moved en
This has been a busy time for all, including the Company
masse onto the top floor of the Headquarters building, and the
Commander who can now order * Ein Bier Bitte' with con-
score so far is two hernias and a badly sprained back. Corporal
viction having passed his Colloquial German Course.
Stevenson who had just returned from a successful RPC 1
By the time these notes are printed the festive season will
course found himself putting his new found fitness to good
be over, but from all here at 6 Ordnance Field Park we would
use. Corporal Parkes however, still recovering from a BI
like to wish everyone a Happy New Year (restructured), as
Staff Clerk course (which he passed) found his office consisted
3 Armoured Division Ordnance Company.
of a wooden box and two filing cabinets in the corridor. The
Last but not least congratulations to Lance Corporal Dawson
news of the .impending move, must have filtered down to
on his promotion to A/Corporal and a welcome to Second
Private 'Andy' Gibbs, who promptly left us for civilian life,
in which we wish him well We also say farewell to Sergeant • Lieutenant Perks, Sergeant Ludlow, Corporal Tagoe, Lance
Corporals Macdonald and Byrne, Privates Godbold, Egan, West,
O'Doherty, who is posted to RAF Brize Norton, and hello
Spink and Cowley.
to the new Chief Clerk ' G ; Staff Sergeant * Barry * Owen
We say goodbye to Lieutenant Oldham, Lance Corporal
who has joined us from Headquarters 6 Armoured Brigade.
Burton, Privates Broster and Fletcher, and to Staff Sergeant
G PR have a new photographer in Sergeant * Bill * Bain from
Spice, an his departure and promotion to W 2 .
Berlin, I had hoped to include one of his photographs of a
member of the Headquarters, but was threatened with expulsion
20 ORDNANCE
FIELD PARK
to Siberia if I did.
BY the time this GAZETTE goes to print 20 Ordnance Field Park
Downstairs, in AQ Branch, we have Private * Paddy *
will be a name in the history books. From the 1st January
O'Connor who has just arrived from the Depot. He is being
1978 we assume the title of 4 Armoured Division Ordnance
kept on the straight and narrow by Lance Corporal Lynam
Company.
To mark the occasion we are to have a small
whose car is still trying to drive along ditches backwards. The
Restructuring Parade which will include a good traditional
other part of the team is Private * Ralph * Adams who is now
curry lunch for all ranks and wives.
practicing ' Danny Boy' and other tunes for his impending
tour * over the water.' Last but not least, we come to the real
During November the Combat Supplies Platoon and a For-
hub of the organization, Headquarters R A O C By far the most
ward Ordnance Team were deployed in Exercise Mizzen Mast.
welcomed arrival of the month must be Christopher Anthony
The Platoon achieved a first for the year by completing the
Steer, the newest addition to the Adjutant's family. We have
entire exercise without getting lost, (could it be that they had
1
had a change of DOWOs; WOl ' N o r m a n Callaghan has
only one location and on the move up they were put in the
left us for commissioning and WOl 'Al T Sutton has come in
middle of a convoy?).
:rorn 2 Guided Missile Platoon to take over. The 'Jack of all trades'
On 5th December the Unit crashed out and Lieutenant
Lance Corporal Berry has finally managed to get his release, and
Chris Lloyd found himself as Officer Commanding with Second
is going back to Blackdown on a Shorthand Course. After more
Lieutenant Trevor Couch as his Second in Command. Despite
than three years in Headquarters RAOC, we had begun to think
the very cold weather it all worked and the Colonel AQ found
he was part of the G1098.
us just before darkness. When we arrived back in Detmold
6 ARMOURED
BRIGADE
everybody was ordered into the Junior Ranks Club for a de-
IT was the efforts of Conductor Brown* the BOWO, who
brief. This was in fact a surprise party for Corporal Taffy
organised the Rhino Ball, a very grand and enjoyable evening
Whittle to celebrate his fortieth birthday. H e tried to sneak
which brought home to the RAOC Senior Ranks of Head-
away from the proceedings but found to his cost that he can't
quarters 6 Armoured Brigade that the time of disbandment was
run as fast as he used to.
drawing near. But it was the upheaval and hard work of the
There is little to report on the sports scene this month.
following months, culminating in the presentation of a memorial
The soccer team went through to the second round of the
window to St Lukes Church and an altar cloth to the Holy
DOS BAOR Cup by beating 2 Armoured Division Ordnance
Trinity Roman Catholic Church at Soest on the 4th Decem-
Company two nil.
ber, to mark disbandment, that brought the reality home to all
The round of Christmas celebrations started on 8th Decem-
RAOC personnel.
ber with the living in soldiers' Christmas Dinner. The Unit
To sum up the general feeling; everyone has been working
Christmas Draw followed on the Saturday. As always, this
towards it, nobody was looking forward to it, but here it is—the
turned out to be an excellent evening. A lot of credit for this
disbandment and a restructured Division and Garrison Head-
goes to Corporals Jones, Whittle and Unwin and their helpers
quarters, all of which has sent the RAOC personnel of Head-
from the Storehouse. The food was also excellent thanks to
quarters 6 Armoured Brigade in a variety of directions,
our Army Catering Corps personnel who have prepared all of
Conductor Brown returns to UK this month for com-
our buffets and looked after us so well during 1977.
missioning. Conductor Howard is posted to Headquarters Scot-
On the sixteenth we had the Sergeants Mess Christmas Draw
land in February. Staff Sergeant Owen is posted to Head-
which was organised by Staff Sergeants Stafford and Kelly and
quarters 4 Division, Lance Corporal White was posted to 2
Armoured Division Ordnance Company in October and Lance 293 —
We welcome Second Lieutenant Nigel Lloyd who throws
is six foot twelve inch frame around the rugby pitches for the
Vorkshop and BAOR teams. He has also shown us all where
,he gymnasium is. Thank you Sir!! !
From 11 Field Workshop Stores Section we welcome
Sergeant Norman Brymer, Corporal Mick Walsh and Private
Jeff Wood to the Control Office.
Lance Corporal Sammy
Samuals P Privates Jeff Adams, Roger Payne, Smudge Smith
and Pip Shiel to the Storehouse, Sergeant George Cairns who
takes over the Mechanised Transport Section with his right
hand man Corporal Nobby Baggaley. We welcome back from
Canada, Private Griffiths.
I
Book number R0246a