RAOC Gazette - page 95
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 |
Gallantry Medal at an investiture at Buckingham Palace in December. In February, WOl McKernan will become a Chief Inspector in the Sultan of Oman's Police Force, and we all wish him well. Other notable awards recently have been the presentation of the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal to W02 Dave Greig and the GOC Northern Ireland Commendation to Sergeant Keith Burton. Both presentations were made by the GOC Scot- land in the Great Hall at Edinburgh Castle. It had been in- tended that WOl McKernan would receive his Meritorious Service Medal at the same ceremony, but he was detained by duty elsewhere. While the Edinburgh detachment were winning everything in sight, our golfing detachment at Catterick were sliding to defeat in a rashly-undertaken challenge match against 31 Com- mand Workshop, led by Major ' Six-Putt' Courtney-Green and WOl John Mills, a man who once got a birdie, Over in Liverpool, it is reported that the ATO, Captain Rod Jennings, has developed a stammer which emerges only at moments of high drama, as when his vehicle capsized during a tfc recent emergency call, and he screamed down the radio We've turned our Land Rover over over!" Corporal Peacocke is to be congratulated on emerging successfully from his pilot aptitude tests at Middle Wallop. We think he is trying to emulate those other flying species in the SATO North area, Captains Crowe and Parrott and Corporal Partridge. Promotions: Congratulations to Staff Sergeants Murray and Berridge and Sergeant Bienkowski. Postings In: WOl Walmesly, Staff Sergeant Barnes, Sergeant Mulgrew, Corporals Brown and Partridge, Lance Corporals Norrie, Oliver, Parsons and Cassels. Postings Out: WOl McKernan* Sergeant Holmes and Lance Corporal Atkins to civilian life, WOs2 Green and Greig, Sergeants Burton, Bienkowski and Atkinson and Corporal Saddington. HEADQUARTERS SATO WEST AND ATO HEREFORD THE highlight of the last three months in Hereford was the visit by Royal Navy Clearance Diving teams from Plymouth. ) The visit took the form of a training week and an exercise / lasting for forty eight hours. The SAT and Staff Sergeant Brennan from Old Sarum carried out the instruction with help from Hereford. It took no time for our matelot friends, more used to working under water, to become proficient with Wheel- barrow on dry land. There was rumour that a waterproof model is to be developed. The exercise took the form of a series of IED tasks and proved to be very informative to the Navy and very amusing to both Services. I must mention the participation of the Police Dog Team from the Greater Man- chester Police Force. They took part in all the activities and not only did they act as incident commanders at tasks but also made good use of the time in practising their dogs in ex- plosive searching etc. By the addition of civilian witnesses supplied by the staff from RD Hereford we were able to make the period most realistic. The success of this exercise has meant that a repeat performance will be held in March/April. We have had a visit from Sergeant Sumner RNZAOC and Sergeant Vickers RAAOC. They stayed in Hereford for a week as a part of Exercise Long Look to see the Inspectorate operate and took the opportunity to see something of Wales and the Midlands. At present we have three members of the Unit on Operation Banner. Sergeant Mulgrew has moved to ATO Edinburgh and W02 Pinington has made a fleeting visit to the Sudan. We have had new arrivals in Corporal Pountain, a driver from BAOR, Sergeant Jones from CAD Kineton and the new ATO, Captain Alan Morley is due in the next three weeks, Central Ordnance Depot Chilwell WITH the New Year we have clicked back into gear with a visit by the DGOS. The General spent the morning touring the Garrison Area, including the Sergeants Mess where he presented Long Service and Good Conduct Medals to W02 John Taylor REME and Staff Sergeant Andy Andrew. In the afternoon he toured the Depot, DSM (Vehicle Division) and the RAOC Stores Section 38 Central Work- shop REME. This long day in the ' field' was followed by a Dinner Night in the Officers Mess at which the General was guest of honour. The end of the Firemen's strike has brought relief for our professional (if you see what I mean) amateur firemen, but Captain Ken Young is shuddering at the daunting thought of de- kitting and returning gear of all descriptions to Home Office and Service depots throughout the country. Who'd be a Quarter- master? We were very pleased to see Major Geoff Albert back safely from Northern Ireland and now on a well earned spot of leave. There is a smile on the face of Captain Gordon McNicol know- ing that his relief is in station, but being an old hand in the postings game he knows how quickly ' a bird in hand ' can be converted into ' many a slip . . . . ' And it's a long time till July. The new entrance to the Depot from Stapleford Lane has now opened, traffic lights and ail. The old Toton entrance is now used only by pedestrians—which may bring a nostalgic sigh from old Chilwellians but evoked only loud hurrahs from the local residents. The Chilwell Garrison Players are busily engaged in rehearsals for their pantomime, which this year is to be 'Aladdin,' produced, directed, choreographed, written and acted by Roy Jennings—and, we believe, someone else. Mike Robson who also has a small part is telling a very tall story or two— but isn't he always! ! We welcome Lieutenant Colonels Peter Weatherburn, Nick Reynell (who has been in the area for a while), Alan Kennedy, Dick Owen and Major Henry Ford to the fold, and say farewell and good fortune to Lieutenant Colonels Douglas Gillies, Peter Latham, Derek Yeats, Mike Watts and Major Garry Sutcliffe. Garry is due to retire shortly and we wish him and his charm- ing wife Evelyn a long and happy retirement. The moves of Lieutenant Colonels represent a fifty per cent turnover in that rank in only two weeks—strictly * no comment' from your correspondent, who is still at the mercy of AG9. With all these 4 new brooms' we should have the cleanest depot in the land. Central Ordnance Depot Bicester HEADQUARTERS IT was with mixed feelings that we closed down the County Military Head- quarters for Oxfordshire and brought to an end our part in Operation Bur- berry. On the one hand it has enabled us to get back to a regular routine whilst on the other we have had to say farewell to our many friends from 3 Training Regiment RE and 42 Survey Regiment RE who supplied our fire fighting teams and HMS Phoenix the Royal Navy Fire Fighting School who manned our teams. In all a total of one thousand men have been involved in firefighting duties in Oxfordshire. During the strike the County handled five hundred and eighty four call outs—of which two hundred and sixty four were attended by Green Goddesses, Several of our more mature officers led by the Com- mandant have taken tip the DGOS's Challenge. Half the starters passed the test including the Brigadier who, starting from an unfavourable draw, led all the way to the post. Apparently he beat the course record for the distance for runners of a similar age handicap including those stabled at Andover. Other placed runners were Major Peter Scriven (the only starter from Planning Branch), Lieutenant Colonel Bowden, Lieutenant Colonel Arman and W02 WinskilL Friends of the SSO, Colonel Terry Palmer, will be saddened to hear that he is presently suffering from the effects of an old war wound. This necessitates his wearing a natty line in goloshes on the right foot, whilst the left is clad as normal in a Veldt- schoen. I have been asked to say that it may look funny, it may even sound funny but it's no laughing matter, (he, he, he!). Captain Bill Masterson left this month. Our loss is Krefeld's gain as Bill goes off to BAOR to become Military Accom- modation Stores Officer (I think)—anyway, Barrack Officer. Captains Jim Murray and George Bartle are away taking the waters at Blackdown, With them is Captain Dennis Kil- bride (now is your chance to buck Transport Regulations, folks!). 16 BATTALION THE Battalion once again assumes a semblance of normality. The evening musical ride of the Green Goddesses no longer takes place and one is no longer liable to be drenched by our zealous sappers. — 318 — |
| Book number | R0246a |