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RAOC Gazette - page 101

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Publication date 1978
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Transcription 4
Dusseldorf. Young? Dusty Stone (W02 AT) had an excellent'.
game but the star of the day was undoubtedly Major Ian
McGowan who won the fifth game and the match,
Our Toe H is now under new management of Mrs Jeanne
Regan. We thank Mr* Val Hunt for looking after us so well
for a year or so. She and her husband WOl Harry Hunt
REME left for UK on 17th January and we wish them a happy
and successful time in Arborfield.
PS.—The injury to our keeper is healing well, much to hi*
PA's relief.
organisation to move them back again. Meanwhile Vehicle
Storage is once again divorced from those other 'Versatile
Specimens' at Olcn so we can carry on our work without dis-
traction. WO I Les Cheetham and his merry band are wonder-
ing who in BAOR is playing at ' happy families/ They normally
issue thirty six house furniture packs a week but in the three
weeks prior to Christmas they issued three hundred and seventy
five. (They think that RAF Wegberg hSd better look out in
nine months time.)
,
The first angling competition of the season was a great
success for Corporal Terry Neath. He landed a one pound
fourteen ounce Perch with one good arm—no not the Perch!
We have continued our successful run on the Rhine Area
Winter Golf League and with only three matches to play remain
undefeated. The ' three-club * competition held on New Year's
day proved that it is not necessary to have fourteen golf clubs!
Sergeant Jim McNee managed to score thirty four stableford
points—we will refrain from mentioning his handicap allowance.
W02 Jim Bowen was runner-up and Sergeant Dave Hogg came
into the prize list for the first time in third place. WOl Keith
Whitaker had other handicaps apart from his three-clubs; head,
eyes and shoe laces. The first he couldn't move, the second he
couldn't open and the third he could not bend to tie. Being a
good WSO he gingerly climbed into a hole and raised his feet to
tie his laces. He was, and still is, convinced that the pain was
far less than bending!
We have said farewell to Staff Sergeant Dick Speirs, to
York on promotion and to Private Geordie Purkins who has
returned to Dortmund. Amongst the welcomes are those to
Private Ken Meek who is wondering whether this is the same
army as that in Deepcut, to Staff Sergeant Terry Stroud and
to Lance Corporal Chris Coleman who managed to arrive,
courtesy of British and Belgian Rail, over twenty four hours
before his accompanied suitcases,
We also greet Lance Corporal ' Jack * Horner and say fare-
well to Lance Corporal John Davey on posting to West 4 Moors,
Corporal Bob McCarthy to Northern Ireland, Sergeant Bruce'
Bird to UKLF and Captain Joe Mollett to Northern Ireland.
Congratulations to Staff Sergeant Dickie Davis and to W02
Jim Bowen on promotion. Congratulations also go to Private
Alan and Lynne Stephens on their recent marriage.
154 FORWARD AMMUNITION DEPOT
JANUARY is a month I hate! not only because it succeeds
December, but also because it precedes February and that'll
when the ARU is on. The Unit has long been preparing for
that event. We have had all sorts of inspections and as yon
can well imagine, now is the culminative point when the taste
of the pudding is going to prove the value of its ingredients.
In mid December we had a visit by General Sir Frank
King, the Commander-in-Chief BAOR. I have included a photo-
graph of the General talking to some of our MHE staff.
There seems to have been a heavy turnover, too. We have
said farewell to WOl Gordon Paterson, his wife Edna and
family. They left for Longtown. Corporal Tony Adams, his
wife Pat and daughter Joanna left for Kineton. Corporal Dave
Swainland, his wife Shirley and children went to Hounslow and
Corporal Glen Stott to Northern Ireland. We welcome Sergeant
Ian Gilmartin and family from Bicester, Corporal Allan Sadding-'
ton and family from Hounslow, Private Bob Mutimer from 11
Field Workshop and Private Stephen Gander from Colchester.
W u l f e n Station
THE mistletoe has long dried up, Santa
has left and Mrs McGowan's stock of
Codein in the Medical Inspection Room
is very low. Indeed, we are in late
January and looking back, it's been a very
good Christmas and New Year.
The Station sports continue to thrive,
The Boxing Day soccer match between
Officers, Warrant Officers and Sergeants
versus Corporals and below produced
excellent soccer and was only marred by a
hand injury to our star goal keeper, Lieutenant Colonel Botting.
The final score was four to three to the seniors and the best
player surely must have been Captain Paul Henwood who not
only scored the first two goals but did an excellent job as
replacement keeper!
The Station football team reached the Christmas break
undefeated in league and cup matches. They are in the semi-
finals of the DOS Cup, BAOR Minor Units and Rhine Area
Minor Units. Unfortunately with the disbandment of 7 Guided
Missile Company and the loss of Sergeant John Hayes, Corporals
John Duff and Denny Labdon REME, Privates John Cavannagen
and Stevie Prowan, and the posting of Captain Wally Auton,
the team has undergone a severe restructuring and it remains to
be seen if the momentum can be maintained,
The Wulfen Gun Club which was opened in November by
Mrs Anne Sotting, has been very active under the leadership
and eagle eyes of SSM Bryan Hosband. The first competition
the * Botting Trophy' between the Officers and Sergeants Messes
and Junior Ranks Club was won by the Sergeants Mess!
More competitions were organised by SSM Hosband and
his assistant, Herr Michael Lann against the Dorsten Police,
the Recklinghausen Police, local Bundeswehr units and the
Dorsten shooting club. In addition, a match was held against
the paraplegic shooting club of Bochum.
The squash team played their last two matches at Dussel-
dorf, first against 23 Regiment RCT in the BAOR Minor Units
Championship SW Zone. The title holders won five nil. We
did much better in the league match that followed versus
General Sir Frank King, C-in-C BAOR, talking to Private"
Richard Young on the left and Private Max Foord during hit
visit to Wulfen Station.
1st British Corps
A
PRIDE of place this month goes to ex-Typinj
J^
Pool Supervisor, Sergeant Ronnie Stone WRAC,*
m^L
now retired, who was awarded the British Empire,
^K ^ ^
Medal in the New Years Honours List. We offer';
our
^fl*^^^
sincerest congratulations and thank Ronnie.
V | | V
for her three years hard work in Corps Head-"
^ H ^m
quarters.
^^W
Despite the first rumblings of Exercise Winter
^m
Sales/Crested Eagle, G Air have sent off Corporal,
w
Paddy Moore on an EPC course at 51 AEC. li
it true that he has gone to learn to read, write and count with-^
out the aid of his fingers and toes?
-o
G Operations have recovered from the festive season and
are back in full swing. They say farewell to Sergeant Dave
Wolfe on his posting and promotion to 6 Field Force and
welcome Sergeant Fred Laycock from Wulfen. Chief Clerfc
Staff Sergeant Joe Tidmarsh has been on cloud nine for a week
as the Sergeants Mess soccer team which he manages, finally
achieved a point against 15/19 H. He is now convinced that
the purple patch has been struck—watch out Cloughie! Corporal
Sharon Lucas WRAC has settled in well but there is no truth
in the rumour that she gives Lance Corporals Cox and Smith
drill However, she does insist that they give her two sugar*
in her coffee—female military supremacy!
324 —
Book number R0246a