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RAOC Gazette - page 131

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Full title RAOC Gazette
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Publication date 1978
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Early date 1978
Late date 1978
Transcription tatton JJetotf
Headquarters Director General of Ordnance Services
W^
^
THE extreme wintery conditions
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recently experienced in this usually
k
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mild * area were reported as being
tne
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worst for many years. Snow
Jy5ijP§L
drifts caused many roads to be
^ ^ ^ ^ ® V ^
blocked thus preventing a consider-
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pgfSa ^ ^
able number of the LE(A) staff from
*
^
getting to their desk on at least one
of the days involved. However, the physical exercise enjoyed
whilst digging out their homes and garages no doubt provided
added zest for when they did eventually arrive for work and,
now that the thaw is complete, all is back to normal.
Having spent the last year or so making sweeping decisions
on field force organisation and operations, Major Kevan Goad
has left Ord 1 to take over command of 44 RP Company at
Sennelager. He will now be able to experience at first hand the
havoc he has wreaked I In his stead we welcome Major Tony
Smith from the late 7 Ordnance Field Park. He is no relation
to Colonel Tony Smith (Colonel Ord I) so all charges of
nepotism are categorically denied.
No doubt many are fervently awaiting the latest news of
Captain Brian Boucher's garage and they will be amazed to
hear that not only is the roof on, but the door has been fixed
too! However, having been exposed to the elements for so long,
the floor has disintegrated into rubble and this now has to be
relaid.
you can't
'em all!
Our Well,
photograph
this win month
was taken at the presentation
of the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal to SQMS Cliff
Shaw (reported in the March edition of THE GAZETTE).
After the presentation of the Long Service and Cood Conduct
Medal to SQMS Cliff Shaw by the DGOS.
Directorate of Supply
Management
TECHNICAL EQUIPMENTS DIVISION
NOT being content with our twice weekly BFT runs _ and
physical jerks, some of us from Technical Equipments Division
fraternize with the Central Ordnance Depot lot on Sunday
mornings for the Donnington Hash. Of course it's only the
hardy ones who brave rain, snow and gale force arctic winds,
forsaking the delights of that once a week lay in bed or warm
fireside. We even manage from time to time to encourage new
•recruits to join us to make up for those warm weather Hashers
who wait the summer evening runs to return. Our newest
recruit is Lieutenant Colonel John Kostoff, our tame colonial
from across the Pond. He said he enjoyed his first run and
we believe him. It does however, seem a hard way to dis-
cover out of the way olde worlde pubs.
With all these sporting activities going on it's surprising
we find time for work. But we are a versatile conscientious
lot in Technical Equipments Division, we put the good old
adage of work hard play hard into good effect here. Regularly
our hockey players turn up for Tuesday evening practices and
Saturday games. Some however, prefer to get away from it all
and Lance Corporal Gypo Walters went rushing off to Scot-
land as soon as Operation Burberry was over with the inten-
tion of doing some ski-ing: poor old fellow he was snowed in
for ten days and they were dug out just in time to make the
journey home. Not to be outdone however he is off to A vie-
more again for the ASA Championships. Staff Sergeants Mel
Hamilton and Les DaUon are rumoured to be training for a
mad dash across England along the line of Hadrian's Wall.
Considerable secrecy surrounds this operation and we hope to
have more to report in our next bulletin.
Weddings seem to be the thing in Communications Branch
and this month we would like to wish every happiness to Miss
Elizabeth Davey on her marriage to Mr Jeff Parkinson. Con-
gratulations are due to Sergeant and Mrs Brian Massarella on
the birth of their daughter Rebecca and to Sergeant Brian
Wilks on the granting of acting rank. We welcome Sergeant
Ken Saxon and his family to Communications Branch.
Directorate of Clothing and Textiles
THERE have been a number of changes within the Directorate
since our last newsletter including that of Director; Brigadier
Stuart Ryder is now facing the bowling, having started his
innings last August.
The team has also been joined by
Lieutenant Colonel Peter Ferguson and Major Derrick Eve.
Departures have included Majors Bernard Miles, Tony Seddon
and William Reeve.
Our main recent news has been the press release on Dress
for the 1980s. The key uniform in the range is the new
Parade Dress which is to undergo troop trial next year, and if
proved satisfactory may be worn by all ranks in the 1980s.
The DCT team led by Colonel Leslie Sharpe has been involved
in briefing various individuals and parties including Mr Robert
Brown the Under Secretary of State Army, Mr Duffy the
Under Secretary of State Navy, and Mr Well beloved Under
Secretary of State Royal Air Force 5 the Federation of Merchant
Tailors, and a large gathering of our contractors.
On a very different front, we have also been involved in
a similar dress for the 1980s exercise for the Nigerian Army.
In October last year at the request of the Nigerian Ministry of
Defence, a DCT team visited Lagos and demonstrated a range
of prototypes of ceremonial and barrack dress uniforms designed
by SCRDE. Subsequently, Major Field revisited Nigeria for a
further presentation. He found somewhat to his surprise that
he was a special item on the programme at the Nigerian Army
Small Arms Meeting; between the falling plates and prize
giving,
Mr Mike de Santos worried us all just before Christmas
by disappearing for two weeks to a twelfth floor room in St
TTiomas* Hospital with one of the better views in London. We
are delighted to have him back with us and obviously well
again.
Finally congratulations to Mr John Morris, Director
SCRDE T who was awarded the OBE in the New Year's Honours
List. Mr Morris who retired in February this year has a
long association with the Services and RAOC. He served as an
10O during his Army Service from 1939 to 1946, then after a
short spell in industry joined the Directorate of Victualling in
1948. In 1966 Mr Morris was appointed Director of SCRDE
and has held this post for the last ten years. We wish him the
best of good fortune in his retirement. We also welcome his
successor Dr J. W. Moynehan who for the last three years has
been attached to the British Embassy in Washington.
Book number R0246a