RAOC Gazette - page 134
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 |
Eastern District IT is very pleasant to be able to start these notes with a vote of thanks to Major Tony Rowe who has been the Ordnance Branch's hard working scribe for the last six months. The new incumbent prefers to remain anonymous in case the previous high standards are not maintained. At the beginning of the month we said farewell to Captain John Crawford who has left 36 Command Workshop for a tour in BAOR with VSD Moenchengladbach. His place has been taken by WOl J. C. McGill, to whom we extend a warm welcome. He arrived at about the same time as Red Tlu and many of the branch's staff have had some time off; fortunately the typist managed to get back in time to type up these notes. Mr Williamson, one of the longest serving members of the OSU, has had to retire. He joined the Army as an infanteer in 1940, was captured at the fall of Singapore and spent three and a half years as a prisoner of war, this period included a stay in Changi Prison. After his release he joined the OSU, in 1946, and last year he was awarded the Imperial Service Medal. He has to leave the OSU due to failing eyesight and we all wish him the very best of good fortune in retirement. Mr Ray Mitchell, recently the Station Officer at Hilton, has been promoted and is now the Depot Fire Officer at COD Bicester. We offer him our congratulations and hope that he will enjoy his new post South East District HEADQUARTERS RAOC THIS month we have to congratulate our Chief Clerk W02 Alan Carroll on pass- ing his Provision Course. As a reward he has been let off writing the notes this month. Congratulations are also appro- priate for WOt Bob Manners who has left his 6 Field Force FOWO appoint- ment on commissioning. It has been an eventful month with the tanker drivers' dispute and the harsh winter weather. The shift in the military staff has nothing to do with those events. We welcome Captain Desmond Townsend as Staff Captain Ordnance in Headquarters 6 Field Force from Headquarters BAOR. We also welcome Lieutenant Norman Callaghan who has joined us as Quartermaster Aldershot Army Display. Major Alan Rodgers, Officer Commanding ASU Aldershot has retired and we wish him all the best in civilian life. Major Ron Smith has moved within the department to become the new Officer Commanding ASU. Farewells also go to Corporal Ian Noble who leaves Headquarters 6 Field Force on pro- motion. He is off to AFCENT. Staff Sergeant Kevin Hudson now spends his days smiling and drafting his Chief Clerk * G ' handover notes, yet another posting \ 6 Field Force 6 FIELD FORCE ORDNANCE COMPANY WE have received the first contribution from our detachment at present serving with the Life Guards in Northern Ireland. We are pleased to report that the 'blanket stackers' are showing their worth and are worthy of the title ' soldier.' Corporal Paul Goodeve, delighted with the rank system of the Guards which makes him a sergeant, is keeping a fatherly eye on the lads; hence the nickname of 'Pops.' Lance Corporal Davy Jones spends much of his time sleeping* Private Andy Curnow spends much of his time on the telephone speaking to his fiance, and Private Clive Graham spends much of his time crashing into brick walls. We look forward in anticipation to Private Bill Smart's next letter. The remainder of the Company is emerging from winter hibernation in preparation for the annual round of exercises. Because of all the early morning running now going on Lance Corporal Max Massiah is convinced that there is a potential cross country team brewing up amongst the junior ranks. How- ever, we do wish he wouldn't keep throwing himself into the canal during PT. This month we have lost Corporal Taffy Owen on posting to Brunei Garrison. He is an old hand from 5 Ordnance Field Park whose experience of Field Force will be sadly missed. Also we say goodbye to Corporal Dave Flower posted to the Army Air Corps Centre. A late member of the old Para Ordnance Squadron and another red beret to leave the Force. Stop Press: The Unit football team has now battled its way through to the semi-final of the Richards Cup by beating Vehicle Depot Ashchurch three to two (after extra time). Our Soccer Supremo, Second Lieutenant Kevin Marshall, has cordially invited Ron Greenwood to our next showdown with the winners of the COD Chilwell v 16 Battalion match. South West District HEADQUARTERS RAOC THIS will be our last contribution from Taunton, since we move to join up with the rest of the Headquarters at Bulford on 20th March. It will be a sad occasion as we leave behind some of our loyal and hard- working stalwarts. Maureen Hill and Linda Barnes finally leave us and move across to the RPO, Dorothy Shearman is retiring 1 again and our two 'casual girls (no reflection) Judith Kirby and Sarah Finn, who have helped us out during the past year, join the local labour market We wish them all every success for the future and thank them for their splendid work. Major John Davie retires from the Taunton Barrack Office after thirty six years service and he is replaced by Major John Copsey who will be located at Warminster as part of the Accom- modation Services Unit reorganisation in the District. Major George Holness, our Mobilization and Combat Supplies Staff Captain leaves us shortly on final service retirement, and he is replaced by Lieutenant Colonel Bill Griffin of AG9 fame, Captain John Simpson is resigning and is off to sunny South Africa with his family after being relieved by Captain John Barrow in early April. Finally, Major David Simmons is being brainwashed at the School of Ordnance prior to posting to DSM at Donntngtom Readers may well wonder who will be left to move to Bulford, so do we. We are in the midst of the ravages of winter in Taunton; having overcome the twenty foot snowdrifts earlier this week ? we are now nipping around in Geminis of the Royal Marines and Stalwarts of 3 RTR distributing and filling sand bags for flood control around Somerset. 8 Field Force HEADQUARTERS On 1st April 1977, 5 Air portable Brigade was redesignated 8 Field Force and 1977 as a whole was quite a memorable year for the Headquarters, taking in numerous exercises and demon- strations in such faraway, romantic places as Salisbury Plain, Newcastle, Aldershot, and an amphibious exercise with the Royal Marines on board HMS Fearless. A few of the lads managed to get away from the humdrum world of staff work: Private Paul Ashton to Canada for three weeks and now in Norway on Exercise Hardfall, and Private * Sharkey' Cooksey and Craftsman Paddy Dilworth (our REME clerk) on ad- venture training in Cyprus. After a large turnover in RAOC personnel the Head- quarters is fairly settled at the moment. As Staff Captain /Ord' we have Captain Andy Kemp. Our Chief Clerk is Sergeant Nigel Grace who, it is rumoured, actually took some leave last year. On the AQ side, we have Corporal Charlie Bowden, our very own look-alike for George Roper, and soon to be replaced by Ken Connolly (on his promotion to Corporal), and Private ' Sharkey * Cooksey, who could lay rightful claim to having perfected the ' one file filing system *! In G Branch we find (or so they say) Corporal Dave ' Dymo King' Monger who, with his pools and coffee syndicates, seems the obvious heir to 4 Slater-Walker, and Private Ray Flash' Homewood, BI Snow- pake Operator and acting trouble-shooter in the perpetual absence of Corporal M. Last of all there is Private Paul Ashton, war games enthusiast and 8 Field Force archivist— you can find any difficult work carefully stored in his bottom drawer In December, the Headquarters was uprooted from Tid- worth, that bastion of conservatism, and now shares a slightly — 343 — |
| Book number | R0246a |