RAOC Gazette - page 136
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 |
Central Ordnance Depot Bicester DURING the month we were hosts to the Representative Colonel Com- mandant, Colonels Commandant and the DGOS, who came to approve the arrangements being made for the Queen's visit to Bicester on 16th May. Arrangements for the Royal Visit are now well in hand and nothing short of a deluge should prevent it being a fitting occasion to mark Her Majesty's twenty fifth year as our Colonel-in- Chiet As the 1st April approaches, and with it the dreaded spectre of the Basic Fitness Tests, the roads and lanes around Bicester seem never to be without a sprinkling of track-suited figures staggering along anxiously checking their watches. No doubt the gap between time and performance will close before All Fools Day arrives. Readers will be pleased to hear that Colonel Terry Palmer's foot has improved to the extent that he has been able to dis- card his black galoshes in favour of a disreputable looking pair of desert boots. We all hope for a full recovery by 1st April. As a very pleasant tail piece to Operation Burberry, the Chief Officer for Oxfordshire Mr Houghton, a guest at our last Regimental Dinner, presented the Officers Mess with a memento of the Operation in the form of a replica of a fire- man's helmet At the same dinner, Mr Ted Hadfield our Fire Adviser was dined out and, together with the CAO Lieutenant Colonel Ray Dickey, was presented with a full sized fireman's helmet Ted admitted that in over thirty years in the business this was the first time he had ever actually owned a helmet The CAO was urged to pose for photographs in his helmet but adamantly refused. Since it has not been seen since the dinner night one can only speculate as to what dubious use it is being put. {The newsletter arrived at THE GAZETTE office over a week late so the photograph of the presentation cannot appear until the next issue.—Editor.) 1 Sub-Depot. We have said farewell to W02 R. H. O'Brien who retires from the Corps after twenty two years service, also to Mrs G. Hare and Mrs M. E. Dover who retire after eleven and eight years respectively. We welcome new arrivals Staff Sergeant D. Vincent from Cyprus, Privates Durham, Smith and Fox from the RAOC Apprentices College and Private Moiser from BAOR. 2 Sub-Depot. The last few weeks have been rather hectic. Members of Bicester sponsored Shadow Unit have been carry- ing out Infantry tactical training at Fremington, North Devon* along with the Donnington contingent. Rumour has it that a certain ex-Marine Staff Sergeant has taken leave to go looking for two by four ton Bedford Wessex below the high water mark on Braunton Sands! However. the exercise was enjoyed by all who attended and many requests for a return visit later on in the season have been received. Two retiring stalwarts of the Sub-Depot, Mr Joseph Kustra and Mr Charles Buckler have had their enthusiasm, and devotion to service and duty, rewarded by being awarded the Imperial Service Medal. Our congratulations to both of them and our best wishes for a happy retirement. There is an early Spring fever in the air with preparations for the Queen s visit getting under way, not to be confused with the lengthy ever changing Depot Modernisation plans. Per- haps one day it will all be completed! Central Ordnance Depot Donnington THE Unit Sports Club in Parsons Barracks has been opened by the Commandant and during the opening ceremony he presented the following. To Private Josie Burdon WRAQ the Women's Field Event Trophy which she had won at the Women's Combined Services Meeting against the Surrey (Women's) AAA at Aldershot Private Burdon equalled the Army record with a jump of 1.70 metres at this meeting. To Corporal John Longfield, a Corps football team player, his Corps Colours. To Major Eddie Jennings and the Unit Small Bore Team, The Master Shot, Expert and Marksman Badge Competition Shield. {See " For the Record.") Our football team beat the Depot Prince of Wales's Own four to two to win the District Cup in the Army Minor Units (UK) York and Lancaster Cup Competition. They now play the winners of Soulh-West District. Our photograph shows the team with the Commandant and OC Regimental Wing, below, Back row, left to right—Private Kev Graham RPC, Private Jock McElvie RPC, Private Alex Mcintosh RPC, Signalman Graham Thackery, Brigadier Short, Major Pincher, Staff Sergeant Bede Welsh, Trainer and Manager, Sergeant Dave Gaffrey Royal Signals, Corporal John Longfield, Corporal Jock Mc- Callin, Corporal Ted Marsh, Goalkeeper. Front row, left to right—Corporal Kenny Bishop RMP, Private Norman Levett, Lance Corporal Geordie McAleese, Lance Corporal Willie Morton and Sergeant Brian Wilkes. Hi ni /.Yijiffiasaw^^iwMBgrjS 1: £ The Donnington Football Team. We had a visit from Colonel H. G, Skeen, Commander US Army Depot Burtonwood, during the month. He came along to pick up the odd tip, and was then a guest at the Officers Dinner Night to round off his day. Arrivals: WOl Thistlethwaite, W02 Browning, Corporals Glastonbury, Lancaster, Keogh and Sargeant Departures: Sergeant King and Corporal Hallas to Hong Kong, Corporal Burnett and Private Thornton to BAOR, Corporal Kilmister to Cyprus, Sergeant Fowler to ASMT Lecons* N x field and Corporal Catterall to JWE Salisbury. Congratulations to Private and Mrs Tiffany on the birth of their son, John Norman. Central Ammunition Depot Kineton FOLLOWING a long period without match-practice CAD Kineton were drawn at home to COD Chilwell in the first round of the Hill Cup. The frost- hardened pitch had luckily begun to thaw before the game and conditions were nearly perfect for good rugby. The score of twenty to nil in our favour does not really reflect the worth of COD Chilwell who were stopped from scoring on several do-or-die raids by last-ditch tackling. We took our breaks and Corporal Jack Butler put us four up at the interval with a lovely try from a penalty situation ten yards from the line. In the second half W02 Ron Randall scored three fine tries from the number eight position. Private Ron Whiteley kicked to convert two of Randall's efforts. We are away to 10 Ordnance Support Battalion in the semi-final. After many last minute changes CAD Kineton's representa- tion in the West Area Badminton Championship, held at Old Sarum, was left to Sergeant Andy Smith, W02 Carl Forde, W/Privates Dee Ahearn and Debie Gridley. In the singles Sergeant Andy Smith played superbly to reach the semi-finals when he was narrowly defeated by Sergeant Brown in a hard fought contest 15-11, 13-15, 15-12. W02 Carl Forde ended up with the (wooden spoon) winner of the plate. There is no truth in the rumour that he allowed himself to be knocked-out in the first round in order to win the plate! Carl and Andy teamed up for the Unit and Open Doubles in which they reached the quarter final in the Unit and the semi-final in the Open. Unfortunately they were beaten by the eventual winners 15-12, 10-15, 15-11/15-6, 15-12. — 350 |
| Book number | R0246a |