RAOC Gazette - page 169
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 |
Annual 3&tport DURING the year 1977 the Aid Society dealt with five hundred and sixty cases, most of which were applications for financial assistance. This was less than the six hundred and eleven cases dealt with during 1976 but an increase on the average of previous years. Despite the small decrease it will be appreciated that there are a large number of serving and ex-service members of the Corps and their families who request assistance from the Society because of hardship due to inflation, deaths, ill- nesses, accidents, and, in the case of ex-members of Corps, unemployment. Many of the World War II veterans are now at the age when they or their widows are requesting assistance for the first time because of infirmity, redundancy, and other reasons and this trend is expected to increase over the next few years. Inflation has also affected some young serving married soldiers who have requested financial assistance for particular reasons. Free holidays have been provided for twenty two needy widows and children at Fontins Holiday Camps. The Society has shared with the Royal British Legion in providing twenty four ex-members, who have been ill, with holidays at con- valescent homes during the yean The Aid Society Committee of Management wishes again to express their particular appreciation to the serving officers who under the 'After Care* scheme have visited soldiers in hospitals, those who have been discharged on medical grounds and widows of officers and soldiers who have died or have been killed. These unwelcome and often very sad duties have provided the Aid Society with important information regarding any need for assistance that can be provided. Many RAOC Association Branch officials are also very helpful in this respect The Committee wishes to thank SSAFA, The Royal British Legion, Forces Help Society, the Officers Association and Families Fund, the Department of Health and Social Security and Hospital Welfare Officers whose co-operation enable assistance to be given on a wide scale throughout the country and sometimes overseas, As a result of recommendations made by the Aid Society the Army Benevolent Fund made grants and loans from its funds to serving and ex-members of the Corps totalling a record sum of £43,612 during 1977. Some forty five RAOC soldiers took advantage of the interest free loans for resettlement in their last year of service. Of the total of £267,750 passed on to the Army Benevolent Fund by Regimental and Corps Benevolent Funds the Aid Society contributed £15,000 for use in the wider context of benevolent work on behalf of the Army as a whole. The Regular Forces Employment Association found em- ployment for one hundred and fifty three ex-members of the Corps, The Committee has continued its policy of increasing invest- ment to offset possible reduction in income and inflation, The total value of the RAOC Aid Society Trust Fund and General Fund was increased by £16,932. Total income from investments, regular subscribers, individual donors, the collective work of Units, Messes, Association Branches, church collections, fetes, and sale of officers uniforms came to a total of £46,258 which was an increase of £2,195 on the previous year. Total expen- diture for the year was £30,832 and represented a slight reduction of £580. Here are a few examples of aid given by the Society during 1977: — An ex-Lance Corporal was discharged from the Army as medically unfit suffering from the effects of an accident which occurred when training with a Commando Unit. He suffered considerable pain in his legs and particularly his knees which were badly damaged. He was awarded a disability pension and eventually found a job as a storekeeper. However, his condition became worse and he had to be admitted to hospital for an operation. He had a wife and four young children and because of his loss of earnings, he fell into debt. In order to pay his debts he sold his second hand car at considerable loss and disposed of his colour television set. Despite these economies he was unable to meet all the debts and the Society together with the Royal Signals Association (he had served for a short period with that Corps prior to transferring to the RAOC) made a financial grant. A young serving Lance Corporal became seriously ill and was admitted to a Military Hospital. He had a wife and two young children aged two years and ten months. The wife found the cost of visiting the hospital over a long period beyond her means and a weekly grant was made from the Society's funds to cover this expenditure. An ex-Private aged sixty five, who had been a FOW in the last war, appealed for assistance to clear an outstanding debt which he had incurred after his wife's death. He was totally blind in one eye and had only limited vision in the other and he was living on a small disability pension which, after taking all possible economies in his weekly expenditure, would not enable him to clear his debt A grant was made to pay the out- standing bill Art ex-Warrant Officer who had served in the RE ME and RAOC for twenty one years, became ill with, a thrombosis and myxodemia and eventually became mentally ill. His wife, who hitherto had led an extremely well ordered and happy life, went through a period of acute anxiety and embarrassment. Debts caused mainly by her husband's mental condition, amounted to such proportions that she was unable to meet them. The REME Benevolent Fund and the RAOC Aid Society co-operated in clearing the outstanding debts. An elderly widow of an ex-RAOC Soldier, who served throughout the last war and who had herself served in the ATS, became ill whilst visiting friends. Because of the illness she had to stay at her friend's house for over two weeks and during this period, her house was burgled. Her clothing, bedding, clocks, and cash were stolen and she had inadequate insurance cover to replace her clothing. A grant was made to assist in the purchase of new clothing. A serving Lance Corporal married with four young children was discharged from the Army on medical grounds and ob- tained a Council flat. However, he required financial assistance to provide the minimum of furniture, A grant was made to assist in these purchases. The widow of an ex-Warrant Officer who served with the Corps for twenty nine years, was unable to meet the full cost of his funeral expenses. Apparently, after an illness which had started in Korea, the husband had been unable to obtain life insurance. The Society paid most of the funeral expenses. An ex-Soldier married with three young children, caught a virus which left him a cripple and he had to give up work, Although he is beginning to walk again medical opinion is that it is doubtful if he will ever be fit enough to resume his previous employment. Just prior to his illness he had arranged to have new window frames fitted to replace those which had deteriorated beyond repair and because of his loss in earnings, he was unable to pay the bill. The Society helped to clear the account. A serving Corporal married with three children, needed financial assistance to enable him and his wife to visit his youngest child who was in hospital for a long period with a serious illness, A grant was made to assist with travelling expenses. An elderly widow of an officer who served in the Corps from 1914 to 1921 and whose sole income was a widow's pension, became very ill and was unable to afford the cost of a special diet. The Society and the Officers Association shared the cost of providing her extra nourishment. An ex-Lance Corporal who served in the Corps from 1939 to 1946 had a diseased hip which meant that he could only walk about the house with the aid of sticks; he also suffered from asthma. His wife suffered from heart trouble and when their daughter left home, their income was so reduced that they were unable to meet fuel bills and they were informed that it was likely that their gas would be disconnected. Assistance was given by the Aid Society and with the help of the SSAFA representative, their income has been so budgetted to prevent, hopefully, further incidents of this nature. An ex-Officer who had been awarded two gallantry medals when serving during the last war, died. He had not served in the Army long enough to earn a pension and his widow was left — 375 — |
| Book number | R0246a |