RAOC Gazette - page 173
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 |
&trosij$ €nglanb 3^oati M a p &act tip jHajor 3T. P. "Urigfjt, &£€>€ MAD ideas often come to one at ridiculous times. Way back in the depths of December, lying in the bath with the cold tap dripping on my left, foot and the cold tap dripping on my right foot (PSA have still to sort the problem out), the idea slowly evolved. Adventure training with a difference, something away from the usual climbing, sailing, canoeing,—something with a definite target—a * never been done' before exercise. What though? The length of Great Britain—the Lands End to John OGroats route had always seemed rather popular, but what about the breadth. A quick natter with the Sports Editor at the Guinness Book of Records confirmed the fact that nobody had ' claimed' such an event before. The Road Runners Club in association with the AAA also confirmed this fact. So across England it was to be. Plans various were drawn up with the assistance of the Fair Value Project team, Bar, and Flow Process Charts appeared from unknown sources, and the water cooled typewriters of the pool clacked incessantly to produce letters to County Police, District Headquarters and anyone who could offer assistance in terms of experience from * exercises unusual.* As a * first time' event, a series of ground rules had to be drawn up in order that future RAOC or Army teams endeavour- ing to better an established time would compete under the same conditions, (These appear at the end of the article). The route, preferably the shortest point from coast to coast had to be care- fully selected bearing in mind intermediate terrain. Finally, a route from Whitley Bay at Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Solway Firth, West of Carlisle, a distance of seventy six miles, was chosen. This route generally followed the famous Hadrian's Wall, albeit two to three miles away, but it gave the exercise an obvious military connotation. Patter of feet along the great fortifications of the Roman Empire. Shakespeare's Julias Caesar and the 'Ides of March ' was, it would seem, an appro- priate calendar event for such a venture. With the date fixed at 15th March and the route set at seventy six miles, tickets 4 were issued to the provisional team with the firm order of sell or be sold/ We are pleased to announce here that not even the \Andover Empire' escaped the net. Sales were pushed hard until the Depot was sufficiently saturated and resulting £160 deposited in the vaults of the Garrison Adjutant's office (or was it the vaults of the Com- mandant^ office?). The sale of tickets was aimed at helping the Garrison to r^ach the £1,000 mark for the Queen's Silver Jubilee Appeal Fund—an aim that was finally achieved. Training proceeded daily for six weeks with the small band of volunteers being forced to race mile upon mile interspersed with vicious attacks at bad performance during the short breaks by one who shall remain nameless in this article. And so the day dawned (at 5 am to be precise) of the event. The team, armed with tins of stamina, tubes of mint * Pacers' and in one case a tin of ' Bounce' (in lieu of 4ozs of stamina), set off to the start point. At 0645 hours, in the following order the race began: Major J. Wright, WOl K. Mitchell, Private R. McKelvie, Captain D. Mackay, Staff Sergeant E. Black, Private P. Cotterill, Lieutenant I. France, Sergeant S. Swales, Corporal M. Conneely. It had become obvious during the night that the March winds were afoot and everyone's first leg proved to be some- what of a shock. An appalling head wind which lasted the entire race proved to be a dominating factor. Usually downhill runs provided an easy stage, but this fact was reversed and each man was only too pleased to return to the comfort of the escorting coach. This vehicle was our mobile operations Headquarters and was suitably fitted out with a screened off (and tied securely down) caravan loo and a medical treatment area for the immediate resuscitation of exhausted bodies by our zealous Para Medic, Corporal Palmer. Lieutenant Imogen Andrews, who was the official time keeper and map reader upon whom so much depended, was operating from the forward position. It was noticed that her obvious military background had done much to produce such an efficient operations cell; for maps, photographs and stop watches adorned the windscreen in great profusion, — The Team—seventy six miles later left to right: Major J. W r i g h t (organiser), Sergeant S. Swales, Private Morgan (Reserve), Second Lieutenant I. Andrews W R A C , (Timekeeper and route-guide), Brigadier M. J. Short (official photographer), Private P. Cotterill, Captain D. Mackay, Staff Sergeant E. Black, W O l K. Mitchell. Sitting: Private R. McKelvie (with Tin of Bounce), Lieutenant I* France (with smile—and shell), Corporal M, Conneely, Corporal Palmer (Medic)* Mile upon mile was logged up. Runners either cursed their luck at getting ' another hill' or being attacked by dogs along the roadside. Mothers drew their young children away from the mad spectacle before them, old men paused in their cribbage and overtaking drivers hooted in encouragement. The relay part of the event was a replica 40mm Bofors shell (as seen in the photograph) and became, after much dis- cussion about what to carry across England, our selected Ord- nance item. Towards Brampton, Brigadier Short literally leapt aboard for this was a non-stop trip coast to coast, and it 1 was quite obvious that the driver was 'stopping for now't—Sir I A quick inspection of the coach with its floors awash with linament, every handhold liberally coated with the same foul smelling solution and the windows well steamed up with the perspiration of miles gone by, soon proved too much, and he retired to the comfort of his car at what was seen to be a rapid (and relieved) pace. Towards the end Carlisle became a point of focus when passers-by saw a Brigadier running over the Carlisle Bridge trying to catch a Staff Sergeant who, as a result of being pursued by such high authority had to receive oxygen at his next stop (the things people do for PR). The marsh flats of the Solway Firth loomed up at last, and the star of the team, who had been training at four minutes forty five seconds and due to winds only achieved a five minute fifty four seconds, completed the seventy six miles in grand style. The complete team ran the final half mile to the water edge, the Bofors shell was dipped ceremoniously in the Solway Firth and the time of eight hours thirty eight minutes and thirty seven seconds recorded by Miss Andrews. In conclusion and challenge to those future competitors, we found apricot yoghurt, linament and wind did not mix at all well. The former two are to be recommended in small quantities, and tins of ' Bounce * produced by competing ageing Sergeants really are non-starters. THE RULES IN order to conduct this exercise, a series of ground rules have been established. This ensures that future attempts at lowering the set record time are conducted on a similarly fair basis: 1. TEAM a. Each team of nine will consist of: (1) three Officers; (2) three SNCOs; (3) three JNCOs/Privates. (continued on page 388.) 377 — |
| Book number | R0246a |