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RAOC Gazette - page 176

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Corps RAOC
Material type Journals
Book page
Chapter head
Chapter key
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Full title RAOC Gazette
Page number
Publication date 1978
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Colour No
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Early date 1978
Late date 1978
Transcription CFje
it
Headquarters Directorate
tatton
omc
of Supply
Management
S MAN 1. With spring well on the way, the Branch's intrepid
skiers, Major J, N. Eddison and Captain A. W. Lyons, have
returned—their limbs miraculously unbroken. Major Eddison
and his family spent two weeks on an up-market holiday in
Germany, while Captain Lyons went to the remote and blizzard
swept slopes of Aviemore as an inmate of RAOC Ski Hut.
Both seemed to have enjoyed themselves, despite Captain
Lyons' remarks about the weather and generally rugged con-
ditions which seem merely a device to convince everyone that
the trip was a course and not leave.
S Man lb has to report the disappearance of Captain J.
C Sykes, whose whereabouts are now discerned to be EME
7a—the A Vehicle Equipment Managers, where he replaced
Lieutenant Colonel Feltham who, on retiring from rhe Corps,
has found a Retired Officer's post in Headquarters DGEME.
Reportedly, Captain Sykes misses the long trek between the
Main Building and the S Man 1 outpost in Block 66, where
the only compensation for the loneliness of the Air Field's edge
is the proximity of the NAAFI and Officers Mess.
A recent arrival in S Man 1 is Mr P. Akers from DSM(A)
Technical Equipments Division who assumes the new appoint-
ment of EO S Man la(l). It isn't quite a posting to answer his
own letters, as his previous job was on the Engineer Equip-
ments side of Donnington and S Man la(l) is the Photo-
graphic and Communications Equipments cell in S Man 1.
Major J, D. Baker (Retd) has welcomed his arrival with
great relief as he now has an assistant to tackle the crate-loads
of files sent daily to S Man la(l). We hope that, despite this
disadvantage, Mr Akers will be happy here.
Generally, however, it has been a quiet time with the
Branch working hard to prepare annual estimates and equip-
ment programmes by the inevitably tight deadlines.
TECHNICAL EQUIPMENTS DIVISION—DONNINGTON
A CHANCE remark made by one of our number to one of
those few remaining zealous military men left amongst our
midst, has led to no little discomfort for a few and embarrass-
ment to some. It all centres around that item of personal life
saving kit that receives such scant attention in the Army these
days. I refer of course to the SR6 Respirator. Yes folks, we
have been asked to give it its annual airing, or should it be
biennial or even trienniaL Rumour has it that some so called
military men do not even possess one. Others, we hear, have
left theirs for so long in its case that it afforded no protection
at all and the poor fellows have rushed out of the gas chamber
gasping for breath with tears streaming down their faces.
We wear correct training uniforms so rarely these days that
one of our most attractive civilian staff was heard to remark
to a handsome young officer displaying his Foxes puttees ** Have
you hurt your ankle, dear."
Social events still take up some of our time and on 10th
March Weapons Branch held a most successful dance at the St
Georges Recreation Club. It was by all accounts enjoyed by
all of the i one hundred and fifty who attended. Comms have
had their do* as well so is Engineers to be left behind for
once?
For the third consecutive year David Williams of Tech-
nical Equipments Division Donnington has won the Sam
Cotton Trophy which is awarded by the Telford Philatelic
Society to the winning entry in their annual competition. This
year's entry consisted of three standard sized album sheets
covering the common theme ** The Royal Militia of the Channel
Islands." Two sheets displayed definitive stamps of Guernsey
which portrayed uniforms worn by the Royal Militia and the
third sheet displayed commemorative stamps of Jersey which
portrayed the head-dress worn during the period. The sheets
also included graphic illustrations and both technical and
historic details. The award was presented by the chairman
of the society Mr E. Barnes, himself an ex-CICP employee.
Captain Mike Nixon and his wife Joe are leaving us this
month to try their hand at civilian life. Mike already has one
of those high paid managerial posts we read so much about
these days and we wish him and his family every success and
happiness in their new way of life.
We welcome Lance Corporal Terry Woods and his family.
Training Centre
HEADQUARTERS
THE last month has been extremely quiet due to personnel
catching up on leave.
The Training Battalion and Depot have just con-
structed a new course for the BFT which is situated in the
woods opposite the Apprentices College and Lieutenant Colonel
Sharpe led the over forties group round the course to get their
impressions; being one of those who tested it I found it tougher
than the old course but much more interesting,
The Training Centre football team is now preparing for
their quarter-final Richards Cup match against 10 Ordnance
Support Battalion and we have very high hopes of retaining the
cup now that two of the favourites have fallen by the wayside.
Major Cooke briefs Lieutenant Colonel Day in the Ops Room.
As promised in a previous issue, here are two photographs
of personnel of the Training Centre involved in the Operations
Room of the Surrey Military Headquarters during the Fire-
men's strike. Photo one shows the DA A and QMG Major
Cooke briefing Lieutenant Colonel Day who was JSLO. Photo
two, over the page, shows members of the Operations Room
Lieutenant Colonel Day, Sergeant Thomson, Lieutenant
Cartwright,, WOl Johnston, Lance Corporal Beveridge, Sergeant
Lawrence and Major Cooke.
Congratulations to Sergeant and Mrs Lawrence on the
birth of their son.
SCHOOL OF ORDNANCE
NO arrivals, departures or promotions to report this month
but we are still hale and hearty.
Captain Ted Walcroft, not content with cross country run-
ning alone, took the' RAOC Training Centre team to the Army
(Scottish) Ski Championships at Aviemore from 16th to 18th
March, They returned with the RAOC Team Prize Army Open
Championships and Corporal Gerry Dymond of the Ap-
prentices College (a member of the team) brought back the
RAOC Individual Prize Army Open Championships. Sergeant
Pete Mollison of the Training Centre Reproduction team and
an equally important member ot the ski team* covered himself
— 380 —
Book number R0246a