RAOC Gazette - page 177
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 |
with glory during the meeting and enhanced his not incon- siderable tan. The School continues its excellent liaison with the Surrey Police and the Headquarters Surrey County Constabulary at Guiidford, entertained the Senior Officers Logistic Course by giving them an instructive and amusing evening culminating in much hospitality in their club later. Even Colonel Bill Bewley was temporarily subdued by the excellence of all we saw. Un- fortunately he recovered as the evening wore on, Operations Room Staff — Lieutenant Colonel Day, Sergeant Thompson, Lieutenant Cartwrighr, W O l Johnston, Lance Corporal Bevertdge and Major Cooke. TRAINING BATTALION AND DEPOT TRAINING COMPANY: The scarcity of suitable jobs for school leavers has meant that the Company has seen an un- predicted rise in the numbers of recruits. The monthly intake is averaging around the sixty mark and in consequence addi- tional platoons are being formed to cope with the situation- Manning the Permanent Staff is a problem which has not been helped by the requirement for the RD roll to be retained as specialists in other fields and there has been a constant battle to meet the crisis. An added, and -unforeseen, problem was the backlog of recruits awaiting trade training as a result of Operation Burberry. The Company strength now is some three hundred and fifty strong and rising, which in the long term, is of benefit to the Corps as a whole as vacant slots are rilled in unit establishments. In the meantime there are a lot of white-haired NCOs dashing about the Surrey training areas ensuring the sausage machine retains a well oiled look. Any truth in the rumour that the DOS Committee that planned the restructuring have now left the Army and have become employed in ACIOs and local Fire Authorities has been hotly denied by Headquarters DGOS, RAOC Records and AG9, Conversation overheard in the Regimental Training Team: Sergeant Nightingale Yes Sir, about time we got ourselves into print. Print Sir? We're RD not printers. You know, notes for THE GAZETTE you idiot Not me Sir, too busy. YouVe got plenty of time Sergeant Nightingale but what about the RPCl course, and the ranges and the weekend exercise . . . . exactly what I mean, plenty of time. What shall I write about Sir . . . Oh! I don't know, tell them about the nine stalwarts that work here . . . . Stalwarts! We haven't any vehicles Sir Oh you mean like Staff Sergeant Bill (I've got a job with the Brewery) Coates, Staff Sergeant Jim (Stand still s'ojer) Wilson, Sergeant Pete (where's Hong Kong) Fellowes, Corporal Dave (I'm going to be a baker again) Inskip, Corporal Dick (What me again) Watson, Corporal Jock McGavin (just arrived poor lad) and Corporal Charlie (now you see me, now you don't) Jones. What else shall I write about Sir? Tell them about our job—you know the RPC courses and upgrading courses for the whole of the UK. Well look Sir, as you know what you want, why don't you write them . . . Oh! not me Vm just off to the range; tell you what, sign off there and we'll tell them about ourselves in the next issue. CENTRAL VOLUNTEER HEADQUARTERS THE visit by Brigadier G. E. Dennison, the Commander RAOC Training Centre seemed to go well; it was in lieu of our FFR but we had our noddy suits and gas masks ready just in case! After the S02 Training, Major Cranmer, and the S02 AQ, Major Fleming, had given their briefings, the Brigadier accompanied by Colonel Hind met most of the Military and Civilian Staff of the Headquarters. The visit ended with Staff Sergeant Foster, in what was virtually his last military duty at CVHQ, giving Brigadier Dennison a concise and enthusiastic potted history of the Laundry and Bath Equipment. If anybody deserved a farewell gift of a Laundry Trailer it is Staff Sergeant Foster, best wishes in Hong Kong Staff and thank you. Captain Rowlands continues to try to entice the Training Centre into taking part in his orienteering competitions, but with little success at present. We hear that the RSM WOl Hendry and Private Gould did take the ' risk' recently when all three entered the District Orienteering Competition, they did not win but are much the wiser! The military staff of the Headquarters are at present look- ing at the Overseas visits programme, and with Captain Burrows venturing to Cyprus, WOl Clark off to the wilds of BAOR and Captain Rowlands off to discover Olen, the Headquarters is going to be quite empty the next few months. Welcome to Major G- D. Cary on posting from Head- quarters DGOS as S02 Training and farewell to Major J. Cranmer on posting to the Supply Depot Aldershot, as Officer Commanding. TRAINING SYSTEMS ADVISORY BRANCH From the folks who live in the wood: Time is weighing heavy on members of the branch, as we go through the transition period from an interminable winter to a long awaited summer. The slight increase in temperature aided our newest recruit into the ranks of the immortal few who have passed their BFT, when W02 * Jack' Barrat screamed passed the finishing line with three whole minutes to spare (eat your heart out Steve Ovett). At the time of going to press the fates of our OC Major ' Colin' Beet and Sergeant ' Pete * Sissons are still in the balance. Maybe they need the mercury to rise a little higher before they reach their peak, Congratulations! Firstly to Staff Sergeant ' Pete' alias * Fran Cotton * Smith on his recent promotion and secondly to Sergeant * Pete' Sissons on being awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. It is, with sadness, that we say goodbye to Captain 4 Claude * Lilley who is leaving us for the sunnier reaches of Barrack Services, Aldershot We also lose our Resident Animal this month as WOl * Graham' Jones joins the ranks of the un- employed civilian populace. We are only sorry he took his dog with him, leaving us with no intelligent conversationalists. Hello again to Mrs * Peggy' Austin who missed us all so much when she retired that she has returned to the fold as our typist. We also greet our latest and most valuable member of the branch Mrs * Pauline * Parker. Royal Military Academy Sandhurst HELLO again from Sandhurst—for the second time this year. It would appear that our recently arrived 2IC, Major Houseman, intends bullying his Staff Clerks into making this a regular feature in the Corps GAZETTE. Who knows, he may even en- courage our one and only Technical Clerk Staff Sergeant Brian Wicks to show us how it should be done, Our 'Super' Clerk, WOl Eric Briggs and Staff Sergeant John Kay of G Branch fame, are these days to be seen thumb- ing through the * Situations Vacant' column of the local and national press. They both hang up their boots in August. We know that WOl Ian Birchall, once he can get away from SHAPE, is to be our new 'Super,' however the right type of chap for John Kaye's job is obviously proving more trouble- some to find. Perhaps Records should look in the direction of Old College. Staff Sergeant Pete Harrison who runs New College, managed to get back unscathed from exercising (at least that's what he'd have us believe he was doing) in Cyprus. Apparently it rained more there than it did here so no cheap advance sun tan was to be had. Talking of New College, warnings of the payrise seem to have dissuaded Corporal Bill McClemon from leaving us. Thank goodness, Pete Harrison would be lost without him. Sergeant Gus Curry who looks after Old College, is still recovering from a brave attempt to outdrink the Dutch from 81 — |
| Book number | R0246a |