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RAOC Gazette - page 188

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Full title RAOC Gazette
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Publication date 1978
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Early date 1978
Late date 1978
Transcription VEHICLE SUB-DEPOT MOENCHENGLADBACH
WHILST the cat's away the mice will play—but this is not
quite true! Whilst the CO has been attending the Senior Officers
Logistics Course at the School of Ordnance the Depot has con-
tinued to 'hum* with lots of receipts and issues, new doors
have been fitted to the RAOC Stores Section and our Head-
quarters is now under the paint brush—a sure sign that the
Unit is eventually disbanding!
Preparing for his forthcoming lecture on the Battle of the
Somme is OIC Technical Administration^ Major (The Desert
Fox) Peter Gibson. In doing so he is taking three weeks leave
in Italy! Technical Administration have been doing really well
of late and Miss Sylvan Tait has just won DM 2500,00 at Bingo!
The start of the Rhine Area Anti-smoking Campaign saw
many * smoke signals' generate from Planning Branch, the
nerve centre and Headquarters of the Depot campaign. Its
success will be judged at the end of the month when a survey
will be taken to find out just how many took the challenge to
stop smoking and take a little more exercise.
A recent National Advertisement said that one would enjoy
it more if one wore plimsolls. Asked for amplification, the OIC
Physical Fitness refused to comment, other than saying that he
always ran in DMS Boots!
The VSD were hosts at the recent meeting of the RAOC
Association which took the form of a games evening organised
by Captain Jim Bridle, W02 Nigel Smith, Staff Sergeants Walt
Cooper and Ken McNaught. The hotly contested competition
which ensued saw Headquarters Company of the VSD the
runaway winners.
Congratulations to the hockey team on reaching the finals
of the Rhine Area (Minor Units) competition. In a fiercely
contested final we were beaten by Ordnance Depot Antwerp two
goals to one. Whilst it is difficult to isolate any particular
players for special praise, mention must be made of the stick
work and determination of both Captain Jim Bridle and
Corporal John Millership.
The soccer team wound up their Wednesday League pro-
gramme with a three nil defeat by 3 BAPD, but our sights are
set on doing well in the forthcoming Rothmans five-a-side
tournament In a season fraught with injuries the team haven't
had the luck they deserved. However, the morale remained high,
which is what the game is all about, and Sergeant Alan Schiller,
captain for the season, did a splendid job.
Among the many claim jumpers and homesteaders seeking
a place to put down their roots are Conductor Dave Siviter
and W02 Nikki Gore, both of whom have returned from
UK as home owners!
The hidden talent among the VSD is really amazing. Staff
Sergeant Stan Richmond REME, has been selected to attend the
Canoe Selection races for Great Britain on the river Trywenyn,
Bala, North Wales, and Private Nick Weber has been asked to
umpire at Wimbledon this year. More news of these two
gladiators with pictures will follow at a later date,
Finally, a warm VSD welcome to W02 Heap, Corporal
Keast, Lance Corporal Lewis and Privates Bailey, Adamson,
Clarke and Weber, and farewell to RSM Joll, SSM Henwood,
ASM Scott REME, Staff Sergeant Daunt, Sergeant Mullen
REME, Sergeant Rhodes, Corporals Tomlin and Green away,
Lance Corporal Howe, Privates Gadsden, Kennedy and Ronson.
Congratulations to Private and Mrs O'Brien on the birth of
a son.
according to plan, by the end of April we should all have passed
our BE test for the first half of the year, qualified on personal
weapons, been trained in NBC, become professional map
readers and exercised in our mob appointments. Or perhaps by
the end of this time we will have become more aware of our
limitations,
At long last we have been successful on the social sport-
ing front. This month we soundly thrashed the 'Posties' in a
games evening consisting of darts, snooker, table tennis and crib
but our elation was short lived, A few days later they turned
the tables by beating us at soccer by the odd goal—it was no
wonder really when you saw the number of our players who
spent most of the time kicking out at a ball that had long since
been robbed from them.
It has been noted recently that there is a rapid upsurge in
the applications for leave to be taken in Berlin. Contrary to
rumour, WOl Alex Marshall has not been elected to the
Berlin tourist board but it may be the result of those exaggerated
stories of the night life told by WOsl Colin Pearce and Pete
Dandy on their return from the Grosse Stadt. They were lucky
—we who are going up there on leave have to take our wives.
15 Composite Ordnance Depot
STORES SUB-DEPOT VIERSEN
WE omitted to bid Lieutenant Colonel Don Fifield, our In-
ventory Controller, farewell when he left in February on his
way to OSU Liphook and welcome his successor Lieutenant
Colonel Jim Start. Our apologies and we hope that Liphook
will not be too quiet for you Colonel Don.
Our intrepid skiers, Captain Dunn, Staff Sergeant Duffy and
Corporal Greenhalgh are sporting expensive looking tans having
just returned from a fortnights ' Snow Queen/ Captain Dunn
and Corporal Greenhalgh completed the advanced course whilst
Staff Sergeant Duffy just managed to finish the basic course
before twisting his ankle. Corporal Greenhalgh did so well
that he has since been posted to Canada and hopes to spend
Easter ski-ing in the Rockies. Rumour has it that our Com-
mandant, Colonel Edwards, was so impressed with the bronzed
warriors that he*s gone for a week to inspect the Ski Hut and,
hopefully, find a little time to ski himself. He's already an
accomplished skier
More shooting; our team attended the RAOC BAOR Small
Bore Target Rifle Match Inter Finals at 1 Combat Supplies
Battalion and came second to the host unit. Well done WOl
Poison, Staff Sergeant Kimpton, Mrs Macdonald and Major
Macdonald; their names in order of score attained.
Since the BAOR Rugby Minor Units final the Badgers have
Staff Sergeants Tiny Davison and Dodger Green on posting
and have suffered an alarming number of injuries incapacitating
four other stalwarts. To the credit of the virtually leaderless
youngsters remaining, they have carried on with our difficult
fixture list and have won all games to date. To date we have
played thirty one games, won twenty four, Lost six and drawn
one. We have scored five hundred and twenty eight points and
have had two hundred and forty eight against. We are the
Rhine Area Champions and BAOR Finalists and because of
the excellent support by all players have honoured every last
one of our fixtures. Well done Badgers.
Members of the RAOC Association and their ladies spent
an enjoyable evening at a games night organised by our friends
from VSD. We didn't win, but enjoyed the fish and chip
supper and our Commandant revealed hidden talents as a table
football referee.
Our angling fraternity, not strong enough to form a unit
club, provide the backbone of the Moenchengladbach Station
Angling Club. They report good attendance at a recent tackle
making demonstration at their SSD Viersen Clubroom and at
monthly club outings. We hope to report some success for
them in the first ever Rhine Area Angling Championship, being
organised in July by Captain Les Jordan of Depot Head-
quarters.
Congratulations to WOl Pete Collyer and wife Anne on the
birth of son Kxistian, Sergeant John Mar-Gerrison on second
place in the Decorated Cake section of the Rhine Area Com-
petition and WOl Ken Pratt on substantive promotion.
Helios to Captain Jim Bridle, Captain Don Longmoor, W02
John Wright, Staff Sergeants Bob Hughes and Maurice Mellor,
Corporals Jock Cummings and Jim Be at tie,
Farewells to Major Alec Bryan and Captain Noel Smith
on retirement, W02 Dave Taylor to Brunei, Staff Sergeant
Dodger Green to Middle Wallop, Staff Sergeant Chris Forbes-
Ritte to Chilweil, Corporal Jim Freeborn to 89 Supply Depot
and Private Keith Fulcher to Dulmen.

3 Base Ammunition and Petroleum Depot
AS these notes are being written, the last Bracht contingent is
returning from Exercise Snow Queen. However, they are not
leaving the snow behind them. Despite being the first day of
Spring, the Depot is covered and the snow is still falling steadily.
Sergeants Mick Warden and Nobby Clark have been blamed
for bringing it back with them. Corporal Alan Carruthers is
due back from the RAOC ski hut, having spent four months
doing a tremendous job as instructor, barman, projectionist, ski-
shop salesman and ski storeman, to mention just a few of his
tasks. His hard work, cheerfulness and enthusiasm were an
example to all, and a tremendous asset to the hut. During
the winter 3 BAPD have also provided other men for the
permanent staff of the hut. They were WOs2 Andy Shearer
and Ted Hamon, and Privates Paul Thomsett, Pete Hood, and
Glen Crossland. In addition, Corporals Nobby Clark, Rod
Dirnmock and Rab Latta, and Lance Corporal Tom Talbot kept
the Bracht flag flying with the administration detachment in
Sonthofen, It should be noted that during one of the courses
W02 * Digger' Denholm, of rugby fame, started in the beginner's
class, moved through the intermediates and finished the course
with the advanced group.
390
Book number R0246a