RAOC Gazette - page 191
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 |
W02 Dave Allport has been working hard as a member the successful 2 Armoured Division Headquarters and Signal jgiment Basketball Team, which has distinguished itself by scorning the BAOR Major Unit Champions for the third year Officer Commanding is still trying to sort out how a packet doesn't cross the start point, or release point, but still gets into location on time. Well done Taff. inning. For those of us under forty years old, there are now regular eekly physical training sessions kindly laid on by the PT staff. f'e are assured that they are designed merely to ensure that we 1 meet the minimum standards required by the new 'Fit to ight' programme; however this does not prevent some of us om feeling that perhaps they are leaving a rather large safety largin. The J 978 round of exercises has also started, and the Head- uarters is slowly thawing out after taking part in Exercise ironze Key. Those of you who forgot to check your antifreeze -'ill remember a that the snow was thick and the thermometer idicated — 15 C (3°F) at night. CRAOC managed to escape arly by attending the DOS BAOR Study Period, but the rest of ts froze. Indeed, the search for warmth led us eventually o a local pigsty—pigs may not be able to keep themselves clean, >ut they know all about keeping warm. Once we were used to he smell, it was quite comfortable. ORDNANCE COMPANY 3 an article for our magazine came the cry from above so, :xtending the day to twenty eight hours, we are having a go. [t all started two years ago while I was quite calmly surveying the world go by, I was posted to 12 Ordnance Field Park is the chief black hand of a stalwart black hand gang of three, One Welshman, one English and one Scot I met the MTO and I am now working on the third one since then. I think it must be the air here that wears them out. Still, to the matter in hand, the Company. The Mechanised Transport Section consists of a lovely bunch of lads who will insist on trying to prove that the Officer Commanding's mini will run on diesel and other sundry mixtures of fuel. Over the past few months the Company has had quite a lot of com- mitments, what with PRE and Technical visits. PRE was a laugh a minute, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, We did manage a satisfactory report though . . . well done the workers. However, during the past few months MT have successfully trained three Land Rover drivers, two HGV2 and one HGV 1, so they do, at times, provide some constructive help to the Unit. At a recent rally for military vehicles, sponsored by 2 Armoured Division, and run by the RCT; Lieutenant Hopps, with the expert assistance of Corporal ' Max' Manning, gained the Individual Winners Cup. The PC and A Department, run by ' Q * Bob Hanbidge and his staff, are a great help to our gang. If it is not on the Fiche, we don't get it Pity when our part numbers are sometimes newer than their slides! The Orderly Room staff comes under the control of Staff Sergeant Phil Marriott, ably assisted by Corporals Jim (soon to be Sergeant) Beattie, Taff (the Poet) Daddow and Rick (the Bike) White. Between them they manage to keep us right some- how (where are our EMER Binders?). The Pay Office is run by (when it isn't running him) Sergeant Mel Faragher RAPC, doing a stalwart job. Doing the replen on the human body we have Corporal Dave Rae ACC and his chefs. Hope you like the new kitchen. On the Quartermaster side we have Staff Sergeant Dinger Bell, Corporal Pete Gee and their staff who try to keep us in clothing. Somehow the wastage rate can't keep up with our usage. The Storehouse is under the command of Second Lieutenant Gwilliam who owes a certain recovery team a crate of beer for learning that Bedford MKs do not like their back wheels dropped in ditches on winter exercises. Staff Sergeant Wes Braithwaite runs the storehouse, ably assisted by Sergeants Larry (Budgie) Taylor, Taff McCarthy and Ian Matthews . . . and as motley a crew of workers as you are ever likely to meet (not if you can help it). Larry went on an MHE instructors course and ended up with a fire engine (what went wrong?). Early in February we went on a trip round this area of Germany for a camping holiday just to see what the country- side looked like (it was all white). Corporal Pete Sharpe enjoyed his stay on the side of the road in sub-zero temperatures. Moral . . . try not to break down. Company Sergeant Major Dave Taylor's hair gets greyer by the minute trying to find out if the Black Hand Gang are bluff- ing or not when we say we are not available. Still if you have over a hundred pieces of kit to keep working' who can tell? There seems to be a strange reluctance in articles from this Unit to mention Major O. P. Brady; the Gaffer, without whom this Unit wouldn't exist (who's a creeper then!). The 3rd Armoured Division A HEADQUARTERS RAOC 3RD ARMOURED DIVISION has officially arrived in 1 (BR) Corps. After almost three months of working up exercises, the Divisional training pro- gramme culminated in what is best des- cribed as a mini-FTX at Soltau, Sub- sequently, at a parade and drive-past, the GOC offered the Division to the Corps Commander as being fit for inclusion within the Corps Orbat. To no-one's surprise, it was accepted with thanks. We now took forward to a period of relative calm and stability during which we can consolidate our position and attempt to control events rather than have them control us. At the conclusion of Exercise Staff Ride the Logistic Units of the Division deployed to put on a demonstration for the other Divisional Units, promotion examination candidates and other interested passers-by. A party left the CPX to visit the demonstration, starting at the Divisional Ordnance Company location. DOWO (WOl Gary Hawthorne) kindly volunteered to drive. The offer to map-read for him was declined with thanks since he knew the area (he said). On arrival at the Divisional Ordnance Company location, it was not immediately obvious why that unit was flying the RAMC flag. However, we did have an interesting trip around the Field Ambulance and eventually did see the Divisional Ordnance Company. The drinks should have been on DOWO that night. Mr Hawthorne is also concerned with a remarkable 'feet' of endurance. He runs to and from work daily, a trip of al- most four miles each way. This shows outstanding devotion to the cause. Running home might be a normal reaction, but running to work (up-hill) is above and beyond the call of duty. To conclude Triangle Week, the end of the work-up period, the Division held a series of sports competitions at sub-unit level. Although unable to field teams, Headquarters RAOC was represented in various competitions, if only briefly. Sergeant Rick Delamont played football and Mr Hawthorne ran in the log race for Squadron teams. Majors Chris Ahearne and David Davies were dragged along the ground as part of the GOC's tug-of-war team, by extremely badly briefed Military Policemen. W02 Danny Danvers survived to the final of the hockey com- petition as Umpire. Our success rate was not high but we were lovely losers. Photo PR 3 Armoured Division. The CRAOC and his helpers. As a stop-press item, Captain Tony Bettany from the Divisional Ordnance Company, whose marriage is announced in that Unit's notes, is now in hospital with back trouble. We wish him a speedy recovery. 393 — |
| Book number | R0246a |