RAOC Gazette - page 196
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 |
visitors to the Unit Orderly Room have never returned so perhaps even this situation has its compensations. As if our current administrative congestion were endemic, a sea water mains pipe burst depriving the Depot of WC facilities. * Nearer my God to thee' has been adopted as the orienteer- ing team song. A trip to Tai Mo Shan, to step out into the clouds certainly gives one a sense of divinity (this replaces a sense of direction). Still it's an enervating experience to have one's weekly bath* lose half a stone and travel blind all in the space of one hundred yards. But no matter how hard we tried the CSM managed to get back! Talking about the Unit shooting team (and that was almost all that was done about it, the talking) the Hong Kong Skill at Arms meeting arrived like the rain, out of the blue. The Regi- mental Officer dropped a file on the CSMs desk, with a loud ' clang * and said " The CO wants to talk to us about that Monday morning." A great way to finish a week. It was 1630 hrs Friday. Hasty preparations were put into effect to organise the shooting team. "The what team? We haven't got one. Tell you what CSM, put it on orders—bags of volunteers!" Well, one did. Our one volunteer, plus two more who had inadvertently confessed to a passing acquaintance with a weapon, together with those blackmail victims who had agreed to give up their valuable working time, accompanied by our recently posted in Armourer (Poor chap was on the team before his feet touched first base at RAF Kai Tak), set out to practice on the thirty/fifty metre ranges. Already, with one entire practice behind them, they were six days from the rehearsal shoot. Nervous tension began to take its toll. Like Yul Bryner and his Magnificent Seven, the CO was there, it was his idea; the CSM, just; Staff Sergeant Macaulay REME, he was the only one who knew how to alter the sights; Corporal Taylor who was on leave!; Corporal Bowen, the Post NCO who insisted on a twenty cent Hong Kong stamp on each bullet; the cook Corporal Laidlaw ACC, no comment; Corporal Worth, someone had to drive the four-tonner and finally Corporal Page, who came to make a name for him- self. The big event, held over four days, arrived with frightening rapidity. The team, now known as * Hambly's Commandos' was almost ready. Things went well, considering. The CSM went out to shoot the pistol and noticed his foresight had a certain amount of unwarranted lateral movement. Corporal Worth decided to take no such chance—he left his foresight protector on! The rifle shoot gave the team the opportunity for some badly needed practice. One or two were actually suspected of zeroing their weapons. ' Bit late for that' was heard to come from the Fire Control Officer. The CO gave unlimited advice and encouragement, especially about 'confidentials' and a local Gurkha team provided welcome comic relief. It is believed they felt the same way about our team, as every time they saw us, they fell about laughing, But just to confound our critics and detractors we won the Minor Unit Snap Shoot. Just wait until next year Bisley! British Army Staff USA IT must be several years since RAOC officers and soldiers serving in USA made a contribution to THE GAZETTE and there- fore we include a photograph as well as notes on personalities and appointments. The list of those of us in this * punishment station' has now risen to six as follows. British Army Staff Washington; AQMG Logistics, Lieutenant Colonel Baughan; Staff Assistant, Conductor Hayward and Chief Clerk, Staff Sergeant Clemow. British Exchange Officers; Lieutenant Colonel Hopkinson at Fort Lee, Virginia, Major Elliott at Headquarters DARCOM in Washington and Major De Wolf at New Cumber- land Army Depot, Pennsylvania. The solemn countenances of all ranks in the photograph is a measure of our LOA, duty free and tax concessions—which we hesitate to describe, as our comrades on the other side of the Atlantic wait on the pleasure of the Pay Review Board- In fact all of us are delighted to be here and are determined to make the most of this rare opportunity in every way possible, We are all accompanied and live in a variety of rented houses and quarters. As to our appointments, AQMG Logistics is concerned with monitoring and reporting on logistic develop- ments and trends. Mr Hayward, our Staff Assistant, works to RAOC officers and soldiers stationed in USA taken in front of the statue of Sir Winston Churchill on Massachusetts Avenue, Washington DC, with the gardens and the Residence of the British Embassy in the background, From left to right: Conductor K. N . Hayward, Lieutenant Colonel C. B. Hopkinson, Lieutenant Colonel D. Baughan, Staff Sergeant C. Clemow, Major D. W . M . Elliott. (Not in photograph Major S. C. De Wolf). a large extent for our GS02 Coord on MS and related matters, but in his own right deals with enquiries about the British Army for US civilians. Staff Clemow is the backbone of our system on the sixth floor of the Embassy keeping in order a bevy of high priced teeth arm staff officers as well as AQMG Logistics, Lieutenant Colonel Hopkinson runs a production centre for training publications and films at the Quartermaster School and has many * Cecil B. de Mille epics * to his credit while Major De Wolf equates to a planning officer in a highly mechanised and automated depot. Finally Major Elliott holds a staff appointment in what equates to PE and LE(A) combined dealing with the Direct Sup- port System to US Army Europe and other theatres. In fact, he has almost outdone AQMG Logistic for the local title of 'Marco Polo.* His travels to date have included Hawaii, Panama and Alaska and he is threatening a second visit to Hawaii. His * opponent * however has found that he has to attend a logistic conference for a week in November—in Tampa, Florida. To conclude we all hope that RAOC officers and soldiers passing through USA will look us up and allow us to pass on some of our good fortune if only in the form of a sightseeing tour, N O T I C E S {Continued) FOR SAL.E SENIOR RANK MESS KIT, Chest 42-in, inside leg 30-in £30. Apply: D. E. Gill, No. 1 Collins Homes, Derby Road, Beeston, Nottingham. Tel.: Nottingham 254000. 7 GM COMPANY TIES A limited stock of these ties, at below list price, is available— proceeds to the RAOC Aid Society. Price £1, post free from the RAOC Secretariat, Deepcut. HOLIDAYS IX THE S O U T H O F FRANCE CARAVAN holidays at Camping * Le Val Fleury' near St Raphael. Four to six berth caravans, personally supervised by the owner, on excellent site. For details write: Major Howard Killin, 30 Conygar Road, Tetbury, Glos. or ring 0666-52345. 398 — |
| Book number | R0246a |