RAOC Gazette - page 25
Image details
| Corps | RAOC |
|---|---|
| Material type | Journals |
| Book page | |
| Chapter head | |
| Chapter key | |
| Chapter number | |
| Full title | RAOC Gazette |
| Page number | |
| Publication date | 1977 |
| Real page | |
| Colour | No |
| Grey | No |
| Early date | 1977 |
| Late date | 1977 |
| Transcription |
W$t &to g>ocictp annual Report THE year 1976 will he remembered for the country's many difficulties. The ever increasing cost of living has had to be met by many against a background of rising unemployment and these factors have had a particular impact on many ex-members of the Corps and their families. Many of the elderly faced with the high cost of even the basic essentials, have been forced to look for help. Younger ex-members trying to establish or main- tain a home have found themselves out of work with the need 10 maintain commitments entered into under happier and JirTerent circumstances, Under these difficult conditions the Aid Society dealt with a record number of cases totalling six hundred and eleven most of which have been requests for financial assistance. In addition to providing direct aid to serving and ex-members of RAOC the Society has co-operated with the Royal British Legion in providing twenty one ex-members who have been ill with holidays at convalescent homes and with the Army Benevolent Fund in arranging free holidays for eight widows and their children at Pontins Holiday Camps. The Aid Society Committee of Management wishes to ex- press their special thanks to the serving Officers who under the After Care ' Scheme have visited soldiers in hospitals, those who have been discharged on medical grounds and widows of officers and soldiers who have died or have been killed. These visits have proved invaluable not only in raising the morale of those con- cerned but in informing the Aid Society when material assistance is required. The Committee's thanks is also extended to Unit Commanders, the RAOC Association Branches, SSAFA, Forces Help Society, the Royal British Legion, the Officers' Association ind Families Fund, the Department of Health and Social Security ;nd Hospital Welfare Officers without whose help assistance on such a wide scale could not be provided. The Aid Society continued its close co-operation with the Army Benevolent Fund whose advice and assistance is greatly appreciated. As a result of recommendations made by the Aid Society the Army Benevolent Fund made grants and loans from its funds to serving and ex-members of the Corps totalling £37,176 during the year 1976, Of the total sum of £247,231 donated to the Army Benevolent Fund by Regimental and Corps Benevolent Funds the Aid Society Committee approved a con- tribution of £15,000. This money goes towards the total of :332.872 expended by the Army Benevolent Fund on behalf of tne British Army during the year 1975/76 on nursing and training of the disabled, grants and loans to serving soldiers, ex- soldiers, their widows and families, caring for the aged and children and placing of soldiers in civil employment, (During 1976 the Regular Forces Employment Association found employ- ment for one hundred and thirty nine ex-members of the RAOC.) The year saw a further increase in the total value of the RAOC Aid Society Trust Fund and General Fund. Grants made fo individuals during the year 1976 increased by £4,314 over the previous year. However, total income from investments, regular subscribers, individual donors, the collective work of Units, messes, Association branches, church collections and fetes, wives* clubs and the sale of officers second-hand uniforms came to a record total of £44,063. Total expenditure for the year was £31,312. The Committee decided to continue to increase invest- ment to offset possible reduction in income from serving sub- scribers because of redundancy. Some examples of aid given by the Aid Society to serving and ex-members of the Corps and their familes during 1976 A serving Corporal suffered a stroke, became completely paralysed and had to be discharged from the Army after long hospitalisation and rehabilitation. His wife and children moved into a Council House and basic modifications were undertaken by the DHSS in conjunction with the local council. Decoration of the house was sponsored by the local RAOC Unit but there was a shortage of money to provide furniture and wall to wall carpeting to allow use of an electrically operated invalid chair. The Army Benevolent Fund and the Aid Society made grants totalling £800 to provide the necessary furniture and furnishings. The wife of a serving Corporal died overseas. Left with a v-rge family the NCO had no uncommitted financial resources \o pay the funeral expenses. The Aid Society granted £175 for this purpose. An ex-Staff Sergeant suffered a series of strokes which has left him partially paralysed and his speech is badly affected. He had previously helped to nurse his wife through a long illness before she died. He had used up ail his savings to pay necessary bills and was in danger of being evicted from his rented accommodation. With a grant of £50 from the Aid Society and help from the SSAFA Honorary Secretary and a Social Worker he is able to cope with his affliction now that he is free from financial worries, An ex-Private suffering from cancer developed other compli- cations after a serious operation on his stomach. As he could not consume solid food his wife used all her savings to buy sustaining foods for soups and extra milk, butter and eggs. The Aid Society made a grant of £50 and the National Society for the Relief of Cancer is contributing £1 per week to assist the family. The baby son of a serving Lance Corporal was admitted to hospital for major surgery and it was necessary for frequent visits to be made by the parents. Financial assistance became necessary and a grant of £30 required was provided by the Society. An ex-Warrant Officer commuted half his pension to pur- chase a small grocery business which failed. Because of this and other unfortunate circumstances he was unable to settle certain urgent debts incurred through no fault of his own and a grant of £60 was approved. A young ex-Private developed cancer soon after he left the Army and lost four stones in weight. He was forced to purchase new clothes and because of his illness and consequent unemploy- ment was unable to pay the tailors bills. A grant of £75 was made. The baby son of a serving Private died suddenly. A short* fall of £50 in funeral expenses which the soldier was unable to meet was paid by the Society. An ex-Corporal became a self employed painter and decorator on leaving the Army. At first his business was success- ful but when the area in which he lived became one of acute unemployment he found it difficult to obtain work and even- tually his working capital was used and he and his wife and family of five children were threatened with eviction from their rented accommodation for non payment of rent. A grant of £60 was approved to clear his rent arrears and with the assistance of SSAFA and the Department of Health and Social Services eviction and consequent separation of his family has been prevented. An ex-Sergeant aged seventy six years became blind. He lives with his wife who suffers from very poor health. His daughter who had divorced her husband and was struggling to bring up three children on her own lived in the same town and tried to keep in touch with her parents and to visit them whenever possible. To make things easier the installation of a telephone in the ex-NCO T s house was suggested but neither he or his daughter could afford the installation charges. A grant of £48 was made to enable this telephone to be installed. An ex-POW of the Japanese whose sufferings from mal- nutrition, beri beri, dysentry and malaria have collectively left their mark, was eventually allowed a sixty per cent War Dis- ability Pension. However, he then became redundant, is now very deaf, and despite constant "quest for work has been un- successful. With the reduction in income he was eventually allocated a council house and was unable to pay for his removal expenses. A grant of £50 was made to cover this require- ment. An ex-Private suffered a kidney collapse and had to attend hospital three times weekly for dyalisis. He has t now been fortunate to have his own kidney machine installed in his back garden. The Social Services have helped all they could but expenditure was required for special bedding for use with the machine. A grant of £35 was made to assist with this extra cost which the ex-soldier was unable to afford whilst un- employed. KEEP IN TOUCH W I T H THE CORPS THROUGH THE RAOC ASSOCIATION |
| Book number | R0246 |