RAOC Gazette - page 31
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 |
ihc V1BC and BEM. This in itself is an achievement, but to :ivc all three individuals serving in the same unit, at the same :IIL\ is surely unique. Our picture shows Brigadier Brian Walton Director of Supply Computer Services with Major Ray Holland, Major Ron Fairs and Major ECen Horseman who between them, have seen almost eighty years service. Major Fairs retired last year and Major Horseman left the service on 29th March this year. If anyone knows who can better this, Army wide, we would like to hear from them, As promised, some news of our sporting achievements. Over the past year Didcot Station has been running a mini sports marathon. There have been ten sports in all ranging from Darts to Soccer. Unfortunately, at the time of going to press the overall winner has not been decided but DSCS have had •-••ictorlcs in Cricket, Soccer and Table Tennis and a second in Small Bore Shooting and Snooker The Darts league hasn't finished yet, but we are still in with a chance. All should be finalised by the end of April when the final 'event* will be disco in the civilian staff restaurant. There hasn't been much movement of personnel to report. The only departure to report is that of Captain Dennis Bell who leaves us for COD Bicester. His successor is Captain Geoff Cox who joins us from the Parachute Logistic Regiment. Central Ordnance Depot Bicester THE Battalion Soccer team, un- fortunately, came unstuck in the Richards Cup. After a hard fought quarter-final against CAD Kineton, which we managed to win after a re- play, both games going into extra time, * ^ * * - we lost to COD Donnington 3-1 in the semi-final. During March a ladies biathlon was to be held at Cosford, consisting of a mile cross-country and 200 metres swimming, in which Private Snelling of D Company took part. She represented the WRAC, who were only guests in the competition. As the weekend drew near we received a revised letter explaining that the biathlon was now a triathlon and pistol shooting had been included. Private Snelling, never having held a pistol before, managed to fit in a day's training for this event. Much to her surprise on the actual weekend, she gained first place in the pistol shooting! Congratulations to Captain McNally, Privates Whetton and Westwood on their recent marriages and to Corporal Fielding on the birth of a daughter. Also to Private and Mrs Tumelty and to Private and Mrs Brown. Welcome to Captain K. Jackson who has arrived to take over the Regimental Training Wing. On 11th March Exercise Snow Plough was mounted and the assault on the Cairngorms Mountains began 1 Eighteen members of the Unit—including six WRAC—dismounted from the train at Aviemore station after an overnight journey from Bicester and within forty five minutes were in a blizzard on he mountainside. No wonder one of the party was heard to mutter " we must be some sort of masochists." Some mem- bers of the party had never even seen skis before—even fewer had skied. t Nevertheless the aim was to enter three teams of six skiers in the inter-service ski championships which were due to commence six days later. In the championships we were certainly not disgraced. First mention must be of Private McCamont WRAC who with only seven days previous ski-ing experience, took both the Minogue Cup and the Inter-Services Ladies Novice Plaque. Team prizes glided us but we did manage fourth team place and Private 'Spilsbury put in a very fast time on the final day. Exercise Snow Plough by D Company. From 11 o'clock at night until 7 o'clock in the morning the Clansman rumbled its way from Birmingham station, through the heart of Scotland to Aviemore to deposit its load of six bleary eyed potential WRAC skiers on the chilly highland platform. Not, however, chilly for long. Captain Tilling and his faithful few were there to meet us, with sunshine smiles and a Land Rover to trundle us into the depths of the Glen more forest. A whirland hour later we were fully kitted out standing rather nervously at the ottom of the White Lady ski slope, humbled by the sheer ize of the mountain, not to mention the skills of the other skiers already there. Captain Tilling opened the proceedings with an incredible display of free style ' Hot dogging.' But tell us Sir, how do you : s manage to hurtle downhill with one ski on each side of a paling fence? Second Lieutenant Gurney WRAC, not to be outdone, made a unique descent of the White Lady advanced ski-run four days after putting on skis for the first time. Well done Miss Gurney, full marks for courage even if the style left something to be desired. For the next few hours the scene was something the like of which the Cairngorms had never seen before, nor likely to see again. Legs, arms, skis, sticks (difficult to tell which was which in the confusion). Also difficult to tell how on earth a ski-ing team was going to emerge from this giggling mass of prostrate bodies. Were any of us ever going to get the hang of it! Skill developed at different rates. Privates Mitchell and Mc- Cammont sickened everyone by taking to the snow like ducks to water; Private Laskowsky took the award for the most rapid progress; Second Lieutenant Gurney the award for falling off the ski-lifts most often and Private Tkatchuk and Murby for colliding into each other (very skilfully always in the way of some unassuming soul). Personally, \ think more energy was expended killing ourselves laughing than by the practice of snowplough side-steps and the like. It was difficult to believe that three days later we were standing at the top of the awe-inspiring White Lady ready to make the descent. To the two wonder girls Mitchell and Mc- Cammont no problems lay ahead and with a whhosh of their confident skis they were off. Private Laskowsky and Second Lieutenant Gurney decided to evaluate their task a little more carefully—for a nerve racking'thirty minutes they stood, knees knocking on the top of the mountain wondering which was easier, to go down the way they had come, to try the deadly ' Valley of the Coffins,' to descend the White Lady or to put an end to it all there and then by committing suicide. Taking their courage into both hands, they chose the White Lady, Amidst a flurry of snow Private Laskowsky was off (on her skis), and amidst a flurry of legs and arms, all completely out of control Second Lieutenant Gurney was off (on everything other than her skins). Still, at least they can both say that they've made the descent (keeping very quiet about the style). The day of the competition soon dawned and despite the fact that Private McCammont had had only seven days previous ski-ing experience, she raced away with the Minogue Cup for the fastest WRAC/RAOC Skier, and also the Fnter-Service Ladies Novice award. Our many congratulations to her. We're all green with envy but nevertheless very proud of her. Despite bruises, the wind, the snow and the cold, a marvel- lous time was had by all. and please Captain Tilling, Sir, can we all come along next year as well? Central Ordnance Depot Donnington YOUR correspondent has been sick, makes his apologies and hopes it will not happen again. This newsletter could have been the biggest gloat ever, but our first story must be content with how we nearly won the Richards Cup. •r.^"^%. *;:.?:&?• v : ? A mid-field incident involving Lance Corporals Longfield and Morton and Private Todd of Donnington, during the final of the Richards Cup. |
| Book number | R0246 |