Back to Library Journals

RAOC Gazette - page 69

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 On the RSSD side, Lance Corporal Mark ' Jonah * Jones
, <-ive5 diligently to account for the numerous pieces of kit,
ii old and new, which are returned by Units. Further down
: :•: office, at the POL desk, Sergeant Bob Watson has hidden
[,,. hockey stick and appeared with a cricket bat, although it
has been said that he finds time to account for the POL now
and then.
Of the civilian staff, who all do a magnificent job, special
praise must go to Mrs Monica Shannon who keeps the morale
in ihe office at a peak by providing the daily beverages,
Army Air Corps UKLF
IN our first report in January we were
given an incomplete title but this was not
surprising because we Corpsmen in Head-
quarters A AC UKLF at Wilton are often
confused with our colleagues, ADOS (Air)
at Headquarters DAAC Middle Wallop.
We
admit to being subordinate to the
4
Wallopites' but on par with our more
confined counterparts at 1 (BR) Corps.
HEADQUARTERS AAC, Lance Corporal
John Pascoe (now Corporal) left us to go
to 26 Regiment RA Stores Section com-
plete with new driving licence, tax free car—and family of
course. Lance Corporal Alan Meigh from the former 73 Air-
craft Workshop Stores Section has taken his place. DADOS
(Air), Major John Ellis, will be the next to go at the end of
June to be replaced by an old ' aviation' hand, Major Ken
Maunder.
In the sporting world our small staff of three has made
its mark. Sergeant Paul Ladley has represented the Corps and
UKLF at Gold and has just won the RAOC Scratch Golf
Championship. This fine achievement, against several past
c-ampions and the Army Match Play Champion (blush Rush!),
was gained despite a bout of double vision and partial blind-
ness in one eye—perhaps it is easier to put the ball into one
of a choice of holes. Blustery conditions on an unfamiliar
course made the result the more remarkable. DADOS has
captained the Headquarters UKLF Hockey team through a
summer and winter season during which the team had numerous
successes but never managed to win any of the finals they
reached.
1 A AC SUPPORT SECTION. WOl Pete Erwin left the Army
en retirement and Private Keenan was recently posted to Don-
nington. We wish them good luck in the future.
Much water has passed under the bridge since our last
report including, visits from the Deputy Inspector and the
Defence Auditors. Both visits left our inspectors bemused
by our unusual role and the difficulties we have adhering to
RAF or Ordnance regulations.
Friday afternoon is the time which, as any OFP or Stores
Section Supply Clerk or Specialist will tell you, is peak priority
demand time, when demands become of paramount importance,
ST that the job can be done first thing on Monday morning.
This happened recently when DADOS (Air) UKLF was on a
Technical Inspection of Belize
and didn't we just move.
When he came back he was asked if he was impressed by our
swiftness. He didn't even know about the demand he said,—so
that may perhaps explain his Ian. We know the stores got
Ihere though, we have a receipt!
7 REGIMENT AAC FAACO.
7 Regiment bid farewell to
Sergeant Mick Flood who has left the Army to try his tuck in
civvy
street. We wish Mick and his wife, Celia, all the best for
v
t e future. We welcome Sergeant Bill Merrills who, after a
c\ish FAACO course given by Staff Sergeant Fred Bowes,
^cni to our detached 3 Flight in Omagh, Northern Ireland for
a spell, but he is now back at Netheravon having switched jobs
with Sergeant Dennis Gordon of 2 Flight. Staff Sergeant Fred
Bowes, who is the 7 Regiment FAACO NCO, passed the BE test
which, according to him, is a major sporting achievement! He
does try to keep the Corps in its rightful place in society
despite the consequences.
Last Christmas he vociferously
reminded REME associates of RAOC seniority and was de-
bagged for his efforts! Fortunately the WRAC members of
J < he Mess had withdrawn but a lily white pair of legs were
--. spinning like rotor blades towards the sports field to
reineve the missing garments,
In brief
Sergeants Williams (663 Squadron) and
Samueis {663 Squadron) will be moving to new jobs when their
squadrons disband later in the summer. Sergeant Evans new
to 665 Squadron late last year, has done a Northern Ireland
tour with his Squadron early this year. Sergeant Craiser has
nearly finished his six months with the AAC detachment in
Belize. Sergeant Walker has taken over from Sergeant Gransden
in 664 Squadron, Sergeant Stokes of AS1 Stores 48 Command
Workshop Episkopi has now recovered from a bout of pneu-
monia and Sergeant Chalmers of 3 Commando Brigade Air
Squadron RM, who filled the gap, is back in Plymouth,
Headquarters Scotland
ORDNANCE
BRANCH
PERHAPS it was because we had just
completed our ' Historical Records return/
that someone thought it might be a good
idea to update your readers on events
' North of the Border'!
Since our last notes—which, inciden-
tally, being something of a newcomer to
the Branch, I cannot trace—I am assured
that the pace of events has quickened
considerably. The DGOS visited us in
January and if I say that since then we
have seen the C-in-C UKLF, the AG and
the QMG you will realise that with the Jubilee around the
corner, further bids for visits are now being closely scrutinised!
Wintex 77 was followed by Exercise Snow Plough when
everyone wearing an Ordnance Cap Badge could be seen head-
ing for the hills, skis and all. At the moment we are currently
preparing for the Summer Camping (Holiday?) season when
it seems that half the Army wants to train in Scotland,
On the Staff Side we have just lost our DADOS (Org)
Major Harvey Bruce on retirement, his place being filled by
Major Reg Frisby, formerly DADOS (C Sups). Lieutenant
Colonel Gordon Brownlee has also exchanged his uniform for
civilian clothes and moved briskly into the next office as
S03 Adm/Mob, and we have also welcomed Major (Joe)
Roynon-Jones into the vacant Combat Supplies Chair. We have
a new Chief Clerk, Staff Sergeant Mick Woolley recuperating
from the 'Big House' in BAOR and rumour has it that he
went completely deaf recently when someone mentioned ' re-
orgM We have said goodbye to W02 Jim Gregory on retire-
ment and welcomed the new ROWO WD2 Ken Marchant from
Hong Kong.
Currently we are reinforced by WOl Geoff
Leeming from Cyprus on his last six months. To conclude we
wonder if there is any truth in the rumour that WOl Hugh
Hainey is now designated DOWO/DADOS (Mat)?
3 Division
HEADQUARTERS
MAY has at last brought back the sun-
shine to Salisbury Plain to brighten our
last few months in UK with a promise
of another good summer. Various [ out-
and-about' schemes are now being dis-
cussed for June, July and August.
Lieutenant Colonel David Cornwell
and Adjutant Rick Ginn have paid a
lightning visit to 19 Airportable Ordnance Field Park in the
Isle of Man. They followed in the tracks of Major Mike Hogg
and DOWO WOl Larry Burroughs who had previously been
out—why we don*t know, except that they came back bearing
a faint aroma of kippers!
Staff Sergeant ' Jim'11 Fix I t ' Cook has been insufferable
since Manchester United won the Cup Final, Meanwhile Chief
Clerk W02 Derek Redpath has been smiling ever since he
received a letter telling us all to hand in our webbing-post our
last Divisional CPX.
W02 Bob Edge, Chief Clerk AQ, has returned from re-
sampling the ' Dolce Vita * with Chief Clerk G, Staff Sergeant
Alan L Jensen, in Northern Italy. They joined 1 Royal Anglians
as interpreters' and ended up as infantry Corporals com-
manding APCs! Alan Jensen's zulu ancestry came to the force
we understand on one memorable occasion in the Italian
Sergeants Mess.
We welcome WOl Gary Hawthorne to Headquarters RAOC.
We have sent him away on the All Arms Quartermaster's
Course in Deepcut—at least we hope he is managing to fit it
in between a hectic programme of Free Fall displays—prior to
his taking up his appointment as DOWO.
Finally congratulations to Corporal Allan Armstrong on
passing his Bl Course.
Book number R0246