RAOC Gazette - page 70
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 |
6 Field Force u HEADQUARTERS V WELCOME dear readers to our first notes ^^^ under the new title. On the 1st of April 5£c2sJ3^^ Headquarters 16 Parachute Brigade became "^^jjjPfrfc. Headquarters 6 Field Force though un- J M H r fortunately with no increase in staff clerics, ^3^^^B2^_ in fact just the reverse because when re- ^MPl^^^^t structuring becomes complete on the 1st J^r ^ April 1978 we will lose two from establish- M ment. " However, enough of our tales of woe and let us get onto a few of the events that have occurred over the past couple of months. The end of March saw the Headquarters deployed on Stan- ford Training Area participating on Exercise Hot Line which was a CPX designed to practise the functioning of the Head- quarters in the field. A second was held at the end of April on the Catterick Training Area, This CPX was called Exercise Second Barrel and was set by Headquarters 3 Division the aim. being to practise both 6 and 7 Field Forces. A great deal was learnt from both exercises. At the time these notes are being penned our two most seasoned travellers from G Branch, Corporal Gary Sumner and Lance Corporal Steve Kemp, are sunning themselves in Corn- wall on an adventure training exercise with the Headquarters Signal Squadron, Some say that sometime Sumner may spend a whole week, in the office. One of the current rumours circulating round the Head- quarters is that our gallant Ordnance Branch, who some say have been under pressure these past few months and on occasions have even been seen coming into work as early as 0830 hours and leaving as late as 1800 hours, have their sights set on the Queen's Award to Industry. Perhaps they can start working normal hours again now that the FOWO's and Sergeant Stead's replacement has arrived,—one Private Ian McArthy. Congratulations this month to Lance Corporal Steve Kemp who has finally passed the BlI-BI Upgrading course. Well done. Congratulations are also in order to Sergeant Bob Boughen on his promotion to substantive rank, to Sergeant Pete Stead, one of the infamous Ordnance Branch mob, on his promotion to Acting Staff Sergeant when posted to Hong Kong in August and to Corporal Gary Sumner on promotion to Corporal. New arrivals are as follows:—Sergeant Mick Mullins, Lance Corporals Smith and Brian Rees, Privates Steve Connoly and Ian McArthy. 6 FIELD FORCE ORDNANCE COMPANY JUST before our departure for the Isle of Man on Exercise Putting Green II, our Shooting team arrived back from the Corps shoot proudly clutching the Inter Unit Pistol Cup for the team pistol as well as the Byrne Cup won by W02 Keith Watson as the best individual pistol shot. W02 Watson also finished as runner-up over all. The team consisting of CSM Barney Appleyard, Sergeant Lenny Ross, Lance Corporal Andy Hood, Corporal Roy Colclough and Privates John Lee and Phil Drysdale, finished a very creditable fourth place in the Don- nington Cup and sixth place over all out of eleven teams. Very creditable indeed, considering that because of our move and reorganisation no training of any kind was possible, In- deed it wasn't until the Friday before the shoot that the team even found time to go out to the ranges to zero their weapons. The good news of our shooting teams success came in time for even more beer to flow at the joint farewell party of CSM John Speller and Corporal Derek Harrold, the former leaving us after almost three years to an appointment as an instructor at the School of Ordnance, the latter to try his hand in civilian life. To them both go our very best wishes. The following day the rest of the Unit, less a small rear party, left to go to the Isle of Man for a fortnight's regimental and adventure training. Hopefully some action packed photo- graphs will be ready in'time for next month's edition.' The visit was a great success with everyone enjoying them- selves, well almost everyone! The weather was more than kind with a fortnight of blue skies and blazing sun, even Lance Corporal ' T a x i ' Walters was seen to smile occasionally, un- fortunately no photo exists of this phenomena, so my word will have to be taken. The fortnight started with morning PT at 0700 hours on Monday 16th May, Sunday M being a settling in day, and soon the chant of "We love PT rose in the clear morning air. Our friendly Unit PTTs Sergeant Pete Morrison and Lance Corporal Freddy Fox, both inherited from the Parachute Ord- T nance Squadron, did their ' nasties to us almost every morn- ing from then on, including one splendid morning when at about 0715 hours the whole Unit spent five minutes or so doing press-ups in the sea. Not lo be recommended. During our exercise we shared the facilities of Jurby Camp with 19 Airporlable Ordnance Field Park, who it must be admitted didn't always appreciate our stirring chant of "We love PT," especially it would seem some of their Officers, but why that was so must, alas, remain classified information. Adventure training included water ski-ing, pony trekking, dinghy sailing, canoeing and rock climbing, all taking place under blue skies, blazing sunshine in a beautiful island looking its very best in the lovely month of May. It's a tough life in 6 Field Force Ordnance Company, The social life of the island was also sampled in large quantities by most of the Unit with the lucky girls of Douglas and Ramsey being graced with the favours of our vigorous men. Sergeant Pete Morrison, who as mentioned earlier * beasted * us all every morning with his own version of PT, was nobbled by some of our more sedate SNCOs in the form of Staff Sergeant Mudway and Sergeant Paul Fairclough, who in the company of others who shall remain nameless, got the said Sergeant Morrison absolutely legless, not returning to camp until shortly before the normal PT session. Sergeant Morrison was not a pretty sight on that morning and neither were the rest of us after that particular morning's session. In recent months the Unit has seen a large influx of youngsters arrive from the Apprentice College, straight from training, most of whom we took to the Isle of Man with us and it was good to see them all settle down to enjoy both the Regimental and Adventure training and to acquit themselves well in the Escape and Evasion exercise we ran at the end of the fortnight. Indeed it is true to say the Unit went out to the Isle of Man a composite mixture of old 5 Airportable Ordnance Field Park personnel, ex Parachute Ordnance Squadron, and a large influx of newcomers, mostly youngsters and came back as the 6 Field Force Ordnance Company. For many of the Unit the most memorable part of the fort- I night was the Escape and Evasion Exercise we ran with 19 Air- portable Ordnance Field Park, not I might add because it was the last thing they did, but more simply because they had the * misfortune to get caught. This qualified them as guests in the Prisoner of War Cage and Interrogation Centre set up in Jurby Camp under the direction of imported experts from the .* ' • Intelligence Corps. The evasion part of the exercise consisted of thirty six : runners from both 6 Field Force Ordnance Company and 19 ; Airportable Ordnance Field Park with a Hunter Force from *; both Units attempting to capture them. In the event sixteen went into the bag, thanks mainly to Lance Corporal Andy Palmer and his patrol of Privates John Lee, Dave MacDonald and Ricky Vernon, who accounted for twelve of the sixteen captured. Suffice to say at the individual debrief given to every man captured, without exception they said that they had benefited , from the experience and had learnt a great deal they would never forget. Our congratulations to Captain and Mrs Nigel de Foubert on the birth of their second son. Postings in: Privates Phillips, Pillinger, Swan, Curnow, Smart and Ritchie. We say farewell on discharge to civilian life to Staff „ Sergeant John Turner, Corporals Strode and Masters and Private Harrison. To Staff Sergeant Turner especially go our very best wishes, having completed twenty two years in the Army* the latter seven with the Parachute Brigade. Staff Sergeant . Turner leaves us to try his hand as a carpenter. Before he went he presented the Unit with a very fine cup to be presented to the best Runner of the Year. We congratulate the following on their promotion; Corporal Terry Long and Lance Corporal Chris Marsden on passing their courses; Lance Corporal Fox—AIPT; Lance Corporal Good- eve—Skill-at-Arms, London District WE noticed, the other day, while glancing through recent copies of THE GAZETTE at sherry time, that the District hadn't figured lately in its columns. A post-prandial military two-step around St Jameses Park with its consequent infusion of fresh oxygen into the brain-cells and stimulus occasioned by the sight of spring flowers and all that rising sap, prepared us for a decision. A letter from Private Isaacs did the rest. Private Isaacs joined the AOC (note, no * R *) at the end of World War I and, though he served but a short while, managed to spend some time in Egypt. He now lives in Redcliffe, Queens- |
| Book number | R0246 |