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RAOC Gazette - page 87

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Full title RAOC Gazette
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Publication date 1977
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Early date 1977
Late date 1977
Transcription Our Wives Club continued their pursuit of culture with
,.. ; ^ lo the Ballet; to see l Swan Lake 1 and Cinderella, the
i being on the night of the premiere at the Deutsche Opera.
^ .-Arty also visited the BFBS Berlin studio during the live
smission of the weekly ' 6.25 1 Show.
By the time this is published we will have had the Allied
f-orces Day Parade closely followed by the parade for The
Queen's Birthday, The Unit is to provide twenty all ranks to
form part of the Mechanised Detachment on each Parade.
Gibraltar
FORTRESS
HEADQUARTERS
AFTER a far too long absence we are again in print with news
>m the ' R o c k / To bring you up to date with who's who
cse days, we have Major R A. Ross our Camp Commandant
who. apart from his normal tasks spends his time between con-
ferences and trying to sort out all the housing problems. Then
we have WO! Marc Moody (our FOWO when he's not climb-
ing or diving!) who is often seen counting vehicles in the
hope that one more will suddenly appear to save the day. W 2
Malcolm Wilde is our CC B Branch who uses up all his nervous
energy trying to get into work before the FOWO, and spends
the rest of the day recuperating and guarding the photocopying
machine. Staff Sergeant George (Sweetness) Ottley is our CC
AQ Branch and he spends so much time doing other peoples
-ork T he has to work late at nights to catch up on his own
the says!). Sergeant Andy Bale, Tm not sure what he does as
he works behind a big steel door and is only seen first thing
in the morning when he saunters down the corridor wishing
everyone good morning, he then grabs his coffee and dis-
appears for the rest of the day. Corporal Jim O"Bryan our
Admin Clerk pro~tem is probably our hardest worker (democracy
at work I) making sure that all our orders are produced, etc,
etc, he also spends considerable time trying to catch FOWO
with money to pay for his Corps GAZETTE. Last but not least
e have Private Shaun Gavin who is still quite dazed with it all
. .s he has never seen a bustling, heaving hive of activity. The
tensions are unbearable at times but I'm sure he'll learn to
cope.
So there we have the RAOC in Gibraltar and in the corning
months we hope to present each one individually in detail with
his loves, likes, and dislikes who knows it might be made into
a TV serial,
British Forces Hong Kong
^^^£*jjj0 /»*
I THE RAOC Association
quarters to learn that Staff Sergeant George Stephen and
Sergeant Cedric D'Souza (both of Staff Clerk fame) were
'selected' by the RSM British Forces Headquarters and Signal
Squadron to participate in The Queen's Silver Jubilee Parade.
The smart well dressed couple even appeared on Hong Kong
TV for a few seconds! On their return to Victoria Barracks
after the parade they were welcomed with rousing cheers from
the spectators. The Technical Clerks have been kept very
quiet but doubtless they will spring back to the fore in the
very near future. The above stop press news was edited by a
Technical Clerk as readers of THE GAZETTE will obviously have
noticed!
COMPOSITE ORDNANCE
DEPOT
'SCRUFF* the Sergeants Mess mongrel had to be put down.
Staff Sergeant Cronin decided to bath * Charlie' (Scruff's
relief) to prepare him for the handover/takeover, then turned
him loose.
Unfortunately, the HKSPCA were rather quick
off the mark and Charlie was ' asleep * before the en*or was
discovered. CSM Dunn is threatening this scribe with " Go
to Jail Do not pass Go, Do not collect £200," if I blame
him. Would I do that, Sergeant Major?.
A number of our lads are getting short toured because of
I of E and promotions. Major Jeffries carries a bath towel
to soak up his tears.
Not that our CO is bothered, after
spending last week in Taiwan he is off to Thailand next month
for a fortnight.
Colonel S. H. Lawrence visited us from DSCS—he gave
the computer a clean bill of health. Hope he is still healthy—
keep up the jogging!
Lieutenant Colonel Barr from M and RO has just left us,
having shown the Commanding Officer places he didn't know!
not in the Depot let it be said. He arrived at the same time as
the promotion selection list, we managed to keep him quite
busy. Everyone seemed happy with the answers excepting, of
course, those celebrating the feast of the passover.
Private Dave Doughty, our transferee from l LI, was due
to fly home last Thursday and was duly delivered to RAF Kai
Tak at 0800 hrs. When the VC 10 eventually took off, late on
Saturday, the RAF were guaranteed to lose the next election.
The Unit chalet on Lantau is becoming quite 'Posh.*
Since fitting the new air conditioning unit, the chalet is fast
becoming the Unit leave centre. The Unit is at present on
annual camp. A full report will be given in next month's
epistle.
We say * Bonjour Matelot' to Staff Sergeant R. J, Mc-
Naught. 'Au-Revoir* to Staff Sergeant M. Kelly and Sergeant
B. Drever to redundancy and Private D. Doughty to 19 OFP.
Congratulations to WOl J. Watters, our rehabilitated offen-
der on being awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct
Medal, How long is it, John, thirty two years? Also con-
gratulations to all those selected for promotion.
ASSOCIATION
_**^_.
NEWS
s c h e d u l e d t o s a i l around
Didcot Branch
Hong Kong Island.
THE Branch calendar of events for 1977 is now well under
Ordnance Branch Officers dined out Captain and Mrs
way and we have already had two enjoyable sporting cum
Morley and dined in Captain and Mrs McCormack at the
Furama on the 6th May. Details of the evening have been a , social evenings which were well supported.
The summer programme implemented by Captain Mike
bit difficult to obtain so it must have been a very successful
Roy croft and his Entertainment Committee includes a coach
night!
outing to Wembley for the Services Silver Jubilee Military
Sergeant John Thompson of Q Quartering has taken over
Pageant on 1st July; this is already over subscribed.
the editorship of the British Forces Hong Kong Magazine the
Over thirty members attended the Association Dinner and
' J u n k ' from WOl Keith Ford who is due posting in July to a
reunion at Kineton and this was voted an outstanding success,
destination not yet known. Sergeant Steve Humphrey also of
We thank Colonel Keith Berresford and the Kineton Branch
C Quartering is posted to the MOD. On the recommendations
for staging a really superb and thoroughly enjoyable event
o- the I of E Team both WOl Keith Ford and Sergeant Steve
What also impressed us was the friendliness, enthusiasm and
Humphrey are not being replaced.
eager to help attitude of the young WRAC and RAOC soldiers.
Staff Sergeant George Stephen the Chief Clerk Ord Branch,
Their
personal contributions to the comfort of the old soldiers
has now received his posting order, thank goodness! He will
was most marked and really appreciated.
now be able to play football and squash at RMAS and with a
We were also pleased to learn at Kineton from In Pensioner
little bit of luck may even be able to attend another sailing
Conductor Joe Threwell that our two Didcot lads in the Royal
course!
Hospital, Leslie Wright and Vic Saltmarsh are both well and
On the sports side the RAOC Hong Kong Golf team
looking forward to a visit from the Branch.
played in a Triangular Golf Match against RAPC and REME
His many friends will be sorry to learn that Frank Brind
on the llth May and HQBF was represented by Major Gibson
our Branch Welfare member and Chief Clerk to Camp Com-
ard WOl Malcolm Edwards. The RAOC team finished behind
mandant has been ill for some time following a heart attack.
t"' RAPC but thankfully in front of REME! Congratulations
After a spell in the Radcliffe Infirmary he is now convalescing
<•••• a good result.
at home. Vauxhall Barracks is just not the same without the
Q Operations has just a moment ago pleaded for the
jovial Frankie around and we all wish him a speedy recovery
following news to be included in this month's GAZETTE notes.
to full health.
It will come as a surprise to the Technical Clerks of the Head-
Book number R0246