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Publication date 1977
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Late date 1977
Transcription A CLERICAL ERROR
poofe &ebieto
Employment Training School RAOC
Blackdown Barracks
Deepcut, Camberley, Surrey.
The Editor,
RAOC Corps Gazette.
Dear Sir,—When the new barracks were completed and I left
the old 'spiders' in Dettingen to lake my first stroll around
my new environment here, I found myself wondering some-
what apprehensively at what I saw. The Gas Chamber. The
large, concrete mushroom-tower—was it really a water tower
or did it house a machine-gun nest to thwart would-be escapees?
Did the building surmounted by those three tall metal chimneys
really house the boilers™or the ovens? What was the real
function of the Butchery Department? Did not the title * Com-
mandant' have sinister overtones? Idle fancies, you may say.
However, when one of my students showed me this letter which
he received on arrival my worst fears were realized.
Can the residents of Deepcut, in the peaceful, wooded
seclusion of the Surrey countryside, honestly claim they don't
know what is happening on their doorstep?
T. TURNBULL,
Civilian Instructional Officer,
Basic Clerks' Branch,
1. Permission is granted for. you to live for the duration of
the course.
2. However it should be borne in mind that this dispensation
can be revoked if you fail to attend any instruction without
reasonable excuse,
*
*
*
STOPPING THE CLOCK
Bv P. G* MACDONALD
THIS is the second book by Brigadier Peter Macdonald, DDOS
1 (BR) Corps, and covers a subject very near to our hearts—
bomb disposal.
The book deals in a most interesting
w a v w tn a
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' *
^ aspects of the subject that can
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b dealt with in a book of this nature; pro-
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gressing from the growth of the threat,
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the bomb itself, the men whose task it is to
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dispose of it and the risks that they them-
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selves must take. It covers the role of in-
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telligence, of equipment, and has fascinating
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coverage of incidents in four theatres of
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violence—Cyprus, Aden, Hong Kong and,
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of course. Northern Ireland.
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Stopping the Clock is not a text book
^^BMMJMi
but a most readable account of the role that
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•' bomb disposal personnel play in the con-
stant battle against terrorism.
While space precludes a more detailed review, 1 feel that
in any event, it might detract from a story which I am sure
many members of the Corps will enjoy reading for themselves.
Stopping the Clock is published by Robert Hale at £3.95.
*
CORPS RECRUITING LIAISON
FROM MAJOR R. J. DACE, QGM
DURING the few months that I have worked as the Corps
Recruiting Liaison Officer I have relied tremendously on the
help, goodwill and patience of very many people serving with
the Corps to project our image in a variety of ways—from Unit
displays and the printing of Corps recruiting literature to such
large scale events as the Royal Tournament and Her Majesty's
review of the Army in BAOR.
The assistance I have been given by serving and retired
personnel of all ranks and from civilian colleagues working
with the Corps has made my task not only possible but reward-
ing. (Even the occasional suggestion as to where 1 could put a
display has at least caused me to consider some ideas in more
depth!). I have appreciated that some of the requests put to
you have caused extra work and often some considerable incon-
venience, but the response has always been what I would hope
for from people whose main aim, like mine, has been to show
our Corps in the best possible light.
I am most sincerely grateful for the support that I have
been given and if my successor, Major Philip Inman, is given
even a fraction of the help and guidance that I have been
given he will be able to ensure that our Corps continues to have
the high level of public and service respect and confidence
that it currently enjoys.



19TT
RAOC OFFICERS CLUB
DINNER
THE 1977 Officers Club Dinner will be held in the
Headquarter RAOC Officers Mess Deepcut on Friday
9th December. The dress is dinner jacket. Medals
should not be worn.
Drinks before and after dinner will be on a cash
basis only but bars will be open from 7 pm. Officers
should assemble at 7.30 pm for dinner at 8 pm. The
price of tickets is £6.50.
Applications should be made to the RAOC
Secretariat in writing and must be accompanied by a
cheque made payable to the * RAOC Officers Club/
As seating is limited to 270, and to ensure a fair
distribution, applications for the advanced booking
of tables cannot be accepted by telephone. Where
whole or part bookings of tables are made, the
application will be accepted as a firm booking only
when accompanied by the total sum involved and the
rank and name of all the Officers concerned. Tables
seat up to ten persons.
Limited overnight accommodation is available in
the Headquarter Mess and requests will be passed to
RAOC Training Centre.
Transport for members of the Officers Club travel-
ling to Deepcut will meet the trains arriving at Brook-
wood Station at 18.07, 18,45 and 19.18 hours.
Transport for those returning by train to Waterloo
will leave the Officers Mess promptly at 22.30 for the
22.54 train, and at 23.10 for the 23.34 train.
*
THE 1978 CORPS CALENDAR COMPETITION
THE recent competition to select a design for the 1978 RAOC
Calendar attracted over thirty entries, with a wide variety of
themes and methods of presentation. Entries were received
from serving and retired officers, from soldiers, from civilians
working with the Corps, and from children of Corps person-
nel. The competition judges were impressed by the very high
standards shown in every entry. The winner of the com-
petition was Mr Brian Still from Barrack Services Hannover,
and a cheque for £25 has been forwarded to him. All other
competitors have been sent a 1978 Corps Diary as a token of
appreciation for their efforts, except the competitor who featured
RM activities as the theme and forgot to put his/her name on
the entry—if he/she will contact the Corps Recruiting and
Liaison Officer at Blackdown the diary will be forwarded,



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LATE NEWSLETTERS
SEVERAL newsletters have had to be excluded from this issue
due to very late arrival in the Editorial office, some up to ten
days late. Remember the deadline really is the 29th of the
month prior to publication.
— 104 —
Book number R0246