RAOC Gazette - page 158
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 |
50 Ordnance Support Battalion (V) THE Battalion attended Annual Camp at Gareiochhoad, Dum- bartonshire, from 4th to 18th June 1977. # Considering that Garelochhead is reputed to have one of the highest rainfalls in West Scotland wc were delighted to find that out of our fourteen days only two were mildly ' wet' and one night was a wash out—this co-inciding with the RPC Course Exercise but Lady Luck L smiled on them for the heavens didn't open until they had bivied* down. The Training at Camp this year was organised on a three course system—Recruits, RPC and a Management Course for Senior Ranks not involved in training and those personnel who already held RPC. Our Recruit Course was the smallest ever, with only twenty recruits. This was due, not to our poor recruiting but to the use we have made of the Deepcut Recruit Courses and the number of ex-Regulars we have recruited this last six months. Small in numbers the course may have been, but RSM Brian Hanton, who was OIC the course, proved with the help of Staff Sergeant Ted Gamesby, Sergeants Terry Pickersgill and * Wullie' Baird that two weeks square bashing, weapon train- ing, map reading and all other military requirements which a recruit has to learn can, at the expense of aching muscles, also increase their height and chest measurements whilst at the same time reduce the size of the stomach and thighs. The RPC Course was organised by Major John Bune, OC Training Headquarters Leeds/Sheffield, who was ably assisted by W02 Ken Sunley of Middlesbrough acting as his Second- in-Command. The Instructors had problems in that the course had seventy eight students and it says much for their in- structional ability that attention was held and the lessons were learnt The resultant passes were most encouraging, Our photograph shows Privates Jim McConnell and Keith Ironmonger looking pleased with or at an 'enemy agent' they captured and she doesn't look unhappy either! The Management Course was planned and run by Major George Barton, TD, Officer Commanding Training Head- quarters Middlesbrough, and was organised on a syndicate basis. It was a completely new innovation for the Battalion and we were fortunately able to borrow from Major Bartons' firm, a considerable amount of high quality video equipment which enabled would-be lecturers to note their own failings and also to pick up, with an occasional adroit swing of the camera by Major Barton, those listeners who appeared to be dozing off! There is no doubt that the students learned a great deal from the course and spent far more time preparing for their lectures in the way of visual aids and planned method of in- struction than has been their wont before, particularly after they all had a sight of the first syndicates lecture being played back on video. The Course held an overnight exercise during the first week and in typical bandit style raided the camp from the Training Areas; abducted Staff Sergeant Gamesby and then disappeared into the darkness, blackened faces as well. It was unfortunate for them that they planned and executed their entry via the Officers Sleeping Area and in so doing let off a few bangs and disturbed the beauty sleep of our Officers—for the next morning their first lesson was NBC and they had to move through an area strewn with sources. The Chief Instructor decided that it was necessary for decon- tamination to be carried out in full. Whether by malice afore- thought or pure chance, there was a Scottish burn rushing along- side the area of practice and there can be no doubt that there were a large number of blue noses going through it as bare body after bare body was immersed. What price banditry when the hot blood of night is cooled in the early Scottish morning with a bathe in a burn! Brigadier Hicks, BGS Training TJKLF, very kindly presen- ted the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal to our RSM, RSM J. B, Hanton, and Jubilee Medals to Lieutenant Colonel R. H. Daniel, TD, and W02 George Harvey, To all of them we offer our congratulations, Before moving on to our social events it is proper that mention be made of two instructors who were loaned from Deepcut. They were, W02 Vick Wilby, School of Ordnance and Sergeant ' Wullie' Baird, Training Company. W02 Wilby was a tower of strength on the RPC Course and his instructional ability helped not only the students, but the other instructors on the course. Sergeant Baird's efforts with our recruits did so much to straighten them, slim them and instil discipline into them and so produce at the end of two weeks a much better and fitter soldier than started out. One of the assets of Garelochhead is the proximity of the Privates Jim McConnell and Keirh Ironmonger with an enemy agent-. Who captured who? Royal Naval Submarine Base at Faslane. The base is very modern and is completely self contained with every type of facility and amenity. The various Messes were happy to receive us and full use was made of the offer. With two hundred Wrens on the base there can be little doubt that the dances were well attended! Visits were made to Scottish and Newcastle Breweries and to Hiram Walkers Distillery. There were two visits to the latter but there is no foundation to the rumour that the same people went twice. The Warrant Officers and Sergeants Mess, because of the limited accommodation in camp, had to hold their Regimental Dinner in a local hostelry. Everyone surfaced the fallowing morning and a good time seemed to have been had by alL The Warrant Officers and Sergeants Mess also entertained the Officers for lunchtime drinks and a buffet on the second Saturday of the Camp and a return match was held on the following day at the Officers Mess. These two functions provided a chance for a lot of chin wagging and also produced a couple of comedians, namely the PSI at Leeds, Staff Sergeant Bill Smith and the Battalion CQMS, Staff Sergeant Ray Thompson, It has definitely been proved that when they were in the same office at camp with the RSM, the latter had to leave after half an hour and take a walk to regain his sanity—he was not inspecting the billets. The Officers Regimental Dinner was held on the second Tuesday of the Camp with Colonels McBain and Manders as guests. The dinner was a great success and all praise must go to our Cooks, Sergeants Tug Wilson and Ken Lambert, who produced a first class meal. Our Mess staff ably guided by Sergeant Harry Newton and the waiters shepherded by Lance Corporal Frank Bernall didn't put a plate wrong. In that mention has been made of some of the Officers Mess Staff it should be recorded that the main brunt of the Battalion Messing was placed on the shoulders of our new Permanent Staff Administrative Officer at Leeds, Captain Jim Manifield, who was assisted by RQMS Harvey as Ration Accountant and Sergeant Lambert as Chief Cook and Kitchen Manager. Captain Manifield didn't know much about messing prior to Camp but his prodigious efforts whilst there proved that the Battalion has a winner. To close it must be placed on record that our two Subalterns, Brian Scholefleld and Mike Moses, have been nominated by our Warrant Officers as ' Subalterns of the Year * for their devotion to duty in taking on nine of the Orderly Officer Duty days during camp. Congratulations Brian and Mike and may your extras never diminish or the Adjutant will have to start making out a duty roster! DEAD-LINE DATE FOR RECEIPT OF COPY WILL ALL contributors kindly note that the deadline date for receipt of copy at THE GAZETTE Office really is the 29th of the month for publication a month later. 122 — |
| Book number | R0246 |