RAOC Gazette - page 159
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 |
m &broab Planning and Work Study Unit BAOR THE * Silly Season' has started wilh all and sundry pulling caravans, loading tents and occasionally launching boats to visit all compass points. The next few weeks will see the majority of the Unit in Denmark, Luxembourg, Austria, Isle of Wight and Bolton. The last mentioned place to be honoured with a visit by SSM Ron Ball and family, who are staging there prior to a posting to Ashchurch. Another sad farewell to SSM Bob Collyer who has been :i mainstay in the Unit. Chiiwell's gain does not soften our loss. Welcomes are extended to Conductor John Alford, SSM S-mdy Bennett and SQMS Brian Shepherd who also managed ;o bring his wife, Barbara, with him. We wish you a happy and prosperous tour, Visits to Bielefeld, Hohne, Sennelager, Cologne, Antwerp, Vlunster and Dusseldorf have kept the Branch busy. Future studies promise even more travel for us all. The photograph shows the seasoned time-keepers at the BAOR RAOC Athletics Meeting, where we proved that out of ten athletes per event, only four were working at 100 BSI, the rest were fantastic. Congratulations to SSM Mat Hudson who accepted the DGOSs challenge and beat it. His time for the three mile run was twenty two minutes exactly, one minute ten seconds under the DGOSs challenge time for a forty year old. Finally a one hundred per cent Unit effort at the Moen- chengladbach Fete resulted in DM 280 being handed to the organisers for charity, Phota Sergeant J. A. Gaunt Mme Keepers all! Conductor Steve Mayes, SSM Bob Collyer, SSM Dave AshWferth, SSM Ron Ball and Major QHive. play their parts. It made a change to see some 'real soldiers 1 ! Recently, CINCNORTH, General Sir Peter Whiteley, visited the Headquarters and we had to provide two for the Honour Guard, which also consisted of two Danish, German and American soldiers. As Sergeant Martin Brown was un- able to wear his No, 2 Dress due to loss of weight, it was left to Sergeant Pete Green (Royal Signals) and yours truly Sergeant Eddie Larrard to participate. We have said farewell to Major John Rose (QLR) and wel- comed our new OC Major Chris Keeble (Para) who has joined us from London. On his second day in work he was running to the office, we presume he thinks that petrol is the same price here as UK! BAOR Ammunition Inspectorate DOMINATING this months newsletter must surely be the opportunity we have all had of seeing, either on television or in person, Her Majesty The Queen review her Army at Senne- lager. A unique occasion as the day took the form of an armoured parade followed by a 'walkabout* by Her Majesty. To the best of our knowledge the British Army has never before paraded such a vast quantity and variation of armour in one place. Though the Inspectorate were not involved in the parade we did provide assistance behind the scenes. WOl Colin Pearce and Corporal John Anderson gave support to 421 EOD Unit, who were flown over from the UK., and Captain David Caldwell assisted by WOl Ray Boucher, manned the RAOC Ammunition Display, We must not forget the part played by our Officer Commanding, Major Bruce Owen. He was deeply involved in all rehearsals—acting as, or should we say taking the part of, The Duchess of Grafton, Lady-in-Waiting to Her Majesty The Queen. All was going well until he received a signal before the final rehearsal asking all ' actors' to appear in appropriate dress. We understand that, on the day, many an officer was ' belted * with a large weighted hand bag. However, he had the last laugh as the lunch menu was the same as would be served on the day of the parade, whilst lesser mortals had sausage and mash—or some such thing, Meanwhile back at the Inspectorate the rest of us were moving furniture. Past Unit members should note—in case they ever return—that we now have ample office space. The accommodation originally belonging to the Court Martial centre has been turned over to the Inspectorate and we can now boast of having a Museum/Conference Room and a 'Club Happy Hour.' How long this will last is anybody's guess but we intend to make hay while the sun shines. The club is modest in size but this didn't prevent us from opening it to say farewell to W02 Dick Pickford and his wife Liz who have left us for Didcot. This month saw the arrival of Melissa, a first daughter for Sergeant Curly Thynne and his wife Irene. Congratulations to you both. Lieutenant Kevin Ward is with us for three weeks from RMCS Shrivenham to see what makes an am- munition unit * tick.' He showed his enthusiasm by declaring an intention to go on an ATOs course and then get himself posted to an Inspectorate—I wonder if he was as enthralled with his previous attachment to a depot? UK Element, Headquarters Landjut WHEREVER is that you may well ask. Except for the few Corps personnel who have had the pleasure of working in this NATO Headquarters there are probably many of the Corps who do not realise that we exist So here I am sitting in my office at Headquarters Allied Land Forces Schleswig-Holstein and Jutland. Within the Head- -.carters are Canadian, Danish, German, United Kingdom and united States personnel and what is so unique is that we are the only non-national Corps Headquarters in the NATO Alliance. Our biggest exercise so far this year has been Exercise Win- tex 77, with 3 Division and 6 Field Force coming over to 15 Composite Ordnance Depot STORES SUB-DEPOT VIERSEN JULY is rushing to a hectic close and the RSM having had no small part in the month's activities is to be heard from the cloistered depths of Building Six counting off the days to leave and the sunny climes of Austria. The Commanding Officer and his family are Bustin' Broncs in the vastness of Canada, but his cohorts continue, industrious at Viersen. This month has seen the Unit not quite submerged in the Jubilee Celebrations coupled with extraordinary numbers of extraneous duties and postings out. 123 — |
| Book number | R0246 |