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RAOC Gazette - page 169

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Corps RAOC
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Publication date 1977
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Early date 1977
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Transcription 1 Combaf- Supplies Battalion
I :• main event of this month here in Sennelager has naturally
iv n the Silver Jubilee Review. Although the Battalion itself
w ,, not on parade, being Corps Troops, we were represented
on the static display by the Petroleum Platoon along with their
equipment. Those in the Corps who know the sort of gear
thai petroleum operators lug around will appreciate the
problems, as they were given one hour only to set up their
display once Her Majesty had left the area for lunch. Need-
less to say ail went without a hitch on the day!
Meanwhile back at the ranch, or more correctly, John
Buchan School, the remainder of the Battalion were putting the
final touches to the VIP Lunch. This event has involved the
Si-cond-in-Command, Major Stuart Portman, and a large staff
in organising a lunch for three hundred and fifty Major Generals
or equivalent and their wives. The ' behind the scenes * work
tor this included flying orchids from Singapore and collecting
Regimental Silver from over thirty different major units. On
the day, once again, all went well and a very harassed Second-
in-Command was at last able to smile.
All our Companies have now returned from Summer Camp.
49 Company came second in a NATO football tournament. 44
came first and second in a Bundeswehr orienteering com-
petition in which twenty allied teams competed. They were
presented with medals and the Company with a plaque.
The Battalion sports day was won by 43 Company on a
very hot day. Private Brown set up an (unconfirmed) RAOC
record for the one hundred metres. Following this we sent an
athletics team to the Corps meeting at Moenchengladbach and
came fifth. This is the first time we have sent a team for
some time and with more preparation and training we will do
better next year,
The shooting team continues to flourish and performed
very well in the fifteenth International Shooting Competition at
Rendsburg. Out of one hundred and two teams from six
countries we came eighth—a very creditable result.
A team from 43 Company is training for the Wahncrheide
marches; a trial march at Rheindahlen has just been completed
without ill effect and the prospects look good.
At the time of writing we have Captain Johannes Kristiansen
from the Danish Army on attachment,
Congratulations go to Private Hall on his marriage, and
further congratulations to Sergeant Hailes on his marriage.
Congratulations also to Lance Corporal and Mrs Brown and
Corporal and Mrs Dobrowolski on recently becoming parents.
We say farewell to Sergeants Bates and Pierce, Corporals
i >ugh, Holmes and Edgar, Lance Corporal Moffet, and Privates
L .:ghes, Hart, Gledhill, Jacklin and Blinco.
We say a big * howdy' to W02 Selvon. Corporals Mc-
Seveny, Hoyland, Hotchkiss and Bone, Lance Corporals Purslow
and Welton, and Privates Sissons, Morrow and Ahsam.
\
Corps Troops Central
THE DADOS (Materiels) Major Carpenter, who just recently
completed a three week German course at Mulheim appeared
n- .he office for five days and then disappeared on two weeks
leave no doubt to practice his German on the local populace.
<Not bad after twenty odd years marriage to a local girl.)
Mrs O'Neill, wife of W02 O'Neill OIC Control, nutured
fond hopes that with the disappearance of the late CRAOC,
Lieutenant C o r n e l Clayton, she would see more of her husband
in the evenings and weekends. But not so, Mhe new CRAOC,
Lieutenant Colonel Man is equally fond of a game of tennis!
Not to mention other sporty activities in which we are en-
thusiastically led by the Second-in-Command Major Braithwaite.
T:v;se callisthenics involve running through the Teutoburger-
wJd twice a week. The AOWO and the Chief Clerk enjoy an
occasional rambling nature study, but protest loudly and
vehemently at observing the birds and the bees at speed!
A ceremony was held in Richmond Barracks Sergeants
Mess where the CRAOC presented the Long Service and Good
Conduct Medal to WO I B. E, Irwin and W02 M. Wood. He
also presented Jubilee Medals to Major Cowcll, Captain Scott,
WOs2 Hulston, O'Neill, Greenaway and Staff Sergeant Gate.
Congratulations to Corporal and Mrs Dodds on the birth
of their son Neil.
i WR) CORPS TROOPS ORDNANCE FIELD PARK
Wfcl began the month of June by going on a long summer
exercise, the earlier part of which was mentioned in the last
notes. The Unit went back to the woods after a short time
in the village and prepared for the wives 1 visit. Major Co well
explained to them what we did on exercise and our role. We
then gave various demonstrations of almost all Facets of an
Ordnance Field Park in the field and one or two extra.
Sergeant Bolam was tasked with looking after the children who
proceeded to learn the basic task of soldiering.
When the exercise had ended various people prepared for
a multitude of sporting activities.
The athletes returned a fourth place at Travers Clarke.
Lance Corporal Wells won a silver and two bronze medals,
Private Drabble a silver, Lance Corporal Warden two bronze
and Private Lewis a bronze. The relay teams won a silver in the
medley and a bronze in both the 4 x 1 metres and 4 x 2
metres relays.
The cricketers, unfortunately, lost to 15 Field Workshop
in the quarter finals of the 2 Division Minor Units Champion-
ships after a hard fought match.
Staff Sergeant Holding, playing golf for the Corps against
REME, won the fourball game and halved his singles. The
final result was six all with the RAOC retaining the trophy.
Staff was selected for the Benson and Hedges Trophy in the
BAOR Inter Corps Championship at Sennelager,
Corporal Foster and Lance Corporal Polland have been
out walking for medals in the favourite German pastime of
Volkslauf. They have both achieved a gold medal each so far
and arc hoping for more later.
1 (BR) CORPS STORES COMPANY
WE don't wish to bore our readers with details of our in-
spections, visits, etc, however, we have opened up our transit
hotel to the pipes and drums of 4 RTR, for the duration of
the massed band display. They will be remembered most for
their marching up and down outside the Company Head-
quarters windows, Have you ever watched a typist typing in
time to Amazing Grace?
One of our super duper storemen, Private Taff Good-
win, took it into his own head to test the notorious DMS boot
by testing its crushing power, using MHE and a concrete pillar,
unfortunately his foot was still inside the boot, (* Footnote * the
boot failed the test.) We wish him a speedy recovery. On the
sporting side Corporal John Griffiths was once again selected
for Corps football, Staff Sergeant Bob Wilson represented the
Corps at golf.
Sergeant Jimmy Mallon and Private Julian
Bourne attended a free fall course, unfortunately Julian Bourne
injured his ankle on his first descent, but Jim Mailon did very
well, achieving three seconds delay drops on completion of
his course.
The OC Major Peter Freeman along with certain Warrant
Officers have been seen nearly every morning in tracksuits,
could something be brewing, we all ask?
We say goodbye to Corporals Griffiths and McNeil, and
welcome Corporal Miller and Private Love,
85 SUPPLY DEPOT
STRANGE happenings in the Depot lately; we have increased
our commodities on offer to Cash Messing Units to include
1
Mini-Caravans' and cut price hops to Malta. The Officer
Commanding inaugurated both these events by putting his
1
Caravan ' up for sale and then disappearing to Malta for a
week leaving the rest of us to face the stony stares and
giggles of prospective buyers of the 'Caravan.'
Sergeant
Tommy Brough is on a recce trip to Belize to see if it's worth
offering weekends there to regular customers,
We are becoming quite efficient at the travel business.
Apart from the Officer Commanding and Tommy having a
rest, Sergeant Rip Kirby and daughter are taking a trip to
civvy street this month and Corporal George Holmes and his
shadow Private Bill McCallum keep making excursions to
places unknown—George comes back with a smile on his face
and longer hair, whilst Bill returns with a hangdog expression
and shorter hair. Private Tich Hornsby and family are leaving
us for a more peaceful life at Bui ford.
The Master Butcher, Staff Sergeant Dick Swann is keeping
his hand in at mystery tours. The last mystery tour was a riot
of fun—the mystery was when would the coach windscreen
fall in? And/or would we get to the tulip fields? Neither hap-
pened as it turned out—but everyone enjoyed the day.
The social side of life here seems to have been heard
about all over the world, Sergeant Danny Lomas has come
back from Salala and Corporal Des Hopwood has arrived
from UK. Both just in time to help out with preparations for
the RAOC Association Barbeque and Disco.
BE Tests were arranged so that they did not follow one of
Dick Swann's feasts and lo and behold we all passed.
Book number R0246