RAOC Gazette - page 199
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 |
Central Ordnance Depot Chilwell inevitably went off badly, however, the performances went off extremely well despite several injuries, which arc now looked upon as an occupational hazard, and it was lucky the girls were already being accommodated in Colchester Military Hospital! THE last month has been a busy one on the social calendar. The visit of Her Majesty The Queen to Nottingham was marked by the un- bound ing enthusiasm which has accom- panied her on all her travels. A con- tingent of our soldiers took, part in the ,\ « J> u route lining and their turnout and bear- V. \J/F JJ ing was excellent. Brigadier Iain Mac- \S$»*^ft^^ dor^ald was also present in his capacity ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ as Chilwell Garrison Commander and ^•""^ he reports that the Duke of Edinburgh showed great interest in the Garrison and asked many pertinent questions about our role and activities. The Officers Summer Ball was well patronised and went off with a swing. The dance band section of the RE ME Staff Band played in the Ante-room and a disco ' beat * out in the Chetwynd Lounge. (There are rumours that the wood worms were to be seen beating a hasty retreat down the road!) Notwithstanding, a good time was had by all and there were the usual stalwarts who turned up for breakfast at 0330 hours. Needless to say, the next day was very quiet around the patch. Former Chilwellians will be sorry to hear that Bill Winfield, our Depot Packaging Officer has now retired. He was presented with a clock by his colleagues at a pleasant little ceremony in the Conference Room, Building 10. Colonel Aubrey Whent, now ensconced as SSO, made the farewell speech. The unmistakeable figure of Lieutenant Colonel Nick Reynell is to be seen perambulating round the Depot. He is here on a temporary attachment and is most welcome, especially on the ' Dog and Stick' walks. On the sporting front our cricketers lost to the Depot Queen's Regiment in the semi-final of the EDIST competition. Physical training has now commenced in earnest and our over forties (and some of those under forties) are finding muscles they thought they had last years ago, Our soccer enthusiasts are participating in a * six-a-side' competition organised by Sergeant Bryan Booth* Twelve teams from within the Garrison are taking part and the names chosen for these include such unlikely titles as "40/30 1 Wanderers," "Checkers" and " Unbeatables, * The com- petition was divided into two leagues and once all the games in each have been completed there will be a knockout com- petition with the winners and runners up in each league taking part. This competition has proved so popular we are hoping that it will become an annual event. Corporal Richards, Lieutenant Colonel Bowden, Brigadier Roy- croft, Corporal Norfolk and Lance Corporal Ludlow after presentation of Long Service and Cood Conduct Medals at Bicester. Central Ordnance Depot Bicester THIS month saw the first exercise ana field training by the newly formed shadow unit, 4 Division Dump Com- pany. They didn't go very far—just up the road to the now disused RAF air- field. N e v e r t h e l e s s an e x t r e m e l y strenuous thirty six hours of activity was spent with the peace and tran- quillity of the local countryside being shattered by the sound of gunfire and thunderflashes, as a dawn attack went in. Concealment was particularly good, or it was until Lance Corporal Mc- Kendrick revealed his position by doubting the ancestry of the individual who had stepped on his leg! One 'brave' character also went for a dawn swim in the mist-shrouded quarry just to prove the water wasn't as cold as it looked. However, with the benefit of hindsight the con- census of opinion has it that really he was only trying to wake himself up! Eleven members of D Company took a weekend ' away from it all,' camping at Billing Aquadrome near Northampton. The area houses a vast number of activities including a fair and boating and fishing lakes. (W/Private Sturgess even man- aged to be 'sea-sick* on a motor-boat!) The week-end was obviously a success as the PRI has been convinced that the Unit caravan should be parked there. The 16 Battalion Close Combat Display Team find them- selves in ' pole position * this month due to their first-class per- formance at the Colchester Tattoo. The team comprising fifteen men and five WRAC had received stiff training during the pro- ceeding weeks from Corporal Guest, and had been * regimented * most effectively by Sergeant O'Brien. The first dress rehearsal 154 July was a busy month for the Battalion in the Sailing sphere, but because Major Ashcroft is Rear Commodore (Dinghy) for the year, most of the work has been in organising rather than taking part. This year for the first time ever, the Corps was asked to organise the Army Junior Sailing Championships. The event took place at Calvert Lake over three days. Eleven junior unit teams entered, although unfortunately our own Corps was not represented on the water. In the event there were fifty nine race starts in the three days. Lance Corporals Evans and Williams were taken from the Regimental Train- ing Wing and the Guardroom to operate the radio sets which greatly helped to keep the regatta programme on time. The Battalion team did well to come second to Black- down in both the Corps Inter-Unit Team Championship and in the team event at the Corps Regatta. The team was Captain Harris and Lance Corporal Long for the first event, but for the Regatta it was Captain Harris and the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Bowden. The Commanding Officer is now taking leave to sail his offshore boat down to the Scilly Isles. We must congratulate Lance Corporal and Mrs Hancock on their recent marriage. Records sent their best wishes in the form of an unaccompanied posting to Belize but this, happily, was cancelled and we now understand that Hancock is return- ing to normal colour! Central Ordnance Depot Donmngton THIS month we have to report an antipodean invasion. Exercise Long Look brings to us a New Zealand Officer and an Australian Sergeant Lieutenant Phillip Blundell of the Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps is twenty five and was born in Napier on the coast of North Island of New Zealand in a County called Hawkes Bay, which should be well known to rugby followers. During his stay with us his appointment at the Ordnance School in New Zealand will be filled by Captain John Patmore of the RAOC. He has interests in cross country, athletics, squash and sailing and also rugby, which we will find out about, but he is not a cricketer. Lieutenant Blundell has been told that, ancestrally, he has some connection with Yorkshire and intends to spend part of his time in England looking into his antecedents. Sergeant John Woolnough of the Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps is thirty one, was born in Melbourne, Victoria and is a fourth generation Australian. His service has included a tour of duty in Vietnam. We welcome our Australasian visitors and hope that they find Donnington of interest and England a pleasant place to be for four months. — |
| Book number | R0246 |