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RAOC Gazette - page 209

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Publication date 1977
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Transcription at a lake at Ottersen. The days activities included swimming,
fishing and boating. Private Brooks and Corporal MacKenzie
cooked a barbecue and Corporal Reid drove the bus. Al-
though it was a little windy the location was sheltered and a
great day was had by all.
On returning from Summer Camp the fishermen went to
the same location for a fishing competition. It was won by
Lance Corporal Savory who brought out 6lbs 8ozs worth,
Private Trayner came second with 61bs 4ozs. Corporal Reid
brought in fifty four fish weighing a total of over 2Jlbs, he
assures us that he normally goes for bigger fish!
The activities continued with CSM Halls organising a
children's adventure weetend. Thirty four children took part
in a map reading exercise, first aid instruction, cooking lessons
and a camp fire sing song at the end of each day; with a film
show to round off all that. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed them-
selves, and the Sergeant Major is back to work for a rest!
The next week-end we held a sponsored twelve hour non-
stop volleyball match in aid of the Queen's Silver Jubilee
Appeal—for the adults who still had spare energy. Six teams
took part, and it turned out to be a lot more tiring than any-
one had imagined. Also in support of the appeal, we are
holding a sponsored slimming competition to include families,
We hope that this will give our prime candidates an added
incentive to get into shape.
Regimental training continued last week with helicopter
training using our expert Sergeant Chapman, The morning
was spent practising emplaning and deplaning drills, high-
lighted by climbing down a rope from the helicopter hovering
thirty feet above the football field. The helicopter was also
used to deploy and recover from a patrol exercise.
Our soccer team is getting into shape with friendly matches
against local teams. The first was last week-end against the
Dutch Select which we lost 4-1. (Our goal was scored by
Corporal Frampton).
We welcome to the Unit Sergeant McGrath, Lance
Corporal Restarick late QRIH, Privates Austin and Stephens
and note the departure of Private Rowley and the temporary
detachment of Second Lieutenant Slade to 13/18 Hussars,
Queen Mary's Own.
STORES SECTION 7 FIELD WORKSHOP
THE Workshop cricket team ably assisted by Corporal John
Blake and Lance Corporal Chippy Wood have now reached
the BAOR minor units final, unfortunately at the expense of
2 Armoured Division Ordnance Company. Our newly formed
football team under the management of Sergeant Duncan
Learmonth, limbered up with a narrow defeat by eight goals
to two from our friendly RAOC Headquarters.
Private Yorky Nisbett dropped in on the Queen's Jubilee
at Sennelager from a few thousand feet, he is now representing
the Corps free fall team in Cyprus.
It's been a month of aufwiedersehens and welcomes. We
have said farewell to Mrs Lynn Saunders who goes to Celle
and Mrs Paula Needle who returns with her husband to Tid-
worth. Sergeant Dick Brunning our well qualified football
referee has gone to Dulmen. Lance Corporal John Cambell
has joined 154 FAD, whilst Private Paul Griffiths has tem-
porarily left us for an attachment to BATUS.
Having lost so many we bid a warm welcome to Lance
Corporal Bob Wilmot whose arrival has generated an interest
in squash. We welcome home Mr Dave Shaw, alias Private
and former member of the Sections FRG team.
Having
returned from Chilwell as a civilian, he has changed employ-
ment and become a clerk in the control cell. Although he's
not as pretty as our girls he's certainly a welcome member
of the team at this busy time.
As the second eleven are in charge namely Corporals
Dick Sykes, Ray Carse and John Blake, we would like to
reassure our SNCO's sunning themselves around the con-
tinent that all's well. Go easy on the pastas and vino though,
as the PT training is hard work afterwards.
2 Armoured Division
We did have one exercise on which we got an advance
look at our new DADOS (C Sups) Major Bob Lawton. He
arrives in October to replace Major Robin Smith who has
gone to grow his hair in Manchester. Another new face on the
exercise was W02 Dave Allport recently arrived from Cyprus.
Last week the DDOS, Brigadier Macdonald, came to
present two Long Service and Good Conduct Medals. The
deserving recipients were Sergeant Barry Stevens who is
serving with 2 Regiment AAC ' upstairs' and Sergeant Fred
Pittman who is DADOS (C Sups) clerk.
5 FIELD FORCE ORDNANCE COMPANY
IT is the Storehouse's turn to write THE GAZETTE notes and
they said that 1 could now prove my literary talents. But
where does one start with so many budding stars? Well, the
boss said start at the top and work down so firstly there's W02
Dennis Falcus once a shot putter of some renown who now
carries the weight rather than puts it. Staff Sergeant Benny
Gorbould is next and, as he only arrived last week, we won't
comment. Someone, once called the next three the Bermuda
Triangle, they are Sergeants Eric (one was a butcher) Hunter,
Billy (one was a Para) Farrant and John (Fm still doing the runs)
Matthews. That's the Sergeants Mess finished with so on to
the workers—as they keep telling me.
They say that the Argylls, the Gordons etc are all good
Scottish Regiments, but the Stores Platoon doesn't do badly
either with 37% of the Troops being Jocks and 50% of them
hailing from Glasgow! There being some twenty eight in the
Storehouse it would seem impossible to mention them all so
Fve chosen at random with no preferences, honestly.
Congratulations must firstly go to Private Ray Toplass
on his recent marriage to Sue, who has just joined him. Con-
gratulations must also go to the guard of honour provided by
" volunteers' from the Unit, ? especially to Corporal Mick Cut-
bush and Private ' Big Pete Ward both from the stores shed.
Private Billie Rennie (one of our Glaswegians) is off next
week to paddle a raft down the Rhine with some school children.
Fm not sure why he was chosen. Might it be his height, 5ft 3ms,
or his age seventeen and a half—or his maturity?
Corporal Stew Brooks has been away all month assisting
in the childrens summer camp at Pasel, according to all reports
he's doing very well but getting a little thinner on top.
We've not long had Private Less ROD! back from Canada
and Lance Corporal Jim Eccelson is soon expected back from
Belize. Private Taff Proctor has just entered BMH as a patient
after playing football against the RMPs, the score 7-0 to us,
there must be a story there somewhere.
Lance Corporal Pete (Para retired) Learmonth is practising
with other members of the Unit for a sixty mile marathon and
we wish them all luck.
Lastly we must say farewell to Staff Sergeant Charlie Scott
and family who after three years, are leaving us for Devizes and
promotion. Also posted and promoted is Staff Sergeant Graham
Robertson who has left us for 1 Combat Supplies Battalion
where the fishing is better. Welcomed are Corporals Sault,
Pensom and Stevenson, Lance Corporal Turner and Staff
Sergeant Keefe.
Next month I think you're getting a few words from the
Mechanised Transport which should be good—we never get any
transport from them!
87 SUPPLY DEPOT
THE normal hectic pace of life within the Supply Depot has
quietened recently with the school holidays, Units on exercise
and block leave. This has allowed Sergeant Bill Lindgren to
count up his blackened jerry cans. Sergeant Dave Baker to
practise his refereeing techniques amongst the potato sacks and
the butchery to play musical chairs with their cold chamber!
However the issues still manage to go out on time in spite of
ail this.
Captain Brian Casbolt has finally handed over the reins
to Captain Lawrence Burr fresh from his long Food Technology
Course. At the farewell party held in the 87 Club, Major
Smith presented Captain and Mrs Casbolt with a Munsterman
statuette on behalf of the Unit whilst Herr Mathes, on behalf
of the civilian staff, presented an etching of Munster to remind
them of their many friends in the area.
The other new arrival has been W02 Keith Williams who
has been posted from across the city to replace W02 Hillan on
posting to Moenchengladbach. Lieutenant Colonel John, CRAOC
2 Armoured Division, came down to present W02 (WOl on
posting) E. C. A. Hillan with his Long Service and Good Con-
duct Medal. The ceremony took place in the 87 Club after
which an extremely pleasant lunch was consumed and the Unit
continued toasting his health for a large part of the after-
noon, It all boosts club funds!
HEADQUARTERS RAOC
^^^^^^^^^^
ONCE the excitement of the Jubilee at
^H^^^V^^B
Sennelager had worn off the last few
^^V^^^^^H
weeks settled down to the normal summer
• r ^ ^ A . W
'task' of 'getting i n ' leave (all except
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the
^P^KA^H^H
CRAOC had two weeks of sun on
[jfl£^^fc^&V
the Brittany coast, the 21C, it is reported,
L ^ R ^ V f V J
is still baling out his caravan in the
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Mosel valley
the sun shines on
• • § ^ • • • • • 1
the righteous!
62 —
Book number R0246