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RAOC Gazette - page 229

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Corps RAOC
Material type Journals
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Full title RAOC Gazette
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Publication date 1977
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Early date 1977
Late date 1977
Transcription turned out to be twice as expensive as planned, I wonder why?
And it's no use wittering about inflation because we all know
about that. How pleasant it will be to arrive again at a time
when one can be reasonably confident that things will turn out
as intended. A tablet on the wall of the Ordnance Camp Store
in Colombo used to (and for all I know, may still) read:
" Tn the reign of Queen Victoria this Ordnance and Artillery
Establishment was commenced in September, 1838, and was
completed in February, 1841,
Estimated expense,
£4,241.0s,8d. Actual cost, £4,306.15s. l|d," How near can you
get!
JUBILEE AT FORT LEE
IN June Lieutenant Colonel Bryan Hopkinson and his wife were
hosts at a reception at the US Army Quartermaster School. Fort
Lee Virginia, on the occasion of the Queen's Jubilee. My picture
shows the Commanding General,
Major General Dean van
li
Lydegraf, proposing the toast Her Majesty The Queen " with
an attentive Colonel Hopkinson on the right. [ gather there
are exchange officers from Australia and New Zealand at Fort
Lee as well as those from the UK, No doubt they helped to
see that the party went with a swing.
Q&
SH5?
19TT
RAOC OFFICERS CLUB
Hettertf to
the Cbttor
STOPPING THE CLOCK
FROM BRIGADIER A. H. FERNYHOUGH, CRE, MC {Retd).
Dear Sir,—Your short note on Brigadier Macdonald's book
" Stopping the Clock " does scant justice to an excellent book in
its own right which will be of increasing historical value to the
Army and the RAOC.
t realise the almost insoluble problem of space with which
you have to cope, but this book is a special case if there ever
was one.
The book is not so easy to get as you might think. It
required all my persistence to persuade the local bookshop to
trace it and then order it for me. Perhaps the title frightened
them and they suspected a hidden insult aimed at the Defence
Secretary who requires an alarm clock (provided of course
by the RAOC) to ensure that he does not go to sleep in the
presence of Royalty on important military occasions.
Although not a text book in the strict sense, there is
sufficient technical material to explain comprehensively the
nature of the problem. But this is done in such a way as to
avoid blinding the reader with science and also maintain
security. This, in itself is a remarkable achievement.
The technical information is supplemented by excellent
presentation of the human factors, avoiding over dramatisation
whilst giving the reader a clear picture of the situation. The
anecdotes are skilfully selected and presented.
Some are
hilarious. They help to put a sometimes grim story in perspective.
The book is an excellent example of private enterprise.
Admittedly Peter Macdonald is not the first regular officer to
write books during his period of service, but he is one of a
select few and is in good company. Two others, Wavell and
Slim, became field marshals.
He deserves every success with his book, and has served
the RAOC well in writing it.
/ do agree that this ready is an excellent book, well deserving
maximum publicity. However, space to meet all needs is al-
ways a problem and the object was to call it to readers atten-
tion as soon as possible. A copy has already been placed in
the Corps archives as an important contribution to Corps
history,—Editor.
*
DINNER
THE J977 Officers Club Dinner will be held in the
Headquarter RAOC Officers Mess Deepcut on Friday
9th December, The dress is dinner jacket. Medals
should not be worn.
Drinks before and after dinner will be on a cash
basis only but bars will be open from 7 pm. Officers
should assemble at 7.30 pm for dinner at 3 pm. The
price of tickets is £6.50.
Applications should be made to the RAOC
Secretariat in writing and must be accompanied by a
cheque made payable to the ' RAOC Officers Club/
As seating is limited to 270, and to ensure a fair
distribution, applications for the advanced booking
of tables cannot be accepted by telephone. Where
whole or part bookings of tables are made, the
application will be accepted as a firm booking only
when accompanied by the total sum involved and the
rank and name of all the Officers concerned. Tables
seat up to ten persons.
Limited overnight accommodation is available in
the Headquarter Mess and requests will be passed to
RAOC Training Centre.
Transport for members of the Officers Club travel-
ling to Deepcut will meet the trains arriving at Brook-
wood Station at 18.07, 18.45 and 19.18 hours.
Transport for those returning by train to Waterloo
will leave the Officers Mess promptly at 22.30 for the
22,54 train, and at 23.10 for the 2334 train.
*
*
A HISTORY OF ELLES BARRACKS 1953—1977
FROM MAJOR E. CHAMPION
Dear Sir,—At the end of December 1977 20 Ordnance Field
Park becomes 4 Division Armoured Ordnance Company. To
mark this occasion we are hoping to produce an historical
record of the units that have been situated, and the major events
that have occurred, in Elles Barracks, Detmold since 1953.
To this end I am appealing, through you, for any RAOC
personnel who have served in Elles to furnish us with any
photographs, anecdotes and suggestions that they feel could
help make this a memorable publication.
QUEEN ELIZABETH MILITARY HOSPITAL
— 174
THIS new hospital opened at Woolwich on 25th June and it
replaces five hospitals: The Queen Alexandra Military Hospital,
Millbank; The Royal Herbert Hospital and Military Maternity
Hospital, Woolwich; The Military Hospital, Colchester (to close
in 1978) and The Royal Victoria Hospital; Netley (to close in
1978).
Army Medical Services have always been happy to give a
service to retired servicemen and, where possible, their depen-
dants. This service will be continued as long as there is room
in the hospital for serving personnel.
The only requirement for an ex-serviceman to be seen is
a referral letter from the patient's doctor—this is essential.
This service also exists at the Army's other two hospitals:
Cambridge Military Hospital, Aldershot and Duchess of Kent's
Military Hospital, Catterick.
Book number R0246