RAOC Gazette - page 241
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 |
Factory closed and the site was unused until 1934 when COD Chilwell was established under Major General Sir Leslie Williams. From that time it developed in size and scope to reach a peak in 1944 T then diminishing in size as wartime pressures eased and peace came. Even so, it has increased in importance in the military vehicle and spares world. The eventual closure of this Depot will sadly end a long and happy association between Ordnance Services and the Nottingham area. Now that our Stage II Incentive Scheme has been extended to all parts of the Central Ordnance Depot, there has been much activity and reorganisation to ensure we achieve a bonus performance of at least one hundred BS all round, preparatory to going onto a Group Bonus Scheme. Socially the month has been very quiet, with only two events of note. There was a Dinner Night in the Officers Mess at which Colonel K. P, Johnson, Commanding Officer of 38 Central Workshop REME was dined out. We wish him every success and a lengthy * retirement' working in York Minster. Corporal Middleton and his Committee arranged a very happy Summer Ball in the Pedro Club (JRC) at which the Garrison Commander, OC Troops and the Camp Commandant and their ladies were guests, We have been visited by Councillor N. G. Wilson, Chair- man of the Derbyshire County Council and by Mr Tong Yuk- Lun, Superintendent of Supplies to the Hong Kong Govern- ment. The Army has won the small bore long range inter-Services Championships at Aldershot. The individual champion was our own WOl Gosling who scored a very commendable seven hundred and ninety one out of eight hundred. Our Shadow Unit, 1 ADDU (Armoured Division Dump Unit, not the Atoll in the Pacific!), are off to Scotland for a training exercise at Barry Buddon Camp, near Dundee. Under the guise of adventurous training, two crews of seafaring 'Pongos' are headed north-west to Rhu to join the good ship 'Tyrovic' under command of a RNR sailing skipper in- structor. Those of us who confine our maritime activities to watching * The Onedin Line' hope that our intrepid voyagers will return from turbulent Scottish waters still believing that r * Mai de Mer is an obscure French pop group. Central Ordnance Depot Bicester ^ /7!2>^£ r*-*Z£S / iV\ f itUfcl ygtiMiML p$x®w£ %^1^^^-oss^*^ ^**^ J B I l i ^ L ** mt *$f BElL „ % *>^ , *» ^§S~'•* yjp#&k flfif J g XJajg ^"•^ BRIGADIER J. S. G. ROYCROFT departed on retirement during Septem- k er * He was given a traditional fare- w e j | by b e i n g towed out on a trailer, suitably decorated for the occasion. Brigadier M. B. Page has now assumed command. Reversing the modern military trend, 16 Battalion are producing para- chutists at a great rate of knots with courses at the local airfield of Weston- on-the-Green. Needless to say, the driving force behind this resurgence of individuals who prefer leaving the comfort and safety of well proven aircraft for a quicker descent is Captain Tilling whose free-fall experiences have appeared frequently in past GAZETTES. Private Liddle, one of our first free-fall parachutists, has just left the Battalion on posting to Sennelager—a short jump down the road from the Rhine Army Parachute Club, Luck of the draw, or does he know someone in Manning and Records? Another free spirit in the news is Corporal Hughes WRAC who arrived in Bicester in late June from BAOR and, al- though quoted as saying she likes it here, promptly went back to take part in the Rhine Army Parachuting Championships. Despite being unplaced, she recently returned waving 4 an award '—which we hesitate to ask her what it is for — and promptly went to Weston-on-the-Green to complete another sixteen jumps from a height of 7-900 feet. She is now under- going advanced coaching with the RAF Falcons Free-Fail De- monstration Team, a rather singular and well-deserved achieve- ment. The Battalion swimming gala, under the direction of the Adjutant Captain Gibson and Captain McNally in support of CSM Chalmers, Sergeant Boyce, Lance Corporal Ford and Lance Corporal Walters was won by Headquarters Company* With the recent additions to their over-stocked trophy cupboard, D Company WRAC were so hard-put to keep them shining that they managed to procure an additional PTI—one Lance Corporal Fish—to assist Corporal Patterson. Officially Brigadier Page takes over as Commandant from Brigadier Roycroft. of course she is here to assist in training the lasses of Bicester and we hope she enjoys her stay and that they maintain their record-breaking run of success during the winter season's activities. Second Lieutenant Paxton has also joined the Com- pany to fill the gap that will be left when Lieutenant Gurney leaves at the end of September. Sadly, a piece of their furniture has left in the guise of Corporal Bradley, a stalwart of the Ad- ministrative side and Drafting Company at Guildford. The drivers of D Company WRAC, led by Sergeant Evans of Depot Transport* mounted a second expedition to Billing Aquadrome for the weekend of 10th-12th September, The plan was to use the PRI Caravan, but, due to an unfortunate technical hitch (one broken a?de), plan B was put into operation— tents! Luckily the weather was superb for our intrepid campers and water-maidens, and it made a very pleasant break for them. Last, but by no means least, we offer our heartiest con- gratulations to Corporal Norfolk RAMC, Corporal Richardson and Lance Corporal Ludlow on their recent awards of the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. The presentations were made by Brigadier Roycroft, in the presence of families and friends of the recipients. Corporal Norfolk's award arrived just in time, from our point of view, as he left the following day on posting to Sandhurst. Our thanks for all his hard work and helpfulness in the Medical Centre at St George's whilst Corporal Richardson continues to soldier on in 1 Sub-Depot with Lance Corporal Ludlow looking after everyone's interests in the Ration Store. This month saw the departure on retirement of Major John Taylor who has been a staunch member of Bicester Garrison for the past three and a half years. He will be remembered for his contributions as Secretary of the Corps Boxing for the past three years and his keen support of the Hash Harriers. Central Ordnance Depot Donnington THE date—24th September. The time—0600 hours. Still very dark, although there was sufficient light to make out the top of the Wrekin somewhere to the north. If the CAO could read his map, the location, ought to be The Watchoak House, map reference 584068. Dimmed headlights picked out a milestone which said ' Ironbridge 6/ There were sighs of relief, followed lf by 3 , 2, 1, Go." It was not a Shropshire variant upon It's A Knockout. It was not the Salop Liberation Army (Telford) in the Cause of Charles II (SLATICOC 2 for short) making an attack over the river Severn to liberate Cressage. It was the start of the Garrison Commander's sponsored walk; one more Donnington project to raise funds for Her Majesty's Silver Jubilee Appeal Fund, Brigadier Mike Short had been volunteered to walk twenty miles, finishing at Parsons Barracks, Donnington, to raise money for the Appeal Fund, and he hoped to do this in two ways. First, by sponsorship at so much a mile and, secondly, through a competition which relied upon people's estimates as to how long he would take, at lOp a go. The Brigadier had been on special training for two weeks in the Isle of Skye. His form 84 — |
| Book number | R0246 |