RAOC Gazette - page 299
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 |
restructuring, we are at last slowly but surely, beginning to iron out all the problem areas that we have encountered during this difficult period. Just to complicate matters, about half of the Platoon is at present doing its spell in Northern Ireland with the Northern Ireland Roulernent Workshop. The Rear Party commanded by Lieutenant Jim Lamb is hard pressed but soldier on. The task of the platoon is to support the Workshop who in turn support the Division, to this end, Sergeant Barry Brooks runs the PC and A while Sergeant Ken Franklin goes grey in the MT Section. At the sharp end Sergeant Dave Belshaw can *be seen hovering in the Store- house. Lance Corporal Bob Wardlaw manages a very firm control over his major assemblies. Corporal Dixie Dean still bats on despite rumours of redundancy (Grumley and Henry note). Although the work-load seems to have increased with the decrease in staff, we still find time for our sporting and social engagements. Our * hero of the month' award must go to Private Nig Cheetham who has distinguished himself by be- coming the angling king of Osnabruck. Here are some of his * conquests ': 2 Armoured Division Angling Championships— 1st individual; Army (BAOR) Angling Championships—2nd individual. He was also selected for the Army (BAOR) v RAFG team match which was won by the Army. He still keeps on telling us about the ones that got away! We have heard Yery little from Northern Ireland on the work side, but we must immediately congratulate W02 Jim Meiklejohn and Privates John Edwards and Bob Cochrane on their splendid achievement of raising over £400 to donate to the Gleudu Childrens Hostel after completing a one hundred kilometre sponsored walk which turned out to be twenty five times round a local airfield! Well done all. f • ^ ^ ^ ^ ^^H^B^ ^^H^^^k I^^^I^^^H IB^^^^^H 4th Division HEADQUARTERS RAOC OCTOBER has been a quiet month in the Headquarters. With the exception of Exercise Autumn Sales, the Corps CFX, everyone has been full of the joy of leave to come or full of memories of leave just ^^^^^^r ^^^^ I An early start and a long drive to I the exercise area, caused some alarm and •in ^ despondency among the Headquarters Staff. The effort was made worthwhile, however, by the delight- ful scenery and the friendliness of people in an area not normally exercised by British soldiers. Throughout the exercise, the DADOS (M), Major Keating, and the DOWO, Conductor Callaghan were both heard to cry " No more exercises in 4 Division" with obvious glee. In fact, Mr Callaghan is due to leave us shortly on commissioning, with Major Keating due to go to Ministry of Defence for a three year tour in the New Year. Lance Corporal Lynam in AQ Branch has been playing Jaques Cousteau again. His latest tale of a fight to the death with a fiat fish off the East Fries ian Islands, has grown in the telling until is now seems like a script for " Son of Jaws." Privates Adams and Thynne have returned to the fold, after enjoying the delights of Rheindahlen on a course. By their bloodshot eyes and trembling hands, it must have been hard work. We have said goodbye to Corporal Bain, who has gone to 6 Field Force. We don't really know what will be missed most, him, or his dog. In his place, we welcome Corporal Claughton from Headquarters BAOR. 20 ORDNANCE FIELD PARK THE highlight of the last months activities was the visit to 20 Ordnance Field Park of the Quarter-Master-General, General Sir Patrick Howard Dobson. The General was given a guided tour of the Ordnance Field Park by the Officer Commanding, Major Champion, who introduced him to several unit personnel. The climax of the General's visit was when he presented Corporal Alder with his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. Corporal Alder joined the RAF eighteen years ago and saw world wide service with them. Eventually he saw the error of his ways and joined RAOC in 1973. We have recently said farewell to our gateman of many years standing Herr Kowal. For those of you who have ever served with 20 Ordnance Field Park, Herr Kowal will be remem- bered as the little man with a trilby and permanent smile. Still on the farewells, Second Lieutenant Wallace has recently gone to Northern Ireland with the 3rd Battalion, The Royal The Quarter-Master-General presents the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal to Corporal Alder of 20 OFP. Regiment of Fusiliers. We are soon to lose Second Lieutenant Hurst to 39 Field Regiment Royal Artillery, who leave for Ireland in the New Year. We wish the best of luck to the pair of them. Ten of our soldiers have been detached to the 1st Battalion, The Queen's Regiment, for three weeks infantry training. We are pleased to announce that it was our lads who led the way when it came to running and assault course competitions! However, we have not been very successful on the sporting side just recently. Our football team played the 210 Nachschub Kompanie on the 25th September. This was the annual match against our sister company. The Germans have not won the match for several years. That is until this year when we lost three nil. The rugby team got off to a reasonable start by beating 4 Field Workshop quite convincingly by twenty six to eight. Un- fortunately, we were unable to repeat this performance against 71 Aircraft Workshop. This was our first match in the BAOR Minor Units rugby competition and our last. 6 ORDNANCE FIELD PARK OCTOBER has been a month of frenzied activity with visits, audits, and exercises; we hardly seem to have stood still for a moment! The last day of September saw the CSM, W02 Clarke, dined out; we wish him well in his new posting as RSM at Bracht. Our new CSM, W02 Gumbs, arrived from 7 Ordnance Field Park complete with contrasting plaster cast (to match Private Rogers'). Exercise Last Flight, which was a 3 Division type CPX based on the new Task Force concept, saw Lieutenant Banks as Division LO and Corporal Shaw cornering the market in cold 'compo' Chicken Supreme at Division Headquarters. Two other * events of the month ' were the RAOC Officers Ladies Dinner Night, held at the Belgian Officers Club, and the OFP * Study Day * when Unit Quartermasters were advised on current trends and future changes. We must congratulate Private McDonald on passing his soccer referee's course; potential football hooligans beware! On a different note, a big sigh was heaved by the Unit when the Defence Audit team left after rigorous checks at the begin- ning of the month; the Unit had, as usual, convinced them that all was in order. The usual wide variety of sport has been going on in and around 6 Ordnance Field Park; at rugger we unfortunately lost to Viersen and Headquarters 3 Division but managed to beat 26 Engineer Regiment Hockey and soccer are beginning to flourish, as are badminton, darts and squash, in which we scored our first victory, over 16 AD Regiment Workshop—a portent for the future?. The marching * bug' has caught the OFP; after last month's two marches. The Unit has so far completed a march at Braun- fels, with twenty nine people taking part, winning a very smart trophy for the first British Unit ever to take part; another first for 6 Ordnance Field Park. We also took part in the 'Across Soest Relay' event adding yet another international occasion to the OFP calendar. The Ordnance Field Park Church Sunday took place on the 16th October, followed by a buffet and curry in the Unit Club, both events were well supported. We congratulate Sergeant Moss and Lance Corporal Kilnan on their promotions and welcome Privates Mallet and Wakelam. 228 — |
| Book number | R0246 |