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RAOC Gazette - page 20

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Full title RAOC Gazette
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Publication date 1981
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Early date 1981
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Transcription THE RAOC (BAOR)
FULL BORE
SHOOTING COMPETITION
THE 1981 meeting was organised and administered by Head-
barters RAOC 4th Armoured Division with the Ordnance Com-
. my controlling the ranges. It started, in the perfect weather
conditions that were to remain for the whole of the two days,
with the LMG, SLR and SMG matches.
The LMG match was the first to finish with I Combat
Supplies Battalion emerging ahead of Ord Depot Antwerp and
Ord Depot Viersen,
First to fire in the SLR match was Lance Corporal Arrow-
smith of 4th Armoured Division Ordnance Company. His score
was not to be bettered and his position was consolidated on the
following day when the individual practices for the Roupell
Cup were fired. This was to be Lance Corporal Arrowsmith's
vear as a glance at the results will verify. A very recent transfer
from 1 RWF he was more than welcome in his new unit 4th
Armoured Division Ordnance Company who, strengthened by
his presence, were by far the strongest minor unit of the com-
petition.
The Champion Shot Lance Corporal Arrowsmith receives his trophy
from Brigadier Whalfey.
The SLR Team match was won by FOD Dulmen and liie
SMG Team match by 4th Armoured Division Ordnance Com-
pany. Sergeant Watson, 89 Supply Depot was triumphant in
the SMG Individual match with, he claims, an unzeroed
weapon.
FOD Dulmen, who were strongly represented in the com-
petition, gained further honours on the second day in both
the pistol team and pistol individual matches with Staff Sergeant
Crabbe winning the latter. An exciting Falling Plate com-
petition completed the programme.
Apart from the serious firing there were other aspects of
Sennelager enjoyed this year. It was good to see the stalwarts
such as Major Swindley, Headquarters RAOC Rhine Area
and W02 Timms* 89 Supply Depot still firing well and to note
the success of young soldiers such as Private Preira, 1 Combat
Supplies Battalion, The dartboard competition was enjoyed,
if not understood, by a large number of competitors and left
Corporal O'Keefe, Ord Depot Viersen fifty deutschrnarks the
richer. The VIP Shoot also was appreciated by many, not
least the butt party who were not overworked in pasting up the
targets that had been used.
The results of the competitions fired are as follows: —
Individual SLR, Lance Corporal Arrowsmith; Young Soldier
SLR, Private Preira; Rank and File SRL, Lance Corporal Arrow-
smith ; Unit Team SLR, FOD Dulmen 'A'; Stores Section SLR,
21 Engineer Regiment Workshop Stores Section; Falling Plate,
4th Armoured Division Ordnance Company; Individual SMG,
Sergeant Watson; Unit Team SMG, 4th Armoured Division
Ordnance Company; Individual Pistol,
Staff Sergeant Crabbe;
T
Unit Team Pistol, FOD Dulmen *A ; LMG Pairs, 1 Combat
Supplies Battalion 'A*; Champion Shot, Lance Corporal Arrow-
smith; Challenge Match Open, FOD Dulmen 'A'; Challenge
Match Minor Unit, 4th Armoured Division Ordnance Company,
TRAVERS CLARKE
THIS month the Travers Clarke Athletics meeting wilt be held,
as it has been for most years since its inception and it may be
of interest to Corpsmen to be reminded of the history of the
meeting,
Lieutenant General Sir Travers E. Clarke KCB, KCMG,
was Quartermaster General to the armies in France from 1917/19
and Quartermaster General to the Forces from 1919/23. In both
these appointments he had very close connections with the
Corps.
In 1921 he presented £50 to the Corps for the furtherance
of sport amongst Officers, Warrant Officers, NCOs and men;
not a great deal of money you may think now but it was in
1921—you could buy a decent suit for £1.50.
It was decided by Committee that £10 of this money be
used to purchase a cup to be competed for annually by officers
at golf and £40, supplemented by a grant from the Officers
Sports Club, used to purchase a cup for each Command, to be
awarded annually to WOs, NCOs and men. It was also agreed
that the type of sporting competition could take any form that
the ADOS of the Command should decide.
Five cups were purchased and allocated to Eastern Com-
mand, Ireland, Scotland, Northern and Western Commands and
Aldershot and Southern Commands.
The first competition was for athletics and was held by
Aldershot and Southern Command at the Arches Ground Hilsea,*
between teams from Didcot, Aldershot, Hilsea, Tidworth and
Devonport, the cup being won by Didcot.
Northern and Western Commands elected to hold a shoot-
ing competition between Chilwell, York and Burscough; York
was awarded the cup.
Eastern Command also held a shoot but Scotland thought
athletics a good idea.
No report can be found from. Ireland but it must be
remembered that they had other things to concern them even
then.
The rules governing the award of the cups were first altered
in 1924 with athletic meetings to be held at Didcot, Chilwell,
Aldershot, Hilsea and Cologne but any of these units could
pool their meetings which they did in the following year on
12th June at Hilsea. Thereafter the competition was held at
different stations each year.
Another change occurred in 1929 and the five cups were
reallocated. The Athletic Team Championships were to be held
at Hilsea and competed for by Aldershot, Bramley, Didcot,
Hilsea, Bovington, Tidworth and Eastern Command; the tug-of-
war and three mile championships were also held at Hilsea.
The fourth cup was allocated to athletics and competed for by
Scottish, Northern and Western Commands. The remaining cup
was for a competition to be held in Egypt, also for athletics.
It was at this time that the Travers Clarke Meeting developed
into a great Corps sporting and social occasion held each year
until the outbreak of the second world war.
The first post war event took place on 5th July 1947 at
Tidworth but because of the expansion of the Corps at that
time, it was no longer possible to hold an inter station com-
petition and it was changed to inter Command; preliminary
contests being held within Commands including BAOR.
In 1950 the meeting was held in Aldershot Military Stadium
but, we were informed, lunch could not be provided for spectators
due to rationing.
By 1952, the rules had to be changed yet again and it be-
came an individual Corps Championship with the Travers Clarke
Cup awarded to the unit gaining most points on aggregate of all
events and a cup going to the * small' units under the same
conditions. Cups to be awarded to event winners with medals
for second and third places.
(Continued on page 13)
Book number R0250