RAOC Gazette - page 41
Image details
| Corps | RAOC |
|---|---|
| Material type | Journals |
| Book page | |
| Chapter head | |
| Chapter key | |
| Chapter number | |
| Full title | RAOC Gazette |
| Page number | |
| Publication date | 1981 |
| Real page | |
| Colour | No |
| Grey | No |
| Early date | 1981 |
| Late date | 1981 |
| Transcription |
throughout RAOC in the Corps. It's all part of post-Crusader life. Lots of new faces, many to be trained, hence the exercises. Suppose it was ever so. On Winter Sales and Wintex we worked in * cellars ' rather than box bodies. This brought forth the profound observation from our Staff Assistant* SSM Tony Mottram, that as the * cellars * were one floor up over garages this at times tended to stretch the imagination a bit. Well, there were stairs! We took part in an ' escape and evasion * exercise recently, aptly called Nutcrusher. Whilst moving through a field at night, when ordered ' down,' young Private Paul Holmes obeyed instinctively only to become buried in a nasty heap of AJl pan of formative training, lad. The ' older and bolder' quickly moved to one side and dived into a water-filled ditch. Just goes to show, you can't win 'em all! Another form of exercise was moving ourselves from Block nine to Block eight where we are now ensconced in offices with wall-to-wall carpeting and fresh paint. For those who know Ripon Barracks, block nine is now joined to block eight by a new con- ference complex not yet quite finished. When block nine is renovated, then the inmates of block ten will move there. Get it? All part of" reorganisation. All part of what? So spake our Chief Clerk, Staff Sergeant John Jackson, with some feeling! We gathered at a local hostelry this month to say sad fare- wells again to more old friends* Lieutenant Colonel Alan Knipe and Julie are off to Andover. They may well turn out to be a threat to Henlys at the roundabout near LE(A), moving back with four cars of various ages, all runners, some driven by their 1 delightful daughters—an attractive * packet. Major Dan Putt takes over as CO of the RAOC Apprentices College in July but Christine has now left to open up the mansion and let the dogs out of kennels. The intrepid Major stays on for a few more months. Captain Del Henty and Pam stay in Bielefeld with the lively Captain moving across a couple of roads to command the Stores Platoon with 1 Corps Troops Workshop, whilst con- tinuing to hammer scenery together and slop paint over himself and others in the evenings. Finally, we extend a warm welcome this month to Lieu- tenant Colonel David Harris who has joined us from DGOS Secretariat as our new SOI Supply and Captain Tony Parry who has swopped the local Stores Platoon for the S03 Combat Supplies desk—ready for Summer Sales. A 1st Armoured Division HEADQUARTERS RAOC ON the exercise side of things Morning Glory proved that yet again the best laid plans of mice and men etc etc, do not always go as planned. The one mind blow- ing experience on exercise was the last location which was called Dungstrup with the emphasis on the Dung, as the Ops wagon dSpjgg^^^feJgS^ was conveniently placed right next to a ^0~**HiSflS5"'*«' container of pure liquified . . . . . ! Also this month we had a Bowling Night which we took the opportunity to say farewell to Corporal Bill Winchester and his wife on posting to Paderbom and Mrs Val Pickard our CRAOCs wife who went to UK to prepare the house for the arrival of Lieutenant Colonel Clive Pickard, He is now leading the life of a bachelor (living on tins of cold beans). On the work side, things have been slowly building up and a few moments of hilarity have elapsed with Exercise Hot Water which should have been Exercise Op Order — Lance Corporal Dave Cook will have to wash his ears out—who knows what he will come out with next. We must mention our hard- working iypists Jackie, Debbie and Fiona, otherwise Private John Price will be practicing typing for his Bl sooner than he thinks, but seriously folks they are very tolerant and hardwork- ing and deserve a mention, especially when it's time for our CRAOCs bulletin. Finally we welcome Major Ted Walcroft and Sergeant John Pensom with their respective families to Verden and may their tour be a happy one. Before we say goodbye—have you noticed that we have not mentioned Corporal Jock Falconer—oh no he's sneaked in after all—well at least it's only once he's been men- tioned, even though he did organise the bowling night! ORDNANCE COMPANY MARCH comes in like a Lion and goes out like a Lamb, or — so 30 they say. Soltau the (the Lion Lamb was could still in not evidence right hoof in up edgeways). to However, the end of in the month get its i Still thawing out from the previous months exercises the Company set to work. For a large part of the month the unit was Subalternless (one was hanging on by his nails from the sheer rock faces of the Yorkshire Moors, while the other was biting his nails while speeding down the snow covered slopes of the Bavarian Alps). The shooting team were out on Horsten Ranges, blowing the dust from their barrels in preparation for the Divisional Minor Units competition. With a roar of engines and a grind of gear boxes the Com- pany's Vehicles were brought out of their winter mothballs far Exercise Master Switch. It was the first Company Exercise for many as there has been a large change in personnel since the summer. The Sergeant Major learned that * Tac Signs' were not just for stirring his coffee with while the LAD found out how easy it was to dig in a recovery vehicle (up to its axles). The OC gallantly lead the way in the Divisional Orienteer- ing Championships. The team came second in the Minor Units Competition which qualified them to go on to the BAOR Cham- pionships. Unfortunately, the rugby players were beaten in the semi- final of the CCRAOC Cup but there is still hope for their more specifically minded brothers on the football field. The footballers have the CCRAOC Football Cup in their sights. Welcome to the new members of the unit: Lance Corporal Crampton and Private Clark, Farewell to Lance Corporal Vanstone and Private Sheriff, the best for the future IadsE STORES PLATOON 7 ARMOURED WORKSHOP AFTER saying goodbye to WOl Ken Blackwell we were surprised to see him back for the Tech Inspection. Muttering something about no-one finding anything wrong with his platoon he drew himself up to his full height and answered every question thrown at him with ease. Well done Mr Blackwell. Our Tech Inspection was going well until the Unit Fire Officer decided to test our fire procedures. With true efficiency someone hit the Fire Alarm button. All the vehicles were moved out and the Fire Brigade were called. We then found out that the only people that could turn off the alarm were the PSA so we suffered the bells for hours. Despite the bells, the bells they're driving me mad I tell you, Lieutenant Colonel Pickard welcomed Guardsman Tony Harker to RAOC and presented him with his new belt, badge and beret. Which brings me to a sad farewell. Captain Kerr has left us to become Adjutant of the RAOC Apprentice College. All the very best to you and your family, Sir. Mrs Caroline Woodford has left, I wish Captain Pearson would find his own PA. Mrs Angie Stobbs has also left us. Following the drum, 1 hear, We lose more clerks that way . , . . , . Hello and welcome to Mrs Denise Bates and Mrs Jeannette Caddick. I hope you will both be with us for some time to come. Congratulations are due to Corporal Dirk Wilson and Lance Corporal Alan Knight on their recent promotion. Corporal Dirk Wilson, despite having more pay has still failed to get the drinks in! Our gallant lads have once more found time to attack un- suspecting 1 ADOC. Despite attacking a Company with Section strength they captured a prisoner. Sometimes 1 feel the Spanish Inquisition is alive and well and living in 7 Armoured Workshop, Torture is not allowed, boys. Finally our competition. Guess the names of those that have passed a driving test recently? Answers next month. 79 SUPPLY DEPOT OUR photograph shows the historic moment when the Fighting 79th computer finally went live. At the controls along with the OC, 21C and the rest of the Indent Office staff is Frau Dankert processing the first demand on the new system. The Com- puter, 'Big Bertha' as we have nicknamed her has produced a few hiccups but then if NASAS Mission Control has problems what chance have we? With the return of better weather the Depot once again can be seen every Tuesday and Thursday dashing through the surrounding countryside in preparation for BFTs, Corporal Peter Waddington is off to India in June for a trekking holiday, a report on his adventures will follow. Our Chief Clerk, Sergeant Dougie Mclnnes, has just returned from a week's leave in Berlin having seen most of the sights—and all of the bars. The OC, Major Byles, has just returned from leave after spending a week in Austria ski-ing. He wishes it to be known, by the way, that OC is not an abbreviation of Overseer Computer. — |
| Book number | R0250 |