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RAOC Gazette - page 42

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Publication date 1981
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Early date 1981
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Transcription Live and kicking at 79 Supply Depot.
2nd Armoured Division
HEADQUARTERS
A KEEN wind of change is blowing
through the headquarters. We have been
hardened and reduced, leapt from box
bodies to a tented complex and finally
divided ourselves between two locations.
Our fleet of vehicles has been reduced to
a Land Rover and a box body and
rumour has it that our Driver, Private
Rollins, believing he would get redun-
incy money has bought himself a car. The Combat Supplies
11 has been renamed the caravan club and Sergeant Dunn's
:st time from returning from exercise to deploying from
ubbecke is ninety minutes. ' It is a pity they can't crashout in
lat time * was overheard the other day in the Sergeants Mess
ar.
On the sporting side we must report that our one hundred to
one outsider romped home in third place on the recent Lubbecke
iwenty six killometre ridge run. Other branches in the Head-
quarters are still trying to find the motorbike that they believe
Major Dalley must have used,
Our Headquarters RAQC
shooting team entered a team for all events in the Corps BAOR
SAM, and our unofficial first place in the Divisional Head-
quarters RAOC team section pleased our young Staff Clerks
who had shot well. Perhaps the other Divisional Headquarters
will enter a team next year.
Iron Band IX is rapidly approaching and will be even more
complex than last year as we have Combat Supplies Company
with us. The Adjutant has managed to avoid the exercise by
getting himself posted, and we hope he likes the green fields of
Andover. Unfortunately, the new Adjutant, Captain Simon
Hall will not be here in time to deploy into the field with us,
5 Field Force
^
^•jrjp*^^
ORDNANCE
COUP A NY
^ K M U M ^ ^ * ^ ^ ^ ^
THIS has been a very
^BmJkE^^^^^^^^^^^^
exciting month for the
^^^^^•••••••••••••••••••••••••^
members
of the Com-
an
:nMrSwv ^ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ^ • ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
P y because
we
WSSSEL^^^^^^^^^^^
took part in an
^ ^ ^ 5 5 ^ ^ ^ ^
exercise; the last
•^^^^^
exercise was nearly a
year ago! Half of the Company mainly consisting of new mem-
bers were anxious T to take to the field and prove themselves while
the ' old sweats took it in their stride. The Exercise Lion-
heart XV, albeit for three days, really tested men and equip-
ment and included a M2 Bridge night crossing (when Staff
Sergeant Dave Jamieson eventually managed to find the Weser),
•\ five mile march in full NBC kit wearing respirators, helicopter
handling and convoy drills. The men came through in flying
colours but the same cannot be said about two Bedford MK
trucks. The first truck driven by Private Andy Gill was literally
rolled off the Autobahn by a * Whoofer * carrying new cars, the
good news was Private Gill climbed out from the cab unhurt
but slightly shaken, the bad news, the transporter, trailer and
six new cars were a complete write off. Private Tariq Rizvi the
driver of the second truck had a touch of the 'droopy eyes 1
syndrome and drove into a deep monsoon type ditch* The
truck landed on its side but fortunately was not badly damaged,
the driver was alright too. Eye witnesses from the Company
who saw him climb out of the truck still swear that he had
been taking lessons from ' Shakin Stevens.*
The next week or so is going to be a very busy time as
preparations are going ahead fur the forthcoming Periodic
Report, to the uninitiated "ARTJ.* The Staff Inspection went
off very well considering all the answers given were accepted.
It is worth mentioning that on this inspection the only office
floor that was gleaming was the CSMs. In his usual inimitable
manner he coerced Sheila the office cleaner into cleaning his
office exclusively. Poor girt she had to work hard as CSM John
Matthews stood and watched her.
1 had better mention the unit Easter Fayre or the OC will
take T H E GAZETTE Notes from me. The BMH Munster
desperately need a blood analysing machine in the baby care
unit and the Commanding Officer of the BMH asked all COs
and OCs in the Garrison to help raise money for this machine.
Our OC Major Haden took up the challenge and under his
guidance an Easter Fayre was organised. The Fayre consisted
of a White Elephant stall, bottle stall, cake and tin food stall,
treasure hunt, duck a squaddie in the water, chuck the wellie,
danny's dinner and many more. It would be hard to mention
names but the wives club ably organised by Mrs Mary Haden
put in a lot of hard work and Corporal Danny Cullen along
with his wife Joan and helpers did magnificently in danny's
diner. Before I got pelted with rubbish I must say that every
member of the Company did his bit to help, and everyone worked
so hard that the magnificent sum of DM3,000 (three thousand)
was raised for the blood analysing machine. Congratulations
to all members of the Company and their wives, well done,
v : •£&: IX*.
rd, .
STOCKS
; * » « ow«
'f|S*^
Corporal Davis and the get your own back machine.
After the Easter Fayre had closed down one could see a
few members of the Company walking around with contented
smiles on their otherwise -unsmiling faces. The reason was quite
easy to work out. On one of the stalls the OC and CSM
volunteered to be in the stocks and have sponges of water
thrown at them.
The members I mentioned before paid
DM5.00 for the privilege of throwing a bucket of water at
the OC and CSM hence the contented smiles. Yours truly
wanted to have a go but feared reprisals.
Our CQMS Paul Thayre can be seen walking about with
disgust on his face because the QTO informed him he was not
yet ready for his driving test, belter luck next time Paul. Staff
Sergeant Ted Curtis disappeared for a couple of days and when
enquiries were made as to his whereabouts the 2IC, Captain
Burr, politely pointed out that Ted was away in the UK taking
part in the ten pin bowling championships. He has now returned
but has made no mention of the championships so I suppose
Book number R0250