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RAOC Gazette - page 85

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Corps RAOC
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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 District, to Staff Sergeant Pete John who is now PA to COS
and to Private Lemon who has now joined forces with R and D.
Away from G3 (Ops) we welcome W 2 Les Marden the
new PA to the Corps Commander on his posting from MOD
and bid farewell to W02 Mark Cockram on his posting to
UKLF. We also congratulate Mark on his selestion for pro-
motion to SSM on the recent board.
Other selections which deserve our congratulations are Staff
Sergeant Bill Rule and A / W 2 Les Marden to SQMS and
Sergeants Dave Craze and John Foey to Staff Sergeant.
1st Armoured Division
HELLO folks—Guess who! This month
has been a testing time especially for our
Adjutant, Captain Wilson Brewer, who, on
returning from Exercise Hurst Park found
that he had passed his PQs2 exam at Staff
Level. Well done Sir. Congratulations are
also in order for Lance Corporal John Price
on his recent promotion*
rfSgwgg*^^^•gi5>
The exercise went well and all con-
iff~*<4!QS& ^T&
cerned are now busily preparing for
Summer Sales with Lance Corporal John
Price doing the Ops Clerk job his work is cut o u t Events that
stick in our minds from Exercise Hurst Park are:—Day one—
Captain Wilson Brewer breaks table, lights work; Day two—
The battle begins, no NBC yet! The lights still work; Day
three—Captain Wilson Brewer breaks kettle, he's having a good
time, no NBC yet—but the lights are still working; Day four—
Major Ted Walcroft leaves the. exercise area to return to Verden,
he unanimously gets awarded the Golden Blanket Award. NBC
Red! the lights still work and its raining; Day five— ; Lance
Corporal Paul Ranger complains about getting wet in his
sleeping bag, he will sleep out in the open, silly boy. Endex is
called and we all move back to Verden, the lights still work.
Who says our exercises aren't exciting.
The other noticeable events of the month are the departures
of Major Jeremy Baines to Bielefeld and Sergeant Geordie
House to the FAMTO Stores and Mr Stan Talbot, our DFA to
AJdershot and last but not least Corporal Jock Falconer (my-
self) back to Devizes, so this is my last effort at attempting to
write these notes, who knows the Adjutant may even write next
months if he can borrow a pen!
Finally we welcome Mr Bill Harold our new DFA, to the
1
Hot Seat,' we hope his stay in Verderi will be a happy one.
A
ORDNANCE
COMPANY
BRIGADIER SKINNER, CCRAOC, accompanied by CRAOC
visited the Company for a day recently. The occasion was high-
lighted by the presentation of the Long Service and Good
Conduct Medal to Corporal Roberts, rebadging of Lance Bom-
bardier Grindrod into RAOC and presenting trophies to the
unit Cross Country team. The programme concluded with a
potted sports competition during which Private Mason modelled
his own idea in sports wear!
With barely a pause for breath, Commander 7 Armoured
Brigade carried out an Annual Administrative Visit to confirm
that the unit really is 'first in everything,' It must be hell
being second I There was an anxious moment when the Brigadier
picked up a voucher in PC and A and asked to select the stores
but with Private Malcolm's help he emerged from the depths of a
vehicle with stores triumphantly in hand.
The shooting team did not repeat last year's spectacular
successes in the Divisional Skill-at-Arms Meeting and had to
be content with runners-up in the pistol cup and L M G pairs.
Splendid efforts were made by Staff Sergeant Kelly and Sergeant
Bruce who almost overcame the disadvantage of having had all
our range allocations for the last three months pinched by the
infantry (operational priority)—who then won at the Divisional
Meeting (Surprise, Surprise).
A company dance was held in the gymnasium. Con-
gratulations to Captain Storey, Staff Sergeant Burnett and a host
of volunteers who turned the evening into what is freely
admitted to being ' the best ever/ It could be that the in-
jection of a score of nurses from BMH Hannover had some-
thing to do with it, and judging from the number of cars that
chased down to Hannover the following weekend, Spring must
be in the air—which is where we came in,
Losses to the Company of Sergeant Corless and Lance
Corporal McAulay have been offset by Lhe gain of Sergeant
Carr, Corporal Brown, Lance Corporal Moran and Private
Angliss and, of course, the new Mrs Mitchell. Welcome to
them all.
STORES PLATOON 1 ARMOURED
WORKSHOP
HAVING had a slightly slack month we were going to declare
war on RockaM. but no-one could find the place so we
decided not to bother. Instead we took on 3 BAD in the DOS
cup semi-final: emerging as the winners by one goal to nil.
We have had special authority to employ four new civilians
to deal with the extra workload from 59 Station Workshop. Mrs
Marie Houchen and Mrs Helen Smith have joined us on the
clerical side and Messrs Mike Wilkinson and Gino Seisun have
come to help in our storehouse. Private Harvey joins us from
the Training Depot.
Lance Corporals Tony Mason and Alan Knight are off to
pastures new. The RAOC Chipmunks are finally off to Ireland,
Best wishes from all of us to all of them. W02 Tony Collins
has promised to let me have a few lines for next month.
Sergeant Dave Green will be toiling to write using the last
candle to see by (it's these cuts you see!),
and finally Cyril?
And finally Esther, the answers to last months quiz. Con-
gratulations are due to (excuse ranks please) Graham Donohue,
Jim Blues and Brian McCartney on passing their HGV2. Alan
Knight and Jim Blues for passing the bike test (as did the
2IC1).
87 SUPPLY DEPOT
STAFF SERGEANT BRIAN SCOTT recently participated on an
exercise with Headquarters 2nd Armoured Division. As a Master
Butcher he was a little bit off course acting as a Watchkeeper.
We hope he didn't offer too much offal during his stint on stag.
We have enjoyed a brief respite from our normal spate of
visits and inspections during the last month. We know from
our diaries that this is the calm before the storm. The S02 Sup
(Combat) from Headquarters 3rd Armoured Division did how-
ever visit us to pick our brains and get the right answers for
things to come.
The recent promotion board has brought joy at last to at
least one member of the unit—no names—suffice it to say he
has been waiting for several years. Perhaps this will give him
that extra spring in his step to pass his BFT. The latest bulletin
from M and RO is that our new Chief Clerk (Admin) arrives in
early August,
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