Back to Library Journals

RAOC Gazette - page 121

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 though he says he would rather have stayed here and remained
incompetent. He is now getting strange looks as he carries a
handbag around which he purchased in a sailors shop in Ports-
mouth. Nice boy Bob!
With the fine weather we are enjoying in the Hebrides a
unit volleyball ladder has been started. It's very enjoyable and
with names like Bumbling Brian, Atomic Alex, and Oscillating
Oakers what wouldn't be?
As a final note congratulations to Sergeant and Mrs Dick
Partridge on the birth of another addition to their family.
51 COMPANY
(V)
AFTER a considerable amount of work spread over some ten
weeks the Sergeants Mess members held the official opening of
their modernised, enlarged, and most attractive mess,
Having obtained Lowland TA Association's agreement the
Mess engaged a friendly architect to produce plans for turning
their sow's ear (as they then saw their old Mess) into a silk
purse. Mess members then began to admit to unimagined
skills. Carpenters, bricklayers, plumbers, plasterers, roller shutter
fitters, french polishers, all cast off their uniforms, donned work-
ing clothes, picked up the tools of their trade and set to. The
PMC revealed that he had once been a tea boy on a building
site and began to produce vast quantities of thick, black
In a surprisingly short time the CSMs magic wand had
transformed the Mess Accommodation—with just a little help
from the other artisans—and the finishing trades took over.
The Cook Sergeant proved to be a dab hand with a paint
brush: lots of experience buttering toast? Then it was all done
and the TA Association very kindly re-carpeted the Mess. The
renovations had cost the unit just over £1,000 for materials.
CRAOC (Scotland) and Mrs Connolly arrived and Colonel
Mike duly declared the new Mess open. The Senior Ranks and
their wives then set about entertaining their guests as only
they know how,
Also present were Colonel and Mrs T. D. Purdie TD—
Colonel Duncan has just commenced his second term as 5\
Company's Honorary Colonel—the OC, Major MacDougall and
Mrs MacDougall and the Unit Officers and their ladies.
The evening proved to be a most enjoyable first night for the
new mess and hopefully a harbinger of things to come.
A marvellous effort all round Sergeants Mess 51 Company!
It can be done even during a moratorium if the spirit is willing.
thanks to Lieutenant Colonel Norman Bruce the referee and
the host of stalT he provided from the ASPT, Major Bryant
the commentator and the RAOC Apprentices who helped with the
organisation. This year to commemorate the fiftieth meeting
music was provided by the RAOC Staff Band under Captain.
Rodney Parker, Director of Music.
Back to the branch itself, we must say goodbye to Mrs
Peggy Sanderson and Mr John Hadley who have gone to the
Supply Depot Aldershot and the Headquarters EME Branch
respectively. Congratulations to Dawn Hurrell our typist who
has moved on promotion to supervisor to Blackdown and wel-
come to Mrs Kay Graven who has replaced her. Welcome also
to Janet Evans and Annette Davey our new addition to the
branch, Mrs Dene Mills who returned from sick leave and
Major Don Olliffe (Retd) our new Mobilisation Officer. Our
District Fire Adviser Mr Bill Harold has now departed to the
land of Duty Free (BAOR) and he is replaced by the new DFA
Mr Stan TalboL
Finally farewell and good luck to Major Tom Bates who
has retired from the Corps and welcome to Lieutenant Colonel
Bob Bogan the new CO of OSU Liphook.
ASU WINCHESTER.
Major Samuel left us to join the Supply
Depot at Colchester and Major Davies has become O C Major
Grant has joined us from Bicester and taken over responsibility
for the Eastern area of our coverage.
On 29th May the unit said goodbye to Mr Ken Lewis with a
presentation of a silver salver in recognition of his twenty nine
years with accommodation services (eleven as a BIA and eighteen
as a CABO/CASO), We wish Ken and his wife Judith well in
his retirement
Mr E. McFntyre joined us from ASU Bulford as an ASA
at Marchwood.
STORES SECTION 17 PORT AND MARITIME
WORKSHOP.
Firstly, to put us on the map, we are located at Marchwood,
Southampton on the western bank of the River Test near the
New Forest- We are few in number and because of this here is
a who's who of the unit starting with the boss, WOl Bob Watson
who is a keen sportsman and as he is a local lad, is very useful
for local purchase contacts, Sergeant Norman Doody (Norman
the Storeman) who is the Unit car fanatic. Sergeant Ian Grimes
(Chief Clerk PC and A/Scribe) Hifi and Video fanatic. Corporal
John Regan (JR) Darts Representative. Corporal Steve Spinks
(known to certain members of the Workshop as the Egyptian)
another of our sportsmen. Lance Corporal Tom Casey (TC) who
is taking provision action at the moment, due to his ever in-
creasing family. Private Pete Page (TafT) who is our Welsh
ambassador, spending most of his weekend^ in Newport collect-
ing passports for members of the unit. We also have our own
pet craftsman Dave Cook (Cooky) who has seen the light and is
shortly to rebadge and become a Supply Clerk. We also have a
detachment at Gunwharf, Portsmouth which is run by Sergeant
Les Colvill and three civilians.
South West District
The CRAOC at 51 Company (V) Sergeants Mess
South Easf District
THTS month's events have been domina-
ted by the Fiftieth Meet of Travers Clarke
Athletics held once again at the Alder-
shot Military Stadium.
CRAOC, Colonel E. G, Shephard,
Chairman of RAOC Athletics had the task
of organising the event, ably assisted by
Major Granville Holt the Secretary. Most
of the branch were nominated to officiate;
WOsl Pete Burrell, Mel Lee and Mrs
Iris Bedford were recorders, WOl Mick Elsey supervised the
prize giving; Major Mike Wilts (Retd) announced, Major Tom
M off art (Retd) was Assistant
Secretary and Major Gordon
T
Harmer hosted the VIP s with Major Lance Brett as General
Factotum.
In addition to the personnel already listed we extend our
CRAOC has reluctantly returned from
Majorca, looking fit and sun-tanned—that is,
until he saw a paper tidal wave bearing down
on him, all marked Urgent He paled visibly
and clutched his desk for support, vowing
never to go on leave again (or possibly never
to return),
Major Ivor Thomas had a spot of instant
classical education in Greece and is now in-
serting Homeric texts in his supply bulletins
to impress the natives. Major Reg Frisby's
beatific smile means that he's successfully decimating the local
trout population again, and Lieutenant Colonel Bill Griffin is
about to become the Terror of the Highway once more on his
newly acquired lOOOcc.
RAOC in the District gathered for a Corps Church Service
followed by a curry lunch in the AMF(L) Sergeants Mess. A
number of our wives and children also attended and it was a
most pleasant event.
We were sorry to say farewell to Captain Lawrence Wood
who was posted to the Petroleum Centre at the end of August
after a brief tour. However, as he has now ascended one
more rung of the ladder we wish him and his family a very happy
tour in West Moors.
This month also brings a few more departures to the District.
Major Peter Fellows leaves the ASU (Dorset Detachment) for
sunnier climes as the Assistant to SSO Bicester. Mr (FSOI)
David Wink who came as the District Fire Adviser in February
Book number R0250