RAOC Gazette - page 122
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 |
<v^\ is posted back to Headquarters Army Fire Services. Our -*g serving Assistant District Fire Officer Mr (FS02) Syd •• jmen has finally hung up his helmet. We wish him a very .-is and happy retirement. To Mr (FS02) Barry Airth (Syd's placement) we extend a warm welcome and hopes for a pleasant our with us, We are also pleased to report that Corporal Gordon Everard >f the Stores Section 22 Engineer Regiment Workshop REME a very recent transferee into the Corps) was successful in win- ling the Steeplechase and coming second in the fifteen hundred metres at Travers Clarke. North East District HEADQUARTERS. A farewell luncheon was held last month in honour of Mrs Kath Gladwell and Mrs Jill Beveridge who leave the Branch to take up part- time employment. The farewell presenta- tion was made by the CRAOC NEDIST who also recited a couple of poems written for the occasion by W02 Dick Speirs. The poems were well written and suited the occasion admirably but the recitation well—suffice to say, Sir Laurence Olivier can feel secure. Captain Joe Hedley has returned to the fold after his holiday .n Portugal. I trust this beautiful country is still our oldest ally. REGIONAL DEPOT CATTERICK. Recent months have seen plenty of work but little in the way of newsworthy items. Cap- tain McGill's Supplies Section seems to be the target for some of fates arrows of late. Our Master Butcher, Sergeant Bill Bovenzer has just finished six weeks in Leeds Infirmary defying the medical professions attempts to discover what ails him. He is now languishing in the hotel standard accommodation of the Catterick Military Hospital presumably waiting for more needles and X-rays. He has in fact, entered the same ward as Mr John Lowe also of the Supplies Section who is thankfully, recovering well after recently suffering a mild heart attack. As someone remarked, the OIC Section is looking decidedly white around the McGills! On the brighter side, Corporal Bob Sidgewick has, single handed, managed to maintain the high standards of the butchery, though rumour has it that he was found asleep in the Scout Hut at a recent Cub Night. The unit is pleased to welcome Private Brian Wallace to the Butchery, straight from basic training. Blackdown issued him with a fourteen pence stamp so he arrived twelve hours before his Posting Order, Well I was requested to say something nice about M and RO or was it the GPO. I've forgotten again. 3 FIELD FORCE ORDNANCE COMPANY {V) IT is now over eighteen months since we last appeared in print. What do Volunteers do over a period of eighteen months? In our case "we have attended two Annual Camps and a countless number of Training Weekends in Middlesbrough, Barnard Castle, Strensall and Scarborough. In 1980 we did our 'bit* on Exercise Square Leg and First Slip with 8 Field Force. Our task was to provide Combat Supplies, Indent Control Detachments and Resources Platoon, It was an interesting two weeks which was of great value to us. Our movement over the two weeks was considerable—Middles- brough to Ouston—to Stamford PTA—to Shepton Mallet in Somerset—to Salisbury Plain to Proteus and a final run home to Middlesbrough. Much sleep was lost during the two weeks but at the end of the day our books balanced, and we had provided a service to our dependants in 8 Field Force. In 1981 our Annual Camp was held at Jurby in the Isle-of- Man, being a low training year we were able to carry out RPC Training. We were fortunate, this year, in having Captain John Foster with us. John is the new SOJ Trg/Mob Ord Branch North East District. Many of the readers know him as the Drill and Military Training Expert of the Corps and Ex RSM of the 1 Combat Supplies Battalion. During Camp we were visited by CRAOC North East District Lieutenant Colonel Williamson. The Colonel took great interest in our training and talked to every member of the Com- pany during his stay with us. On the Company Parade he presented a Second Bar to the Territorial Efficiency Medal to W02 J. Leal and Staff Sergeant F. Nash. We shared Jurby Camp with 205 (Scottish) General Hospital TA and during our fortnight we played two football matches against them, the first we won six two, and the second we drew three all. We were hoping to have a rugby match but the Medics were unable to field a team—who knows the CRAOC might have come out of his rugby retirement to play for us! Western District THE CRAOC, Lieutenant Colonel Tony Beaumont, having recovered well after his spell in hospital has decided that garden- ing and sunbathing have begun to pall and he has therefore re-assumed full control of ihe reins. Our SOs2 (Materials and Combat Supplies) Major Gill Guthrie and Major Stuart Craven are, or have been, on leave and CRAOC is being harangued from all sides to open new offices for these two gentlemen, in the Lake District and/or Wrekin Golf Club respectively. The DOWO, WOl Bill Oliver, appears to have forgotten all about his job and military discipline, as all he seems to do now, is grow his hair and fill in applications for employment. Not to be outdone, the ROWO, WOl George Pound, is also casting his net around the South East area for em- ployment and is obviously so serious about his appearance to prospective employers, he has shed many pounds in weight (Pound for pound he looks better!) The proverbial 'New Brush has arrived in the shape of our Chief Clerk, Staff Sergeant Ian Dick- son, fresh from the pastures of Camberley and is being questioned by the DOWO, how he also can acquire a six bedroomed mansion for around £12,000. Our faithful civilian staff in Ord Branch are keeping amazingly quiet, except for Vi Scott, who is over the moon about becoming a Grandmother for the first time, at thirty? Miss Pat Kendal comes to the Branch full time now. and caters for the S02 Accommodation Services as well as the DFA. Signs of panic are appearing from the area of Hereford, due no doubt, to the- impending I of E visit, we wonder how the OIC PC and A, Mr Robin Young, can explain and justify his job from the sunny beaches of Illfracombe? A recent arrival at Hereford is Captain Eddie Hillan whom we trust wont get buried in the mountains of compo which he now controls in the Supply Depot- It would appear that Major Andy Postance forgot to bring his * duty frees ' with him on posting from Antwerp to command 52 Company RAOC (V), he is returning this month to BAOR with the Company on their annual camp at Wulfen. Welcome * and au revoir! A Corps member who is very rarely mentioned in our notes, is WOl Mick Hinson, who commands the Stores Section, Engineer Resources Workshop at Long Marston, His main claim to fame is that he must be the oldest footballer in the Corps, although he is intimating that he will shortly be hanging his boots up, which can't be a bad thing, as we might then be able- to get him on the telephone at last. Outgoing wishes are extended to Staff Sergeant Ken White and family with a hope that they can now afford their new Renault 18 Estate. Farewell also to Mrs Margaret Thomas, who will be missed for her invaluable assistance in the com- pletion of Crossword Puzzles. Welcoming wishes are extended to Major Andy Postance, Captain Eddie Hillan and Staff Sergeant Ian Dickson and their families. 10 Ordnance Support Battalion EXERCISE AMBER GLOW A play in three acts. CAST: Headquarters Company, 47 UKMF(L) Company, 45 Company (Regular Shadow), 131 Vehicle Platoon (Regular Shadow), 54 Company RAOC (V), 57 Company RAOC (V), 8 Squadron RCT and Helicopters courtesy of RNAS Yeovilton, ACT L Stage: Swynnerton Training Camp, near Stone, Staf- fordshire. A dark, overcast Monday afternoon. Regular units arrive and soon begin digging to start a regimental training exercise designed to stretch body and soul to the limits, or seventy two hours, whichever is the shorter. The night falls to the sound of shovels on concrete, the pitter patter of the North Staffordshire monsoon, and the plaintive cry from 2 Supply Platoon and Captain Peter Ball of ' send more Mars Bars.* Dawn breaks to reveal 4 Pet PI with a drainage problem, in that their trenches did not. When the problem is overcome with the aid of stirrup pumps the exercise is able to run the normal gammut of military activities including patrolling, am- bushes, routine in defence and NBC drills to conclude with a massed ground and air assault on the 8 Squadron positions. During all this 45 Coy and 6 Fwd Sup PI also found time to move ' simmo * to each other with assistance from 8 Sqn and the Royal Navy. (Authors note: It really was rather wet but due to recent defence cuts the Navy had to rely on helicopters!) |
| Book number | R0250 |