Back to Library Journals

RAOC Gazette - page 149

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 involved we would have seen an eighteen mile queue of vehicles
awaiting offloading. Bicester is now ' richer' by eighteen thousand
one hundred and forty three NSNs and thirty one thousand
six hundred and sixty tons of ex-Chilwell stores now occupying
sixty eight thousand six hundred and seventy six cubic metres
of Oxfordshire countryside.
Jfor tlje
Retort
THE REPRESENTATIVE COLONEL
COMMANDANT ATTENDS THE
RAOC BAOR OFFICERS BALL
THE COMPLETION OF * FAIR VALUE'
INLOADING FROM COD C H I L W E U
TO COD BICESTER
ON 1st May 1979 the first of many road and rail deliveries of
Chilwell stores arrived at COD Bicester as part of the l Fair
Value * project involving all three CODs and the coming closure
of Chilwell. Under the watchful eye of the then OC 1 Sub-
Depot, Lieutenant Colonel Evans, the Stores were located first
in Building B5.
The driver of the first road container vehicle was Mr
Neville Fowkes whose own record of service has included
16 Independent Parachute Brigade and the 1st Battalion The
Gloucestershire Regiment. It was whilst with the ' Glorious
Gloucester 1 that Mr Fowkes was at the Battle of the Imjin
River in Korea and subsequently he spent two and a half
years a Prisoner of War in North Korea, On the 17th July
1981 the last road container delivery took place and significantly
Mr Fowkes was again at the wheel. Our photograph shows the
Senior Stores Officer COD Chilwell, Colonel P. M. Underhill
OBE, and the Senior Stores Officer COD Bicester, Colonel H. R.
Higgins welcoming Mr Fowkes with the last road delivery.
THE Annual Ball in BAOR this year coincided with the visit to
Germany of Major General Stanyer. The Officers Mess at 3 BAD
was filled to capacity and the General and Mrs Stanyer look full
advantage of the unique opportunity to meet many old friends
and to get acquainted with younger members of the Corps
from units throughout BAOR.
Brigadier W h a l l e y , Mrs Dodworth, M r s W h a l l e y , Mrs Stanyer
and Major General Stanyer on arrival at the Ball.
The Senior Stores Officers of Chilwell and Bicester welcome t h e
last Fair Value road delivery driven by M r N . Fowkes, who in
1 9 7 9 delivered the first!
The 4 Fair Value * inload has affected sixteen storehouses in
Bicester and at one time five of these were being inloaded
simultaneously. The daily ripple of routine inloading problems
has from time to time taxed the brow of Mr Albert Goodacre
OIC Group 3 and Mr Jack Flynn OIC Group 8. It is im-
possible to mention all that have been heavily involved. How-
ever, principal stars have included WOl (SSM) A. J. Pitts who
took up residence in Chilwell as Bicester's Fair Value Liaison
Officer, Mr Eric Forrest, Mr Ray Gill, W 2 (SQMS) Fielder and
Miss Swann who monitored ChilwelLs incoming stocks. The
present OC 1 Sub-Depot Lieutenant Colonel M. A. Marshall
duly received the last load which went to Building B2,
It has been a busy, challenging, yet interesting time for all;
Mr T^rry Johnson in Building C3 has quite literally wrestled
with Returned Major Assemblies and Mr Charlie Lamont in
Building D4 has had to outload clothing internally to take on
larger commitments from Chilwell.
The statistics of the
operation make interesting reading. If it had been possible to
put end to end all the road and rail vehicles that have been
The forecourt of the mess was transformed into a ballroom
and decorated with magnificent floral displays by Mrs Janie
Dodworth. Mrs Dorothy Deane and a willing band of ladies
from 3 BAD. The existing flower beds were illuminated to form
a colourful background to the scene within the ballroom.
The buffet was prepared under the supervision of Sergeant
Breden of the ACC who had also been responsible for the food
at the four previous Annual Balls. It was his last big event
before leaving 3 BAD to retire and obviously he had made this
one his grand finale with a spectacular show of his skills.
Planning has already begun for the 1982 Ball. Those to be
posted to BAOR might like to note the date—Saturday 19th
June 1982.
HONESTY
PAYS
THE winner of the top prize of £300 in a COD Donnington
draw for the Year of the Disabled was Walter Zdanuk an ex-
war time member of 1st Polish Tank Division. Walter came to
Donninton from TSSD Wem in 1960 and since 1968 has
worked in Building B2, where officers will remember him
for his polite doffing of his cap and little bow as a salute.
As a cleaner Walter has been the epitome of honesty always
handing in sums of money he found. Recently he found and
brought to the building office, a pound note and despite numerous
announcements the owner could not be traced; Walter was
offered the money which he steadfastly refused to accept so,
unbeknown to him. the office staff bought him draw tickets.
It certainly pays to be honest 1
1 18 —
Book number R0250