RAOC Gazette - page 183
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 |
Corps Troops CORPS TROOPS ORDNANCE COMPANY THIS has been another exciting month for the Company, with the OC calling another Active Edge Exercise. Some people (mention n o names) arrived with five minutes to go before move out dressed for cross-country. However, following a quick change, the packets all crossed the start line on time. The OC, Corporal Tamplin, Lance Corporals Hardman, Saxby and Taylor surprised everybody by winning the RAOC Offshore Regatta during six days of sailing in the Baltic, Well done the team. Meanwhile back on Achmar training area our Commando trained, ex para CSM had the company personnel leaping around on infantry training* Again this month has seen a fair share of postings in and out, with Lieutenant McDowall back at the Depot, Sergeant Battle to 28 Signal Regiment, Sergeant Withall on promotion to Headquarters Northern Ireland, Sergeant Bennet to Birmingham recruiting office and Private Benson to Herford. However, in turn we welcome Captain Kay our new AO, Sergeant Gray to the Orderly Room, Sergeant Dean to the MT and Private Humphries to PC and A. Congratulations to Corporal Done on passing his Document Security Course and to Lance Corporal and Mrs McCormick on the birth of their son. CORPS STORES COMPANY A HIGHLIGHT of Exercise Summer Sales was to work with the RAF operational conversion unit on their first German exercise with Chinook helicopters. On a three legged cross-country exercise, stores of up to six thousand two hundred and fifty kilograms were underslung and moved from A to B, The CO, Lieutenant Colonel Hudson managed to time his visit to one of the sites at the only busy time of the day when stores large were dropped off, and stores even larger taken away again. The CO, an ex ' rotor-man' himself was not over- impressed when our 2IC, to whom everything is new, casually compared Chinooks to worms and wondered, should both ends become separated, whether they would carry on in their own individual way and multiply? On the entertainment front our biggest event has been the opening of the new company club. Officially opened by CCRAOC, Brigadier Skinner, when he hit two wooden taps into two large casks of a particularly powerful German brew, at a lunch time * session. 1 The company has also held its first social in the club which was a resounding success for wives and soldiers alike, and more are promised. Whilst everyone played a part in rebuilding and preparing the club perhaps particular mention should be made of Corporal Rolf and Lance Corporal ' Chippy * Shorey. W02 Webster has been dined out, and drank out, of the unit and we are sorry to see him, and his wife, go, but we are sure that they will enjoy Bicester for their last two years with the Army. We have seen a sighting of W 2 O'Flaherty, ' Q's * replacement, and welcome him to the company. WOl Braithwaite, who has complained that he hasn't had a mention since he joined the company in February, just has! We have had a visit from Major McDougall and Captain Davie of 51 Company, Glasgow, who've been coming out annually for so many years now that they draw up a pro- gramme and show us a thing or two! We countered this keen approach by despatching them to CTOC, who were out in the field for a couple of days,, and showed them what things are like at the sharp end! To end on a note of fitness, having become slightly bored with the Tuesday morning runs on the flat Bielefeld tarmac, a route on the wooded Teutoburger ridge was found with the idea of then moving on to a swimming pool afterwards. When the run was over, however, urgent tasks at work were remembered and swimming was kicked into touch. Unfortunately, com- munications ever the bane of a leaders existance, our inscrutable MTO Lieutenant Grieveson had duly run across town to link up at the swimming pool with his erstwhile platoon. Some two hours fifty five minutes later a rather bedraggled officer com- pleted this units first Bielefeld-marathon training session. Congratulations must go to Private Morgan and his wife on the birth of their son, and to Corporal Frangos for passing his EPC. Asplen left the exercise in style, after breaking two bones in h i / neck during a 'friendly' game of football. • fc Private Kev Bunting was awarded the Udder Award ' afte running away from a herd of inquisitive dairy cows. He swearj blind they were bulls, so he was given a blown up surgical glove to carry around, It was also the month of ihe Rheindahlen Allied Marches. our team was comprised of eight men, W02 Jim McCarrick Corporal Pete Cock, Lance Corporal Simon Nock, Craftsman Gaz Sutherland. Privates Ian Dearnley, Russ Guymer, Graham Hilton and Kevin Bunting. We all set out in good spirits to do the forty kilometre circuit. After doing a two day escape and evasion exercise only the week before, it was thought that this was going to be easy, but after about six to seven hours on the move, we were all walking (hobbling) a lot slower than at the beginning even though Corporal Pete Cock and Private Key Bunting ran the last two kilometre to the finish. Needless to say all medals (gold) were well earned. * We welcome back from course Privates Chris Price and Kev Thomson, who have both completed their Bl Storeman course, Last of all. our thanks to all who helped put up the equip, ment for the Platoon ' Summer Do,' to Mr Keith Lee for the organising! and to Mr John 'last time 1 do anything for you lot' Cull, for the preparation and cooking of the barbecue, a good evening was had by all. PS. Contrary to popular belief. Captain Henty has been posted into the Stores Platoon. STORES SECTION 617 TANK TRANSPORTER WORKSHOP OUR WOIC, W02 Ivan Jones and his 'sidekick,' Corporal Ivan Sangster, have once again been prominent members of the Hamm Station cricket team. In the six or seven matches played so far, they have claimed somewhere in the region of twenty victims between them. That sort of bowling is not to be sniffed at. Mike Brearley take note. Ivan Jones has also been trying his hand at canoeing. He spent a week in the Silberhutte Adventure Training area. When asked how it went, he assured us that canoeing upside down really can be quite good fun once you get used to it. Corporal Ivan Sangster recently took part in the Rhein- dahlen Allied Marches, attempting the forty kilometre march. Unfortunately, pulled knee ligaments forced him to pull out after twenty eight kilometres and he has also been ruled out of the Nijmegen Marches. The biggest disappointment, however, is that he has been reduced to umpiring at cricket matches. We hope to see him in the nets again in the not too distant future. Belated congratulations go to ' Q ' Ivan Jones on his pro- visional selection to WOL He is already polishing his brown shoes. On a sad note, we recently learned of the death of Mr Anton Skonieczny, who was an MSO member of the Stores Section staff for some thirty two years before retiring in 1979. Anton worked as Issues Controller and was affectionately known as a * walking Antar Parts List* due to his ability to remember part numbers and locations without reference to account cards. Anton's friendly and cheerful character will be sadly missed by all who knew him. Our deepest sympathies go to his widow. Yet another MSO member has recently left us on retire- ment. Mr Bruno Kowalski was our Provision Clerk for four years and it was not until he left that we appreciated just how much work his job entailed. Bruno was a quiet, but hard working member of the section who, although he pays us the occasional visit, will be missed. We wish him, and his wife, a, long and happy retirement. For the information of past members of the section, Windsor Girls 1 School, with whom the unit has always had close ties, ceased to exist on 23rd July. We, the present members of the Stores Section wish the Headmistress, teachers and children everything they wish themselves in their new schools. The closing of WGS is the end of an era here in Hamm and we can- not help but feel sad at its passing. RAOC Berlin THREE of our senior staff are finalising their packing in preparation for their imminent moves. They are Major Ian Ross, Major John Ridding and Major Jasper Hunt who are due to depart in that order. We wish them well in their new habitats and thank them for their contribution to the life of the unit in the past two years. Others to decamp from Berlin shortly, are Staff Sergeant Harry (Volkslauf) Miller and STORES PLATOON CORPS TROOPS WORKSHOP SOME of us have just returned from a two weeks summer camp in Denmark. It was a good fortnight combining both military training and quite a lot of physical exercise; everyone enjoyed themselves, but all found Denmark expensive. Private Mark 152 |
| Book number | R0250 |