RAOC Gazette - page 22
Image details
| Corps | RAOC |
|---|---|
| Material type | Journals |
| Book page | |
| Chapter head | |
| Chapter key | |
| Chapter number | |
| Full title | RAOC Gazette |
| Page number | |
| Publication date | 1978 |
| Real page | |
| Colour | No |
| Grey | No |
| Early date | 1978 |
| Late date | 1978 |
| Transcription |
&sa©c kiing tn tlje Cairngorms! 1978 THE 1978 Ski Season got off to a cracking start with the assembly of the first course of over thirty students at the newly acquired accommodation in Nethybridge. With Captain Bill Pearson as OC Hut, ably assisted by Sergeant Andy Smith, things very quickly settled down in preparation for a series of four very successful two week courses designed to teach novices to ski and to improve the standard of those students already having some previous experience in ski-ing, Each of the four courses developed its own character and the weather (including the worst snow blizzard for thirty years) helped to vary the scene throughout the training period. The Instructors, Sergeants Pete Mollinson and Alan Fletcher, Corporals ' Legs' Dymond, Paul Markwick and John Edwards, provided excellent instruction throughout and earned the admira- tion of all by their skill and patience under trying circum- stances and by students who tried and in some cases were so trying! ;.'."';j '•:• m jlyr.*fogy. -V"^,^,^ •.:: v-.i-fj ^if^^H-ffli".,V" ! : " J-UM VsC" - ' Corporal Students taking part in Exercise Knees Bend. During six days in February when the Hut, as indeed Nethy- bridge, was completely * snowed in* the RAOC contingent earned the praise of the local community by helping local farmers dig out sheep and other animals from drifts and by giving a hand to local tradesmen to move stocks threatened by flood. In all, nearly one hundred and thirty students including many WRAC (RAQC) passed through the courses and it is of great credit to the instructors and the administrative star!, that we suffered only one serious accident during the period—requiring a helicopter evacuation direct from the ski slopes, At the end of the last course of Exercise Knees Bend the Ski Committee immediately changed plans to cater for Exercise Snow Plough—this being the annual assembly of Unit Teams taking part in the Army Ski Association Scottish Meeting, Apart from numerous individual entrants, teams from the Apprentices College, CODs Chilwell and Donnington, CAD Kineton, 10 Ordnance Support Battalion and the Depot and Training Battalion were represented at Nethybridge. COD Bicester launched their assault on the Championships from an Adventurous Training Camp at the Loch Morlich Camp Site. During the week preceding the actual Championships the weather treated us to just about every one of the variations possible, wet melting snow, ice and new fresh deep snow; we even experienced a blizzard, nevertheless it can be said that the ski-ing conditions throughout the Championships were very good The teams practised diligently and the results reflected new high standards achieved by the Corps. Private Beverly Croft from Donnington won the WRAC Army Novice Cham- Paul Markwick takes off, pionships whilst A/Lance Corporal Gregor Murdock was the most successful RAOC apprentice, Lance Corporal Robin Walters of Donnington carried away the RAOC Novice Trophy. The important point to note however is that the Corps had no fewer than ten skiers in the first sixty three of the Army (total Army entry one hundred and fifty seven) compared with three last year. Following these statistics it is also worthy of note that five Corps skiers gained places in the top forty two in the Army Championship compared with two in 1977. The actual results of the Team Event as well as the RAOC Novice Championship is a story on its own, suffice to say that Sergeant Alan Fletcher won the RAOC Individual Champion- ship having come thirteenth in the Army—the highest placing that we, as a Corps, have achieved. The Team Event was again won by CAD Kineton represented by Staff Sergeant Alan Anfield, Corporals Paul Marwick, John Edwards and Colin Humphries (the reserve was Private Richard Bell). The Exercise was brought to a tremendous climax at a party held in the Nethybridge Village Hall on the Friday even- ing. Corporal ' Legs' Dymond was responsible for this event and much of the credit for its success must go to him. The buffet, brilliantly produced by Lance Corporal Stephen Machon ACC (of CAD Kineton) included a fully dressed River Spey salmon, and a dressed Boar's head. To fit the occasion a four pound Haggis, carried by the Chairman of Corps Ski-ing, Colonel Keith Berresford, was ceremonially piped into the gathering by Mr Jimmy McLeod the local forester. We were greatly honoured to have as our guests many local dignitaries and leading officials of the Scottish Ski world. In particular we welcomed the elected Chairman of the Nethybridge Community who by a delightful coincidence is Major Fred Anfield (Retd) a former Corps Officer. His son Staff Sergeant Alan Anfield was present as a competitor (he gained thirty seventh place in the Army Race) and it is of particular interest to note that * Grandfather * Anfield was also in the Corps thus completing three generations. s However, we were not in a position to establish whether Grandfather * Anfield skied! To sum up 1973 has been a grand season for Corps Ski- ing and we are hoping for even better facilities next year. THE MINOGUE TROPHY—(Presented by Mrs Minogue for the best WRAC Novice Skier):—Private Beverly Croft WRAC, COD Donnington. (Continued on page 13,) |
| Book number | R0247 |