RAOC Gazette - page 29
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 |
April brought twin successes for Corporal (now Sergeant) Ward. He deservedly has been promoted and also after much t --deavour, passed the'ubiquitous BPT test. Well done! The Commonwealth and Foreign Ordnance Officers Course has arrived from the distant points of the world and Captain Ted Walcroft is proving extremely adept at helping and guiding them. What is more tie obviously enjoys it. Foreign Office please note that we undoubtedly have an Ambassador elect here! CENTRAL VOLUNTEER HEADQUARTERS ANY early birds after the proverbial worms, in the area of the Ash Ranges recently, would have seen a hive of activity as 1 Q ' Powell and an enthusiastic band of TAVR Volunteers erected tent city for the CVHQ RAOC TAVR Sponsored Units Annual Range Competition, which took place over a weekend in April. The CVHQ team, consisting of Majors Cranmer and Fleming. RSM Hendry, Staff Sergeant Pitts, Corporal Jones and Private Gould recorded the highest scores on the SMG, Pistol and SLR; they took no prizes however, and maintained a brave face as their fellow competitors put it down to all the practice they had been having!. The RSM, WOl Hendry decided to ' coast through ' most of the team shoots, but did extremely well on the pool bull and we think, the falling plates. We have now moved into a hectic period of overseas visits and exercises, and are keeping our fingers crossed for the S03 (A) Captain Burrows who disappeared nearly two weeks ago to take part in a petroleum exercise in BAOR, and has not been heard of since. It is fitting that we round off these notes with three congratulations; two go to RSM Hendry and Sergeant Benson who were presented with their Long Service and Good Conduct Medals by the Commander Colonel Hind, in a ceremony held at the Training Centre Sergeants Mess, and the third to Corporal Jones on his recent promotion. The next bike really will be a ' Kawasaki' Corporal Jones. TRAINING BATTALION AND DEPOT CONGRATULATIONS are in order for RSM Ron Miller on being appointed Captain (QM). He and his family have moved to Donnington heavily laden with farewell gifts and the hang- overs from numerous dining outs. Ron and Rita will be long remembered in Deepcut for their unstinting support for many Garrison activities. We welcome RSM Terry Joll and his family from BAOR and hope that they will enjoy their tour in Deepcut. Another move in the near future is the departure of our 2IC, Major David Wheeler, to 23 Base Workshop in BAOR, our good wishes David and thanks for your support; he will no doubt be able to find time to carry on sailing in BAOR. A welcome in advance to Major Dennis Ford on posting in from Ludger- shall as our new 2IC. The many friends of Captain Peter Foxton will be delighted at the news that he is being accepted for Staff College in October 1979, he is at present undergoing preparatory staff training on the advanced OO's Course at the School of Ord- nance. Congratulations are also in order for David Wilson on his well deserved promotion to Major. 12th April was a big day in the life of WRAC Company when they were visited by their No. 1 Lady—Brigadier Ann Field. Captain Sue Westlake and her girls really pulled out all the stops on this occasion and merited the complimentary remarks of their Director. Northern Ireland HEADQUARTERS SPORTSMAN in our small but neverthe- less most efficient organisation fall into two categories: — a. Those who run in order to pass the well known and much enjoyed BE tests, or qualify for ten per cent plus three per cent of Brand X and b. Those who run and play games because they like it. For category 'A,' sufficient to say that the Garrison is heaving with bodies of all shapes and sizes running round in circles puffing like ' Stevensons Rocket' after a night out Best of luck chaps! It is really category * B * which concerns our narrative, Lisburn Garrison won the Northern Ireland six-a-side com- petition with the help of Lieutenant Bob Manners Head- quarters RAOC, WOl Malcom Edwards Superintending Clerk Headquarters Northern Ireland and Corporal Kell Kelly Head- quarters Northern Ireland. The team is in Aldershot com- peting for the all UK Trophy (they will no doubt be searched for incendiary devices in their studs before KO). Our good wishes go with them and we would have liked to support them with a couple of Choruses of ' You'll never walk alone " and a few banners like say ' Don't pass this line or you will get shot' or 'Lisburn Garrison burns them u p / Lisburn Garrison team also cleaned up the Northern Ire- land Orienteering Championship which appears to be a chase across the Mourne Mountains in the early hours of the morn- ing complete with compass and map. Our branch was represented by Captain Gordon (1 am hungry) Geddle, (we think it must have been a great handicap for him carrying a box of compo on his back), anyway the team now go to Scarborough for the UK Championships. Good luck fellah's, but stay clear of conferences. Ordnance Depot- Northern Ireland THE CLF, Major General Trant, recently dropped in for a short informal visit. This provided the RPC Detachment with a chance to practice Mobile Patrols in Makrolon Land Rovers while Major Andrew Dexter, sporting a chic line in Flak Jackets, put his infantry background to good use as the General's personal bodyguard. The General congratulated the Depot military and civilian staff on the excellent service it continues to give to the Province. The ASD has become very quiet with Captain Mike Wilcox away on his AOO's Course and Corporals John Ridley and Martin Epton on upgrading courses at Kineton. The Resident Battalion at Ballykinler has changed as has the walking pace of the members of ASD who now move at something like one hundred and twenty to the minute! The poor guard dog doesn't have time for a good sniff. The VSD is looking more like Ruddington every day with cast vehicles filling the Sales, Park, Inspections Park and most of the other Parks. After seeing some of the wrecks it takes no persuasion at all for everyone to wear seat belts. Sergeant Dick Abrams has at last gone to the prairies and before leaving was presented with a biro on a chain together with a massive padlock and now that he has left, his colleagues feel that it is safe to release their biros from solitary confinement. This month has ended on a happy note for some. After the AAG, Colonel Brown visited the Depot, Captain Alastair Shackleton finds he is to have a shortened tour before getting tied up in computer tape. (CO's note—who is happy, him or us?). Other happy people include Corporal Kev Lewis and Private Neil Holmes who came second in the Sods Opera and managed to drink the prize that evening in celebration. The happiest people, however, are: Staff Sergeant Jeff Vincent, Sergeants DaYe Warrier and Steve Warren, Corporals Mark Jones and Geordie Kendall all of whom have been promoted and we send them our congratulations. Corporal Gunn has arrived and W 2 Hawthorne and Sergeant Abrams have departed. United Kingdom Land Forces ORDNANCE BRANCH THE Training Season is again with us as evidenced by the Chief Ordnance Officer's diary, which details a heavy programme of visits to TAVR Units up and down the country. A reminder, too, of how much the Army now relies on its part-time soldiers for logistic support With an I of E inspection imminent it is interesting to note how frequent are the occasions when officers have to be absent, other than a branch duty. At the moment Major Harry Parry is being educated in the mysteries of Supply Management and Major John Evans is about to lend his linguistic talents to the cause of Defence Sales. The rest of us are frantically train- ing for the Battle Efficiency Tests at the end of the month. Mrs Pam Davies complains that she never receives a mention in despatches. What can we say about Pam? Well she's certainly better looking than John Evans. She has more hair than Bill Ford and unlike Q Ho are, she doesn't smoke a pipe. She proclaims an interest in law and order and in English literature. So much for the first gripping instalment: next month we probe a little deeper! |
| Book number | R0247 |