RAOC Gazette - page 200
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 |
UK FULL BORE SHOOTING REPORT CORFSAM. The loss of the CORPSAM this year was a severe blow to our shooting calendar and one that was difficult to make up for with a few days training. The CORPSAM as we all know is a full weeks competition shooting which to some extent makes up for the small amount of training we get compared with our Infantry friends, and the CORPSAM is also a very good lead into the shooting season, culminating with RASAM. It may be of interest to know that, prior to the decision to stop CORPSAM, RAOC and five other Corps, appreciating the expensive overheads of the current system of BICORPSAM, decided to join forces, and was in the advance planning stage for a hexangular meeting when the bad news was received. We are now well represented and prepared at the various shooting committee meetings soon to take place and it is hoped that with the proposed format of a sixway meeting we hope to be snooting at Ash ranges in May next year. NON CENTRAL, As we were unable to hold our CORPSAM for 1981 it was decided to alter the format of Corps Non Central competitions applying the emphasis of its condition of entry to participation in District/Divisional Skill at Arms meetings, anticipating this would encourage more units to enter District SAMS. Since most of these meetings include weekend shooting it was envisaged RAOC TA units would also be able to participate in the Non Central matches. As it transpired this encouragement was not necessary, as a large number of units entered these District meetings, but the response to the Non Central was very poor with only six regular units submitting results, and, disappointingly no TA units applied for entry, It is hoped if it is decided next year to retain the present format for the Non Central matches that more units will enter. There are good trophies to be won and entry into the com- petition is kept very simple. RASAM. This year seven RAOC regular units qualified for RASAM which is surprisingly above par. The ten day meeting is split in two parts, the first four days for individual events with all weapons, and the remainder of the meeting primarily for team events. Once again it did not take long to ascertain that there were two very different categories of competitors. The Infantry, and the others. Or perhaps there were three categories, the Gurkhas, the Infantry and the others? As each year passes this prestigious event becomes more and more competitive and requires more and more training to keep pace with the inevitable rising standards. As a Corps, and in fact most Corps, very quickly find that they are unable to keep this pace, basically because they are unable to afford the necessary time required to train in order to maintain this standard. Therefore we are left with little or no alternative than to fight it out between ourselves to see who can make the highest placing. This years order of merit in the minor unit championship with forty two entries:—Fourteenth place Training Battalion and Depot; Seventeenth place CVD Ashchurch; Eighteenth place CAD Kineton; Twenty fifth place 6 Field Force Ordnance Com- pany; Twenty sixth place 10 Ordnance Supply Battalion; Thirtieth place Ordnance Depot Viersen; Thirty sixth place 3 ADOC In individual events we were unable to get anyone into the Army 100 (Rifle). However, on a happier note Sergeant Watson, Ordance Depot Viersen, is congratulated on reaching fifth place in the Army Pistol 30. It may interest the layman to know there were seven hundred and sixty eight individuals competing at RASAM and a large number of these are Infantry. It was also a poor year for our Corps team competing in the Methuen Cup. The team, without the normal three week training period this year managed only twenty sixth place with a score of eight hundred and thirty compared with the winner score, the Brigade of Gurkhas, of one thousand and forty, record score. Those successful in making the Corps team th* year were:—Major Fox, CAD Kineton; WOl Watson, MOD WD2 Wood, CVD Ashchurch; Sergeant Mullen, Trainim Battalion and Depot; Sergeant Smith, Training Battalion ant. Depot; Sergeant Bolton, 6 Field Force Ordnance Company, Reserve: Sergeant Catterall, Employment Training School. NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION MEETING. The National is a four day event at the minimum of Corps representation level with somewhere in the order of six hundred competitors from all Arms and Services and including such teams as the Canadian National Squad, the Sultan of Oman's National Squad and a team from the Royal Brunei Malay Regiment. The team representing the RAOC was:—Captain Wheeler, CVD Ashchurch; Sergeant Mullen, Training Battalion and Depot; Sergeant Smith, Training Battalion and Depot; Sergeant Catterall, Employment Training School, In the individual rifle events both Sergeants Mullen and Smith were extremely successful with Sergeant Smith gaining thirty sixth place in one major competition and seventy fourth in the Service rifle championship. Sergeant Mullen gained twenty seventh place in one major competition and fifth in the Service rifle championship. In the Queen Mary Cup Sergeant Mullen led the field after the first stage with a record score of one hundred and eighty seven but unfortunately had bad luck in the final stage dropping to a one hundred and fifty three. In team events the team scored very well indeed but never enough to be placed in any competition except the Falling Plates where they took on all-comers, and at 2100 hours after a long evening they were standing an the firing point in the finals against REME. Any other event and bad light would have stopped play not to mention the dry condition which created a lot of dust. How- ever, when the dust actually cleared we were beaten by one lonely plate into second place. A very good result considering the quality of the field. The cooperation of unit commanders in releasing personnel for these meetings is very much appreciated, and the effort and enthusiasm shown by team captains and all team members of unit teams is encouraging and maintains our hope for the future of corps shooting. May I remind all shooting officers, or those who find them- selves organising the shooting team, that there is no substitute for practice. Plan early, and spread your training out. The .22 range is also a good place in the winter! Good luck for 1982—Captain A. E. Wheeler. NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS CONTRIBUTIONS for publication should be despatched to reach the Editor fo-ur weeks in advance of the first day of the month of publication. (Most other journals require six weeks). It is regretted that only in very exceptional circumstances can copy be accepted after that date, particularly where photographs are concerned. Copy should be type written, double spaced and in duplicate, Capital letters should not be used except as in normal literary usage. Army abbreviations should be avoided where possible. Photographs should be black and white prints and suggested captions should be typed and attached to the back of the photograph. As a rough guide, newsletters from Corps Major Units should be approximately two double spaced foolscap (A4) sheets and Corps Minor Units one double spaced foolscap (A4) sheet. , However, additional newsy items for * For th& Record and other articles are always welcome. }66 — |
| Book number | R0250 |