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RAOC Gazette - page 42

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Corps RAOC
Material type Journals
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Full title RAOC Gazette
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Publication date 1978
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Early date 1978
Late date 1978
Transcription and was reflected in the Branch attitude to innocent enquiries
upon their return to work. Indeed, Corporals Gordon Richard-
son and Dave Jones took a certain amount of persuading to
return at all, while the final destination of Sergeant Mick
Goff will probably remain a mystery for sometime to come.
Corporal Dennis Edmunds has recently celebrated his initial
entry into ihe Headquarters duty rosier although this has not
had the slightest effect upon the volume of cartoons he produces,
Corporal Steve Evans, who claims to be doing a lot of fitness
training during the weekends, has been known to leave his
post behind the grill to attend a * Fit to Fight' test (Now that
is impressive). Private Chandler, who was apparently awarded
Best Novice on Exercise Snow Queen, cannot now make up
his mind whether to be a staff clerk, shorthand writer or brain
surgeon. Lance Corporal Ray Prince is busy taking leave, after
impressing us all with his early morning runs, while Lance
Corporal Monty James who spends much of his time running
the local long range tombola, has been proudly showing oft his
new born son. Congratulations to Monty, and to Mrs James.
Similar greetings are also due to Wally Upton, who has been
walking around with a huge grin on his face since he learned
of his posting and his provisional selection for promotion. We
welcome Staff Sergeant George Willerton who replaces Staff
Sergeant Roger Watts, and we wish Roger well on his exotic
posting. At the same time, we say farewell to Lance Corporal
Chris Hole, who leaves us for civvy street
As for the Headquarters RAOC staff, we are glad to see
Major Bill Clayden leaving for Chilwell, but pleased that he is
going on promotion. Private Phill Harnott has returned married,
from UK, although he seems to have changed remarkably little,
while Corporal John Scott is showing them all how it is done on
his RPC in Dulmen, CRAOC has taken yet more leave, but
from the way his staff telephoned him at home and even went
knocking on his door to ask him questions, he might as well
have stayed at work.
3rd Armoured Division
HEADQUARTERS
RAOC
AND SO, all DADOS pass from the
scene to be replaced b>r SOs2. An RAOC
peculiar disappears in favour of a
generalized solution; one more step in
the homogenization process. Perhaps the
Corps could perpetuate the time-honoured
title
by declaring that the expression
%
Dead as a f Dodo' will henceforth not
be used but will be replaced by Dead as a DADOS.' The
selection of S02 as a title was clearly not a haphazard or ill-
considered move, especially as applied to DADOS C Sups.
Should he now be known as ' Esso 2 *?
There is a new and strange phenomenon in the branch.
On Mondays recently, CRAOC has been heard muttering to
himself behind closed doors. It transpired that he was record-
ing the 3 Armoured Division sports report for transmission on
BFBS and had not, as was rumoured, eventually succumbed.
The expected flood of fan mail has not yet materialised, but
we have gTeat hope for the future.
Lance Corporal 'Sporran' McKaig recently organised an
RAOC skating evening at the local Eis Halle which was a great
success. We are all used to skating on thin ice but this was a new
experience for most of us. Perhaps the most remarkable sight was
Corporal Alan Armstrong moving at high speed across the ice,
performing a most intricate series of what looked like tap dance
steps. It was not until he fell in an untidy heap that we realised that
this was his method of skating. This amazing performance was
repeated a number of times but, credit where it is due, by the end
of the session he was skating in a more normal fashion. Watch
for this year's pantomime, * Headquarters 3 Armoured Division
on Ice/
The improvement in the weather has brought gloom to the
skiers and joy to everyone else. The Regimental rugby team
emerged from a winter of discontent to beat 2 Royal Irish by
forty to three. The hope is that the team can maintain this
standard into the new season, A local summer league is being
arranged and there are high hopes for a continuance of the
success rate. A number of hockey players formed part of the
Divisional RAOC hockey team which played in the RAOC
BAOR Competition at Headquarters BAOR. The team was
placed fourth of five in the competition, a good effort for what
was an ad hoc gathering.
Finally, we welcome W02 Bartram, the second DOWO,
Sergeant Brooks as Chief Clerk Admin, and Private Du Feu
for employment in the Tech Office,
{Our apologies for the slip in the photograph caption of
last month's newsletter.—Editor.)
STAFF CLERKS
EXERCISE SECONDS OUT gave the G Clerks a chance to see
something of the Soltau Training
Area. 1 Their impressions put
v
into writing could be called colourful but the possibility of
(hem being printed is doubtful'.
The exercise was followed by a Divisional sports meeting
called Triangle Week. Our photo shows Staff Sergeant Jensen
getting friendly with a log. Unfortunately, as the log hadn't
been out doing its twice weekly PT and consequently wasn't very
fit, his team failed to win.
Staff Sergeant Jenson logkeeping,
The Superintendent Clerk, WOl Bob Skennerton, plays a
funny game with a ball that has three holes in it. We hear
the game is called tenpin bowling and at times he does enjoy
some success in his chosen sport.
The weekend before Easter, with his partner Sergeant Tony
Cusack, RAPC, he won the Army Doubles which were held at
Tolworth. His only trouble now is that when someone tells him
to get his finger out he is not sure how to take it!
Private Rubie has left us on attachment to Paderborn
Garrison and we wish him success.
ORDNANCE
COMPANY
AT the end of last month we told you we were going on
Exercise Seconds Out, which was 3 Armoured Division's final
exercise before taking its place in 1 (BR) Corps. The idea of the
exercise was to stage a battle between the two Task Forces in
the Division while the Logistic Units provided real support but
did not actually take part in the exercise play. After an abortive
effort to find an ideal location we deployed in a fairly comfort-
able area and started to dig in, only to find that that particular
area was not allowed to be played on. So, with deep regret we
moved into Rheindahlen Camp to live in tents instead of
trenches, to wash in hot water instead of cold and to watch
films instead of standing-to etc, etc,
Although it sounds as if we had an easy time, the Unit
worked round the clock and sorted out a lot of the technica
procedures; we also did a lot of driver training to try and givt
everyone in the Unit a go on all the different types of vehicles
The problem was trying to get people off them rather than or
them, like the OC getting on a motorcycle and not being seen
for the rest of the day,
The exercise culminated in a Parade and Drive Past in
spected by the Commander 1 (BR) Corps, General Sir Richarc
Worsley.
The drive back to camp involved a lot of self recover}
in the packets, which proved the wisdom of carrying plenty ot
straight bars. Private Langsford succeeded in killing his thm
Bedford in three successive exercises while Lance Corpora
Pearce attempted to put the death wish on every vehicle h
rode in.
Back at camp we settled down to our usual jobs and trie
to catch up an our sporting fixtures. Three rugby matches in
week left most of the team in no fit state to do anything, bu
although they lost every match they did not disgrace themselves
The hockey team finished their league fixtures, unfortunatel
losing again, but they hope to do better in the RAOC (BAOF
Tournament in Rheindahlen which will have been played by tl
time this is published.
The football team has taken a well earned break reac
for their assault on the league title as they are now fifth. Loc
out Notts Forest! 1
Book number R0247