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RAOC Gazette - page 211

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Publication date 1981
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Transcription r C Branch and Headquarters 321 EOD Company
^__^
'THE frantic pace of clerical effort is
• /^
^X increasing as further to our last notes,
f ••-. \ as well as changing OC's, we now have
I / A A \ 1 a n e w C'^TO.
Lieutenant Colonel
Vlf •li' \ l / ^endy as the photograph shows, was
^L y J c
ceremonially towed from Headquarters
iC\Sy\
Northern Ireland by the Headquarters
•p\ pf"
Staff and Bearcat team from Belfast.
<<LiZ-5> Lieutenant Colonel Guy our new
^ < > ^
CATO looked on, no doubt with an
eye to the future. We wish Lieutenant
(VkMiel Hendy all the best at his new appointment as Chief In-
<;•••,.:.-. .^r at the AS of A. EOD Instructors beware!
• tajor Thornasson our new SATO continues to settle in
well. He already wears that worried frown of a man who has
blue lighted through Belfast rush hour traffic, a dangerous
occupation.
Lance Corporal Tony Hutton, the EOD Clerk, also had a
touch of life at the sharp end. He volunteered for patrol duties
in Crossmaglen and spenL a weekend hiding behind walls and
looking suitably confident, even though his knees were knocking.
Farewell to Staff Sergeant Brian Sutton, the Lisburn Team
j\fo. 1 who handed over to Staff Sergeant Jim Howe, Brian just
^ A : ''ies for an EOD Operators tie, getting his one and only
~L ;-n his last day of duty!
§
AMMUNITION INSPECTORATE.
The Ammo Tnsp, although
entering one of the busiest periods of the year, still finds the
time to fit in leave and courses, essential to the benefit of our
careers» wives and sanity.
Captain Andy Law, ATO, has discovered a team as good as
Spurs, He has become a member of Linfield FC (who drew
recently with Spurs three all), and enjoys after match drinks
with the players and officials, although he was very surprised
v r ^ d out they were no different from ordinary human beings.
:•••;•-• ocently became a real soldier, after doing a chopper flight
( nu border locations, and ending up doing a patroL into Cross-
magien. with the local infantry battalion. He was also knocked
off his feet (fright) when the recent car bomb in Lisburn went off.
WOl Dusty Stone, SAT, recently went to a military doctor
along with a few others, to see if they could be helped in their
efforts to stop smoking. All five came back, having experienced
accupunture, and dying for a cigarette. WOl Dusty recently
organised, planned and produced the Garrison Sergeants Mess
Summer Ball, along with his few helpers, and resounding success
is too, as the Sunday lunch-time visitors to the mess will
:> y. One dislike though, is that no-one should eat ice-cream
tii his presence. (Lance Corporal Sharp take note!).
Sergeant Spook Anderson, in training for the new football
season, has convinced himself that he really is leaving the
Province. News of his replacement arrived the other day. He
also had a shocking experience on the phone recently, as a
result of one of his practical jokes back-fired. Caution is now
the order of the day. He has actually had combat kit on four
times this month, although one was for a unit photo. A comment
was overheard, saying he looked like a cook in the ACC. Every
- ; c re tells a story!
Lance Corporal Dave Sharp, about to attempt his final sub-
ject on EPCj has stocked up well with apples for the teacher, on
the advice of Captain Law, (what does he know that we don't).
A new technical library, telephone directory, and unworkable
telephones are among his latest achievements. Sitting in a car
park in Belfast one day, he drove off with the ATO, to hear on the
pews, that a few minutes later there was a shooting where he had
just been. He doesn't want to go back there. Lance Corporal
Sharp, like Sergeant Anderson, is busily preparing for posting.
Xm 1 finally, congratulations to Lance Corporal Sharp and his
wife Pam on the news that they have another child on the
J W . 2 SECTION.
Since our last appearance on these pages a
lot has happened at our two lonely outposts. A complete change
in personnel has occurred, a new skip, new No. 2s, new ' bleeps,'
new RCT and new ' chunkys.' The names of which are too
numerous to mention. However, they have all settled well into
our steady routine. The Old Man of the Section (W02 Moor)
has taken it all in his stride. We think he is still gloating about
fcis enormous find, over five hundred pounds of 'mix,* which
'"••->"'• nly boosted morale here and the statistics at Headquarters.
•* ~ } 3 SECTION.
Headquarters 3 Section now has a new
treasurer in the shape of Captain Parle. We are under the im-
pression that he does not like his new desk as he is hardly in it,
perhaps he doesn't appreciate the view. Corporal Dave Barker
Photo Corporal M. A.
Chamley.
Lieutenant Colonel Hendy leaves in style*
has deserted us for Belfast. We also say cheerio to Captain
Lynn on his departure to tropical climes. Our replacement No. 2
Corporal Lashmar can now be seen scratching his head over the
Ammo account (stick with it kid). Corporal Farmer our flying
doctor is due to leave us soon but doesn't know when as he hasn't
got that many fingers, so too with Private Eggber Kenyon, now
back in uniform.
BESSBROOK DETACHMENT,
We welcome the new arrival
of Staff Sergeant Jim Unsworth an old Bessbrookian. We hear
that he is slowly recovering from the hangover of his first
(rum) job. We would like to take the opportunity to wish W 2
Paul Mitchell all the best on his departure from our midst.
Congratulations to Corporal Rudd on managing to get a success-
ful handover as Province Reserve?
OMAGH DETACHMENT.
3 Section welcomes Staff Sergeant
Bob Clay and congratulates him on his recent promotion.
Corporal John Napolitano survived his R and R.
We are
pleased to say he returned to the fold and is recovering nicely.
By the way we don't believe you run coach outings from Omagh
to Newcastle Beach. The boss says that the ski lift tickets
you sold him were for July. Who ever heard of a ski lift on
Lough Neagh,
AUCHNACLOY DETACHMENT.
—no sudden movements.
ZZZZZZZZShhhhhhhhhhh
Ordnance Depot Northern Ireland
HAVING barely had time to recover from Exercise Finn Mc-
Cool's Leap six members of the Ordnance Depot Northern
Ireland set off to Norway to attend a Special Expedition
organised by the British Outward Bound Centre at Isefjaer.
The journey to Norway was long and uncomfortable and
for any future expedition it is recommended that sleeping
pills or some other form of anaesthetic is used,
On arrival at Isefjaer we were informed that our expected
trekking expedition was not available and that we would have
to accept the river canoe trip in open Canadian canoes, so off
we set with our canoes to the starting point about one hundred
and thirty kilometres from the BOBC. The first mishap occurred
on route when one of our canoes developed a large hole from
bouncing on the tailboard of the four tonner—this was not
unexpected as the vehicle was carrying six canoeists, three
canoes, seven trekkers and all the kit—we had to sit some-
where !
Fortunately our famed canoe expert—Sergeant Alan Kent
came to the rescue with some good old Army masking tape
and we were dropped off at our starting point at about 2230 hours
hoping that this repair would be watertight.
We travelled down Bygland Fjorden which is about thirty
five kilometres long and because of our schedule and the recom-
mended camping sites this would take about two days to cover.
At the end of the Fjorden we had to portage our canoes
as the water became very rough and unpassable for our type of
canoe. We walked for about twelve kilometres to Evje in
brilliant sunshine and afterwards we all suffered from sun-
burn. Corporal Jock Walsh started to look more like a Troll
75 —
Book number R0250