RAOC Gazette - page 65
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 |
Finally we recently bade farewell to Captain John Buckley (Retd), who, after twenty seven years in the Army—the last seventeen in RAOC, retired from his post as a Clerical Officer (Materiel) on 19th April 1978. The GOC presented him with a 'very fine transistor radio on behalf of his many friends in the Headquarters. North East District OSU Catterick, with the misguided im- pression that it all happens only in Catterick, supply the bulk of our input for this edition. We at the Headquarters also played our part in seeing off Major Mike Wilks. He was our guest at luncheon in the District Mess where he was presented with an engraved Corps Plaque to commemorate his many years valued service, OSUs Barlow and Catterick together with ASU Catterick: have each undergone their Technical Inspection at the hands of CRAOCs hand picked Flying Squad. Like any good purgation one always feels better afterwards! All went extremely well and both sides have retired unhurt, even despite a comment of * Quis custodient' from the depths of Barlow, In the sporting field our amazed congratulations to CRAOC who holds the District Headquarters record for the over forties BFT time. Mind you, no one else has tried it yet. More seriously, well done Major Bob McCarter who again has showed his skill with the sabre by winning the Senior Individual Zone B Championship. Finally congratulations are also due to W02 Richard Speirs, our ROWO, on receiving his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. The presentation was made by Major General Woods, the GOC, at a ceremony in the Sergeants Mess. By the time these notes are read OC OSU Catterick, Major Mike Wilks will be retired from active service and should be sitting behind his desk in an R03 appointment with the Supply Depot, Aldershot. Mike served some thirty five years in the service and saw service in India, Malta, BAOR, Singapore, Malaya and Kenya. Mike is well known and highly regarded throughout the Corps, and has made numerous friends wherever he has served. A farewell presentation was held in the Civilian Canteen Catterick on the 11th May when we said farewell to him and his wife. We wish them both well in semi-retirement, and trust that they will take with them many happy memories, At the same occasion, Mr Eric Hastie, Stores Officer with the OSU was presented with an award of £50 under the Ministry Staff Suggestion Scheme, for an idea to speed up the distribution of Army stores in the Distribution Centre. Well done Eric! Military personnel with the OSU at the time of writing are Captain Mike Hart, OIC Supplies Section, Sergeant Les Mitchell, Master Butcher, and Corporal Dave Wilson, Butcher. 10 Ordnance Support Battalion WE can see 1978 proving to be a busy year for the Battalion with exercises from May to October (This is just the Battalion) and 48 AMF(L) Company off to here, there and everywhere col- lecting LOA as they go. Talking about LOA, have you ever thought of volunteering for the Local Resources Section? Think about it, nine months out of twelve in the sun. Vacancies for Corporal to Staff Sergeant* Supply Clerks. Annotate on your posting preference LRS, 10 Ordnance Support Battalion, and we will promise you an interesting and varied tour here. It is noted that Staff Clerk, personalities are mentioned in other reports. We choose not to be different. In the chair we have as Battalion Chief Clerk W02 Terry Wilding; the stalwart Welshman. Going down the ladder but not too far we have Sergeant Mick Shaw the Chief Clerk A Wing. Sergeant Shaw is ably supported by Corporal Alan Hoilis, (legs all the way to his shoulders), who is the^ Documentation King. Running around at the moment (which! may add, he is very good at) is Lance Corporal Pete Owen, our shining road walker. Lance Corporal Owen recently came fourth in the RAF twenty kilometre Cham- pionships in a time of one hour forty nine minutes twenty seconds—congratulations. The Administration Clerk is newly promoted Lance Corporal John Goodall. Attempting at all times to achieve the impossible whereby getting soldiers to Resettle- ment interviews. Staff Sergeant Bob Green is the Chief Clerk of 48 AMF(L) Company who is in seventh heaven at the moment over his posting to Hong Kong. This can be amended. Sergeant Mick Blair is his Second in Command. Congratulations to the following on receiving substantive promotion: Lance Corpora! to Corporal Burnistow, Wilson, Quinn, Howard, Private to Lance Corporal Goodall, Hewlett, Hay ward, Ward, Private Percivai to A/Lance Corporal. 170 and 270 Local Resources Sections During a break from our globetrotting routine your scribe has been tricked in a heinous manner into describing the past activities of the normally elusive LRSs. Totting up the score from around April 1977, we have supported six major exercises and five less than major affairs in various parts of Africa, Europe and the West Indies; together with trips to Kenya, Jamaica, Sudan, the Gambia and Denmark. Rare sightings have also been made in Devizes. The coming year holds another five major exercises and a sprinkling of minor schemes to keep us busy. Now where's that passport. (Photograph arrived too late for publication.—Editor.) ^ * «- * ;~ .- 48 AMF(L) COMPANY ALREADY we are approaching the half way mark for 1978 and our feet have hardly touched Devizes pavements. Exercise Hardfall 1978 has been and gone and once again we are all arctic trained. This year saw us accommodated in the Stalheim Hotel which we took over lock stock and barrel, ft was certainly plush living, which was a welcome change from sub zero temperatures and ten man tents. On the real Logistic side, the bakers seemed to spend more time repairing their bakery than actually baking bread* although it must be stated that this is only the second year of trials for the bakery equipment. On a rather more depressing note the exercise ended with the company mounting guard on the wreckage of a crashed Puma which unfortunately killed the crew on impact r This year saw the bi-annual AMF exercise in northern - Norway and Exercise Arctic Express was enjoyed by all. Numbers of visitors broke all previous records and Sergeant Allen Proudlove nearly spent more time on demonstration than on exercise. The Bakery Section, problems solved, quickly swung into action and with only one minor breakdown kept on going throughout the exercise. Staff Sergeant Pete Rose with his host i nation stores team consisting of Lance Corporal Purky Purkins ;;. and Lance Corporal big John Aldridge both affectionately known : as Wood and Straw, rose to the occasion and emptied the local Norwegian Depot of so much straw that resupply had to come " from Finland. The end of the exercise saw the traditional March and Shoot and here the company was narrowly beaten into second place by the German Field Hospital whose shoot- - ing was a little more accurate. Lieutenant Alec Boyd received - the Runners-up Plaque from Deputy SACEUR General Sir -~ Harry Tuzo, No sooner had we returned from Norway than we realised it was time to start preparing for Exercise Ardent Ground in Belgium the annual AMF Gunnery Exercise. Even as we go to print the advance party have sailed courtesy of Messrs Townsend and Thoresen and all war stories will be revealed upon their return. We say goodbye to Major Hurles our OC who has departed to a warmer climate, Captain Hardick to civvy street, Captain - Lawton, Lieutenant Tracy, Staff Sergeants Squires and Eden, Sergeant Seatree, Privates Williams, Smith and Berry. We wel- come Major Burden for continuation training with the AMF(L), Captain Taylor, Lieutenant Boyd, Captain Caldwell, Staff Sergeant Gregory, Corporals Hallam and Howard, Lance Corporal Dick and Private Walker. Central Ordnance Depot Chilwell THE onset of a rather dubious spring heralds the customary increase in social activity in Cuilwell Garrison. " We are the champions *'—this term is not only the sole property of Ipswich Town or even Nottingham Forest. It, of course, belongs to the Chilwell soccer stars who have achieved a 'double' by winning both the * Bull Cup* and the 'Richards Cup.' The former win has already been reported, but our decisive win in the latter has not. In the final, played at Donnington, we were one goal ahead soon after kick- off. CAD Kineton then drew level and then actually went a goal ahead but not for long, our lads changed tactics and the final outcome justifies the wisdom of this move—we won by seven |
| Book number | R0247 |