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RAOC Gazette - page 230

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Publication date 1981
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Transcription Welcomes arc extended this month to Sergeant Bob Trude
and Corporal Paul Carrahar. Sadly we say farewell to a very
popular member of the Company as Slaif Sergeant Brathwaite
leaves us for Viersen.
44 RP COMPANY.
The month has so far been quiet before the
onslaught of Exercise Red Claymore, Second Lieutenant Gibbons
our visitor from London University (as reported in last months
GAZETTE) has now departed back to that place of learning taking
with him his duty free plus a wider outlook of the role of an RP
in Peace and War.
Rumour has it that our Training Officer Lieutenant Dave
Lillystone has been sighted in the garrison area. Could 1 say
that he does exist and is not a ficticious character, however, after
being away for so long on various courses and leave some of
the newer members of the company are slightly sceptical.
The OC, Major John Williams, has just returned from leave
in Denmark (nudge nudge) and claims to have had a great
time including some fishing. He even claims to have caught some
fish; as it. is nearly Confidential time again, 1 believe him.
We welcome Second Lieutenant Henry Hirst from his
YOs course and RMA. He has now become Training Officer
as well as numerous other tasks. His first day at work found
him on the ranges and the third and fourth day on duty apart
from which he seems to be enjoying himself (?).
We would also like to welcome to the company Staff
Sergeant Wreyford (our new CQMS), Sergeant Leach and
Corporal Millar, and say farewell to Staff Sergeant Foster and
Sergeant Davis.
The Petroleum Platoon have been continuing iheir intensive
fabric tank cleaning programme and are preparing for ExercW
Red Claymore, during which they will be required to establish
and operate a bulk fuel installation.
Ammunition Platoon held their own mini exercise to practiq e
map reading, fieldcraft. NBC and radio procedures, in the local
woods.
We welcome lo the Company Corporal Saxby, Privates
Willerton, Weils and Pooley ACC: we say farewell to Lance
Corporal Jones to COD Donnington, Private Childs to COD
Bicester and Corporal Skelton to CAD Kineton.
We con-
gratulate Lance Corporal and Mrs Malcolm Wallace on the
birth of their son Sven.
Finally a warning to all drivers in BAOR. Private Totiy
Brownlow hns at last passed his driving test!
Corps Troops
CORPS STORES
COMPANY
THE RAF Operational Conversion Unit for Boeing Chinook
helicopters paid their first visit to BAOR recently, to undergo
heavy lift training, as part of their run up to forming the first
operational Chinook squadron-
Operating with 1 (BR) Corps Stores Company out of Det-
mold and Harneln, engines and major assemblies were lifted for
real, causing a certain amount of anxiety for both aircrew arid
the OC. What happens if they drop them
'? How much can
a major write otf
7 WR
? PUE
? But all
went well, if a little slowly, giving ground teams, helicopter
handling, load preparation and hooking up practise,
Unfortunately, only one of the two Chinooks could fly on
the day and the flying version became very short of fuel near
lunch time
but patience is a virtue . , . . . , , and it was a
sunny day.
Photograph taken on the occasion of winning the George
Patterson Memorial Shield for the fifth time in succession. 4 3 and
4 4 RP Companies—eat your hearts out. Standing: W 2 Brooks,
Private W o o d , Lance Corporal Daniels, Private Duncan, Lance
Corpora! McDonald, Sergeant Dawson, Private Fletcher, Corporal
Crompton, Private Campbell 4 2 , Lance Corporal Meechan and
Sergeant Hetherington. Sitting: Lance Corporal Levett, Sergeant
Roe, Corpora! Stray (Captain), OC Major Fleming, Corporal Percy,
Private Fearon and Private Fetherston.
49 RP COMPANY.
The Company footbali team has com-
menced their preseason training with two matches against local
civilian clubs, the results being two victories four one and eight
nil,
Other members of the Company have been training hard for
the forthcoming rugby season and the inter Company tennis
tournament The squash court is still not completed!
Still on the sporting front, the Annual Battalion cross
country run was to have taken place at 49 RP Company location,
but the other two Companies, it would appear, have not the
courage to face us on our own ground.; they cannot come up with
a date for it to take place and suggest it should be run in
Paderbom! We had a practice run last week, the timings being
most encouraging. Our indefatigable druid, Staff Sergeant Brian
Neary who is the second oldest in the Company came in fourth.
Our Company Commander, Major Pat Fleming, is holidaying
in France for the next two weeks, but in his absence discipline
will be maintained by the three Company Sergeant Majors in
station! We welcome our new CSM Tom Flowers who has
joined us from Bicester, we welcome back from Zimbabwe CSM
John Moffat who is to be posted to Kineton in the near future
and we say farewell to the present incumbent CSM Dave Avery
who is away shortly to shake down COD Donnington as their
RSM.
— I
Lifting for real.
CORPS TROOPS ORDNANCE
COMPANY
THE most notable event to take place this month has been
the Annual Exercise Summer Stretch. The exercise started with
section patrolling and built up to the final test which was an
eighty kilometre march across very hilly terrain, under a hot
sun. ^ The last element being a short water crossing by im-
provised raft. Congratulations are due to all those that com-
pleted the course, but special praise must go to Privates Grewar,
Cross, King and Harbord who not only finished but did so in
under twenty four hours.
A mere three days after returning to camp the company
was out again, on what was more of a fun exercise. The Com-
pany was providing LZ handling teams and enemy, for the
Support Helicopter Squadron based at RAF Gutersloh. While
the helicopter handling teams were working hard to deal with a
constant stream of simmo being in and out by helicopter, the
enemy where crawling out the wood locating and attacking the
RAF ground support crews. All went very well, except for the
Book number R0250