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RAOC Gazette - page 106

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Publication date 1978
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Transcription r i d i n g Officer, Lieutenant Colonel O'Hare on the night when
t h: Warrant Officers and Sergeants Mess said farewell to him,
j. ast but not least, Corporal Halford—who has now left us~~~was
also presented with his medal on 21st June by the Commanding
Officer,
Taking the strain, we have the tug-of-war team, who excelled
themselves by winning the one hundred stone competition at the
Travers Clarke Meet. The team is pictured below. On the
track. Sergeant Dickie and Private Sneyd acquitted themselves
with honour.
The tug-of-war team winners of the 100 stone Travers Clarke
competition.
Back row left to right; Private Martin, Corporal
Hjbbard, Private Martin (601), Private Noble.
Front row left
tc right: Corporal Jones, Lance Corporal Waters, Sergeant Wall
(Coach), Lance Corporal Redfern, Private Ballantyne.
48 AMF(L) Company have been working wonders, having
successfully completed Exercise Ardent Ground in Belgium,
providing the Bakery Section at the Aldershot Show for the
nineteenth consecutive year and this display is now to move to
Bovington Camp for the RAOC display.
POL Section led by Sergeant Toni Biondic decided to en-
ky the short-lived summer heatwave when they disappeared
u walk the short Southern Section of the Penine Way. The
administration was controlled by no lesser persons than Staff
Sergeant Brian Bennett and Sergeant Alan Proudlove comforted
with battery portable television sets, who both acted admirably
as chief cooks and bottle washers.
On the sporting side the Company has won the Logistic
Support Battalion seven-a-side rugby tournament held at Bulford.
The Battalion is due to embark on a series of exercises in
Catterick, Germany and Turkey, no doubt interesting tales will
ensue.
We welcome Lieutenant Colonel and Mrs J. N. Eddison,
*no in view of the fact that the exercises are nearly upon us,
wiil do doubt shift into gear immediately!
Central Ordnance Depot Chilwell
FIRSTLY, we must correct an error in the
June issue of THE RAOC GAZETTE. Our
joint Nottingham Piping Contest and
Chilwell Garrison Gala is to be held on
Sunday 9th July 1978, and not Saturday
8th July 1978 as we stated,
June is renowned at Chilwell as the
' month of visitors * and this year was no
exception. The first was Captain Tadiar,
Military Attache of the Philippine Army.
He was followed by members of the local
Councils, who are trying to decide what
to do with any land we may alienate when COD Chilwell
closes. Then we welcomed Mr P. L. Avery, General Secretary
AGS and RO, who was on a farewell visit to his members.
Justly we entertained Mr G. H. McEwan and Mr J. Sanderson,
Lnairman and Editor respectively, of the Derbyshire Times.
Chilwell Garrison, being the only major unit for miles
around, stands out like an oasis (or a brick edifice I) and has a
Magnetic attraction for transitees, hundreds of whom we accom-
modate, feed and water every year. The latest major unit
staging here was 1 RHA who were exercising their right to
march through the City of Nottingham as * freemen/
In
appreciation of their stay here they kindly presented us with
their regimental plaque, which now joins the plaques and
certificates from, among others, the Royal Naval firefighters,
various TAVR Units, the National Rowing Federation, South
Wales Police Rugby Club, etc.
The highlight of the social calendar has been the Officers
Mess Annual Cocktail Party. This proved to be, as usual, a
very worthwhile public relations exercise. Among the guests
attending were Major General Walker, DGEME; Brigadier
Dalton, DBD; Councillor O, S. Watkinson, Lord Mayor of
Nottingham; Councillor P. Holland, Sheriff of Nottingham,
and their ladies.
The Officers also held a very successful 6 Turkish Kebab
Night* organised by one of our men in blue, Squadron Leader
Chris
Cockshott who obviously has the right contacts for trie
4
Kokkinella' was genuine and specially imported (by air of
course), as witnessed by the number of very fragile members
the next day.
This month we say farewell to Lieutenant Colonel Nick
Reynell on retirement. He has taken up a post in Northampton,
and we wish him good fortune and a hearty thanks for his
sterling work,
Major Geoff Albert is in the process of taking over as OIC
Tech Co-ord from Major Gordon McNicoL With this hand-
over also goes the pen of RAOC GAZETTE correspendente or
should
it be a pencil? (Can't afford a new pen and a new cart).
1
Dog and Stick * walks are now well under way again
and the hardier types can be seen 'striding' across the peaks
of Derbyshire wearing a motley collection of suitable clothing,
while the less hardy types stick to the dales.
A parade and service of dedication was held on 30th June
to mark the sixtieth anniversary of the explosion at the National
Shell Filling Factory at Chilwell. One hundred and thirty
four civilian workers (including twenty five women) died, and
many others were injured on that terrible day in 1918,
Central Ordnance Depot Bicester
JUNE proved to be a very quiet month
from the news worthiness point of view.
The whole of Bicester seems to be
suffering withdrawal symptoms from
the excitement of the Royal visit
However, 16 Battalion has been quietly
ticking over and the remainder of these
notes are given over to Battalion
activities.
At the Battalion athletics meeting
the sun shone favourably. Headquarters
Company, who had won the com-
petition for three years, were beaten in-
to second place by A Company who unlike their opponents,
managed to avoid dropping the baton in the men's four by one
hundred metres relay, B Company finished a very creditable
third. The outcome of the meeting was decided in the final
event.
Corporal Blay, as expected, dominated the field events but
there were some good track performances from Lance Corporals
Ell wood and Blakey, Privates Mitchell, Stott, Worral and
Patterson.
A Company also managed to win the tug-of-war in a final
match against Headquarters Company. It is rumoured that
they train on stronger ale.
In the Corps Inter Unit Sailing Regatta, the team from 16
Battalion took first place ahead of DSCS and the Training
Centre who were last year's winners. Major Jim Ashcroft, Cap-
tain Ron Berridge, Sergeant Joe Merrishaw and Lance Corporal
Tony Long represented the victorious team. Jim Ashcroft leaves
shortly for BAOR and threatens to bring a team over next
year. Bicester are busily looking at the small print to try to
prevent this.
Our new CO, Lieutenant ColoneL BUI Ford, doesn't know
where to put all the trophies but it is rumoured he has asked
for a quarter with a trophy room instead of a garage.
The Battalion Athletics Team, which represented COD
Bicester at this year's Travers Clarke Meeting, produced a very
fine effort indeed in winning the Field Events Trophy and
becoming runners-up overall to the eventual winners Depot
and Training Battalion, In particular our congratulations must
go to Private Patterson in winning the long jump and coming
second in the high jump, to Private McQueen in winning the
javelin and to Corporal Blay in winning the shot, coming
Book number R0247