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RAOC Gazette - page 272

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Publication date 1981
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Transcription Corporal and Mrs Castlehouse are congratulated on the birlh of
their son.
Congratulations also go to Staff Sergeant Gough, Sergeant
Poulton, Corporals Dixon and Riley on promotion.
We wish a safe trip to Staff Sergeant Jim Unsworth and
Sergeant Geordie Richardson who depart on Op Banner Tours.
Welcome to W 2 Nimmons, Corporals Vale, Weissgerber,
Wilson, Lance Corporals Crampton, Jupp, Langdon, Fenney,
Williamson and Private McGurn,
Farewell to: Staff Sergeant Hassell, Corporals Anderson,
Cormack, Duncalf, Floyd, Lance Corporal Woodall, Privates
Harvey and Wilson.
Ordnance Depot Viersen
MILITARY TRAINING took on an international flavour this
month with the Unit entering two teams in a Bundeswehr Spon-
sored International Shoot. No competitor had fired any of the
weapons before the competition as they were supplied in situ,
by the German Army, Teams from Luxemburg, France, UK,
the USA and of course Germany took part. Our ' first * team of
Major Graham Macdonald, WOsl Dave Timms and Dave
Cartwright, Staff Sergeant Bill Oakley REME, and Sergeant Frank
Voice were ' out-gunned * by the ' second * team of RSM Ian
Drew, WOl Barry Erskine, Sergeants John Fryer and Dick
Watson and Corporal Paddy O'Keefe. The ' second' team came
second in the team * full-bore' championship having fired
German rifle and machine gun competitions. Star of the Shoot
was Sergeant Frank Voice who came second in the individual
rifle to return some honour to the * first' team,
The Upit held its Annual Cross-Country race on the 25th
September. The organisation and setting were excellent. Cap-
tain George Dey and WOI George Gormley RAPC conducted
and orchestrated the occasion, with the skill of Sir Malcolm
Sargent at the final night of the Proms, in the nearby and
beautiful Dulken Woods, which provided as splendid a back-
drop as the Albert Hall, The Headquarters and Regimental
team won the team event just ahead of *A' Sub Depot. The
Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Tony Rees started the
race at 1400 hours and twenty eight minutes thirty seven
seconds later Lance Corporal Robbo Roberts was first to finish
the five mile course. Mrs Babs Rees presented him with bis
winning trophy and the second and third prizes to Corporal
Dom Tomala and Staff Sergeant Pete Mollison respectively.
WOl George Gormley starred in his own right on the 19th
coming thirty ninth in the Duisburg marathon in a time of two
hours fifty three minutes.
Continuing on the sporting scene the rugby team has
started well, winning two of the first four games of the season
and narrowly losing the other two. One of the wins, against
the Royal Engineers in the Rhine Area Chairmans Cup, was
the Units first win in that competition for nearly two years and
the other win against QUENT the first win over that team for
four seasons.
The unit hockey team too is slowly getting to grips with
the opposition and after a very good game to open the season
against Rheindahlen Garrison which ended in a win for
Garrison four to two we have since won games against 13 Signal
Regiment and 28 Signal Regiment. The unit fielded a team in
the Rheindahlen Garrison Festival held on 26th/27th Septem-
ber and although we won the * wooden spoon * the team led by
SQMS Bob Bowrah and Sergeant Ken Black gave a very good
account of itself against superior teams from RAF Bruggen,
16 Signal Regiment, RAF Rheindahlen, and Rheindahlen
Garrison.
Major Murray the OIC Hockey is to be heard
repeatedly rallying the team by saying the opposition can only
get weaker!
1981 has proved to be a most successful season for the
Ordnance Depot Viersen cricket team. The team won the DOS
(BAOR) cup after beating 3 BAD Bracht, 154 FAD Wulfen in
the qualifying rounds and 1 ADOC in the final. Mrs Whalley
very kindly presented the prizes on a glorious day for cricket of
which the highlight was the spontaneous sportsmanship shown
by both teams.
The unit also won the Rhine Area Minor Units Cup for the
second year. Once again the final 154 FAD Wulfen suffered
defeat in the final in a most entertaining and enjoyable game
played at Rheindahlen. The spirit of camaraderie created
amongst RAOC BAOR Units during these competitions was
most uplifting and can only bode well for the Corps.
Many readers will remember Sergeant Geoff Moore who
was tragically killed last year in a car accident The unit has
introduced the Geoff Moore Memorial Trophy which is played
for annually by those teams in BAOR for which Geoff once
played,
Perhaps it is fitting that Ordnance Depot Viersen won that
trophy in this its first year and we were able to ask his wife
Shirley to present the trophy at the Annual Dinner.
The team has developed a 4 family atmosphere,' which ha&
led to winning five competitions over the last two seasons
created mainly by the * Senior 1 members of (he WOs and
Sergeants Mess who form the majority of the team. We are
loath to spotlight any particular players but special thanks must
go to WOs2 Terry Reifer and Andy Braithwaite and Corporal
John Longfield who proved to be this years mainstays with of
course the skipper Major Vic Nicholls, RAPC,
We say a sad farewell this month to Sergeant Pete Salisbury
who was with us only for a short space of time, departing to
4 ADOC, but who made himself a popular member of the unit
and the rugby team. We also say goodbye to WOl Dave Cart-
wright who departs to Deepcut to ' finish his time.' A renowned
member of the unit who participted in nearly everything and
excelled in Small Bore Shooting, always jovial, he will be sadly
missed.
Another old stalwart, our own human * one-armed
bandit/ Chief Clerk W 2 Bill Cowell has returned by con-
ventional means, and not hang glider, to UK to become a
4
home-steader' in Wiltshire. It will not take him long to make
his mark on the local community, in fact many marks, as he
pursues his hobby of rearing pigeons. We wish them all the
best of health and happiness.
Welcomes are extended this month to WOl Ken Riley our
new Chief W02 John Andrews (the photocopier has not worked
since he arrived), and Sergeant Kevin Kelly.
INVENTORY CONTROL POINT, Things have been pretty
quiet in ICP this last month with a number of major units
being away on leave. This lull in activity will enable most of our
staff to take their own leave. Switzerland, Spain and the UK
were the favourites this year.
The ICP car park has at long last, been enlarged. Some
say this was because more cars are using the park, while others
believe a larger manoeuvring space was required by the lady
drivers using the area. Judging by the amount of crooked park-
ing the latter is more likely. Corporal Terry Kennedy has now
left us to go to report where it is felt sure the sales of
* Theaksons Old Peculiar' in the locals will be increased. His
post in Unit Liaison Cell has been taken over by Corporal
Trevor Taylor who has joined us from 4th Armoured Division
Engineer Regiment Workshop.
Rhine Area
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SUPPLY BRANCH.
Regimental Training
Season is upon us with all that entails,
revised BFT times delighting some and dis-
maying others. The great Caernarvon re-
build continues apace, inside the barracks
looking like a combination of motorway con-
struction works and a bombs ite. Farewell
month to Lieutenant Colonel John
Franklin and family to whom we wish the
very best for their tour at Middle Wallop,
welcome to Lieutenant Colonel Frank Warren and family to
whom we wish a happy tour in Dusseldorf.
STAFF CLERKS,
Our turn to add a few lines this month and
let our colleagues worldwide know who walks the Headquarters
corridors in Dusseldorf.
SSM Ray Goff has again decided to give football one more
season (how many times have we heard that!) and is now train-
ing hard, he says, for the last time. We have just said goodbye to
W02 Dave Hearn who has moved on to a new 'out-house* of
DGAT in Old Sarurn and, sadly for staff clerk posts, will not be
replaced because of the dreaded streamlining. Staff Sergeant
Dick Hill who runs the G I / G 4 world (AQ is such a hard habit
to lose!) gets so frustrated when work interferes with his golf!
Our Sergeants are Bob Haynes (G2/3) who is currently awaiting
a posting and George Leadbitter (PA) who eagerly awaits the
arrival of number three child. Corporal Brian Kay, recently
married, is slogging away at his EPC Course, Corporal Pete
Cheeseman is slogging away at his preparation for the BFT and
Corporal Gerry Wells is readjusting (!) having just returned from
six months in Zimbabwe—he also awaits that magic piece of
movement paper from Records!
89 SUPPLY DEPOT
THIS month proved to be very sporting with most members
representing Ord Services in one sport or another, some of which
are mentioned below: —
Cricket: W02 Andy Brathwaite, Sergeant Davy Jones and
.— 226 —
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Book number R0250