Back to Library Journals

RAOC Gazette - page 118

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 3rd Armoured Division
HEADQUARTERS
RAOC
FLAMING JUNE, as it is called, or as
the Chief Clerk calls it Flaming June 1 .
was marked by the farewell visit of
DDOS 1 (BR) Corps, Brigadier P. G.
Macdonaid r during which the CRAOC,
Lieutenant Colonel David Cornwell,
presented a plaque and pennant on be-
half of the staff of Headquarters RAOC.
The S02 Maint, Major David Davies, away on the Ord-
nance Representatives Course at Blackdown, after ten months
; n the appointment, left for the ferry with shouts of 'fiddle'
and * Have a good holiday.* No doubt he will have some
pearls of wisdom to offer Eo the course after his experiences
during restructuring.
Sergeant Barry Brooks, our new Chief Clerk, expressed a
desire to go on a parachute course. He was promptly des-
patched from the Technical Office window by the DOWO,
our resident APJT. He is now looking for something higher,
keenly watching the progress on the construction of the new
thirty metre BFBS TV tower in the camp.
The Branch volleyball team continues to do well in the
Headquarters league, although it has suffered a setback since
CRAOC, star of the team, broke a finger playing football!
The second DOWO, W02 Sam Bartram, advised that the
finger was dislocated and proceeded to straighten it and torture
CRAOC, all in one operation.
Our Chief Cleric Technical, W02 Danny Danvers, part time
hockey referee and full time snooker player who thinks pot
black is a BBC TV programme about cooking cannonballs,
continues to be beaten at the game by allcomers, including
the Materiel Clerk, Sergeant Paul Jackson. Sergeant Jackson
also represents the branch in the RAOC 3 Division cricket
team which recently beat a team from 4 Armoured Division.
Following on from the last GAZETTE notes in which was
mentioned the office reorganisation, the Technical Office seems
to have borne the brunt of the chaos. We now have seven
desks and eight clerks, consequently there is now a formula
based on the eight hour day of one hour each, staggered
for lunch break, but it is hard to convince Corporal Dave
Burrell (the Vehicle Clerk) to take his lunch between 9 and
10 am!
Private Steve De Feu, newcomer to the Branch, has
arrived back having passed his driving test first time. Con-
gratulations from all. He is now busy looking for a private
car and telephone poles to knock down with four ton
Bedfords.
ORDNANCE COMPANY
IN contrast to last month's news this month's points of interest
have all taken place on the sportsfield. The golf team, grandly
styled as RAOC Ordnance Company Soest Area, has twice
beaten its REME counterparts. The OC has also recently
taken up golf and I hear that already he is getting below double
figures on the short holes.
The cricket team, after a somewhat shaky start to the
sea on, came back with a good win over 4 Armoured Division
Ordnance Company, in the first round of the RAOC BAOR
Championships.
Volleyball is obviously the 4 in * sport this summer and
it's good to see everybody joining in. The Unit team has
played three matches but while the beers have been going down
well the results haven't. We are very proud to have been the
only minor Unit entered for the 3 Division tug-of-war champion-
ships, and although Corporal Shephard and his crew put up a
great fight, they succumbed in the end to the larger major
Units.
Whilst writing this article, half of the Unit is on Summer
Camp in Bavaria pursuing such activities as rock climbing, water
skHng, sailing and trekking, while a hardened group of walkers,
led by Second Lieutenant Harris and Sergeant Hughes are busy
preparing for the Nijmegen Marches in July.
On one very wet day in May Second Lieutenant Harris took
the Unit shooting team to the 3 Division championships. The
small team, despite the terrible conditions, shot well in the
SLR and SMG competitions, but showed that a great deal of
practice is needed in the pistol shooting.
Our only military exercise this month was convoy practice
organized to give the vehicles a run, new drivers some experience,
and a nev> subaltern a headache. Congratulations were due
to Private Hooper who had passed his test on the morning of
the run after only three weeks of driving. However, we will
draw a veil on the events of that afternoon.
Finally, we would like to welcome to the Unit Second
Lieutenant Harris, Staff Sergeant Evans, Corporal Egan and
Privates Williams, Connolly, Whetton and Meek, and bid fare-
well to Lance Corporal Bridges, who is retiring to civvy street,
and to Private Wilkes who moves to another Unit.
Regret that the cartoon would not reproduce.—Editor.
STORES SECTION,
3 ARMOURED DIVISION ENGINEER
REGIMENT
AS the Regiment reaches the final phases of Operation Banner
training, and the 890's and demands fly thicker and faster than
they have ever flown before, we, the few, of the Stores Section
Rear Party, think fondly of the illusion that with ninety per
cent of the Regiment on physical training, training, shooting,
lectures and the one hundred and one other things to do for an
Operation Banner Tour, our workload would decrease. Foolish
people, every item is wanted yesterday, the day before yesterday
or the middle of last month. But we are assured that when
the Regiment has gone the workload will decrease. Won't It??
Our WOtC Bob Ford, has had another illusion shattered
when RAOC Records changed his posting from the sunny
climes of ICP Viersen in November (LOA and all), to the wintry
climes of DSM Bicester in November. He now tells every-
one, " I really wanted to go back to UK, really I did." The
concensus of opinion is, if he keeps saying it till November
he still won't believe it. Neither will we.
On the sporting scene, our budding Geoff Boycott, Private
Latham, has been heard to say, *' I will get a game in before
the football season starts/'
ACCOMMODATION SERVICES UNIT
SENNELAGER
WE are now the new re-organised ASU Sennelager, having shed
our responsibilities for the Northern part of our old depen-
dency to the newly formed ASU Detmold. Captain John
Robertson assumed command from Major Frank Beaumont,
who has left to be OC ASU Detmold prior to retiring in
August. Although he has left the Unit, Frank will continue
to live in Sennelager and no doubt we will see him on the
golf course. The re-organisation has also meant that we are
now under command of CRAOC 3 Armoured Division, Lieu-
tenant Colonel Corn well, who paid an initial visit to the Unit
on 9th May.
On 9th June, John Robertson played in a friendly golf
match with the DGOS against Brigadier J. P. Maxwell, BRAC
1st British Corps and Lieutenant Colonel Ian MacPherson,
(RAOC retired). The result was in the balance until the very
last hole, when regrettably the serving RAOC went down.
Mrs Deborah Noble, one of our dependent clerical staff,
was appointed Miss Paderborn and contested the Miss BAOR
competition, which was held at the Rhine Army Show at Bad
Lippspringe on 10th June. Although Debbie didn't reach the
finalists she proved to be a most charming and worthy represen-
tative of Paderborn Garrison.
4th Armoured Division
HEADQUARTERS
RAOC
HEADQUARTERS 4 Armoured Division
(the fighting fourth) has been busy during
June on various commitments such as
Exercise Main Brace, courses and the
production of a new RAOC film * Supply
in the Field.' All members of the Head-
quarters are now fully fledged members
of Equity.
Our No. 2 DOWO (the vanishing
breed) WOl Terry Hammond is in the process of handing over
to W02 Tom Tait who we give a warm welcome to and hope
it will not be too long before he is joined by his wife and son.
Corporal Neil Quin has applied to change his nationality
from Scottish to Welsh as a protest at the way his team played
in the World Cup.
We seem to be getting a much better service from ICP
these days, which is the result of a beautiful relationship which
Lance Corporal Steve Davies has with a young lady on the
telephone in Viersen.
Recent postings in are Lance Corporal Cuthbert and
family, Private Billington and Corporal Richmond.
Congratulations to Lance Corporal Mark Lynam on pass-
ing his Bl Staff Clerks course and to W02 Jim Donoghue for
a wonderful attempt at the annual BE test.
ORDNANCE
COMPANY
A BUSY month for us here at Detmold. Rather an under-
statement I hear the rest of the Unit say.
We started with Exercise Black Bear III which was the
OCs exercise, this went very well and we were especially
Book number R0247