Back to Library Journals

RAOC Gazette - page 119

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 fortunate with the weather. This was closely followed by the
CRAOCs exercise, which was the first time many of the Unit
had been on exercise, such is our turnover, We had our
mutual problems but by the end it had obviously been a
success, and again enjoyable due to the weather.
Typically as soon as we finished and arrived back at Det-
mold the weather broke and spoiled many well planned week-
ends.
-One point to arise from the exercise was our recce group's
route card. I quote ' Keep going straight on unless there is a
left turn if there is turn left otherwise straight on.' This did
cause some amusement in the Unit, as did the time when the
ten tonners tried to cross a wooden bridge that would probably
not support a Land Rover 1
Next came the chance for all our budding young actors.
We were to be filmed in the new Corps film ' T h e Providers/
Little did we realise the amount of extra work this would
entail. It was a big surprise to find that twelve hours work
would produce just ten minutes filming.
Eventually the filming culminated in the whole Company
being formed up on the Detmold Airfield for some aerial
shots, this caused Captain Brian Gunson and his Recce Group
with Sergeant Straughier much fun but we finally finished, and
we look forward to seeing the result sometime in December.
This month saw the beginning of an attempt to roller
skate from Detmold to London; the team, Carey, 'Emily*
Pankhurst, Lee ' A m i ' Arnison and Goddard set off on 10th
June and to date are at Antwerp and still going strong, we
wish them luck and any other Units interested in sponsoring
them are invited to get in touch with Second Lieutenant Chris
Walker, as" all the money raised will be going to charity.
On the 15th June, we had our first major visit to the
restructured Unit. The DGOS arrived for lunch with DDOS
and CRAOC Later in the afternoon the DGOS visited the
Storehouse then had tea in the Junior Ranks Club where he
had the opportunity of meeting most of the company.
bridge over the barbed wire. Shooting on electronic ranges
proved an enjoyable experience, however the activities in the gas
chamber ied to a certain person losing half his moustache to
' five Danish women wearing noddy suits and respirators. 1 But
all was not work, some evenings were free and the company
enjoyed the hospitality of the Danes. A tour of Copenhagen
proved to have less attraction than the sights to be seen on the
beaches, but the visit to the Carlsberg brewery was enjoyed by
all. The final exercise in which a platoon from the Company
acted as enemy proved to be a most enjoyable enterprise which
taught Lhe Danes the need for properly posted sentries at
night.
Reading between the lines, there's more to that report than
meets the eye. The difficulty is getting proof or in fact even
going with them!
The Officers recently had a ' training d a y ' with the German
and Belgian Army at Augustdorf. Looking at the photo-
graphs it is difficult to actually see anyone shooting
and
a small pri2e will be awarded for any reader who can guess
what OC 43 Company is talking about in the picture.
Caption please—any offers?
The Battalion athletics team did particularly well in the
RAOC (BAOR) Athletics Meeting held in Rheindahlen. Special
mention must be made of Private Winston Brown who won
the long jump.
Other successes included the four by four
hundred metres relay, the four by two hundred metres relay
and runners up in the tug-of-war (lightweight),
We say farewell to W02 Goodson. Staff Sergeant Fletcher
(on promotion), Sergeant Hooper, Corporals Woodcock, O'Byrne,
Preston, DaIy H Pattison, Lance Corporals Fade and Kettle,
Privates Martin, Taylor, Langdon, Thompson and Wilson,
We welcome W02 Calvert, Staff Sergeant Goodrum, Sergeant
Braithwaite, Corporal Holden, Lance Corporal Palmer, Privates
Taylor, Gayler, Rutherford, Broadhurst, Houlder, Rainford,
Gandy and Wallis.
(Apologies but there is not enough space for the poem this
month.—Editor).
Headquarters Berlin (British Sector)
1
The DGOS meets Sergeant Brian Unwin.
Combat Supplies Battalion
^^^^wmm^^^m
WH1LST
the
rest of the Battalion has

with military training- Evenings out
with the mosquitos gave way to days of blazing sun. Captain
Graham Paton took on the duties of Company Commander for
a Company Night Attack on a Danish position and was noted
using his radio operator, Lance Corporal (Maj) Steele as a

IT has been a very long time since an article was published
in THE GAZETTE from this headquarters but we hope to make
a regular appearance in the future. Perhaps the lack of con-
tributions is understandable due to the severe shortage of
* midnight o i l ' in the Headquarters!
The main cause of our late hours of recent weeks has been
the preparation for the visit of Her Majesty The Queen and
His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh for the annual
Queens Birthday Parade in Berlin, This was Her Majesty's first
visit to Berlin since 1965 and in the event, thanks to good
weather and lots of hard work on behalf of all Units in Berlin,
we had a day to remember.
It was especially so for Corporal Dave Frampton who,
together with Corporal Debbie Field, represented the Head-
quarters by being presented to Her Majesty The Queen. Sergeant
Dave Powell wasn't so lucky as he, resplendent in Mess Dress,
guided the guests into the reception following the Parade. W02
Colin Auger the Headquarters Superintending Clerk and Sergeant
Mike O'Hare, Chief Clerk Operations and Plans, obviously
knew what they were about as they somehow obtained invitations
94 —
Book number R0247