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RAOC Gazette - page 140

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Full title RAOC Gazette
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Publication date 1978
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Early date 1978
Late date 1978
Transcription clutching instruments and muttering about 'sampling techniques'
and ' RA Proof/ They must be keen because some of them
have even been sighted in the Hebrides. I didn't know they
sold Brakespeares that far north?
The sportsmen have been away too: sailors to (he Corps
Regatta, tennis players to the Corps Championships and golfers
to Wrekin. The girls have been out playing netball—com-
pulsive lunch-time viewing for those who appreciate the finer
points of the game—as our picture shows. Most of us shot our
Photo Eric Marsh.
way successfully through the Personal Weapon tests at Chum.
Those who have not fired for a long time found the new fangled
nine millimetre Brownings great and the idea of straight SMG
magazines really tickled all the ex-Lewis gunners.
But it isn't all play at DLSA. Behind the scenes policy is
being formulated, plans made and preparations got under way—
well now we've said goodbye to Shirley Nobes and had the
Mess Cocktail Party somebody has to do some looking ahead:
there's the beer to order (Brakespeares for Proof Branch), glasses
to fetch, sawdust for the floor, spare light bulbs
yes, it's
quite a busy little place, and the phones are always ringing.
gone well. We wish a quick recovery to Staff Sergeant Pitts,
who unfortunately broke his leg while taking part in a dawn
attack on one of the Sponsored Units locations. It was not all
work and no play however, the S02 Trg, Major Cary, managed
to take in a bit of sea fishing, we didn't see any fish, but
the rolls of tangled line we saw him trying to unravel daily,
probably indicated that the ' o n e that got away' was a shark!
Captain Burrow was more successful, we saw the fish but no
line and Staff Sergeant Herron the Chief Clerk kept himself
busy producing endless tee shirts, with various comments printed
on the fronts.
The S02 AQ Major Fleming sought refuge daily on a
rather elderly 4 Ex M O D ' bicycle, and the l L * plate pinned by
some miscreant to the front handlebars did not seem to impair
the machines aerodynamics.
We hope our S03 (B), Captain Rowlands is enjoying JDSC,
and congratulations on landing a place on the Food Technology
course in 1979,
We bid farewell to our Commander, Colonel R. K. Hind,
and wish both him and Mrs Hind a happy and pleasant retire-
ment, and as they will be living not too far away we hope
they will be able to visit us. Welcome to our new Com-
mander, Colonel J. Gregan, we hope you enjoy your stay.
SCHOOL OF ORDNANCE
SOCIAL EVENTS, postings and promotions seem to have
monopolised the last few weeks. The School of Ordnance
Officers Mess Annual June Lunch was voted a success by all
who attended and the weather was glorious; a solitary fine day
sandwiched between two very poor ones. The sun 7 of course,
always shines on the righteous!
In July we held our annual boat trip on the Thames from
Windsor to Staines. Again a success although a very cool
evening had to be balanced by a fair intake of stimulating
beverages. Most people managed a glow by the end of the
trip.
Congratulations are due to Major Kerry Curtis, now a
Lieutenant Colonel, Captain Nigel Lampard, now a Major and
Major Keith Mullins who has been selected for promotion to
Lieutenant Colonel. We wish them well although sadly they
are all leaving us.
We welcome to the staff of the School Major Graham
Co well, Captain Brian Mobley and W 2 Braithwaite. A busy
and happy time lies ahead of them.
Staff College
Training Centre
HEADQUARTERS
THE SOI, Lieutenant Colonel Day, is busy getting together a
cast for a play he is producing, the well known ' Importance of
Being Earnest' to be held in November.
Major Cooke has now handed over to Major Mentzel and
is recovering after his farewell parties prior to moving to Oman;
to Major Mentzel we say welcome and hope his tour will be a
happy one.
Major Baines our GS02 recently took part in the Train-
ing Centre golf meeting but is keeping quiet about the results.
He is now attending a management course at the school.
Sergeant Thomson is regularly representing the Training
Centre at cricket and is the scourge of all batsmen.
It is good to see Sergeant Lawrence on PT, but we get the
odd remark of who is the new Sergeant posted in.
CENTRAL VOLUNTEER
HEADQUARTERS
OUR readers will have noticed that we missed the last edition
of THE GAZETTE and for this unforgivable sin the Chief Clerk
is still suffering, after receiving forty lashes of the S02 AQs
tongue!I
We are now settling in at Deepcut after five hectic but
successful weeks on Annual Camp at West Moors and Frem-
ington in North Devon. The small headquarters staff of CVHQ
were equal to the task of providing the logistic support for the
RAOC TAVR Sponsored Units on training for yet another
camp, and as the RQMS W 2 Powell would say " What's a
few hundred tons of simulated ammunition, the odd Eager
Beaver or two, thirty or forty cars lining up behind a ten tonner
and laundry trailer as it puffs its way along a narrow North
Devonshire lane, and enough repair problems to keep a Field
Workshop occupied for two months,—among friends!" what
indeed!
We hope our Sponsored Units enjoyed the camp as much as
we did, the RSM WOl Hendry is still smiling (even after having
recently completed * his BFT *) so the training really must have
t
IT is some years since the RAOC Officers
and Soldiers at the Staff College Camber-
ley contributed to THE GAZETTE.
Al-
though we are so few in number that we
scarcely merit an appearance in each issue,
readers may be interested in hearing from
us once or twice a year.
Hidden behind the trees just off the
A30, there are twelve RAOC personnel.
High Priest and leader in all matters
RAOC is Colonel J. A. Hulme, whose appointment as Colonel
GS Coord strikes fear and trepidation into the hearts of any
wrongdoers. Colonel Hulme arrived in Camberley from Logistic
Executive (Army) in Andover during March 1978,
GS03 is Major (OEO) C. A, Moss MBE, who runs the Staff
College Work Production Centre, producing thousands of precis
to be absorbed mentally by some one hundred and eighty
students annually.
This year the RAOC Gentlemen Students attending No. 12
Army Staff Course are: Majors P. M, D. Coeshott, M, A.
Gilbertson, R, H, T. Kirby, K. P. O'Kelly, D. B. Waddell and
P. P. Wallace-Stock. In October they will be told whether the
next two years will be spent sunning themselves behind a desk
in MOD or whether they have been selected for a less exotic
appointment. Watch this space!
The Superintending Clerk is WOl K. G. Giddings. Having
been at The Staff College since January 1977 SSM Giddings is
now an expert in the diplomacy of being one of two RAOC
Staff Clerks catering with the clerical backup of some fifty
Senior Officer Directing Staff.
Next in line and to be seen checking BAOR road maps to
make sure Rheindahlen has not moved since 1974 is W02 C. C.
G. Duckworth who leaves us in November to try to form a
Cross Country Ski Club within the Golden Mile of Head-
quarters BAOR. His replacement at Camberley is to be Staff
Sergeant J. D, Dickson.
Also within the enclaves of the Staff College and working
as Chief Clerk Tactical Doctrine Retrieval Cell is W02 M. E.
no
Book number R0247