RAOC Gazette - page 312
Image details
| Corps | RAOC |
|---|---|
| Material type | Journals |
| Book page | |
| Chapter head | |
| Chapter key | |
| Chapter number | |
| Full title | RAOC Gazette |
| Page number | |
| Publication date | 1981 |
| Real page | |
| Colour | No |
| Grey | No |
| Early date | 1981 |
| Late date | 1981 |
| Transcription |
So an exercise successfully completed—no real dramas no panics, no problems, all the paperwork reconciled, everybody smiling and plenty of back slapping -what went wrong! Captain Dick Gill (ATO). having returned from Denmark and Amber Express to the quiet of Longtown, would like to thank Captain Fred Moughton and Staff Sergeant Cooper from KJne- ton for taking the carpets and coke to Denmark which helped make the farmhouse he was living in very comfortable (I told you it was a holiday). Also back from holiday (AT upgrading at the AS of A) is Corporals Kevin Cronin and Pete Williams—well done both— and the Y3 awaits you. We are glad to welcome back from Northern Ireland Corporal John Napolitano, after his successful tour with 321 EOD Company. The Petroleum Centre DESPITE the onset of Autumn West Moors continues to attract visitors. It must be the glorious Autumn tints. Major General Thorne was our senior visitor last month. He toured every de- partment talked to almost everyone and visited both Officers and Sergeants Messes. The Chief Ordnance Officer Brigadier Berresford came to formally open our own ACF Detachment—more of that elsewhere in THF, GAZETTE. Colonel Bowden OIC and RAOC Manning Office addressed all ranks. His talk on postings, pro- motions and careers was very illuminating and thought provoking. A part from two local Youth Opportunities Programmes were appreciative visitors—impressed by the Army and The Petroleum Centre. As a precursor to Colonel Bowdens visit promotions were the order of the day and we congratulate SSM Dodwell, SQMS Mills, Staff Sergeant Sharkey, Corporal Burgess and Lance Corporal Burton on their substantive promotion to those ranks and Corporal Brumby, A/Lance Corporal Evans and Private White on their provisional selection for promotion next year. The unit marchers have been out again. A team led by Major Wood including Corporal Bishop, Privates Avery and Brownlow and some of our RPC detachment completed the Lichfield thirty mile march—and raised £97 for Help The Aged out of some £10,000 raised by the event, Corporal Smith has returned from Bicester clutching his RPCt certificate—his previous attempts had been dogged by injury. Well done! Captain and Mrs Wilberforce to Soest and our Jordanian and Malaysian guests to their own countries. Last but not least our erstwhile Assistant Adjutant Lieutenant Couch (WRAC), has left us for Gutersloh (could this be anywhere near Warendorf?), RAOC ASSOCIATION Birmingham Branch ALMOST sixty people attended our branch dinner, as usual well supported by our friends of the Shropshire Branch. Their party was headed by Colonel Parker, and we could not have a dinner without the presence of Jock Forrest who warned us not to price ourselves out of business. As though we would! The function was again held in the Captain Wilkinson Room of the Birmingham United Services Club, and it was fitting that our guest of honour was Brigadier Smith the Director of Land Service Ammunition. He spoke about current happenings in the Corps, and dwelled for a time on the work of bomb disposal squads. His speech was in his inimitable style, a mixture of seriousness and humour. He said that he would keep it short, and to the point, and he kept his promise. He made two presentations to the United Services Club, both of which were accepted by the secretary, Stan Whitfield. The first one was on behalf of the Apprentice College Chepstow, a picture depicting the presence of the Corps in the area, and the second on behalf of our branch, a framed copy of the Corps print of an EOD team at work in Northern Ireland. The Brigadier ended with a toast, " The Corps and the Association, coupled with the memory of Captain Ron Wilkinson." When we of the Birmingham Branch think of Ron we also think of all the other ATOs, and ex ATOs who have been killed* or injured when doing their job of work. Grace was said by ex Corps member the Reverend Les Brotherton who has now joined the branch. Another local Vicar was the personal guest of our treasurer, the Reverend Peter Hammersley who was commissioned in the Worcestershire Regiment, and saw service with the SAS. The club is very grateful for the pictures, and they are now hanging in the Captain Wilkinson Room just below, and to either side of that of Her Majesty The Queen, our Colonel-in-Chief. It is strange, and by coincidence that I left it until today to finish off this letter. Yesterday J was in London, and saw some of the disruption caused by a bomb blast in Oxford Street Sad to learn that another brave man, after a long service career, and working as a civilian expert was killed when trying to make the explosive device safe. There will I am sure be a great deal of sympathy for Mrs Howarth, the widow of the lale Ken in the sudden, and tragic loss of her husband, Shropshire Branch On the thirty mile Lichfield March. We welcome Captain Graham and his family from Hong Kong, Lance Corporal Burton from Devizes and Sergeant Botterili from BAOR. Meanwhile there have been rather more departures— Major Hayward to retirement, Lance Corporal Evans and Private Dacey to Devizes and the whole of the 1981 Officers Petroleum Course. Captain Randall WRAC, and Lieutenant Couch to Waren- dorf, Captain Fenwick and Captain Hingston-Jones to Devizes, — 260 THE visit of our seventeen members to the Birmingham Branch was thoroughly enjoyed and we congratulate Birmingham on a successful evening. It is a pity that the Birmingham Branch members have to leave before us as they have a shorter distance to travel! Our Dinner Dance at The Radbrooke Hall Hotel was a new venture which was thoroughly enjoyed by the fifty seven mem- bers who attended and all have voted for same again soon. It was nice to see so many of the CRAOC Western Districts staff under their leader Lieutenant Colonel A. Beaumont. We hope to see them all at our future functions. Our new chairman, Colonel Underbill, has already infused new enthusiasm into the Branch and we expect to see the fruits of this at our next social function which will be our Christmas Draw and Buffet Dance on Thursday 10th December at the TA Centre when once again Brian Tinsley's Mirage Group will give us some very enjoyable PE. When you read this Remembrance Day will be a memory whilst at the moment we are preparing for a new look parade with live band and the addition of the Ladies Sector British Legion and WRAC Association members on parade (Other Garrisons please note!) We are pleased to report that Brigadier Short has accepted the invitation to become a Vice President of The Branch and joins Brigadier Morrison and Brigadier Barclay, all three of course being ex-Command ants of COD Donnington, |
| Book number | R0250 |