RAOC Gazette - page 150
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 |
was a total failure due, we are told, to the weather. Perhaps now they will accept the fact that they are just plain ugly and that their past success was obviously a fluke. W u l f e n Station W 1 Colin Pearce, Master Stephen Pearce., Mrs Iris Pearce, Brigadier Macdonald, Mrs Mary Marshall and W O l Alex Marshall after the presentation. Colin Pearce. After the ceremony the recipients treated all to drinks in the Duck and Shovel and the usually high standard of buffet, as supplied by Mrs Irene Thynne and Mrs Mary Powell, was also to be had and enjoyed. Not to be outdone our AEO, Major Derek Hellings, also took possession of a medal some weeks later, but with con- siderably less ceremony. (A sigh of relief was heard from his Service Dress button holes). The long awaited GSM and Clasp (N.I) (1962). Socially, the Unit has leaned towards games evenings of late and an apparent winning formula learned from last months victory at the 4 Division RAOC Association Games Night. Such mundane pastimes as darts and cribbage are out and in their places are games requiring the brain such as jigsaw puzzle con- struction races, * Halma' and ' Mastermind/ Both the RMP's and the PCCU have now bowed to our skills. Comings and goings, both temporary and permanent, are many. We welcome Lieutenant Phil Freegard on a two months working holiday from RMCS Shrivenham and for a week we lost Captain Tony Jacques whilst he attended a PQS 2 Course. The effects are yet to be seen, felt or heard as he still thinks that ' T h e Magic Roundabout* is an Open University programme on applied physics. On a more permanent note we wish 'Aufwiedesehen' to Warrant Officer Colin Pearce and his family. His future move- ments seem complicated and obscure with Blackdown, DLSA and AIDU Hounslow claiming a share of his remaining service, Relieving the latter is WOl Bob Pettit coming to us after serving three years with the Northern Ireland Forensic Science Lab- oratory. We also welcome Corporal Gavin Dunhill from AIDU Hounslow for a full tour and Mrs Peggy Chilcot to join her husband. Captain Roger Patrick reappeared recently having successfully completed the No. 32 Ordnance Officers Basic Course. What order of precedence he achieved amongst those who attended the course is yet to be announced but in any case it is good to have two ATOs again, if only to reduce the echo in their office! WALSRODE. "We're out of hibernation" at Walsrode, but only just having had a quiet month with lots of leave all round. We have all passed the range classification once more proving our ability to hold back the potential enemy hordes. Whether or not we will be judged fit enough to do so remains to be seen and this will be reported next month after the BFT, A recent display of fitness was seen, or not seen, when in com- pany with the local Bundeswehr we took part in a novelty twelve kilometre march in aid of German War Graves, Low spirits over our dismal final placing was compensated however by much free flowing ' high-spirits" afterwards. An inaugural visit to the American EOD Detachment at Bremerhaven went very well—after the initial shock of being offered undiluted coke. A few judicious words and a lucrative visit to the PX produced some suitable diluting fluid and the remainder of the day was a complete success, as will be their return visit. Corporals Paul Myring and * Taffy' Roberts have attempted to recapture the magical delights of their previous summer holiday by returning to Denmark. However, the bird watching ' COSTA DEL W U L F E N ' has not lived to its expectations. I remember telling you of the re- opening of the station swimming pool and it being well attended by station families. Well! to be perfectly frank the early sum- mer optimism did not last long. Instead of brown bikini clad bodies lounging in the sun, it has been a brolley, mack and gum-boots affair and it's still cold as I put pen to paper. I am seriously con- sidering applying for a permanent attachment to the Mauritian Militia. All right, no need to all clap at once. Our main event of recent weeks has been the visit by our representative Colonel Commandant, Major General J. T. Stanyer accompanied by DOS BAOR. General Stanyer took this opportunity to open our new Ammunition Process Building and presented Long Service and Good Conduct Medals to Staff Sergeant Bill Robinson the NCO IC 154 FAD MT and Staff Sergeant Phil Cooper of the Corps Vehicle Company. John Bunby the NAAFI Manager has gone to Elmpt on posting and his relief Mr Harry Fletcher is arriving shortly. Also under new management, although I should say Headship really, is the Station Junior School. Miss Beryl Wright left us for Ratingen and her replacement is Mr Arthur Peters, He and his family are due to arrive shortly. The station marching team participated in the Rheindahlen Allied Marches over a distance of thirty kilometres (eighteen miles ' for the UK Brotherhood'). The team was composed of Staff Sergeant Ken Price RAPC, Corporal Eric Gibson, Lance Corporal Mel Short, Privates Smudge Smith, John Lovage and John Campbell. They completed the distance despite torrential rain and very 'yucky* muddy conditions. Oh this eternal'rain! Which brings me to fishing. The Station added yet another trophy to the display case when they took part in the Rhine Area Championship. It was held on the River Ruhr and the team was Sergeant Bob Berry RE ME (Captain), Sergeant Ian Davies, Corporals Terry Long, Dave Talbot and Paul Falcus the son of WOl Denis Falcus the Depot Foreman. 154 FORWARD AMMUNITION DEPOT IF I said " Hosband Fling" you may mistake me to mean a Higland dance performed by the Station Sergeant Major as a result of his imminent departure for Deepcut. In fact, it is the name given to SSM Hosband's last contribution and parting gesture to the 154 F A D Soldiers, It took the form of a thirty six. hour exercise on the local training area. Other than those who reported ' sick' on the evening phase of the ' Fling * most of the Unit took part in section and platoon battle drills, forced marches, digging in and finishing off with an attack on a defended position. There are rumours of Sergeant Pat Bradley collabora- ting with the enemy—or was it an indulgence in tobacco? ! As for the moves we say farewell to Lance Corporal ' Geordie' Young, wife Lynn and children and congratulate him on his promotion, our Cook Sergeant, Sergeant Danny Byrne ACC, wife Margaret and son Richard have left for Col- chester; Trance Corporal John Hewitt and his champion 'Welly Wanging' wife Isabelle and the children also to Colchester, and Private Smudge Smith to Dortmund, perhaps they can make him smile, We congratulate Lance Corporals Trevor Horn and Paddy McVeigh on their recent promotion. Welcome back Staff Sergeant Dave Wood and Private Spud Saunders from success- ful Northern Ireland tours. Welcome, Lance Corporal Brian Jacobs and Private Davis Morris, both from UK. FVD RECKLINGHA USEN THE Unit held its annual summer camp by the Biggasee at 01 pe, Sauerland. The camp was split into two separate weeks with half of the Unit on the first week and the rest of the Unit attending the second week. The summer camp was appropriately named Exercise Wet Feet, we can all testify that the feet were not the only part of the anatomy to get wet Despite the inclement weather everyone appeared to enjoy themselves partaking in canoeing and hillwaiking, which tested the map reading prowess of each individual. In the twenty kilo- metre cross country race the Officers team, consisting of Lieu- tenant Colonel Man, Major Jeffrey, Captain Bridges and Lieu- — 120 — |
| Book number | R0247 |